This is a list of Italians or Italian-speaking/writing people that are famous. In alphabetical order.

Scientists

• Severino Antinori, (b. 1945), gynecologist and embryologist
• Amedeo Avogadro, (1776-1856), physicist
• Giovanni Battista Beccaria, (1716-1781)
• Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich, (1711-1787), Croat-Italian physicist
• Giordano Bruno, (1548-1600), philosopher
• Gerolamo Cardano, (1501-1576), Renaissance polymath
• Giovanni Domenico Cassini, (1625-1712), astronomer
• Renato Dulbecco, (b. 1914), biologist
• Francesco Faà di Bruno (1825-1888), military officer, mathematician, priest
• Robert Fano, (b. 1917), computer scientist
• Bruno de Finetti, (1906-1985), mathematician, statistician
• Enrico Fermi, (1901-1954), physicist
• Leonardo Fibonacci, (c. 1175-1250) mathematician, eponym of the Fibonacci numbers
• Girolamo Fracastoro, (1478-1553)
• Guido Fubini, (1879-1943), mathematician, eponym of Fubini's theorem in measure theory
• Galileo Galilei, (1564-1642), astronomy pioneer
• Luigi Galvani, (1737-1798), physician and physicist, eponym of galvanization
• Agostino Gemelli, (1878-1959), physician and priest
• Alessio Guarino, (b. 1970), physicist
• Rita Levi-Montalcini, (b. 1909), neurologist
• Salvador Luria, (1912-1991), microbiologist
• Gian Francesco Malfatti (1731-1807), mathematician
• Guglielmo Marconi, (1874-1937), engineer, inventor of radio
• Franco Modigliani, (1918-2003), economist
• Maria Montessori, (1870-1952), physician, teacher, creator of the Montessori method
• Giuseppe Peano, (1858-1932), mathematician
• Giuseppe Piazzi, (1746-1826), astronomer
• Gian-Carlo Rota, (1932-1999), Italian-born American mathematician and philosopher
• Carlo Rubbia, (b. 1934), physicist
• Emilio Segrè, (1905-1989), physicist
• Francesco Severi, (1879-1961), mathematician
• Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia, (1500-1557), mathematician
• Evangelista Torricelli, (1608-1647), early scientist
• Alessandro Volta, (1745-1827), eletricity pioneer, eponym of the volt
• Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832)

Explorers

• Cristoforo Colombo
• Marco Polo
• Henri de Tonti, (1649-1704), explored the Mississippi River Valley
• Amerigo Vespucci, (1454-1512), discovered other parts of America and gave his name to the new continent. Discovered the Amazon river in South America.
• Giovanni Caboto
• Giovanni da Verrazzano

Politicians

• Giulio Andreotti, Italian politician
• Camillo Benso, count of Cavour
• Enrico Berlinguer, (1922 - 1984), politician
• Mario Berlinguer
• Silvio Berlusconi, (born 1936)
• Fausto Bertinotti
• Emma Bonino
• Pierferdinando Casini
• Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Italian president
• Michele Columbu
• Francesco Cossiga, (b. 1928), Italian president
• Francesco Crispi, prime minister
• Massimo D'Alema
• Alcide De Gasperi
• Enrico De Nicola, (1877-1959), Italian president
• Amintore Fanfani
• Piero Fassino
• Gianfranco Fini
• Roberto Formigoni, (born 1947)
• Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) writer and politician
• Giovanni Leone, Italian president
• Franco Maria Malfatti, President of the European Commission, (1970-1972)
• Giuseppe Mazzini, (1805-1872), writer and politician
• Aldo Moro, (1916-1978), Italian politician
• Benito Mussolini, (1883-1945), Italian dictator
• Marco Pannella
• Sandro Pertini, Italian president
• Romano Prodi (born 1939) Former President of the European Commission.
• Giuseppe Saragat, Italian president
• Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Italian president
• Antonio Segni
• Palmiro Togliatti (1893-1964), Italian communist leader

