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 the revolver
• Giuseppe Brotzu (1895–1976), pharmacologist, discoverer of cephalosporin based antibiotics, and candidate for the 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
• Ambra Medda (born 1982) designer, Sardinian mother and Austrian father
• 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
• 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
• Salvatore Satta (1902-1975), 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
• Salvatore Dau (1839–1914), tanner https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salvatore_Dau_1885.jpg

Cinema and TV

Actors and actresses

Pier Angeli

Rubi Dalma

• Gianni Agus (1917–1994)
• Andrea Arru (born 2007)
• Mavie Bardanzellu (born 1938)
• Vittorio Congia (1930–2019)
• Rubi Dalma (1906–1994)
• Giancarlo Dettori (born 1932)
• Maria Frau (born 1930)
• Rossana Ghessa (born 1943)
• Rita Livesi (born 1915)
• Mario Majeroni (1870–1931)
• Gloria Milland (born 1940)
• Tiberio Murgia
• Caterina Murino
• Amedeo Nazzari
• Marisa Pierangeli
• Anna Maria Pierangeli, also known as Pier Angeli

Filmmakers

Nanni Loy

• Luigi Batzella
• Antonello Grimaldi
• Piero Livi (1925–2015), director and screenwriter
• Nanni Loy
• Sebastian Piras, photographer and filmmaker
• Fiorenzo Serra (1921–2005), documentarist
• Franco Solinas (1927–1982) screenwriter

Showgirls and fashion models

Melissa Satta

• Elisabetta Canalis
• Franca Dall'Olio (born 1945), Miss Italia 1963
• Alessandra Meloni (born 1972), Miss Italia 1994
• Giorgia Palmas
• Melissa Satta

Police officers

Emanuela Loi

Criminals

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

Journalists

Attilio Deffenu

• 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
• Cristiano Ruiu (born 1979)
• Aminata Aidara (born 1984) Sardinian mother and Senegalese father

Mercenaries, soldiers and 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
• Collage
• 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
• Anna Tifu, violinist born to a Sardinian mother and Romanian father
• Luigi Lai
• 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

Pinuccio Sciola

• 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

Cartoonists and comics creators

• Igort (real name Igor Tuveri) (born 1958)
• Graziano Origa (born 1952), cartoonist, punk artist
• Michele Medda (born 1962), comic writer

Politicians

See also: List of rulers of Sardinia

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

Giovanni Maria Angioy, Sardinian patriot

• Giuseppe Abozzi (1882–1962), socialist
• Hasan Agha (fl. 1532-1544), ruler of the Regency of Algiers
• Camillo Bellieni (1893–1975), politician, founder of Partito Sardo d'Azione
• 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), Italian
• 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)
• Nanni Campus (born 3 September 1952)
• Francesco Cocco-Ortu (1842–1929), minister of the Kingdom of Italy
• Michele Columbu (1914–2012), 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), politician
• Oliviero Diliberto (born 1956), Party of Italian Communists leader
• Eleanor of Arborea (1347–1404), Italian of Arborea
• Gianfranco Ganau (born 3 March 1955)
• 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 (1319–1376), 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

Sportspeople

Athletics

• Sandro Floris (born 1965), former sprinter
• Giorgio Marras (born 1971), former sprinter
• Eugenio Meloni (born 1994), high jumper
• Giovanni Puggioni (born 1966), former sprinter
• Antonio Siddi (1923–1983), former sprinter
• Filippo Tortu (born 1998), sprinter
• Valentina Uccheddu (born 1966), former long jumper

Basketball

• Federica Brunetti (born 1988)
• Massimo Chessa (born 1988), professional basketball player
• Luigi Datome
• Lidia Oppo (born 1995)
• Daniele Soro (born 1975)
• Marco Spissu (born 1995), professional basketball player

