Just as a corner of Madrid was previously dedicated to Raffaella Carrá, it is now Franco Battiato’s turn—another great icon of Italian music. The space dedicated to the artist is a commemorative plaque. It features Battiato’s dates of birth and death and a line from one of his most famous songs, written in both Italian and Spanish:“I’m looking for a permanent center of gravity.”
The plaque is located on Juan Bravo Street, across from the Italian Embassy. To mark its unveiling, an official ceremony was held on Monday, July 6, attended by the Italian Ambassador to Spain, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, and the delegate for the Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports of the Madrid City Council, Marta Rivera de la Cruz.
During his remarks, Buccino Grimaldi highlighted that Battiato “was an artist capable of reaching different generations and transcending all borders, uniting music, poetry, and spiritual exploration.” Along the same lines, Rivera de la Cruz described the musician as “a universal artist”and “a symbol of the close cultural friendship between Italy and Madrid.”
Following the ceremony, a tribute concert by the group Equipaggio Sperimentale took place at the Italian Embassy. There, they performed some of the Italian singer-songwriter’s most celebrated songs, including numerous hits such as “Bandera blanca,” “Yo quiero verte danzar,” and “La estación de los amores.”
Franco Battiato, an original and multifaceted artist
The author of dozens of studio albums, Franco Battiato dabbled, as they say, in everything (he even directed a few films). In the musical realm, he was a bold explorer of different genres, ranging from progressive rock to electronic music, protest songs, and what might be called avant-garde “ philosophical pop.”
In addition to his interest in music, Battiato immersed himself in philosophy and literature, rubbing shoulders with authors and scholars such as Umberto Eco. In his songs, the singer-songwriter combined pop melodies, elements of traditional music, historical references , and philosophical themes—such as mysticism—as well as contemporary issues, such as ironic criticism of consumer society and the Italian political class.
Despite his Sicilian origins (it was on his native island where Battiato lived most of his life and where he died in 2021), the artist has been a very popular figure in Spain for decades. Many of his songs were also adapted into Spanish, as is the case with “Centro di gravità permanente,” whose Spanish version reached number 1 in Spain in 1985.
The Spanish capital appears in the song’s first verse:“An old woman from Madrid wearing a hat. An umbrella made of rice paper and bamboo.” From now on, a tribute to Battiato can also be found in Madrid.