Fabrizio De André, a turning point in the Treccani: "Bocca di Rosa" becomes a "free woman," no longer a "prostitute"

Treccani is preparing to revise the definition of “Bocca di Rosa,” the legendary character from the famous song by Fabrizio De André. As Alessandra Arachi reveals in Corriere della Sera, in the dictionary's next edition the phrase could be paired with the definition of “free woman,” at least partly overturning the interpretation that for years identified her exclusively as a synonym for prostitute. However, the dictionary's editor, Valeria Della Valle, explains that the meaning now established in common usage cannot be entirely eliminated: it can be supplemented, but not erased. It's a choice that echoes De André's own view, since as far back as 1996 he strongly contested this reading, pointing out that Bocca di Rosa “did it for passion, not for profession.”

Dori Ghezzi welcomed the revision: “At last her song is being interpreted correctly.” Luvi De André also stresses that the song's central theme is individual freedom and overcoming prejudice, both for those who freely live out their sexuality and for those who choose sex work. Among the voices gathered by Corriere are also those of Lidia Ravera, who hopes for a cultural shift in how female sexual freedom is judged, and writer Diego De Silva, who welcomes the new interpretation while warning of the risk that it might be perceived as erasing the past.

The song

“Bocca di Rosa,” written in 1967 by Fabrizio De André together with Gian Piero Reverberi, tells the story of a mysterious woman, whose real name is never revealed, who arrives by train in the small town of Sant'Ilario. Free and independent, she lives love guided solely by passion, as the famous lines put it: “C'è chi l'amore lo fa per noia, chi se lo sceglie per professione, Bocca di Rosa né l'uno né l'altro, lei lo faceva per passione.”
Her arrival upends the town's balance. The men are captivated by her, while the women, jealous and outraged over their husbands' infidelities, turn to the local commissioner demanding he intervene. So Bocca di Rosa is escorted by the police, first to the station house and then to the train station, forced to leave town. Yet at her departure, it's the men of the village who pay her tribute, bidding farewell to “chi per un poco senza pretese portò l'amore nel paese.” Her fame spreads quickly, and at the next station she is welcomed with enthusiasm. Even the parish priest invites her to join the religious procession, a symbol of the meeting between “l'amore sacro e l'amor profano,” one of the song's most iconic passages.

According to several scholars, De André may have drawn inspiration from "Brave Margot" by Georges Brassens, with which the song shares certain themes and narrative references. Another possible influence is the film "La donnaccia" (1965) by Silvio Siano, starring Dominique Boschero, which tells the story of a young prostitute forced to return to her hometown, where she is shunned by the other women. Although there is no definitive confirmation from the author himself, both works are considered among the most plausible sources of inspiration behind the birth of "Bocca di Rosa".

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