List of people from Sardinia
This is a list of famous people from or with origins in the island of Sardinia.
Academic figures and Inventors
- Giulio Angioni (born 1939), writer and anthropologist
- Efisio Arru (1927–2000), Parassitologist
- 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 and the Cathode ray tube.
- Remo Bodei (born in Cagliari,1938), philosopher
- Francesco Antonio Broccu (1797–1882), inventor, born in Gadoni, regarded as the first developer of Revolver
- Giuseppe Brotzu (1895–1976), Researcher and Pharmacologist, discover of cephalosporins-based antibiotics
- Carlo Cercignani (1939–2010), physicist and mathematician
- Fausto Cercignani (born 1969), academic
- Adelasia Cocco (born 1885) first woman medical officer in Italy
- Enrico Costa (born 1944), astrophysicist, known for studies of gamma ray bursts
- Erminio Costa (Cagliari 1924- Washington 2009), neuroscientist
- Joan de Girgio Vitelli (Alghero 1870 - Rome 1916), lawyer and writer.
- Walter Ferreri, Astronomer
- Alessio Fontana (1504–1558), jurist, member of Imperial Chancellery of Charles V
- Gian Luigi Gessa (born 1932), pharmacologist and neuropsychiatrist
- Pier Michele Giagaraccio (XVI century AD), jurist, lawyer, and poet
- Ida Olga Maria Comaschi Caria (1911–1987) Paleonthologist
- Francesco De Rosa (1854–1938), ethnologist
- Paola Leone, neurologist leader researcher of Canavan disease
- Giovanni Lilliu (1914-2012), Archeologist
- Efisio Marini (1835–1900), Researcher
- Dionigi Panedda, archeologist and historian
- Antonio Pigliaru (1922–1969), philosopher
- Michelangelo Pira (1928–1980), journalist and Anthropologist
- Franco Restaino (born 1922), philosopher
- Paolo Savona (born 1936), Economist
- Giovanni Spano (1803–1878), Linguist and archeologist
- Nicola Tanda (born 1928, Sorso), philologist, literary critic and writer.
- Eugenia Tognotti, Historian of Medicine and Public Health
- Pasquale Tola (1800–1874), Historian, magistrate and politician
- Tomaso Vercellotti (born 1954), Medical doctor inventor of piezosurgery
Activists
Architects and Designers
- Edina Altara (1898–198), fashion designer, decorator, illustrator
- 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), architect
- Fernando Clemente (1917–1998), architect and urbanist
- Francesco Boffo (1796-1867), Neoclasssical architect
- Renzo Frau (Cagliari 1880 - 1926), designer
- Flavio Manzoni (born 1965), architect and car designer
- Ambra Medda (born 1982), Designer
- Vico Mossa (1914 - 2003), Architect
- Franco Oliva (Alghero, 1885 – 1952)
- Enzo Satta, urbanist and architect
- Eugenio Tavolara (1901–1963), sculptor and designer
Authors
- Francesco Abate
- Filippo Addis
- Milena Agus (Her parents are from Sardinia)
- Giulio Angioni
- Pietro Aquenza Mossa
- Gerolamo Araolla (1542-1615)
- Giovanni Arquer
- Pietro Arquer
- Sigismondo Arquer
- Sergio Atzeni (1952-1995)
- Vicente Bacallar Sanna (1669-1726)
- Antonio Bacaredda
- Ottone Bacaredda
- Ludovico Baille (1764-1839)
- Faustino Cesare Baille
- Francesco Bellit
- Giovanni Maria Bellu
- Remo Bodei (born 1938)
- Manlio Brigaglia
- Antioco Brondo
- Rina Brundu (born 1968)
- Vincenzo Brusco Onnis
- Carlo Buragna
- Pompeo Calvia
- Italo Calvino (1923-1985) (His mother was Sardinian)
- Salvatore Cambosu
- Francesco Carboni
- Stefano Carlo
- Maurizio Carrus
- Pietro Casu
- Antioco Casula, Montanaru
- Francesco Casula
- Pietro Chessa Cappai
- Gavino Contini
- Raimondo Congiu
- Mario Corda
- Gavino Cossu
- Enrico Costa
- Giovan Pietro Cubeddu
- Michele Cugusi
- Antioco Antonio Del Arca
- Grazia Deledda (1871-1936), winner of the Nobel prize for literature
- Jose Delitala Castelvì
- Giovanni Delogu Ibba
- Pasquale Dessanay
- Giuseppe Dessì
- Giovanni Maria Dettori
- Francesco Angelo De Vico
- Giovanni Dexart
- Melchiorre Dore
- Francesco Fancello
- Fabio Fancello
- Giovanni Francesco Fara
- Filiberto Farci
