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He moved to Rome for 2 years making films, then Paris for another two years making documentaries and writing screenplays. After this he spent a month living with the Venice fire brigade at the fire station, night and day (to make a film for National Geographic about the firemen).
As an architect, he started his career as technical consultant for public infrastructure works in the lagoon. On the island of Pellestrina, in the south lagoon, he designed a square with a sundial where your shadow tells you the time and he worked closely with the late Aldo Rossi who won the competition to re build Venice’s La Fenice Theatre, destroyed by fire in 1996. He has designed and executed many restorations in Venice, and still runs a busy architectural practice.
His military service was spent in the Italian Alpine paratroops regiment - parachuting onto the snowy mountains. He will return to the snow next winter, as a participant in the Snow Show - a special exhibition which puts leading architects and artists together to create original installations (for the Winter Olympics).
Francesco is probably best known as the writer and presenter of BBC2's recent 4 part history of Venice "VENICE" and as author of the accompanying best selling book.
He has followed up this success by filming a new series, again for BBC2, FRANCESCO'S ITALY - TOP TO TOE and has written a book to accompany this latest series, which is in the Non fiction Bestsellers Top 10.
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- Italy and its treasures
- Architecture
- Venice
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