Bodybuilding

• Franco Columbu, Mr Olympia in 1976 and 1981, and Mr Universe 1970

Boxing

• Fernando Atzori (born 1942), olympic gold medalist
• Salvatore Burruni
• Enzo Calzaghe
• Simone Maludrottu, European bantamweight champion
• Gavino Matta
• Franco Udella, World Champion

Canoeing

• Pierangelo Congiu (born 1951), sprint canoer

Cycling

• Fabio Aru (born 1990), Vuelta a España winner
• Alberto Loddo (born 1979), retired

Equestrianism

Paolo Angioni in 1968

• Paolo Angioni (born 1938), olympic champion

Extreme sports

• John Carta (1946–1990), skydiver and basejumper pioneer

Football

Gianfranco Zola

Salvatore Sirigu

Andrea Cossu

• Simone Aresti (born 1986)
• Nicolò Barella (born 1997), Italian international, European champion 2020
• Salvatore Burrai (born 1987)
• Andrea Cocco (born 1986)
• Alessio Cossu (born 1986)
• Karim Laribi (born 1991), Sardinian mother and Tunisian father
• Andrea Cossu (born 1980), former Italian international
• Enrico Cotza (born 1988)
• Antonello Cuccureddu (born 1949), former Italian international
• Alessandro Farina (born 1979)
• Gianluca Festa (born 1969)
• Michele Fini (born 1974)
• Alessandro Frau (born 1977)
• Salvatore Fresi (born 1973)
• Gustavo Giagnoni (1932–2018)
• Nicola Lai (born 1986)
• Valentino Lai (born 1984)
• Marco Mancosu (born 1988)
• Matteo Mancosu (born 1984)
• Giuseppe Materazzi (born 1946)
• Gianfranco Matteoli (born 1959), former Italian international
• Nicola Murru (born 1994)
• Salvatore Pinna (born 1975)
• Francesco Pisano (born 1986)
• Andrea Pisanu (born 1982)
• Marco Sau (born 1987), Italian international
• Salvatore Sirigu (born 1987), Italian international
• Simona Sodini (born 1982), Italian women's international
• Giovanni Solinas (born 1968)
• Pietro Paolo Virdis (born 1957)
• Gianfranco Zola (born 1966), former Italian international
• Jordan Bouah (born 1995), Sardinian mother and Ivorian father

Horse racing

• Andrea Atzeni (born 1991)
• Giovanni Atzeni (born 1985)
• Andrea Degortes known as Aceto
• Gianfranco Dettori

Ice hockey

• Luca Sbisa

Modern pentathlon

• Mario Medda (1943–1981)

Motor racing

• Clemente Biondetti, Formula One racing driver
• Domenico Brigaglia (born 1958), motorcycle racer
• Omar Magliona (born 1977), racing driver
• Giovanni de Riu (1925–2008), racing driver
• Simone Sanna (born 1978), motorcycle racer

Rowing

• Francesco Cossu (1907–?)

Tennis

• Alessandro de Minicis (born 1963), retired

Religious figures

Pope Hilarius

Joseph Toronto

• Abraham da Cagliari (8th century), Rabbi
• Ottorino Pietro Alberti (1927–2012) Archbishop
• Salvatore Alepus (1503–1568), Archbishop
• Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso (1796–1878), Cardinal
• Antiochus of Sulcis (died c. 110), 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
• Ephysius (250–303), Christian martyr
• Eusebius of Vercelli
• Gavinus (4th century), Christian martyr
• Pope Hilarius (died 468), Pope
• Ignatius of Laconi (1701–1781)
• Lucifer (4th century), 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), 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 (1925-2021), American actor, Sardinian ancestry
• Bruno Kirby (1949–2006), 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
• 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)
• 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
• Beji Caid Essebsi (1926–2019), The first democratically elected 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), Prime 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
• 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
• Alessandro Mahmoud (Mahmood) – born in Milan from Sardinian mother

See also

• Sardinian people
• List of Italians