Daughter of a congressman and a granddaughter of a priest on her mother's side, Florinda lived in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará state, and in Rio de Janeiro until she became a world citizen. A former flight inspector for Brazilian international carrier Varig, she came in contact with several languages and became fluent in English, Italian and French. Florinda moved to Italy in 1968, after being "discovered" by director Luchino Visconti. She changed her name and became known as Florinda Bolkan mainly because she thought her new name made it more comfortable for international audiences.

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