Queen of Italian Cinema Monica Vitti Dies at 90

Feb 17 2022

Monica Vitti will always be remembered as the Queen of Italian cinema. Although the movie star wasn’t in the public eye since 2002, her work speaks for itself. There’s no doubt that she was dedicated to her craft, as she won several Italian Golden Globes and David di Donatello Awards for best actress.

Former Italian Culture Minister Walter Veltroni is the one who broke the news on Twitter on February 2nd that the much-loved actress had passed away at 90 years old. Her husband and photographer Roberto Russo is the one who conveyed the information.

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She became well-known in Italy in the 60s after she starred in L’Avventura, Eclisse, La Notte, and Red Desert. L’Avventura is the film responsible for making her internationally famous. These films were directed by her then-boyfriend Michelangelo Antonioni; their relationship was always a hot topic for the press.

Vitti was born in 1931 in Rome and studied acting in Rome at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her real name was Maria Luisa Ceciarelli but developed the stage name Monica Vitti after she starred in her first film in 1952, called Ridere! Ridere! Ridere! (Laugh! Laugh! Laugh!). Her last movie was in 1989, and she was last spotted at a public event in 2002 at the premiere of Notre Dame De Paris.

In 1995, she won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival for career achievement. Although Vitti and Antonioni’s relationship didn’t work out, he paid tribute to her performance in Red Desert in 1999 at a special screening at the New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

After hearing the news of her death, Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, released a statement saying, “Goodbye, Monica Vitti. Goodbye, queen of Italian cinema. Today is a truly sad day. We have lost a great artist and a great Italian.”

Queen of Italian Cinema Monica Vitti Dies at 90

Monica Vitti will always be remembered as the Queen of Italian cinema. Although the movie star wasn’t in the public eye since 2002, her work speaks for itself. There’s no doubt that she was dedicated to her craft, as she won several Italian Golden Globes and David di Donatello Awards for best actress.

Former Italian Culture Minister Walter Veltroni is the one who broke the news on Twitter on February 2nd that the much-loved actress had passed away at 90 years old. Her husband and photographer Roberto Russo is the one who conveyed the information.

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SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

She became well-known in Italy in the 60s after she starred in L’Avventura, Eclisse, La Notte, and Red Desert. L’Avventura is the film responsible for making her internationally famous. These films were directed by her then-boyfriend Michelangelo Antonioni; their relationship was always a hot topic for the press.

Vitti was born in 1931 in Rome and studied acting in Rome at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her real name was Maria Luisa Ceciarelli but developed the stage name Monica Vitti after she starred in her first film in 1952, called Ridere! Ridere! Ridere! (Laugh! Laugh! Laugh!). Her last movie was in 1989, and she was last spotted at a public event in 2002 at the premiere of Notre Dame De Paris.

In 1995, she won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival for career achievement. Although Vitti and Antonioni’s relationship didn’t work out, he paid tribute to her performance in Red Desert in 1999 at a special screening at the New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

After hearing the news of her death, Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, released a statement saying, “Goodbye, Monica Vitti. Goodbye, queen of Italian cinema. Today is a truly sad day. We have lost a great artist and a great Italian.”

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