Zia Caterina‘s message has spread far beyond Florence. Taxi Milano25 has been featured in newspapers, on television, at public events, and in publications. She has been welcomed as a heroine on the Amalfi Coast and has become a symbol of urban resistance, demonstrating how a city can be transformed by a single experience of active citizenship.
Just type in the name “Zia Caterina Taxi 25 Firenze” and today you will find it everywhere, not just as a local curiosity, but as a story of global inspiration, linked to values of solidarity, community, and civic engagement.
Not only in Florence, but throughout Italy, the name Zia Caterina has become synonymous with courage, love, and solidarity. Through her Taxi 25, a colorful vehicle covered in drawings, she has become a symbol of the city. She has shown the whole world that even an everyday gesture such as a taxi ride can be transformed into an experience of humanity and closeness. Her story deserves to be remembered and understood, not only for its personal dimension, but also for the social and cultural impact it has generated.
Yesterday, at Villa Vittoria Cultura, the presentation of Alessandra Cotoloni‘s book entitled “Taxi Milano25. Traveling with Zia Caterina, a revolutionary of our times” (San Paolo Edizioni, 2020). The initiative, organized by Firenze Fiera, began with a greeting from Giovanni Fittante, president of Firenze Fiera, followed by Lorenzo Becattini presenting the book and then giving the floor to the author, Siena-based writer Alessandra Cotoloni. The event was moderated by journalist Elena Tempestini, who has always been at Aunt Caterina’s side, supporting her initiatives.
The book traces the main stages in the life of an extraordinary woman, Caterina Bellandi, known as Zia Caterina, who made courage and solidarity her creed, a Florentine woman who was able to convert personal pain into a good deed. After the loss of her partner Stefano, a taxi driver by profession, Caterina decided to carry on his legacy by driving taxi number 25 herself. She did not do so as a professional choice in the strict sense, but as an act of love: the taxi would become a meeting place, a means of welcoming people, stories, smiles, and above all sick children, to whom Caterina would dedicate her mission.
Taxi Milano 25 in Florence is not just any taxi. The number 25 is not random: it was the number of her partner Stefano’s taxi, which she wanted to continue driving as a sign of remembrance and continuity. Since then,Taxi Milano 25 has become a hallmark of resilience, love, and community. Caterina transformed it into a mobile laboratory of joy, decorating it with colors, puppets, messages of hope, and symbols of cheerfulness. The goal has always been clear: to give a smile and a moment of lightheartedness to the “superheroes,” as Caterina calls children with cancer or serious illnesses, and their families, to whom she not only dedicates her time and love but also stands by them always.
The story of Zia Caterina is not only personal, but also has social value. Through Taxi Milano 25, she has promoted a culture of active solidarity, demonstrating how everyone can make a contribution, she has raised awareness of the condition of sick children and their families, who are too often invisible in public debate, and she has built a community network around her, becoming a point of reference for citizens, volunteers, and institutions.
From an academic point of view, the case of Zia Caterina is an example of grassroots welfare: initiatives created by individuals who, without initial institutional funding, manage to generate widespread social and cultural impact.
Zia Caterina’s message has reached far beyond Florence. Taxi Milano 25 has been featured in newspapers, on television, at public events, and in publications. She has been welcomed as a heroine on the Amalfi Coast and has become a symbol of urban resistance, capable of showing how a city can be transformed by a single experience of active citizenship.
The story of Zia Caterina and her Taxi Milano 25 has taught the world a lesson: a taxi can be much more than a means of transport; it can become a symbol of life, of a smile in the dark, of resistance and, above all, of hope.