Writers

• Dante Alighieri, (1265 - 1321), Italian poet
• Ludovico Ariosto, (1474 - 1533), Italian poet
• Alessandro Baricco (1958 - ), Italian novelist and playwriter
• Giovanni Boccaccio, (1313 - 1375), Italian novelist
• Alfredo Bracchi (1897 - 1976), Italian lyricists and scriptwriter
• Giordano Bruno, (1548 - 1600), Italian philosopher
• Dino Buzzati, (1906 - 1972), Italian novelist and journalist
• Italo Calvino, (1923 - 1985), Italian writer and novelist
• Giosuè Carducci, (1835 - 1907), Italian poet
• Baldassarre Castiglione, (1478 - 1529), Italian writer
• Carlo Collodi, (orig. Carlo Lorenzini), (1826 - 1890), Italian novelist
• Benedetto Croce, (1866 - 1952), Italian philosopher
• Gabriele D'Annunzio, (1863-1938), Italian poet, dramatist and adventurer
• Valerio da Pos , (1740 - 1822), Italian poet
• Grazia Deledda, (1871 - 1936), Italian novelist
• Umberto Eco, (b. 1932), Italian semiotician and writer of The Name of the Rose fame
• Oriana Fallaci, (born 1929)
• Marsilio Ficino, (1433 - 1499), Italian philosopher
• Dario Fo, (born 1926), Italian dramatist and actor
• Carlo Emilio Gadda, (1893 - 1973), Italian writer
• Giovanni Guareschi, (1908-1968), Italian novelist and satirist
• Francesco Guicciardini, (1483 - 1540), Italian historian
• Carlo Goldoni, (1707 - 1793), Italian dramatist
• Francesco Guccini, (born 1940), Italian novelist
• Giacomo Leopardi, (1798 - 1837), Italian poet
• Primo Levi, (1919 - 1987), Italian writer
• Emilio Lussu, (1890 - 1975), Italian novelist and politician
• Niccolò Machiavelli, (1469 - 1527), Italian writer
• Goffredo Mameli (1827-1849) - Italian patriot, poet and writer
• Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873) - Italian writer, considered the father of modern Italian language
• Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, (1876 - 1944), Italian writer
• Vittorio Messori (born 1941), Italian Catholic writer and journalist
• Eugenio Montale, (1896 - 1981), Italian poet
• Giovanni Pascoli, (1855 - 1912), Italian poet
• Francesco Petrarca, (1304 - 1374), Italian poet
• Luigi Pirandello, (1867 - 1936), Italian playwright
• Salvatore Quasimodo, (1901 - 1968), Italian poet
• Emilio Salgari, (1862 - 1911), Italian novelist
• Italo Svevo (orig. Aron Hector Schmitz) (1861 - 1928), Italian writer
• Antonio Tabucchi, (1943 - ), Italian writer
• Torquato Tasso, (1544 - 1595), Italian poet
• Giuseppe Ungaretti, (1888 - 1970), Italian poet
• Giorgio Vasari, (1511 - 1571), Italian architect and writer
• Sebastiano Vassalli , (1941 - ), Italian writer
• Giovanni Verga, (1840 - 1922), Italian writer
• Giambattista Vico (1668 - 1744), Italian philosopher

Cartoonists

• Milo Manara
• Andrea Pazienza, (1956-1988)
• Hugo Pratt, (1927-1995), : Corto Maltese

Actors and actresses

• Stefano Accorsi (born 1971)
• Laura Antonelli (born 1941)
• Asia Argento (born 1975)
• Monica Bellucci (born 1964)
• Roberto Benigni (born 1952)
• Francesca Bertini (1892-1985)
• Lyda Borelli (1854-1959)
• Lucia Bosé (born 1931)
• Raoul Bova (born 1971)
• Claudia Cardinale (born in Tunisia, 1938)
• Aldo Fabrizi (1905-1990)
• Vittorio Gassmann (1922-2000)
• Gina Lollobrigida (born 1927)
• Sophia Loren (born 1934)
• Nino Manfredi (1921-2004)
• Silvana Mangano (1930-1989)
• Marcello Mastroianni (1924-1996)
• Amedeo Nazzari (1907-1979)
• Natalino Otto, singer and actor (1912-1969)
• Silvana Pampanini (born 1925)
• Moana Pozzi (born 1961)
• Alberto Rabagliati (1906-1974)
• Eleonora Rossi-Drago (born 1925)
• Stefania Sandrelli (born 1946)
• Delia Scala (1929-2004), ballerina, actress
• Rocco Siffredi (born 1964)
• Alberto Sordi (1920-2003)
• Bud Spencer (born 1929)
• Totò (1898-1967)
• Massimo Troisi (1953-1994)
• Rodolfo Valentino (1895-1926)
• Alida Valli (born 1921)
• Gian Maria Volontè (1933-1994)

