Italian actress (1931–2022)
Monica Vitti
Vitti in 1965
Born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli
(1931-11-03 ) 3 November 1931Died 2 February 2022(2022-02-02) (aged 90)Rome, Italy
Occupation Actress Years active 1954–1992 Spouse
Maria Luisa Ceciarelli (3 November 1931 – 2 February 2022), known professionally asMonica Vitti , was an Italian actress who starred in several award-winning films directed byMichelangelo Antonioni during the 1960s.[ 1] Marcello Mastroianni ,Alain Delon ,Richard Harris ,Terence Stamp , andDirk Bogarde . On her death, Italian culture ministerDario Franceschini called her "the Queen of Italian cinema".[ 2] [ 3]
Vitti won fiveDavid di Donatello Awards for Best Actress, sevenItalian Golden Globes for Best Actress, the Career Golden Globe, and theVenice Film Festival Career Golden Lion Award.[ 4]
Born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli in Rome on 3 November 1931 to Adele Vittiglia, fromBologna , and Angelo Ceciarelli. She took her stage name from her mother's maiden name.[ 5] [ 6] National Academy of Dramatic Arts (graduating in 1953) and at Pittman's College, where she played a teen in a charity performance ofDario Niccodemi 'sLa nemica . She toured Germany with an Italian acting troupe, and her first stage appearance in Rome was for a production ofNiccolò Machiavelli 'sLa Mandragola [citation needed
Vitti as Marisa Cecciarelli early in her career (1953) Vitti's first film role was an uncredited bit part inEdoardo Anton 'sLaugh! Laugh! Laugh! [ 7] Adriana Lecouvreur [ 8] L'alfiere [ 9] Questi ragazzi (1956)[ 10] [ 9] Il tunnel (1958).[ 11] Mont-Oriol [citation needed and dubbedRossana Rory 's voice inBig Deal on Madonna Street [citation needed
Vitti's first widely noted performance was at 26, inMario Amendola 'sLe dritte Franco Fabrizi .[ 12] Il borghese gentiluomo (1959).[ 13] [ 14]
In 1957 she joinedMichelangelo Antonioni 'sTeatro Nuovo di Milano Dorian Gray in the director'sIl Grido The Cry , 1957). Over the next several years in several "intense portraits of alienation she became the perfect mouthpiece for Antonioni himself".[ 15] L'Avventura [ 2] [ 16] [citation needed L'Avventura made Vitti an international star.[ 6] [ 17] The New York Times [ 18]
Vitti received critical praise for her starring roles in the Antonioni filmLa Notte Night , 1961), withJeanne Moreau andMarcello Mastroianni .[ 6] Le notti bianche (1962),[ 19] L'Eclisse Alain Delon .[ 20]
Vitti was one of many stars in an anthology movie,Three Fables of Love [ 21] Sweet and Sour Roger Vadim ,Nutty, Naughty Chateau [citation needed Vitti was then in another anthology filmHigh Infidelity [ 22] Il Deserto Rosso Red Desert , 1964), withRichard Harris .[ 2] [ 23] [ 24] The Mystery of Oberwald [ 25]
Vitti starred in a comedy forTinto Brass ,The Flying Saucer The Dolls [ 26]
International films [ edit ] Vitti inThe Girl with a Pistol Vitti's first English-language film wasModesty Blaise mod James Bond spy spoof that co-starredTerence Stamp andDirk Bogarde and was directed byJoseph Losey : it had only mixed success and received harsh critical reviews.[ 27] [ 3]
She performed in the anthology movieThe Queens [citation needed a television seriesLes fables de La Fontaine (1966),[citation needed Kill Me Quick, I'm Cold Jean Sorel ,[citation needed andI Married You for Fun [citation needed
Vitti appeared inOn My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who... Tony Curtis ,[ 16] The Girl with a Pistol Stanley Baker ,[ 28] The Bitch Wants Blood Maurice Ronet ,[citation needed andHelp Me, My Love Alberto Sordi .[ 29]
