Remembering Luisa Petrucci, the mother of the Curva Sud

When Luisa Petrucci died, on 12 October 2005, her people paid her the highest honour when – four days later – they unveiled a banner reading “Curva Sud Luisa Petrucci” at an away match at Empoli.

We all know that romanismo isn’t something you can measure or quantify, but there can be no doubting that Luisa Petrucci is one of the biggest Roma fans of all time.

Certainly, she was one of the women who did the most to celebrate Roma values – through her actions, her purity and her legendary, unmistakable, red and yellow umbrella.

Luisa Petrucci’s destiny was seemingly written in the stars: born exactly four years after the foundation of AS Roma, on 7 June 1931, she was raised in the Roman and Romanisti neighbourhood of San Lorenzo.

Her father, who was known as Ramponcino, was a lifetime member of the club as well as owning a trattoria where Roma players would often come to have lunch, among them the legendary Fulvio Bernardini.

Luisa dedicated her whole life to teaching, her passion for education matched only by her love for Roma. She became a well-known figure at the stadium, not just for her umbrella – which became a symbol of the Giallorossi faithful – but also, especially, for her way of being.

When Roma played away, Luisa Petrucci was there. With her children. With the Commando Ultrà Curva Sud (CUCS). With the Boys. With all the diehard Roma fans, regardless of the group they belonged to.

In Luisa’s book, the only thing that mattered was Roma. And the Roma fans.

Luisa was like their second mother.

Luisa preferred to brave the elements in the away end rather than retreating to the warmth of the Tribuna d’Onore. Come sun, rain or wind, she’d be there handing out sandwiches to the fans that kept the singing going.

When she died, Il Romanista launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of purchasing an ambulance in her memory. The ambulance was later donated to SOS, a charity based in the Garbatella area of Rome.

On 29 January 2006, the day of a 3-0 home win for Roma over Livorno, another banner appeared: “Your ambulance in the heart of Rome… you in the hearts of your children forever.” Signed, the Curva Sud.

Her Curva. Her children.

The club itself has kept her memory alive too. In 2018 and 2019, the club organised the Luisa Petrucci Cup, with Roma Women taking on Florentia in the first edition and then French giants Paris Saint-Germain the following year.

On both occasions, the Tre Fontane was packed with thousands of fans.

Thousands of romanisti. The children and grandchildren of Luisa Petrucci.

The perfect legacy.