Peppino di Capri and his women: Roberta Stoppa and Giuliana Gagliardi

Peppino di Capri's career is closely intertwined with his private life. Over the years, the singer shared two important chapters of his life with Roberta Stoppa and Giuliana Gagliardi, women who played a significant role at different stages of his personal and professional journey. Roberta Stoppa was his first wife and accompanied him through the years of his artistic success. Giuliana Gagliardi, on the other hand, became his companion through maturity and professional rebirth, remaining at his side for over forty years. Two distinct stories that profoundly impacted the life of the celebrated Capri artist. 

Peppino di Capri's first wife was Roberta Stoppa, born in Turin in 1941. A model at the age of eighteen, she met the singer in 1959 during an evening in Ischia. The artist himself recalled that first meeting in several interviews, saying he saw her dancing with American actor William Holden and was immediately smitten. A relationship developed between the two, which quickly solidified, leading first to living together and then to their marriage, which took place on May 3, 1961. During those years, Peppino di Capri was experiencing a period of artistic success, while Roberta supported him in his private life, sharing with him the beginning of a career that would make him one of the leading figures in Italian music. In 1963, the singer dedicated the song "Roberta" to her, which would become one of his most famous songs. 

After nearly ten years together, the couple went through a profound crisis. In the late 1960s, as his relationship with Roberta was deteriorating, Peppino di Capri met a young Neapolitan biology student, Giuliana Gagliardi, with whom he began a relationship. Before their final separation, there was a brief attempt at reconciliation between the spouses. From that reconciliation, their only son, Igor, was born in 1970. The birth of the child, however, was not enough to mend their already strained relationship. The separation became permanent, and in 1976, the marriage ended in divorce. 

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Giuliana Gagliardi was born in Naples on March 21, 1951. The daughter of a renowned Neapolitan dentist, she inherited her father's passion for science and decided to study biology, eventually becoming a biologist. She met Peppino di Capri in the late 1960s through her uncle Mimmo, who told her about the artist and gave her the opportunity to attend one of his concerts. A strong bond immediately developed between the two, destined to develop into a stable relationship just as the singer's marriage to Roberta Stoppa was coming to an end. 

The beginning of his relationship with Giuliana coincided with one of the most delicate moments in Peppino di Capri's career. In the early 1970s, the singer was going through a difficult professional phase: the music scene was changing rapidly, and his relationship with the recording industry had become more complicated. Alongside the support of his longtime drummer and friend Bebè, Giuliana was an important point of reference in the singer's life. During those years, Peppino founded his own record company and relaunched his career. The turning point came in 1973 with his victory at the Sanremo Music Festival thanks to "Un grande amore e niente più," a song the singer has repeatedly stated was dedicated to Giuliana Gagliardi. After his divorce from Roberta Stoppa, Peppino di Capri married Giuliana Gagliardi in 1978. They had two sons: Edoardo, in 1981, and Dario, in 1986, who would later pursue a career in acting. 

The family lived in Capri, where Giuliana continued to practice biology in the analysis laboratory located in the island's Piazzetta. Despite being the wife of a well-known singer, she always maintained a private profile, detached from social life and media exposure. In the final years of her life, Giuliana Gagliardi faced a long battle with cancer. She died on July 4, 2019, at the age of 68. Her passing was a particularly difficult time for Peppino di Capri. The singer chose not to attend the funeral, later explaining that he had preferred to preserve the memory of his wife while she was still alive. Over the years, he has repeatedly recalled the fundamental role Giuliana played in his life, both personally and during a decisive phase of his artistic career. (by Paolo Martini) 

(Adnkronos)