Vitti inDuck in Orange Sauce Vitti starred withMarcello Mastroianni inEttore Scola 's highly successful romantic comedy,Dramma della gelosia (The Pizza Triangle [ 6] Ninì Tirabusciò, la donna che inventò la mossa [citation needed Man and Wife [citation needed The Pacifist [citation needed La supertestimone [citation needed That's How We Women Are [citation needed andOrders Are Orders [ 30]
Vitti was in a version ofLa Tosca [ 5] Carlo Di Palma , who was her partner for several years in the 1970s, beginning withTeresa the Thief [ 31] Polvere di stelle Alberto Sordi ,[ 5] David di Donatello award for Best Actress .[ 32]
Vitti played a key part in one of the vignettes inLuis Buñuel 'sThe Phantom of Liberty [ 33] Claudia Cardinale ,The Immortal Bachelor [ 34] Blonde in Black Leather [ 31] [ 35]
She was inDuck in Orange Sauce [ 36] Mimì Bluette... fiore del mio giardino [ 31] Basta che non si sappia in giro!.. [ 37] L'altra metà del cielo [ 38] State Reasons [citation needed Il cilindro (1978, for television),[citation needed Per vivere meglio, divertitevi con noi [citation needed Amori miei [ 39] Tigers in Lipstick Ursula Andress ).[citation needed
Vitti's second English-language film wasAn Almost Perfect Affair Michael Ritchie and co-starringKeith Carradine , which was set during theCannes Film Festival .[ 40] New York Times article from that period reported Vitti had resisted starring in American films as she did not like long travel, especially by air, and believed that her English was not of a high enough standard.[ 41] An Almost Perfect Affair .[ 42]
Vitti in 1990 Vitti reunited with Antonioni inThe Mystery of Oberwald Il mistero di Oberwald , 1980).[ 41] I Don't Understand You Anymore Camera d'albergo Tango of Jealousy I Know That You Know That I Know Scusa se è poco Flirt Francesca è mia [citation needed She also co-wrote the last two films.[citation needed In 1984, France awarded her theOrder of Arts and Letters . French Culture MinisterJack Lang praised her for helping spur a renewal of Italian films: "We need Italian cinema to find its health again so that French cinema will not remain an island in the middle of other European countries," Lang said.[ 43] [ 44] [citation needed
In 1989, Vitti tried writing and directing and createdScandalo Segreto Elliott Gould .[ 25] [ 2] Ma tu mi vuoi bene? [ 45]
In 1993, Vitti was awarded the Festival Tribute at theCréteil International Women's Film Festival in France.[ 46]
Personal life and death [ edit ] Antonioni and Vitti met in the late 1950s, and their relationship grew stronger afterL'Avventura was made, because it had shaped both their careers. By the late 1960s, they ceased working on films, making the relationship strained until it officially ended.[citation needed In a later interview, Vitti stated that Antonioni ended their relationship.[citation needed For several years in the 1970s her partner wasCarlo Di Palma , best known as a cinematographer though she starred in three films he directed.[ 31] Roberto Russo , with whom she had been in a relationship since 1983.[ 47] Notre-Dame de Paris .[ 48] [ 49] Alzheimer's disease had "removed her from the public gaze for the last 15 years".[ 50] [ 51] [ 52] Dementia with Lewy bodies disease in Rome on 2 February 2022, at the age of 90.[ 2] [ 53]