- Salvatore Farina (1846-1918), novelist
- Marcello Fois
- Maria Giacobbe
- Pietro Lavra
- Romolo Riccardo Lecis
- Gavino Ledda (born 1938)
- Emilio Lussu (1890-1975)
- Anna Maria Falchi Massidda
- Antonio Maccioni
- Andrea Manca del Arca
- Giuseppe Manno
- Francesco Ignazio Mannu
- Pietro Martini
- Lino Masala Lobina
- Diego Mele
- Peppino Mereu
- Paolo Mossa
- Antonio Mura
- Giovanni Antonio Mura
- Pietro Mura
- Michela Murgia
- Melchiorre Murenu (1803-1854)
- Salvatore Niffoi
- Gavino Pes
- Paolo Pillonca
- Bianca Pitzorno
- Efisio Pintor Sirigu
- Gianfranco Pintore
- Onofrio Piras, Solitariu
- Raimondo Piras
- Pietro Pisurzi
- Massimo Pittau
- Giantomaso Porcell
- Vincenzo Raimondo Porru
- Giovanni Proto Arca
- Maurizio Pugioni
- Antonio Purqueddu
- Salvator Ruju
- Gavino Sambigucci
- Giacinto Satta
- Salvatore Satta
- Sebastiano Satta
- Luigi Soffi
- Flavio Soriga
- Canonico Giovanni Spano
- Pietro Spiggia
Renato Soru - Antonio Solinas
- Vincenzo Sulis
- Nicola Tanda (born 1938)
- Pasquale Tola (1800-1874)
- Raimondo Valle
- Salvatore Vidal (Giovanni Andrea Contini)
- Filippo Vivanet
- Giuseppe Zatrillas Vico
- Luigi Usai
Businessmen
- Massimo Cellino (born 1956), entrepreneur and football club owner.
- Giovanni Antonio Sanna (1819-1875), entrepreneur, owner of main Sardinian mines in 19th century
- Renato Soru (born 1957), entrepreneur founder of Tiscali and former governor of Sardinia
Cinema and TV
Actors & Actresses
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- Gianni Agus
- Vittorio Congia (born 4 November 1930), film actor
- Bruce Kirby (born 1928), American actor, Sardinian ancestry
- Valeria Marini
- Christopher Meloni - American actor, father from Sardinia
- Tiberio Murgia
- Caterina Murino
- Amedeo Nazzari
- Alessandro Nivola-American Actor, Grandson of Costantino Nivola
- Marisa Pavan - also known as Marisa Pierangeli
- Anna Maria Pierangeli - also known as Pier Angeli
- Pamela Prati
- Bruno Putzulu French actor, Sardinian ancestry
- Stefano Satta Flores
- Marisa Solinas
Filmmakers
- Luigi Batzella
- Antonello Grimaldi
- Nanni Loy
- Sebastian Piras, photographer and filmmaker
Showgirls
- Elisabetta Canalis
- Valeria Marini, born in Rome from Sardinian parents
- Giorgia Palmas
- Pamela Prati
- Melissa Satta
Criminals
Er Canaro (born 1956)
Fictional Characters
- Enzo Valenzetti (1929-2008), fictional mathematician by Lost (TV series)
- Lucretia Zola - Witch of Sardinia, a protagonist by Campione! (カンピオーネ) a Japanese manga and anime
Mercenaries, soldiers & troops
- Brigata Cagliari[1]
- Brigata Sassari, (founded 1915), mechanized infantry brigade of the Italian Army
- Granatieri di Sardegna Mechanized Brigade, (founded 1814), mechanized infantry brigade of the Italian Army
- Antonio Todde (1889 – 2002), oldest man in the world at the date of his death and the third-oldest military veteran ever
- Justin Tuveri (May 13, 1898 – October 5, 2007), one of the last Italian veterans of the First World War
Musicians and singers
- Askra
- Maria Carta
- Marco Carta
- Chaoswave
- Niko Congiu
- Giovanni Matteo De Candia, operatic singer (tenor), known as Mario
- Bernardo de Muro, operatic singer (tenor)
- Francesco Demuro
- Mariangela Demurtas, singer of metal Norwegian band Tristania
- La Fossa (rap group)
- Paolo Fresu
- Francesco Di Giacomo, singer of Italian progressive rock band Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
- Elena Ledda
- Malos Cantores (rap group)
- Goffredo Mameli (creator of the Italian anthem, Sardinian origin)
- Bernadette Manca di Nissa
- Carmen Melis (1885–1967), operatic soprano
- Efisio Melis
- Roberto Meloni
- Filomena Moretti, guitarist
- MAB
- Marisa Sannia
- Valerio Scanu
- Sa Razza
- Tazenda
- Tenores di Bitti
Visual artists
Painters, illustrators, photographers, sculptors
- Edina Altara (1898–1983), illustrator and painter
- Giuseppe Biasi (1885–1945), painter
