List of Famous people born in Italy
Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor
Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor was a daughter of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and his wife, Faustina the Younger. She was sister to Lucilla and Commodus. Her maternal grandparents were Antoninus Pius and Faustina the Elder, and her paternal grandparents were Domitia Lucilla and praetor Marcus Annius Verus. She was named in honor of her late paternal aunt Annia Cornificia Faustina.
Isabella of Naples
Isabella of Aragon, also known as Isabella of Naples, was Duchess of Milan by marriage to Gian Galeazzo Sforza and suo jure Duchess of Bari. Her life was characterised by the political crises surrounding the Italian Wars. Isabella often found herself torn between her native Kingdom of Naples and her marital home of the Duchy of Milan, causing her to suffer personal and political difficulties. After a difficult marriage and lack of support in Milan, she received the Duchy of Bari. This change in circumstances gave Isabella the opportunity to form her own court as well as build up political support and security against the ongoing wars. These reforms along with her interest in arts and literature, resulted in Bari undergoing revival and refurbishment. During this period, she also concentrated on the education of her daughter Bona, who became Queen of Poland.
Sofonisba Anguissola
Sofonisba Anguissola, also known as Sophonisba Angussola or Sophonisba Anguisciola, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona to a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that included the fine arts, and her apprenticeship with local painters set a precedent for women to be accepted as students of art. As a young woman, Anguissola traveled to Rome where she was introduced to Michelangelo, who immediately recognized her talent, and to Milan, where she painted the Duke of Alba. The Spanish queen, Elizabeth of Valois, was a keen amateur painter and in 1559 Anguissola was recruited to go to Madrid as her tutor, with the rank of lady-in-waiting. She later became an official court painter to the king, Philip II, and adapted her style to the more formal requirements of official portraits for the Spanish court. After the queen's death, Philip helped arrange an aristocratic marriage for her. She moved to Sicily, and later Pisa and Genoa, where she continued to practice as a leading portrait painter.
Vito Volterra
Professor Vito Volterra was an Italian mathematician and physicist, known for his contributions to mathematical biology and integral equations, being one of the founders of functional analysis.
Junia Secunda
Junia, called Junia Secunda by modern historians to distinguish her from her sisters, was an ancient Roman woman who lived in the 1st century BC. She was married to the triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.
Alexia Runggaldier
Alexia Runggaldier is an Italian former biathlete. She competed at the Biathlon World Championships 2012 and 2013. She represented Italy at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Isabella Maria d'Este
Daniele da Volterra
Daniele Ricciarelli, better known as Daniele da Volterra, was a Mannerist Italian painter and sculptor.
Virginia Bourbon del Monte
Donna Virginia Bourbon del Monte dei principi di San Faustino was the wife of Edoardo Agnelli and the mother of Gianni Agnelli.
Charles I, Duke of Savoy
Charles I, surnamed the Warrior, was the Duke of Savoy from 1482 to 1490 and titular king of Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Armenia from 1485 to 1490.