Film directors

• Michelangelo Antonioni (born 1912)
• Bernardo Bertolucci (born 1940)
• Vittorio De Sica (1901-1974)
• Federico Fellini (1920-1993)
• Giovacchino Forzano (1884-1970)
• Sergio Leone (1929-1989)
• Mario Monicelli (born 1915)
• Nanni Moretti (born 1953)
• Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975)
• Roberto Rossellini (1906-1977)
• Ettore Scola (born 1931)
• Luchino Visconti (1906-1976)

Artists

see also: List of Italian painters

• Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), architect
• Fra Angelico (1387-1445), (Giovanni da Fiesole)
• Baccio D'Agnolo (c. 1460-1543), sculptor, wood-carver, and architect
• Sisto Badalocchio (1581- c. 1647), painter and engraver
• Alessio Baldovinetti (1427-1499)
• Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510), Italian painter
• Donato Bramante (1444-1514), Italian architect
• Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Italian painter,sculptor, architect, and poet
• Vittore Carpaccio (c.1460-1525), Italian painter
• Agostino Carracci (1560-1609), Italian painter
• Caravaggio (1573-1610), Italian painter
• Cimabue, (1240-1302), Italian painter
• Giorgione da Castelfranco, (c. 1477-1510), (Giorgione)
• Antonio da Correggio, (1488-1534), (often short Correggio)
• Gentile da Fabriano, (c.1370-1427), Italian painter
• Antonello da Messina (c.1430-1479)
• Andrea da Monte San Savino (Andrea Sansovino or Sansovino )
• Masolino da Panicale (c.1383-1447)
• Antonio da Sangallo
• Giuliano da Sangallo (c.1443-1516)
• Leonardo da Vinci, (1452-1519), Italian painter, sculptor and inventor
• Giorgio De Chirico, (1888-1978), Italian painter
• Andrea del Castagno, (c.1421-1457)
• Piero della Francesca, (c.1416-1492), Italian painter and mathematician
• Luca della Robbia, (1400-1482), Italian sculptor
• Andrea del Sarto, (1487-1531), Italian painter
• Giotto, (1267-1337), Italian painter
• Renato Guttuso , (1912-1987), painter
• Fra Filippo Lippi, (c.1406-1469), Italian painter
• Filippino Lippi, (1457-1504), Italian painter
• Lorenzo Lotto, (1480-1556), Italian painter
• Andrea Mantegna, (c.1431-1506), Italian painter
• Simone Martini, (c.1284-1344)
• Masaccio, (1401-1428), Italian painter
• Amedeo Modigliani, (1884-1920), Italian sculptor and painter
• Giorgio Morandi, (1890-1964), Italian painter
• Ugo Nespolo, (born 1941), Italian painter
• Andrea Orcagna, (Andrea di Cione), (1320-1368)
• Perugino, (c.1445-1523), Italian painter
• Baldassarre Peruzzi
• Bernardino Pinturicchio , (Bernardino di Betto), (c.1454 - 1513), Italian painter
• Vittore Pisanello
• Raphael, (Raffaello Sanzio), (1483-1520)
• Guido Reni, (1575-1642), Italian painter
• Rosso (Rosso Fiorentino )
• Luca Signorelli, (c.1445-1523)
• Tiepolo, (1696-1770), Italian painter
• Tintoretto, (1518-1594), Italian painter
• Titian, (1488-1576), (Tiziano Vecellio)
• Paolo Uccello, (1397-1475), Italian painter
• Domenico Veneziano, (c.1400-1461)
• Andrea del Verrocchio, (c.1435-1488), Italian sculptor, painter
• Ettore Ximenes, (1855-1919), Italian painter

