Born in Florence, in 1929 he moved to Paris to study journalism; there he came into contact with the artistic avant-garde of the time, particularly with Eugène Deslaw.

[1] During this time, he was assistant director of Georges Lacombe and directed the documentary Vérité sur l'Italie.

[1] In 1938, he came back in Italy country where he collaborated as a screenwriter and as an assistant director for Camillo Mastrocinque and Mario Soldati, among others.

[1] In the post-war, Franciolini specialised in neo-realist comedies and genre films, often collaborating with Cesare Zavattini.

[1] In 1956 he won the David di Donatello Award for Best Director, for the comedy-drama film Roman Tales.