Annamaria Bernardini de Pace: A Life of Secrets, Love and Resilience
Annamaria Bernardini de Pace, Italy’s most renowned matrimonial lawyer, presents her autobiography titled Sentimenti e sentenze – autobiografia di false verità with a powerful premise: “I reveal the most striking cases I have handled and I also share my own story.” At 78 years old, after a long and distinguished career, she shares her personal journey in an interview with Corriere della Sera and Gente magazine.
The Secret Love That Has Lasted Two Decades
The focus of public attention centers on Dino, the man with whom she has maintained a secret love for 20 years. His identity remains undisclosed, as she emphasizes: “Mystery is essential to love, which lasts as long as the mystery endures.” Dino is described as a man ten years her junior, whom she met in a courtroom—a figure who “appears and disappears.” She has never asked whether he is committed to someone else: “I do not care. I do not ask, I do not check, I do not possess.” For her, this love is “free, without obligations and without boredom.”
She reveals this now not to provoke shock, but to embrace her romantic side, which she has often suppressed: “Life has forced me to be solid and pragmatic,” she admits. Before Dino, she recalls other men with a smile, such as Carlo: “I was at a wedding, I had to leave, but it was raining. I was slim then. A stranger, six feet three inches tall, picked me up. We ran through the rain in a highly erotic moment and ended up in his car. It was the first time I had done that and I was over 50.”
Speaking Out on Past Abuse
In her memoir, Bernardini de Pace also returns to the trauma she endured as a young girl. The first incident occurred at age 12 while she was in a hospital bed. Another, previously unreported, involved a man of power.
The abuse took place ten years ago. She does not name the politician but specifies he was “on the right.” She adds to Gente: “And as I write, my love defended me: he made him remove his security detail.” In her conversation with Corriere della Sera, she elaborates: “I was at a dinner, and he stroked my legs in a lustful way.”
Did you know?
Annamaria Bernardini de Pace is widely recognized as Italy’s most famous divorce lawyer, with a career spanning decades in family law and high-profile separations.
Pro tip: Protecting Your Privacy in Relationships
If you are in a relationship where discretion is important, clearly communicate boundaries early. Mutual respect for privacy can strengthen trust and emotional safety—especially when navigating complex personal or professional lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Annamaria Bernardini de Pace?
She is Italy’s most prominent matrimonial lawyer, known for handling high-profile divorce cases and recently publishing her autobiography Sentimenti e sentenze – autobiografia di false verità.
What is the main theme of her autobiography?
The book combines revelations from her most notable legal cases with deeply personal reflections, including her 20-year secret relationship and past experiences of abuse.
Why has she kept her lover’s identity secret?
She believes mystery is essential to sustaining love: “Mystery is indispensable to love, which lasts as long as the mystery lasts.”
What does she say about the abuse she suffered?
She discloses two incidents: one at age 12 in a hospital, and another ten years ago involving a man of political power on the right, who touched her inappropriately at a dinner.
How did her lover respond to the abuse?
She states that her lover defended her by ensuring the perpetrator lost his security protection.
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