Your living room in Sardinia

When the phone call came from Sardinia proposing him to conduct a broadcast on Videolina, Maurizio Costanzo decided that yes, the time had come to start over, to pick up the thread of that profession that had consecrated him king of the talk show until moment in which his name did not appear in the list of members of Licio Gelli's P2 list Almost two years had passed since 1981, when he had resigned from the direction of "L'Occhio", the newspaper that he himself had founded, and from all other positions on TV and in the press.

He arrived at Videolina with the humility of someone who knew he had to start from scratch but with all his charisma and immense professionalism intact, the result of important experiences in the theatre, on the radio, on TV and even as a successful lyricist (his famous "Se telephoning" sung by Mina) On the Island Fridays arrived in the Viale Marconi studios, they entertained themselves over dinner with some collaborators to gather news on the guests who were scheduled for the live broadcast of the program, that "After Dinner" which marked not only the rebirth of Maurizio Costanzo but also a bit of the history of the issuer.

In those quick dinner meetings he was given brief files containing, as he wished, meager information on who he was supposed to interview: above all on who his friends, enemies and salient facts of his life were And that was enough for him to set up an interview with flakes that he conducted with the air of someone who knew everything about who he was dealing with.

It was the beginning of a great friendship with the Sardinians and Sardinia Costanzo was fascinated by the history and places of the island to which his friendship with Marcello Marchesi, a writer and director who had met his death in Sardinia, in the sea of ​​San Giovanni di Sinis, had introduced him.

when he managed to carve out some free time, he asked to be accompanied to see those places that they had told and described to him, Orgosolo, the Supramonte, Su Gologone, the beaches of the Oristano area and the sunset of Capo Malfatano Nature, culture and good food, with an exaggerated passion for miniature pastries of which he was very greedy.

The electoral marathons In Cagliari Costanzo stayed at the Hotel Panorama and later at the Hotel Mediterraneo After the first trips alone he began to be accompanied by Simona Izzo, at the time his companion and then, for the last series of "Dopo Cena", in 1993, by his wife Marta Flavi, the only woman who - as he said after the divorce - "I no longer have the pleasure of saying goodbye".

But even after the resumption of his activities in the national field with the fantastic forty-year ride of the "Maurizio Costanzo Show", the journalist did not disdain collaborations with Videolina and returning to Sardinia for work and pleasure The absolute protagonist of a series of electoral marathons between 1983 and 1989, a tireless conductor almost until dawn, until the result of the vote no longer held any secrets.

The guests In that last no-stop which led to the regional elections of 1989, full of great guests, from Domenico Modugno to the Platters, and nationally important politicians rigorously in the studio because smartphones and "backpacks" had yet to invent them, the Constantius' only request, the dressing rooms being a bit too crowded, was to have at his disposal a camper van just outside the studio door He went there only once in 8 hours but it comforted him to know that, if necessary, he had a small island of peace where he could take refuge for a few minutes' break.

He was very good at governing the studio He remembered the names of all the people who worked there and of the journalists in connection showing an extraordinary ability to motivate, dispensing advice and jokes.

The collaborators From that live marathon he returned to Rome with two new, young collaborators: Gianni Pilo who later became famous for being Berlusconi's first pollster, and Elisabetta Soldati who still today, with her own communication company in Milan, works in close contact with Maria De Filippi and, right up to the end, with Costanzo himself Yes, because in the end Costanzo loved to surround himself with familiar faces, trusted people, people who knew what he had to do without the need for input.

Throughout his life, his trusted cameraman was the Sardinian Valentino Tocco, who later also became a director after the death of Paolo Pietrangeli; for years behind him there was maestro Bracardi at the piano who he also involved in the experience at Videolina; and at his side was Maria De Filippi who finally became his wife and life partner Although thirty years have passed since the last collaboration with Sardinian television, the memory of those broadcasts is still alive.

Many famous people have passed through Maurizio Costanzo's living room in Cagliari, some regular guests even in programs on Canale 5, such as Vittorio Sgarbi, Barbara Alberti, Marta Marzotto, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists but also many ordinary people, perhaps victims of difficult situations And from these, when he was able to solve them, Costanzo understood the meaning of his work.

The only satisfaction that mattered to him ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.