List of people from Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with a population of about 1.6 million people. The list includes notable natives of Sardinia, as well as those who were born elsewhere but spent a large part of their active life in Sardinia. People of Sardinian heritage and descent are in a separate section of this article.

Academic figures and inventors

Domenico Alberto Azuni

Giovanni Spano

Gianluigi Gessa

• Pietro Amat di San Filippo (1826 - 1895), geographer, historian and bibliographer.
• Giulio Angioni (1939-2016), writer and anthropologist
• Efisio Arru (1927 – 2000), parasitologist
• Domenico Alberto Azuni (1749–1827), Jurist
• Ludovico Baille (1764–1869), Historian
• Augusto Bissiri (1879 - 1968), inventor, credited as one of the first developers of television, the cathode ray tube and the fax.
• Remo Bodei (born in Cagliari,1938), philosopher
• Francesco Antonio Boi (1767 - 1850), physician and anatomist
• Francesco Antonio Broccu (1797–1882), inventor, born in Gadoni, regarded as the first developer of Revolver
• Giuseppe Brotzu (1895 – 1976), pharmacologist, discoverer of cephalosphorin based antibiotics, and candidate for Nobel Prize in Medicine.
• Carlo Cercignani (1939–2010), physicist and mathematician
• Fausto Cercignani (born 1941), scholar in linguistics
• Enrico Costa (born 1944), astrophysicist, known for studies on the gamma-ray bursts
• Erminio Costa (Cagliari 1924- Washington 2009), neuroscientist
• Joan de Girgio Vitelli (Alghero 1870 - Rome 1916), lawyer and writer.
• Carlo Fadda ( 1853–1931) jurist and politician.
• Antonio Fais (1841 – 1925), mathematician and engineer.
• Giovanni Francesco Fara (1543-1591), geographer and historian
• Walter Ferreri, Astronomer
• Gian Luigi Gessa (born 1932), pharmacologist and neuropsychiatrist
• Pier Michele Giagaraccio (16th century AD), jurist, lawyer, and poet
• Paola Leone, neurologist leader researcher of Canavan disease
• Giovanni Lilliu (1914 – 2012), archeologist, academician, publicist and politician.
• Eva Mameli (1886 – 1978), botanist, naturalist and mathematician.
• Lidia Mannuzzu (1958 – 2016) biologist, physiologist and academic
• Antonio Pigliaru (1922–1969), philosopher
• Salvatore Satta (1902 – 1975), jurist and writer.
• Sebastiano Satta (1867 – 1914), poet, writer, lawyer and journalist.
• Paolo Savona (born 1936), economist
• Giovanni Soro (died 1544), the Western world first great cryptanalyst. Soro was employed in Venice by the Council of Ten as cipher breaker-in-chief.
• Giovanni Spano (1803–1878), linguist and archaeologist
• Nicola Tanda (born 1928) philologist and literary critic.
• Pasquale Tola (1800–1874), historian, magistrate and politician

Activists

• Aurelio Chessa ( 1913 – 1996) anarchist, journalist and historian
• Giovanni Nuvoli

Architects and designers

Paola Antonelli

• Paola Antonelli (born 1963), architect, senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
• Carlo Battaglia (1933 – 2005), designer
• Gaetano Cima (1805 – 1878), Neoclassical architect
• Fernando Clemente (1917–1998), architect and urbanist
• Francesco Boffo (1796-1867), Neoclassical architect
• Davis Ducart architect of the 18th-century
• Renzo Frau (Cagliari 1880 - 1926), designer
• Flavio Manzoni (born 1965), architect and car designer
• Antonio Simon Mossa (born 1916): Architect, politician and journalist
• Vico Mossa (1914 - 2003), Architect
• Enzo Satta, urbanist and architect
• Eugenio Tavolara (1901–1963), sculptor and designer

Authors

Grazia Deledda, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926

• Milena Agus (born 1955)
• Francesco Alziator (1909-1977), writer and journalist
• Antonella Anedda (born 1955), half-Sardinian
• Giulio Angioni (born 1939) writer and anthropologist
• Gerolamo Araolla (1542-1615)
• Sergio Atzeni (1952-1995)
• Vicente Bacallar Sanna (1669-1726)
• Ludovico Baille (1764-1839)
• Alberto Capitta (born 1954)
• Fausta Cialente (1898-1994)
• Antoni Cossu (1927–2002)
• Grazia Deledda (1871-1936), winner of the Nobel prize for literature
• Pietro Delitala (middle 16th century - 1613), poet
• Salvatore Farina (1846-1918), novelist
• Maria Chessa Lai (1922 - 2012), poet
• Gavino Ledda (born 1938)
• Emilio Lussu (1890-1975)
• Francesco Manunta i Baldino (1928–1995), poet
• Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli
• Melchiorre Murenu (1803-1854)
• Michela Murgia
• Salvatore Niffoi (born 1950), writer.
• Rafael Sari (1904 - 1978), poet and writer
• Flavio Soriga (born 1975) writer
• Pasqual Scanu (1908 - 1978)
• Tigellius (1st century BC – 40 BC), lyric poet during the time of Julius Caesar
• Pasquale Tola (1800-1874)
• Dolores Turchi (born 1935)

