List of famous Italians
Italians or Italian-speaking/writing people that are famous.
In alphabetical order.
Scientists
- Severino Antinori, (b. 1945), gynecologist and embryologist
- Amedeo Avogadro, (1776-1856), physicist
- Giovanni Battista Beccaria, (1716-1781)
- Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich, (1711-1787), Croat-Italian physicist
- Giordano Bruno, (1548-1600), philosopher
- Gerolamo Cardano, (1501-1576), Renaissance polymath
- Giovanni Domenico Cassini, (1625-1712), astronomer
- Bruno de Finetti, (1906-1985), mathematician, statistician
- Enrico Fermi, (1901-1954), physicist
- Leonardo Fibonacci, (c. 1175-1250) mathematician, eponym of the Fibonacci numbers
- Girolamo Fracastoro, (1478-1553)
- Guido Fubini, mathematician, eponym of Fubini's theorem in measure theory
- Galileo Galilei, (1564-1642), astronomy pioneer
- Luigi Galvani, (1737-1798), physician and physicist, eponym of galvanization
- Guglielmo Marconi, (1874-1937), engineer, inventor of radio
- Maria Montessori, (1870-1952), creator of Montessori Method
- Giuseppe Peano, (1858-1932), mathematician
- Giuseppe Piazzi, (1746-1826), astronomer
- Gian-Carlo Rota, (1932-1999), Italian-born American mathematician and philosopher
- Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia, (1500-1557), mathematician
- Evangelista Torricelli, (1608-1647), early scientist
- Alessandro Volta, (1745-1827), eletricity pioneer, eponym of the volt
- Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832)
Explorers
Politicians
- Giulio Andreotti, Italian politician
- Camillo Benso, count of Cavour
- Enrico Berlinguer, (1922 - 1984), politician
- Mario Berlinguer
- Silvio Berlusconi, (born 1936)
- Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Italian president
- Michele Columbu
- Francesco Cossiga, (b. 1928), Italian, Sardinian president
- Alcide De Gasperi
- Enrico De Nicola, (1877-1959), Italian president
- Amintore Fanfani
- Roberto Formigoni, (born 1947)
- Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) writer and politician
- Giovanni Leone, Italian president
- Franco Maria Malfatti, Italian President of the European Commission, (1970-1972)
- Giuseppe Mazzini, (1805-1872), writer and politician
- Aldo Moro, (1916-1978), Italian politician
- Benito Mussolini, (1883-1945), Italian dictator, who said "Religion is a species of mental disease."
- Romano Prodi (born 1939) Former President of the European Commission.
- Giuseppe Saragat, Italian president
- Antonio Segni
- Palmiro Togliatti (1893 – 1964), Italian communist leader.
Writers
- Dante Alighieri, (1265 - 1321), Italian poet
- Ludovico Ariosto, (1474 - 1533), Italian poet
- Giovanni Boccaccio, (1313 - 1375), Italian novelist
- Alfredo Bracchi (1897 - 1976), Italian lyricists and scriptwriter
- Giordano Bruno, [1548 - 1600), Italian philosopher
- Dino Buzzati, (1906 - 1972), Italian novelist and journalist
- Italo Calvino, (1923 - 1985), Italian writer and novelist
- Giosuè Carducci, (1835 - 1907), Italian poet
- Baldassarre Castiglione, (1478 - 1529), Italian writer
- Carlo Collodi, (orig. Carlo Lorenzini), (1826 - 1890), Italian novelist
- Benedetto Croce, [1866 - 1952), Italian philosopher
- Gabriele D'Annunzio, (1863-1938), Italian poet, dramatist and adventurer
- Valerio da Pos, (1740 - 1822), Italian poet
- Grazia Deledda, (1871 - 1936), Italian novelist
- Umberto Eco, (b. 1932), Italian semiotician and writer of The Name of the Rose fame
- Oriana Fallaci, (1929 - )
- Marsilio Ficino, (1433 - 1499), Italian philosopher
- Dario Fo, (1926 - ), Italian dramatist and actor
- Carlo Emilio Gadda, (1893 - 1973), Italian writer
- Giovanni Guareschi, (1908-1968), Italian novelist and satirist
- Francesco Guicciardini, (1483 - 1540), Italian historian
- Carlo Goldoni, (1707 - 1793), Italian dramatist
- Giacomo Leopardi, (1798 - 1837), Italian poet
- Primo Levi, (1919 - 1987), Italian writer
- Emilio Lussu, (1890 - 1975), Italian novelist and politician
- Niccolò Machiavelli, (1469 - 1527), Italian writer
- Goffredo Mameli (1827-1849) - Italian patriot, poet and writer
- Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873) - Italian writer, considered the father of modern Italian language
- Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, (1876 - 1944), Italian writer
- Eugenio Montale, (1896 - 1981), Italian poet
- Giovanni Pascoli, (1855 - 1912), Italian poet
- Francesco Petrarca, (1304 - 1374), Italian poet
- Luigi Pirandello, (1867 - 1936), Italian playwright
- Salvatore Quasimodo, (1901 - 1968), Italian poet
- Emilio Salgari, (1862 - 1911), Italian novelist
- Italo Svevo (orig. Aron Hector Schmitz) (1861 - 1928), Italian writer
- Torquato Tasso, (1544 - 1595), Italian poet
- Giuseppe Ungaretti, (1888 - 1970), Italian poet
- Giorgio Vasari, (1511 - 1571), Italian architect and writer
- Giovanni Verga, (1840 - 1922), Italian writer
- Giambattista Vico (1668 - 1744), Italian philosopher
Cartoonists
Actors and Actresses
Film directors
Artists
see also: List of Italian painters
- Leon Battista Alberti, (1404-1472), architect
- Fra Angelico, (1387-1445), (Giovanni da Fiesole)
- Baccio D'Agnolo, 15th- and 16th-century sculptor, wood-carver, and architect
- Sisto Badalocchio
- Alessio Baldovinetti, (1427-1499)
- Sandro Botticelli, (1445-1510), Italian painter
- Donato Bramante, (1444-1514), Italian architect
- Michelangelo Buonarroti, (1475-1564), Italian painter,sculptor, architect, and poet
- Vittore Carpaccio, (c.1460-1525), Italian painter
- Agostino Carracci, (1560-1609), Italian painter
- Caravaggio, (1573-1610), Italian painter
- Cimabue, (1240-1302), Italian painter
- Giorgione da Castelfranco, (c. 1477-1510), (Giorgione)
- Antonio da Correggio, (1488-1534), (Correggio)
- Gentile da Fabriano, (c.1370-1427), Italian painter
- Antonello da Messina
- Andrea da Monte San Savino (Andrea Sansovino or Sansovino)
- Masolino da Panicale, (c.1383-1447)
- Antonio da Sangallo
- Giuliano da Sangallo
- Leonardo da Vinci, (1452-1519), Italian painter, sculptor and inventor
- Giorgio De Chirico, (1888-1978), Italian painter
- Andrea del Castagno, (c.1421-1457)
- Piero della Francesca, (c1416-1492), Italian painter and mathematician
- Luca della Robbia, (1400-1482), Italian sculptor
- Andrea del Sarto, (1487-1531), Italian painter
- Giotto, (1267-1337), Italian painter
- Renato Guttuso, (1912-1987), painter
- Fra Filippo Lippi, (c.1406-1469), Italian painter
- Filippino Lippi, (1457-1504), Italian painter
- Lorenzo Lotto, (1480-1556), Italian painter
- Andrea Mantegna, (c.1431-1506), Italian painter
- Simone Martini, (c.1284-1344)
- Masaccio, (1401-1428), Italian painter
- Amedeo Modigliani, (1884-1920), Italian sculptor and painter
- Giorgio Morandi, (1890-1964), Italian painter
- Ugo Nespolo, Italian painter
- Andrea Orcagna, (Andrea di Cione), (1320-1368)
- Perugino, (c.1445-1523), Italian painter
- Baldassarre Peruzzi
- Bernardino Pinturicchio, (Bernardino di Betto), (c1454 - 1513), Italian painter
- Vittore Pisanello
- Raphael, (Raffaello Sanzio), (1483-1520)
- Guido Reni, (1575-1642), Italian painter
- Rosso (Rosso Fiorentino)
- Luca Signorelli, (c.1445-1523)
- Tiepolo, (1696-1770), Italian painter
- Tintoretto, (1518-1594), Italian painter
- Titian, (1488-1576), (Tiziano Vecellio)
- Paolo Uccello, (1397-1475), Italian painter
- Domenico Veneziano, (c.1400-1461)
- Andrea del Verrocchio, (c.1435-1488), Italian sculptor, painter
- Ettore Ximenes, (1855-1919), Italian painter
Sculptors
Architects
- Gianlorenzo Bernini, (1598 - 1680), Italian architect, sculptor and painter
- Francesco Borromini, (1599 - 1667), Italian architect
- Filippo Brunelleschi, (1377 - 1446), Italian architect
- Carlo Scarpa, (1906 - 1973), Italian architect
- Pier Luigi Nervi, (1891 - 1979), Italian architect
- Giò Ponti (Giovanni), (1891 - 1979), Italian architect
- Renzo Piano, (1937 - ), Italian architect
Musicians
- Renato Carosone, pop musician and composer (1920-2001)
- Enrico Caruso, (1873-1921), tenor
- Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944), glamorous opera singer
- Adriano Celentano, (born 1938), pop singer
- Mario Del Monaco, (1915-1982), tenor
- Paolo Fresu
- Ennio Morricone, composer (born 1928)
- Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (born 1935)
