Italian singer Guccini can no longer read due to bilateral macular degeneration

Francesco Guccini, Italian singer-songwriter, has bilateral macular degeneration, a degenerative eye disease that has severely impaired his sight and ended his beloved reading. In June 2022, at a Florence literary festival, Guccini disclosed he could no longer read books or newspapers, causing great suffering. He can write using computer magnification and listen to audiobooks, but said they are not the same. Macular degeneration affects central vision needed for reading and faces; bilateral means both eyes. No cure exists, but early diagnosis can slow progression.