Paolo Pagani, 73 years old, owner of the Osteria “Da Vito”, one of the most famous Bolognese clubs, died in Bologna, above all because, since the seventies, it has been a regular meeting place for artists and singers, starting with Guccini and Dalla .
The “Da Vito” tavern, opened in 1948 by Vito Pagani, Paolo’s father, in the Cirenaica district, is one of the last “Osterie di fuori porta” sung by Guccini, a stone’s throw from his Bolognese residence in via Paolo Fabbri 43 , which is also the title of one of his most celebrated albums.
At the beginning the tavern (which in 2018 received an award from Confesercenti for its 70 uninterrupted years of activity) was a wine cellar frequented by workers and artisans. From the seventies it then became a meeting place for intellectuals and artists: among its tables was practically born “Il Foglio”, a newspaper promoted by Luigi Pedrazzi which represented a strong innovation in the world of journalism and city culture, but also many improvised evenings in which Dalla and Guccini took part, but also Gianni Morandi, Roberto Vecchioni, Dario Fo, Giorgio Gaber, Luca Carboni.
«For decades – say Massimo Zucchini and Loreno Rossi, president and director of Confesercenti – Paolo has represented a point of excellence for both traditional cuisine and culture in Bologna. With his way of doing things and his restaurant he had been able to combine the two elements of the good life of our city ».