- Titta Ruffo (1877-1953), opera baritone
- Tito Schipa
- Renata Tebaldi
- Armando Trovajoli, composer and musician (born 1917)
- Claudio Villa, pop singer (1926-1987)
Composers
- Tomaso Albinoni, (1674-1754), Italian composer
- Franco Alfano, Italian opera composer
- Pasquale Anfossi, Italian opera composer
- Giuseppe Apolloni, Italian opera composer
- Emilio Arrieta, Italian opera composer
- Vincenzo Bellini, (1801-1835), Italian composer
- Arrigo Boito, (1842-1918), Italian composer, opera composer
- Alfredo Catalani, Italian opera composer
- Luigi Cherubini, (1760-1842), Italian composer, opera composer
- Francesco Cilea, Italian opera composer
- Domenico Cimarosa, (1749-1801), Italian composer, opera composer
- Luigi Dallapiccola, (1904-1975), Italian composer, opera composer
- Giovanni D'Anzi, (1906-1974), Italian songwriter
- Luigi de Rossi
- Gaetano Donizetti, (1797-1848), Italian composer, opera composer
- Alberto Franchetti, Italian opera composer
- Umberto Giordano, (1867-1948), Italian composer, opera composer
- Francesco Landini, (c.1325-1397), Italian composer, organist
- Ruggero Leoncavallo, (1858-1919), Italian opera composer
- Andrea Luca Luchesi (1741-1801), Italian composer, opera composer
- Raffaele Magosso, (1982-), Italian clarinettist and composer
- Pietro Mascagni, (1863-1945), Italian composer, opera composer
- Saverio Mercadante, (1795-1870), Italian opera composer
- Claudio Monteverdi, (1567-1643), Italian composer, opera composer
- Giovanni Pacini, (1796-1867), Italian composer, opera composer
- Giovanni Paisiello, Italian opera composer
- Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, (1710-1736), Italian composer, opera composer
- Goffredo Petrassi, Italian opera composer
- Niccolo Piccinni, (1728-1800), Italian opera composer
- Ildebrando Pizzetti, Italian opera composer
- Amilcare Ponchielli, (1834-1886), Italian opera composer
- Nicola Porpora, (1686-1768), Italian opera composer
- Giacomo Puccini, (1858-1924), Italian composer
- Ottorino Respighi, (1879-1936), Italian composer, opera composer
- Gioacchino Rossini, (1792-1868), Italian composer, opera composer
- Antonio Salieri, (1750-1825), Austrian composer
- Alessandro Scarlatti, (1660-1725), Italian composer, opera composer
- Gaspare Spontini, Italian opera composer
- Agostino Steffani, Italian opera composer
- Giuseppe Verdi, (1813-1901), Italian composer, opera composer
- Riccardo Zandonai, Italian opera composer
Conductors (Direttori)
Sports personalities
- Alberto Ascari (1918-1955), race car driver
- Mario Andretti (1940-), race driver
- Roberto Baggio (1967-), footballer
- Stefano Baldini (1971-), marathoner
- Franco Baresi (1960-), footballer
- Nino Benvenuti, world champion boxer
- Gianluigi Buffon (1978-), footballer
- Igor Cassina (1977-), gymnast
- Pierluigi Collina (1960-), football referee
- Fausto Coppi (1919-1960), cyclist
- Eugenio Corini (1970-), footballer
- Mario D'Agata -- mute-deaf who became a world boxing champion
- Alessandro Del Piero (1974-), footballer
- Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988), Italian car designer
- Pietro Mennea (1952-), athlete (most famous in 200 m)
- Reinhold Messner (1944-), alpinist
- Tazio Nuvolari (died 1953), race car driver
- Marco Pantani (1970-2004), cyclist
- Federica Pellegrini, swimmer
- Valentino Rossi (1979-), motorcycle world champion
- Sara Simeoni
- Salvatore Schillaci (1964-), soccer player
- Loris Stecca, world champion boxer
- Francesco Totti (1976-), footballer
- Trebisonda Valla (1916 - ), athlete
- Christian Vieri (1973-), footballer
- Alex Zanardi (1966-), race car driver
- Dino Zoff (1942-), footballer
Other
- Gianni Agnelli (1921-2003), industrialist
- Alessia di Matteo, who received eight organs with one transplant
- Giovanni Falcone, (died 1992), judge
- Giuseppe Garibaldi, (1807-1882), proponent of Italian unification
- Edgardo Mortara (1851 - 1940), Catholic priest, victim of a famous kidnapping, taken from his Jewish family at the age of 6
- Girolamo Savonarola, 15th-century book-burning priest, ruler of Florence
See also
