Giannini sextuplets
Encyclopedia
The Giannini sextuplets are a set of sextuplets
born to Rosanna Caviglia Giannini and Franco Giannini at the Villa Medici at Careggi
Hospital near Florence
, Italy
. They were the second set of sextuplets in the world to survive past infancy, and the first surviving sextuplets to be born in Europe
.
The Giannini sextuplets were born six years to the date after the Rosenkowitz sextuplets
, the first surviving sextuplets on record. The sextuplets are made up of four boys and two girls. They are, in birth order; Letizia, Linda, Fabrizio, Francesco, Giorgio, and Roberto.
Valley and made a living as an elementary school
teacher in the provincial town of Arezzo
. She married Franco Giannini in 1976.
The children were conceived after a series of hormone treatments brought on by Rosanna Giannini's worry that she was starting an unnaturally early menopause
at the age of 29. When she went to her gynecologist for her first ultrasound
, she was told not to publicly release the news for fear that it would cause an international media circus.
, as well as internationally, with many news agencies competing for interviews. In the Italian newspapers, stories on the new brood pushed gossip about Princess Caroline
off the front pages, and they were invited to Tokyo
to take part in a Japanese television special. Their story was also covered in the 1984 book Vivere con sei gemelli (Living with sextuplets), as told to journalist Achille Mezzadri, famous for his work for Gente
magazine.
In 1986, Rosanna Giannini signed an exclusive contract with a laundry detergent company in Italy, putting her and her children on television in advertisements for the brand. Of raising the children, Rosanna Giannini said, "There was always someone around; friends and relatives would come in to give us a hand." As far as assistance or charity were concerned, the Tuscan regional government helped the family with a stipend, but apart from that and the revenue received for a few years from the laundry detergent advertisements, the family supported themselves. The task was not easy; Rosanna Giannini estimated that she washed five loads of laundry every day, and that train travel for the entire family cost 250,000 lira
a month (€195 in 2009).
Now living private lives, none of the sextuplets have any interest in contributing to interviews for television. In regard to their ambitions, Rosanna Giannini said, "They are following other dreams, but if they wish to do [television] I'm not going to forbid it. I'll only tell them to stay with their feet always on the ground." Follow-up stories about the family have been published by the newspaper Corriere della Sera
in 2000 in time for their 20th birthday celebration, and in 2004 by the magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
.
As of 2004, four of the six sextuplets are studying at university: Linda and Letizia are studying literature
, Fabrizio is studying hydroelectricity
, and Giorgio is studying economics
. Roberto and Francesco work at a textile company, one as a loom operator and the other as a clerk.
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
born to Rosanna Caviglia Giannini and Franco Giannini at the Villa Medici at Careggi
Villa Medici at Careggi
The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, central Italy.-History:The villa was among the first of a number of Medici villas, notable as the site of the Platonic academy founded by Cosimo de' Medici, who died at the villa in 1464...
Hospital near Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They were the second set of sextuplets in the world to survive past infancy, and the first surviving sextuplets to be born in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The Giannini sextuplets were born six years to the date after the Rosenkowitz sextuplets
Rosenkowitz sextuplets
The Rosenkowitz Sextuplets were the first known set of sextuplets to survive infancy.-Biography:Born to Susan Wilson at Mowbray Maternity Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, the sextuplets are:...
, the first surviving sextuplets on record. The sextuplets are made up of four boys and two girls. They are, in birth order; Letizia, Linda, Fabrizio, Francesco, Giorgio, and Roberto.
Backstory
Rosanna Caviglia was born and raised in the CasentinoCasentino
The Casentino is the valley in which the first tract of the river Arno flows to Subbiano, Italy.It is one of the four valleys in which the Province of Arezzo is divided. Mount Falterona, from which the Arno starts, represents the northern boundary between the Casentino and Romagna...
Valley and made a living as an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teacher in the provincial town of Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
. She married Franco Giannini in 1976.
The children were conceived after a series of hormone treatments brought on by Rosanna Giannini's worry that she was starting an unnaturally early menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
at the age of 29. When she went to her gynecologist for her first ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
, she was told not to publicly release the news for fear that it would cause an international media circus.
Birth and subsequent media attention
The six babies were born at dawn on January 11, 1980. Once the news broke about the birth, it brought them instant fame in their native Italy, where they were compared to the Bradford family from the popular American dramedy Eight is EnoughEight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
, as well as internationally, with many news agencies competing for interviews. In the Italian newspapers, stories on the new brood pushed gossip about Princess Caroline
Caroline, Princess of Hanover
Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco , formally styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover , has been heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco since 2005, a position which she previously held from 1957 to 1958.She is the wife of...
off the front pages, and they were invited to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to take part in a Japanese television special. Their story was also covered in the 1984 book Vivere con sei gemelli (Living with sextuplets), as told to journalist Achille Mezzadri, famous for his work for Gente
Gente (magazine)
Gente is a popular and long-running Italian celebrity gossip magazine. It is published by Hachette Filipacchi Médias....
magazine.
In 1986, Rosanna Giannini signed an exclusive contract with a laundry detergent company in Italy, putting her and her children on television in advertisements for the brand. Of raising the children, Rosanna Giannini said, "There was always someone around; friends and relatives would come in to give us a hand." As far as assistance or charity were concerned, the Tuscan regional government helped the family with a stipend, but apart from that and the revenue received for a few years from the laundry detergent advertisements, the family supported themselves. The task was not easy; Rosanna Giannini estimated that she washed five loads of laundry every day, and that train travel for the entire family cost 250,000 lira
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
a month (€195 in 2009).
Current whereabouts
As the years went on, family problems (such as the death of Rosanna's father and a transplant to replace Francesco's defective kidney) caused the family to make their lives more private. Rosanna Giannini noted that a priest friend of hers warned her that the publicity would "cause a harmful imbalance" in their lives, but she said, "Nothing happened that was harmful... then the interest ended. Fortunately."Now living private lives, none of the sextuplets have any interest in contributing to interviews for television. In regard to their ambitions, Rosanna Giannini said, "They are following other dreams, but if they wish to do [television] I'm not going to forbid it. I'll only tell them to stay with their feet always on the ground." Follow-up stories about the family have been published by the newspaper Corriere della Sera
Corriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
in 2000 in time for their 20th birthday celebration, and in 2004 by the magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni is an Italian weekly listings magazine and is the most sold weekly in Italy.Based in Segrate, Milan, Italy, it is published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the biggest Italian publishing company....
.
As of 2004, four of the six sextuplets are studying at university: Linda and Letizia are studying literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, Fabrizio is studying hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
, and Giorgio is studying economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. Roberto and Francesco work at a textile company, one as a loom operator and the other as a clerk.
Further reading
- Vivere con sei gemelli (Living with sextuplets), Rosanna Giannini as told to Achille Mezzadri (1984, Rusconi Publishing)