The child of the popular Life picture of '58? Il Messaggero has found him. He still lives in Rome

Angelino Romani
2 Minuti di Lettura
Martedì 4 Febbraio 2014, 13:02 - Ultimo aggiornamento: 13:28
In 1958 his smile got very popular all over the world. His smile is now showing signs of the time and Italy has deeply changed.

Angelino was 12 years old when young photographer Carlo Bavaglioli took some pictures of him during an afternoon after school 56 years ago. He was playing in the small “Cipresso” street close to his apartment in the “Trastevere” neighborhood: a cocky child in Tshirt and suspenders that enjoyed looking at the camera. Those were the years of the Italian economic miracle. That smile in black and white became the symbol of the rebirth of a country.



THE PICTURE

The picture was named “Pure joy” and was chosen for an article on the pages of the popular American magazine Life: some days ago Life has rescued it from the past and published it on Twitter, sparking curiosity on the internet. Who is that kid? Where is now today? The Messaggero has asked for help on the internet to find him. Today, thanks to social networks and the Facebook page dedicated to Trastevere, created by Walter Candiloro and Massimo Casavecchia , we have the name of that child.



ANGELINO

His name is Angelo Romani , he is 68 , and he is one of the last Trastevere residents that were born in the hood. He still lives in the same apartment of Cipresso street. Angelino is the older of three brothers. He was born in 1946. His story is also the story of a city and its changes in years. The house he was raised in belonged to his grandmother. People in the hood were used to call her “Maria the cart renter”. That was her job. Angelino had a very happy childhood. «In the '60's my parents had a florist shop in the Parioli Hood. They were never at home, but I was always happy playing with my friends in the streets». In Trastevere everybody was familiar with everybody. One afternoon, one of many in post-war Rome , a young man with a camera took snapshots of those moments of life. Nobody could have imagined what that picture would represent. «A few weeks later - says Angelo - the newspaper kiosk owner of the hood called me , «Angelino, your picture is on the newspapers». From that day he became a celebrity in Trastevere.



HAPPY

The pic of Life still stands on the wall of his apartment with the caption of poet Trilussa "Happiness is a small thing” . «Once we were happy with few things. Now everything's changed. Trastevere was once a happy oasis. Now it is a no man's land. 50 years ago you could sleep with the doors open. Now after 20 o'clock we are like placed under curfew. "Angelino has now the same smile of the good old times. And to all the italian children hit by the crisis he says: «Never lose hope , keep on smiling at the future».
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