Businessmen

Renato Soru

• Massimo Cellino (born 1956), entrepreneur and football club owner.
• Giovanni Antonio Sanna (1819 – 1875), entrepreneur and politician.
• Renato Soru (born 1957), entrepreneur founder of Tiscali and former governor of Sardinia

Cinema and TV

Actors & actresses

Pier Angeli

Melissa Satta

• Gianni Agus
• Mavie Bardanzellu (born 1938), actress
• Vittorio Congia (born 4 November 1930), film actor
• Rubi Dalma (1906 - 1994)
• Giancarlo Dettori actor, (born 5 April 1932)
• Maria Frau (born 6 August 1930)
• Rossana Ghessa (born 24 January 1943)
• Rita Livesi (born 1915)
• Mario Majeroni (1870-1931)
• Denis Marti (born 1972), pornographic actor and adult film maker
• Gloria Milland (born 1940), actress
• Tiberio Murgia
• Caterina Murino
• Amedeo Nazzari
• Alessandro Nivola-American Actor, Grandson of Costantino Nivola
• Marisa Pierangeli
• Anna Maria Pierangeli - also known as Pier Angeli

Police officers

Emanuela Loi

Criminals

• Er Canaro (born 1956)
• Giovanni Corbeddu Salis (1844 - 1898), outlaw.

Journalists

• Francesco Alziator (1909-1977), born in Cagliari
• Pasquale Chessa (born 1947), historian and journalist
• Attilio Deffenu (1890–1918) journalist, syndicalist and patriot
• Annalisa Piras (born 1971), journalist and film maker ^[1]
• Cristiano Ruiu (born 1979)

Mercenaries, soldiers & troops

Domenico Millelire

• Mario Aramu (1900 – 1940) aviator.
• Domenico Millelire (1761 – 1827) patriot, navy officer.
• Antonio Todde (1889 – 2002), oldest man in the world at the date of his death and the third-oldest military veteran ever
• Efisio Tola (1803 - 1833), patriot.
• Justin Tuveri (May 13, 1898 – October 5, 2007), one of the last Italian veterans of the First World War

Musicians and singers

the tenor Giovanni Matteo De Candia.

Giuseppe Anedda

• Giuseppe Anedda (1912 – 1997)
• Bianca Atzei (born 1987)
• Maria Carta
• Chaoswave
• Collage
• Cool Caddish
• Giovanni Matteo De Candia, operatic singer (tenor), known as Mario
• Bernardo de Muro, operatic singer (tenor)
• Francesco Demuro
• Roberto Diana (born 1983) musician, guitarist, composer, producer and session man.
• La Fossa (rap group)
• Paolo Fresu
• Raimondo Inconis (born 1959 ), contrabassoonist.
• Elena Ledda
• Bernadette Manca di Nissa
• Franca Masu (born 1962)
• Carmen Melis (1885–1967), operatic soprano
• Efisio Melis
• Roberto Meloni
• Salmo (rapper)
• Filomena Moretti, guitarist
• Franco Oppo ( 1935 – 2016) composer and scholar
• Aldo Piga, music compose
• Marisa Sannia
• Valerio Scanu
• Angelo Sotgiu (born 1946)
• Tazenda
• Tenores di Bitti

Visual artists

Painters, illustrators, photographers, sculptors

Francesco Ciusa

• Edina Altara (1898–1983), illustrator and painter
• Giuseppe Biasi (1885–1945), painter
• Vittore Bocchetta (born 1918), Sculptor, painter and academic
• Carlo Chessa (1855 – 1912) painter, printmaker, and illustrator
• Francesco Ciusa (1883 – 1949) sculptor.
• Ignazio Fresu (born 1957), sculptor
• Giovanni del Giglio (died 1554), mannerist painter
• Master of Castelsardo (15th-16th century), painter
• Francesco Menzio (1899–1979), Painter
• Costantino Nivola (1911–1988), sculptor
• Aligi Sassu (1912–2000), sculptor and painter
• Pinuccio Sciola ( 1942 - 2016), sculptor
• Mario Sironi (1885–1961), modernist painter, sculptor, illustrator, and designer
• Maria Antonietta Tilloca
• Vittoria Valmaggia (1944-2009), painter, ceramist sculptor and designer