^ "Monica Vitti, Italian Film Icon, Dies at 90" .The Hollywood Reporter . 2 February 2022. Retrieved15 December 2024 .^a b c d e Lyman, Rick (2 February 2022)."Monica Vitti, 'Queen of Italian Cinema,' Dies at 90" .The New York Times . Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^a b "Monica Vitti: 'Queen of Italian cinema' dies at 90" .BBC News . 2 February 2022. Retrieved3 February 2022 .^ Enrico Lancia (1998).I premi del cinema . Gremese Editore, 1998.ISBN 978-8877422217 ^a b c Argentieri, Mino."Vitti, Monica" (in Italian). Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana fondata da Giovanni Treccani S.p.A. Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^a b c d Lane, John Francis (2 February 2022)."Monica Vitti obituary" .The Guardian . Retrieved3 February 2022 . ^ "Farewell to Monica Vitti, the queen of Italian cinema" .www.finestresullarte.info . Retrieved5 January 2025 .^ "Addio a Monica Vitti, l'attrice italiana è deceduta a Roma" .Blasting News (in Italian). 2 February 2022. Retrieved5 January 2025 .^a b Gideon, Baiden (3 February 2022)."Monica Vitti Cause Of Death: How Did Monica Vitti Die?" .ABTC . Retrieved5 January 2025 . ^ Gianna, Francesca (2 November 2021)."Monica Vitti compie 90 anni" .Agrpress (in Italian). Retrieved5 January 2025 . ^ "Ci lascia Monica Vitti – alleo.it" .www.alleo.it . 2 February 2022. Retrieved5 January 2025 .^ "Le dritte (1958)" .Archivo del Cinema Italiano (in Italian). Retrieved7 December 2022 .^ Kaidan, Melanie (2 February 2022)."Monica Vitti dead: Legendary Italian actress dies aged 90 battle with Alzheimer's" .Daily Express . Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^ Features/Articles/People: Monica Vitti. Walter, Eugene.Vogue ; New York Vol. 147, Iss. 4, (15 February 1966): 122, 123, 124, 125, 155. ^ Moliterno, Gino (2009)."Vitti, Monica (1932–)" .The A to Z of Italian Cinema . Scarecrow Press. pp. 334– 5.ISBN 978-0-8108-7059-8 . Retrieved8 December 2022 . ^a b Pendreigh, Brian (10 February 2022)."Scotsman Obituaries: Monica Vitti, Italian screen queen" .The Scotsman . Retrieved13 June 2024 . ^ "Bellaria: a stamp for Raffaella Carrà. From today the cancellation on the first day of issue" . Italy 24 Press News. 25 November 2022. Retrieved7 December 2022 .a portrait of Monica Vitti with her handwritten signature on the left ^ Davis, Melton S. (15 November 1964)."Most Controversial Director" .The New York Times . Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^ "Il faro Aprà per I mille occhi" .il manifesto (in Italian). 13 September 2024. Retrieved15 December 2024 .^ Houston, Penelope. "The Eclipse".Sight and Sound ; London Vol. 32, Iss. 2 (Spring 1963): 90. ^ "The Screen: 'Three Fables of Love':French and Italian Tales Open at Cinema I Free Adaptations Come From La Fontaine 'Good Soldier' Opens (Published 1963)" . 21 August 1963. Retrieved18 August 2025 .^ " . 2 July 1965. Retrieved18 August 2025 .^ Molli, Jeanne (29 March 1964)."Antonioni's Tinted 'Red Desert' .The New York Times . Retrieved13 June 2024 . ^ In the Red Desert Manceaux, Michele.Sight and Sound ; London Vol. 33, Iss. 3, (Summer 1964): 118. ^a b Scandal, sex, lies and Vitti tapes: After a life in front of the camera, Monica Vitti has stepped behind it as director Vidal, John.The Guardian 11 May 1990: 36. ^ Crowther, Bosley (29 June 1965)."Screen: Italian Vignettes:Gina Lollobrigida Tops International Cast" .The New York Times . ^ Crowther, Bosley (21 August 1966)."Immodesty and 'Modesty Blaise' .The New York Times . Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^a b Moliterno, Gino (2009).The A to Z of Italian Cinema ISBN 978-0-8108-7059-8 . Retrieved8 December 2022 . ^ Movie Call Sheet: Columbia to Film 'Gorgeous'. Martin, Betty.Los Angeles Times 19 September 1966: C28. ^ Beauty Bulletin: Monica Vitti: A Woman for All Seasons,Vogue ; New York Vol. 156, Iss. 9, (15 November 1970): 148, 149. ^a b c d Moliterno, Gino (2009).The A to Z of Italian Cinema ISBN 978-0-8108-7059-8 . Retrieved8 December 2022 . ^ Simpson, Victor L. (2 February 2022)." .Associated Press . Retrieved13 June 2024 . ^ Canby, Vincent (14 October 1974)."Brilliant Bunuel Film Closes 12th Festival" .The New York Times . Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^ "The Immortal Bachelor" .Roger Ebert . 28 November 1980. Retrieved7 December 2022 .^ Moliterno, Gino (2020).Historical Dictionary of Italian Cinema ISBN 978-1-5381-1948-8 . Retrieved7 December 2022 . ^a b Moliterno, Gino (2009).The A to Z of Italian Cinema ISBN 978-0-8108-7059-8 . Retrieved8 December 2022 . ^ "Monica Vitti: the great Italian actress turns 90" .Florence Daily News . 4 November 2021. Retrieved15 December 2024 .^ "Ricordando Monica Vitti" .vanityfair.it . 2 February 2022.^a b Moliterno, Gino (2009).The A to Z of Italian Cinema ISBN 978-0-8108-7059-8 . Retrieved8 December 2022 . ^ OF PIRATES AND PERRIER. Rosenfield, Paul.Los Angeles Times 26 August 1979: m1. ^a b At the Movies: Monica Vitti working again on a project with Antonioni. Buckley, Tom.The New York Times , 11 May 1979: C6. ^ If Vanessa talks Trotsky, Timothy trots. Adams Sloan, Robin.Detroit Free Press 16 April 1979: 11B. ^ "France honors actress Monica Vitti".The Globe and Mail . 7 March 1984. p. M.9. ^ "Archives du Bureau du Cabinet du ministre de la Culture. Ordre des arts et lettres (1962-2000)" .Archives Nationales (in French). p. 91. Retrieved7 December 2022 .^ "MA TU MI VUOI BENE? (1992)" .British Film Institute . Archived fromthe original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved7 December 2022 .^ "Créteil: Monica Vitti, au 15e Festival de films de femmes" .L'Humanité (in French). 12 February 1993. Retrieved7 December 2022 .^ Porro, Maurizio (5 November 2020)."Monica Vitti compie 89 anni: la verità sulla malattia, il marito: «Ci capiamo con gli occhi»" .Corriere della sera (in Italian). Retrieved30 May 2021 . ^ " . 17 January 2018.^ "Monica Vitti: the last appearance before the illness" .tipsforwomens.org . 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021.^ "Antonioni's muse is 80: Happy Birthday Monica Vitti" . 3 November 2011.^ "Monica Vitti, Star of Antonioni Masterpieces, Dies at 90" .Variety . 2 February 2022. Retrieved15 December 2024 .^ "Il marito di Monica Vitti: "Basta fake news, non è in una clinica svizzera" . 18 January 2018.^ "Monica Vitti obituary" .The Times ISSN 0140-0460 . Retrieved3 February 2022 .^ "Berlinale: 1984 Winners" . Berlinale. Retrieved4 January 2011 .^ Moliterno, Gino (2009).The A to Z of Italian Cinema ISBN 978-0-8108-7059-8 . Retrieved8 December 2022 . Antonioni, Michelangelo (1963).Michelangelo Antonioni: an introduction . Trans. by Scott Sullivan. New York: Simon and Schuster Arrowsmith, William & Perry, Ted, eds. (1995).Antonioni: the poet of images . New York: Oxford University Press Borsatti, Cristina (2005).Monica Vitti . Palermo: L'epos Brunette, Peter (1998).The Films of Michelangelo Antonioni . New York: Cambridge University Press Chatman, Seymour (1985).Antonioni, or the Surface of the World . Berkeley: University of California Press Delli Colli, Laura (1987).Monica Vitti . Rome: Gremese Editore
Awards for Monica Vitti
1956–1975 1976–2000 2001–present
1946–1970 1971–1990 1991–2010 2011–present
1946–1970 1971–1990 1991–2010 2011–present
International National Academics Artists People Other
_(cropped)_2_(cropped).jpg)
