Tells their romantic story
Mytle Ryan
SEVENTY years is a lifetime – longer than some people have – but Francesco and Antonietta Coppola have never tired of each other.
Pulling aside the veil of decades, Antonietta (89) and Francesco (93) Coppola sketch a scene unfolding in the village of Aquilonia, in the mountainous Campania region of Italy, north of Naples.
“Francesco had a cigarette, and came asking me for matches,” said Antonietta, as she and her husband shared a smile, remembering those long ago moments. I told him: ‘The fire is not on, I don’t smoke, and don’t have matches.’”
Both knew it was just a ploy to meet, and at the age of 16 she was playing hard to get. From the family home, she had already checked him out as he walked up and down the main street of the village on various occasions. “But a girl just did not walk in the street, because of the stigma,” Antonietta recalled.
“I planned it,” Francesco admitted. The strict social norms of life in an Italian village in those days meant they would not be allowed to talk to each other, but he hoped she would notice how natty he looked in his suit. Not only did she notice, she was impressed. “He looked like Frank Sinatra,” she said. Antonietta’s mother had died and her father had taken another wife.
“My aunt made my wedding dress and Francesco made my headdress from a garland of plastic flowers. He was very creative,” she said, explaining that in the aftermath of World War II there had not been much money for finery. “My bouquet was a bunch of carnations.”
It was traditional in their village for another man to take the bride to the church, rather than her own father.
“My best man was my father’s brother,” said Francesco. “He walked Antonietta to the church.
“Her father walked behind them.” The day was cold with