Sculptors

• Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916)
• Antonio Canova, (1757-1822),
• Donatello, (1386-1466),
• Vincenzo Gemito - (1852-1929)
• Tommaso Geraci, (born 1931)
• Costantino Nivola, (1911-1988)
• Pinuccio Sciola, (born 1942)
• Eugenio Tavolara

Architects

• Gianlorenzo Bernini, (1598 - 1680), Italian architect, sculptor and painter
• Francesco Borromini, (1599 - 1667), Italian architect
• Filippo Brunelleschi, (1377 - 1446), Italian architect
• Carlo Scarpa, (1906 - 1973), Italian architect
• Pier Luigi Nervi, (1891 - 1979), Italian architect
• Giò Ponti (Giovanni), (1891 - 1979), Italian architect
• Renzo Piano, (born 1937), Italian architect

Musicians

• Black Box, 90's house music group
• Ernesto Bonino, singer (born 1922)
• Fred Buscaglione, singer and actor (1921-1960)
• Renato Carosone, pop musician and composer (1920-2001)
• Enrico Caruso, (1873-1921), tenor
• Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944), glamorous opera singer
• Adriano Celentano, (born 1938), pop singer
• Felice Chiusano (1922 - 1990), singer
• Corona, 90's house music group
• Enrico De Angelis, singer
• Mario Del Monaco, (1915-1982), tenor
• Paolo Fresu
• Enrico Gentile, singer
• Tata Giacobetti (1922 - 1988), singer and lyricist
• Francesco Guccini (born 1940), singer and songwriter
• Iacopo Jacomelli, singer
• Gorni Kramer (1913-1995), bandleader and songwriter
• Lucia Mannucci (born 1920), singer
• Mina, singer
• Ennio Morricone, composer (born 1928)
• Natalino Otto, singer and actor (1912-1969)
• Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (born 1935)
• Alberto Rabagliati, singer and actor (1906-1974)
• Titta Ruffo (1877-1953), opera baritone
• Flo Sandon's (born 1924), singer
• Virgilio Savona (born 1920), singer and songwriter
• Tito Schipa (1888 - 1965)
• Renata Tebaldi (born 1922), operatic soprano
• Armando Trovajoli (born 1917), composer and musician
• Claudio Villa (1926-1987), pop singer
• Peppino Gagliardi (born 1940), singer

Composers

• Tomaso Albinoni (1674-1754), Italian composer
• Franco Alfano (1875-1954), Italian opera composer
• Pasquale Anfossi , Italian opera composer
• Giuseppe Apolloni (1822 - 1889), Italian opera composer
• Emilio Arrieta , Italian opera composer
• Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835), Italian composer
• Arrigo Boito (1842-1918), Italian composer, opera composer
• Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968), Italian classical guitar composer
• Alfredo Catalani (1854-1893), Italian opera composer
• Luigi Cherubini, (1760-1842), Italian composer, opera composer
• Francesco Cilea (1866-1950), Italian opera composer
• Domenico Cimarosa, (1749-1801), Italian composer, opera composer
• Luigi Dallapiccola, (1904-1975), Italian composer, opera composer
• Giovanni D'Anzi, (1906-1974), Italian songwriter
• Luigi de Rossi, 17th century Italian composer
• Gaetano Donizetti, (1797-1848), Italian composer, opera composer
• Alberto Franchetti , Italian opera composer
• Umberto Giordano, (1867-1948), Italian composer, opera composer
• Francesco Landini, (c.1325-1397), Italian composer, organist
• Ruggero Leoncavallo, (1858-1919), Italian opera composer
• Andrea Luca Luchesi (1741-1801), Italian composer, opera composer
• Raffaele Magosso , (born 1982), Italian clarinettist and composer
• Pietro Mascagni, (1863-1945), Italian composer, opera composer
• Saverio Mercadante, (1795-1870), Italian opera composer
• Claudio Monteverdi, (1567-1643), Italian composer, opera composer
• Giovanni Pacini, (1796-1867), Italian composer, opera composer
• Giovanni Paisiello (1741-1816), Italian opera composer
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), renowned composer of the late Renaissance
• Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, (1710-1736), Italian composer, opera composer
• Goffredo Petrassi, Italian opera composer
• Niccolo Piccinni, (1728-1800), Italian opera composer
• Ildebrando Pizzetti , Italian opera composer
• Amilcare Ponchielli, (1834-1886), Italian opera composer
• Nicola Porpora, (1686-1768), Italian opera composer
• Giacomo Puccini, (1858-1924), Italian composer
• Ottorino Respighi, (1879-1936), Italian composer, opera composer
• Salamone Rossi (c. 1530-c. 1630), Italian early baroque composer
• Gioacchino Rossini, (1792-1868), Italian composer, opera composer
• Antonio Salieri, (1750-1825), Austrian composer
• Alessandro Scarlatti, (1660-1725), Italian composer, opera composer
• Gaspare Spontini (1774-1851), Italian opera composer
• Agostino Steffani (1653-1728), Italian opera composer
• Giuseppe Verdi, (1813-1901), Italian composer, opera composer
• Riccardo Zandonai , Italian opera composer

