Lila began painting at age eight and rediscovered her passion when she and her husband were living in Australia in the early ‘90s – many of Villa Firenze’s private rooms are decorated with her artwork.
Lila and Cocolino Picolino wind down in her dressing room.
He points to the wall opposite the desk in his study. There, prominently displayed like a piece of art, is a high-tech mountaineering pick-axe. “It was given to me by a Sherpa in Nepal,” he explains, “I keep it above my desk everywhere I go. In many ways it reminds me of my current role, which is to walk ahead, and sometimes to climb mountains, in order to create the right conditions for a great friendship between two countries. It is also an emblem of my career in a broader sense, and of service; of showing the way and clearing a path so that others can travel safely and we can all arrive at the summit.”
Keenly aware of the power of a strong relationship, the philosophical ambassador has a perfect partner in Lila. She is “more enthusiastic, and creative than I am, and perhaps I’m more diplomatic and more organized,” he says, “but she brings her energy, and her great taste to us, and we complement each other in so many ways.”