Politicians

Eleanor of Arborea, queen of the Giudicato of Arborea (Sardinian: Judicadu de Arbarée)

Giovanni Maria Angioy, Sardinian patriot

• Giuseppe Abozzi (1882 - 1962), socialist
• Giovanni Maria Angioy (1751–1808), politician and patriot
• Gavino Angius (born 1946), senator
• Vicente Bacallar Sanna (1669-1726), governor of Cagliari and Gallura, Spanish ambassador
• Benedetta of Cagliari (c. 1194–1232/1233), giudicessa of Cagliari
• Enrico Berlinguer (1922–1984), Italian Communist Party leader
• Giovanni Berlinguer (born 1924), member of the European Parliament
• Luigi Berlinguer (born 25 July 1932), Minister of Universities, Science and Technology
• Mario Berlinguer (1891–1969)
• Sergio Berlinguer (born 6 May 1934)
• Francesco Cocco-Ortu (1842 –1929), minister of the Kingdom of Italy.
• Michele Columbu (born 1914), former member of the European Parliament
• Francesco Cossiga (1928–2010), former President of the Italian Republic
• Giuseppe Cossiga (born October 30, 1963)
• Bruno Dettori ( born 1941 )
• Oliviero Diliberto (born 1956), Party of Italian Communists leader
• Eleanor of Arborea (1347–1404), Giudicessa of Arborea
• Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937), founding member of the Italian Communist Party
• Hugh I of Arborea (1178–1211), giudice of Arborea
• Ippolita Ludovisi (1663–1733), princess of Piombino
• Emilio Lussu (1890–1975), soldier, politician and writer
• Giuseppe Manno (1786 - 1868), magistrate, politician and historian.
• Marianus IV of Arborea the Great (1329–1376), giudice of Arborea
• Ospitone (6th century AD), chief of people of Barbagia
• Paolo Orano ( 1875 - 1945 ) psychologist, politician and writer.
• Giuseppe Pisanu (born 1937), former Italian minister
• Edmondo Sanjust di Teulada ( 1858 – 1936) engineer and politician.
• Giuseppe Saragat (1898 – 1988), President of the Italian Republic.
• Michele Schirru (1899 - 1931), anarchist who attempted to assassinate Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
• Antonio Segni (1891–1972), former President of the Italian Republic
• Mario Segni (born 1939), former member of Italian Parliament and European Parliament
• Adelasia of Torres (1207–1259), giudicessa di Torres

Sports figures

Footballers

Gianfranco Zola

Salvatore Sirigu

Andrea Cossu

• Simone Aresti (born 1986)
• Salvatore Burrai
• Andrea Cocco
• Sandro Cois - Sardinian origin
• Alessio Cossu (born 1986)
• Andrea Cossu (footballer, born 1980)
• Enrico Cotza
• Antonello Cuccureddu - born in Alghero
• Mattia Desole (born 1993)
• Daniele Dessena (born 1987)- Sardinian origin
• Alessandro Farina
• Gianluca Festa
• Michele Fini (born 1974)
• Valerio Fiori (born 1969)
• Alessandro Frau
• Salvatore Fresi
• Gustavo Giagnoni
• Nicola Lai
• Valentino Lai
• Marco Mancosu
• Matteo Mancosu
• Giuseppe Materazzi
• Gianfranco Matteoli
• Salvatore Pinna, goalkeeper
• Francesco Pisano
• Andrea Pisanu
• Marco Sau
• Katia Serra, Sardinian origin
• Simona Sodini (born 1982)
• Giovanni Solinas (born 1968), football manager
• Salvatore Sirigu
• Pietro Paolo Virdis
• Gianfranco Zola

Equestrian Champions and Jockeys

Paolo Angioni in 1968

• Paolo Angioni (born 22 January 1938), equestrian olympic champion
• Giovanni Atzeni (born 1985)
• Andrea Degortes best known as Aceto
• Gianfranco Dettori