Conductors (Direttori)

• Claudio Abbado, (born 1933)
• Gianandrea Gavazzeni
• Riccardo Muti, (born 1942)
• Tullio Serafin
• Arturo Toscanini, (1867-1957), Italian conductor

Sports personalities

• Alberto Ascari (1918-1955), race car driver
• Antonio Ascari (1888-1925), Grand Prix racecar driver
• Mario Andretti (born 1940), race driver
• Roberto Baggio (born 1967), footballer
• Stefano Baldini (born 1971), marathoner
• Franco Baresi (born 1960), footballer
• Nino Benvenuti (born 1938), world champion boxer
• Baconin Borzacchini (1898-1933), Grand Prix racecar driver
• Gianluigi Buffon (born 1978), footballer
• Giuseppe Campari (1892-1933), Grand Prix racecar driver
• Igor Cassina (born 1977), gymnast
• Eugenio Castellotti (1930-1957), Grand Prix racecar driver
• Pierluigi Collina (born 1960), football referee
• Fausto Coppi (1919-1960), cyclist
• Eugenio Corini (born 1970), footballer
• Mario D'Agata (born 1926) deaf-mute who became a world boxing champion
• Frankie Dettori (born 1970), Jockey who boasts an impressive Royal Ascott record, with a total of 23 wins from 1990 to 1999.
• Alessandro Del Piero (born 1974), footballer
• Luigi Fagioli (1898-1952), race car champion
• Giuseppe Farina (1906-1966), Grand Prix racecar driver
• Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988), Italian car designer
• Pietro Mennea (born 1952), athlete (most famous in 200 m)
• Reinhold Messner (born 1944), alpinist
• Tazio Nuvolari (1892-1953), race car driver
• Marco Pantani (1970-2004), cyclist
• Federica Pellegrini (born 1988), swimmer
• Valentino Rossi (born 1979), motorcycle world champion
• Sara Simeoni
• Salvatore Schillaci (born 1964), soccer player
• Loris Stecca, world champion boxer
• Francesco Totti (born 1976), footballer
• Trebisonda Valla (born 1916), athlete
• Achille Varzi (1904-1948), race car champion
• Christian Vieri (born 1973), footballer
• Luigi Villoresi (1909-1997), Grand Prix racecar driver
• Alex Zanardi (born 1966), race car driver
• Dino Zoff (born 1942), footballer

Other

• Gianni Agnelli (1921-2003), industrialist
• Leo Chiosso (born 1920), lyricist
• Alessia di Matteo (born 2003), who received eight organs with one transplant
• Giovanni Falcone, (1939 - 1992), judge
• Giuseppe Garibaldi, (1807-1882), proponent of Italian unification
• Edgardo Mortara (1851 - 1940), Catholic priest, victim of a famous kidnapping, taken from his Jewish family at the age of 6
• Nicola Salerno (1910 - 1969), lyricist under the pseudonym Nisa
• Girolamo Savonarola (1452 - 1498), book-burning priest, ruler of Florence

See also

• List of Italian comedians
• List of people by nationality
• List of Sardinians
• List of Italian Jews