Italy's not just pasta and pizza, it's about history, art and architecture, culture and some legendary personalities who have had an incredible influence on politics, art, music, film and sport. We bring you a list of some of these individuals who are both uniquely gifted and undoubtedly Italian.
Historical figures
Julius Caesar (100BC-44BC): A celebrated Roman general and statesman, Caesar conquered Gaul and changed the Roman republic into a monarchy and an empire. He was brutally assassinated by a group of nobles.
Catherine De Medici (1519-1589): Born to the Florentine ruler Lorenzo de' Medici, Catherine married the duc d'Orléans, who became the king of France in 1547 as Henry II. She was a major force in French politics and was said to have introduced refinement and sophistication to the French Court.
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506): Columbus has secured a firm spot in history as the man who discovered the New World while actually looking for a route to China.
Marco Polo (1254-1324): Employed by Kublai Khan, this Venetian traveller gained recognition for his explorations in Asia in the 13th century.
Scientists and intellectuals
Leonardo Fibonacci (1175-1250): Fibonacci's real name was Leonardo da Pisa. A renowned traveller and mathematician, he is credited with introducing the Latin-speaking world to the decimal number system.
Maria Montessori (1870-1952): Maria Montessori was the first woman in Italy to qualify as a physician. She was equally known for her efforts in creating 'The Montessori Method,' an effective teaching programme that's in use even today.
Alessandro Volta (1745-1827): The physicist is best remembered for his pioneering work in the subject of electricity.
By 1800, he had created the voltaic pile, a forerunner of the contemporary electric battery. The electrical unit known as the volt was named in his honour.
Silvio Berlusconi (b.1936): One of Italy's richest men, Berlusconi has dabbled in almost everything including real estate, television, football, publishing and banking and financial services. In January 1994, he founded the Forza Italia movement and the coalition known as Polo delle Libertà e del Buongoverno. In the general election in March 1994 he obtained a majority and became Prime Minister. He still holds that position.
Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872): This writer and politician is credited with the creation of the modern Italian state by unifying several separate states that existed until the 19th century.
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (1883-1945): A close ally of Hitler, Mussolini turned Italy into a fascist state. He controlled Italy from 1922 to 1943. His reign was one of intimidation, control and total censorship.
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321): The greatest Italian poet and one of the most important writers of European literature. Dante is best known for the epic poem La Divina Commedia.
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527): Machiavelli was renowned as a master of statecraft. Though it is believed that he wrote The Prince to find favour with the powerful Medici family in Florence, there's no denying the political genius of the man.
Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798): He's been called a soldier, spy, diplomat, writer and adventurer, but what remains most distinctive about Casanova is the autobiographical account of his innumerable trysts.
Hugo Pratt (1927-1995): This much-loved artist and cartoonist is best known for his creation, the adventurer, Captain Corto Maltese and his numerous journeys.
Actors
Marcello Mastroianni (1924-1996): One of Italy's most loved actors, Marcello Mastroianni is a legend. He made his cinematic debut in the film Le Miserabili, (1948) and La Bella Mugnaia (1955). He went on to star in movies such as Le Notti Bianche (1957), Soliti Ignoti, I (1958, La Dolce Vita (1960), 8-1¼2 (1963), Leo the Last (1970) and Trois Vies & une Seule Mort (1996).
Roberto Benigni (b.1952): The film and television actor and director is best known for his tragicomedy Life Is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella), which won a host of Academy Awards in 1988.
Sophia Loren (b.1934): A striking beauty, Sophia Loren has been adored by millions for her looks, talent and wit, and was also declared “one of the world cinema's treasures.'' She started her career as an extra in the blockbuster Quo Vadi and went on to star in movies including Boy on a Dolphin, The Pride and the Passion, Desire Under the Elms, Heller in Pink Tights and Two Women.
Federico Fellini (1920-1993): Fellini was a critically acclaimed director, who made some of Italy's best-known films including La Dolce Vita (1960) and 8-1¼2 (1963).
Roberto Rosselini (1906-1977): In the world of cinema, Roberto Rossellini was hailed as “The Father of Neorealism.'' His movies Rome, Open City, Paisan and Germany, Year Zero were considered revolutionary in their time. The director was also married to Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman for a while.
Artists
Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510): One of the early Renaissance painters, Botticelli's paintings such as the Birth of Venus and Primavera reflect the essence of the period.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): Leonardo was the original Renaissance Man. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, inventor and humanitarian. His work highlighted four main themes: painting, architecture, the elements of mechanics, and human anatomy. Some his really famous works include the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and The Virgin on the Rocks.
Michelangelo do Lodovio Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564): A famous Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet, Michelangelo is best known for the sculpture of David.
Raffaello Sanzio better known as Raphael (1483-1520): A great Renaissance painter and architect, Raphael is best known for works such as Maddalena and Madonna dell Granduca.
Musician and composers
Luciano Pavarotti (1935): Luciano Pavarotti is one of the world's greatest living tenors. He has dominated the world of opera for about 40 years and is one of the highest selling classical artists of all time.
Guiseppe Verdi (1813-1901): One of the most influential composers in history. His greatest works including Rigoletto, La Traviata and Aida have remained popular among opera lovers all over the world.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): He is another one of Italy's most renowned composers.
He wrote magnificent concertos such as Four Seasons and the Opus 3.
Sports
Frankie (Lanfranco) Dettori (b.1970): Dettori is considered a legend on the horse racing circuit. He is one of the world's most sought-after thoroughbred racehorse jockeys. He has also received an honorary MBE.
Roberto Baggio (b1967): Roberto Baggio enjoyed phenomenal success as a soccer player in the '90s. He was also deemed FIFA Player of the Year in 1993, and was part of two Italian league championship teams.
Valentino Rossi (b.1979): Valentino Rossi is a professional motorcycle racer and has multiple MotoGP World championship titles. In fact, he won his seventh world championship by winning the 2005 MotoGP Series.
Francesco Totti (b 1976): Totti is one of Italy's most adored footballers. He currently plays for the national team and for AS Roma in Serie A. Totti is revered by fans all over the world for his skill and versatility on the field.