Religious figures

Pope Hilarius

Joseph Toronto

• Abraham da Cagliari (8th century AD), Rabbi
• Ottorino Pietro Alberti (1927-2012) Archibishop
• Salvatore Alepus (1503–1568), Archbishop
• Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso (1796–1878), Cardinal
• Antiochus of Sulcis (died c. 110 AD), Christian martyr
• Hilary the Deacon (mid-4th century)
• Ilario Cao
• Nicholas Congiato, (1816 – 1897) Jesuit, President of Santa Clara University
• Justa, Justina and Henedina, Christian martyrs
• Luigi De Magistris, Cardinal
• Giovanni Melis Fois, Prelate of Roman Catholic Church
• Saint Ephysius (250-303), Christian martyr
• Eusebius of Vercelli
• Saint Gabinus (4th century AD), Christian martyr
• Pope Hilarius (died 468), Pope
• St. Ignatius of Laconi, (1701-1781)
• Saint Lucifer (4th century AD), Bishop of Cagliari
• Antonia Mesina (1919–1935), Martyr
• Carlo Mario Francesco Pompedda (1929 – 2006), Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura for the Roman Curia
• Riccus (13th century), Archbishop
• Elisabetta Sanna(1788 –1857)
• Maria Gabriella Sagheddu (1914–1939), Saint Beatus
• Pope Symmachus (6th century AD), Pope
• Joseph Toronto (1818–1883), Mormon missionary
• Aloysius Varsi (1830 -1900)
• Francesco Zirano (1565 - 1603) member of the Order of Friars Minor, beatified in 2014.

Notable people of Sardinian descent

Wally Schirra, astronaut

• Ettore Pais (1856– 1939), historian with Sardinian ancestry
• Gustavo Piga (born 1964), economist
• Ambra Medda (born 1982), Designer
• Orazio Satta Puliga (1910 - 1974), car designer
• Italo Calvino (1923 - 1985), writer candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature with Sardinian ancestry from mother side
• Cecilia Maria de Candia (1853 - 1926), writer (Sardinian ancestry from father side)
• Goffredo Mameli, patriot and poet, creator of the Italian anthem (born in Genoa by Sardinian father)
• Éric Cantona (born 24 May 1966), French actor and football player with Sardinian ancestry
• Donatella Damiani (born 1958), Sardinian from father side
• Bruce Kirby (born 1928), American actor, Sardinian ancestry
• Christopher Meloni - American actor, father from Sardinia
• Fernanda Montenegro (born 1929), Brazilian actress, with Sardinian ancestry from mother's side
• Sean Penn - American Actor, Sardinian from mother side ^[4]
• Bruno Putzulu French actor, Sardinian ancestry
• Stefano Satta Flores, Sardinian ancestry
• Wally Schirra (1923 – 2007), astronaut with Sardinian ancestry
• Valeria Marini, born in Rome (Sardinian from mother side)
• Pamela Prati (Sardinian from mother side)
• Virginia Sanjust di Teulada (born 1977), Sardinian from father side
• Adriana Serra (1923 – 1995), actress and Miss Italia 1941 (Sardinian from father side) ^[5][6]
• Corrado Augias (born 26 January 1935), Sardinian ancestry
• Mino Carta (born 1933), Sardinian parents
• Jean-Marc Morandini (born 1965) Sardinian from mother side
• Barbara Serra (born 1974), Sardinian from father side
• Efisio Tola (1803 - 1833), patriot.

Goffredo Mameli, author of Italian national anthem (Genoese of Sardinian ancestry).

• Ricky Gianco (born Riccardo Sanna, 1943), singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer, with partial Sardinian ancestry
• Ivan Graziani, Sardinian from mother side
• Nyco Lilliu (born 1987), Sardinian ancestry
• Pierrick Lilliu (born 1986), Sardinian ancestry
• Ugo Mulas (1928 - 1973), photographer with Sardinian ancestry
• Aurelio Galleppini (1917-1994) (His parents were Sardinians)

Enrico Letta (Pisan of Sardinian ancestry).

• Graziano Delrio (born 1960), Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport with Sardinian ancestry ^[7]
• Beji Caid Essebsi (born 1926), President of Tunisia (Paternal great-great-grandfather from Sardinia)
• Enrico Letta (born 1966), former Prime Minister of Italy. Sardinian from mother side.
• Jean-Paul Marat (from the father's side) (1743–1793), politician during the French Revolution
• Giorgia Meloni (born 1977), ex minister of Italy (Sardinian from father side)
• Juan Domingo Perón (1895–1974), President of Argentina (Sardinian descent from father side)
• Silvia Salis (born in Genoa, Sardinian ancestry)
• Luigi Datome (born 1987 ) professional basketball player with Sardinian ancestry who currently plays for Fenerbahçe Ülker.
• Joe Calzaghe - father Enzo from Sardinia
• Nicolino Locche (1939 – 2005), Argentine boxer with Sardinian ancestry
• Duilio Loi - Sardinian from father side
• Graciano Rocchigiani - father Zanubio from Sardinia
• Mattia Aramu (born 1995), Sardinian parents ^[8][9]
• Dennis Chessa (born 1992) Sardinian ancestry
• Marco Materazzi - Mother from Tempio, father from Arborea, province of Oristano
• Frankie Dettori - Born in Milan from Sardinian parents
• Fabio Carta - Born in Torino, Sardinian parents
• Andreia Marras (born 1971) Sardinian ancestry

See also

• Sardinian people
• List of Italians

References