- Vittore Bocchetta (born 1918), Sculptor, painter and academic
- 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 (born 1942), sculptor
- Mario Sironi (1885–1961), modernist painter, sculptor, illustrator, and designer
Cartoonists & Comics Creators
- Aurelio Galleppini (1917-1994) (His parents were Sardinians)
- Igort (real name Igor Tuveri) (born 1958)
- Graziano Origa (born 1952), cartoonist, punk artist
- Michele Medda (born 1962), comic writer
Politicians
- Giovanni Maria Angioy (1751–1808), Politician and patriot
- Gavino Angius (born 1946), Senator
- Eleanor of Arborea (1347–1404), Giudicessa of Arborea
- Marianus IV of Arborea the Great (1329–1376), Giudice of Arborea
- Hugh I of Arborea (1178–1211), Giudice of Arborea
- Giorgio Asproni (1808–1876), Member of Italian Parliament
- Vicente Bacallar Sanna (1669-1726), Governor of Cagliari and Gallura, Spanish Ambassador
- Enrico Berlinguer (1922–1984), Italian Communist Party leader
- Giovanni Berlinguer (born 1924), Member of the European Parliament
- Mario Berlinguer (1891–1969)
- Benedetta of Cagliari (c. 1194–1232/1233), Giudicessa di Cagliari
- Francesco Cocco Ortu (1842–1929), Member of Parliament and Minister of Kingdom of Italy
- Michele Columbu (born 1914), former Member of the European Parliament
- Francesco Cossiga (1928–2010), former President of the Italian Republic
- Attilio Deffenu (1890–1918), trade unionist
- Oliviero Diliberto (born 1956), Party of Italian Communists leader
- Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937), founding member of the Italian Communist Party
- Ippolita Ludovisi (1663–1733), Princess of Piombino
- Emilio Lussu (1890–1975), soldier, politician and writer
- Jean-Paul Marat (from the father's side) (1743–1793), politician during the French Revolution
- Antonio Simon Mossa (Sardinian origin)
- Ospitone (6th century A.D.), chief of people of Barbagia
- Francesco Pais Serra (1837–1924), member of Italian Parliament and Major General of Royal Italian Army
- Juan Domingo Perón (1895–1974), President of Argentina (Sardinian descent from father side)
- Efisio Pintor (1765–1814), politician and lawyer
- Giuseppe Pisanu (born 1937), former Italian Minister
- 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
- Domenico Simon (1758–1829), secretary of Kingdom of Sardinia Parliament
- Giovanni Siotto Pintor (1806–1882), Senator, Lawyer and Magistrate
- Adelasia of Torres (1207–1259), Giudicessa di Torres
- Giovanni Battista Tuveri (1815–1887), politician and jurist
- Michele Zanche (1203–1275), named by Dante Alighieri in the Divina Commedia
Sports figures
Athletics
- Sandro Floris
- Giorgio Marras
- Giovanni Puggioni
- Silvia Salis (born in Genoa, Sardinian ancestry)
- Antonio Siddi (16 June 1923 – 21 January 1983)
Auto racing drivers
Bicycle racers
Bodybuilders
- Franco Columbu, Mr Olympia in 1976 and 1981, and Mr Universe 1970 [1]
Boxers & wrestlers
- Fernando Atzori (born 1942), olympic boxing gold medalist
- Salvatore Burruni Boxing Champion
- Joe Calzaghe - father from Sardinia
- Enzo Calzaghe
- Franco Columbu Ex-boxer and then bodybuilder
- Duilio Loi - son of Sardinian
- Simone Maludrottu - European bantamweight boxing champion
- Gavino Matta
- Nicolino Locche - Argentine Boxing Champion of Sardinian descent
- Franco Udella - World Boxing Champion
Footballers
- Salvatore Burrai
- Sandro Cois - Sardinian origin
- Alessio Cossu (born 1986)
- Andrea Cossu (born 1980)
- Antonello Cuccureddu - Sardinian origin
- Gianluca Festa
- Salvatore Fresi
- Gustavo Giagnoni
- Valentino Lai
- Marco Materazzi - Mother from Tempio, father from Arborea, province of Oristano
- Giuseppe Materazzi
- Gianfranco Matteoli
- Francesco Pisano
- Andrea Pisanu
- Marco Sau
- Salvatore Sirigu
- Pietro Paolo Virdis
- Gianfranco Zola
Ice Hockey Players
Jockeys
- Andrea Degortes best known as Aceto
- Frankie Dettori - Born in Milan from Sardinian parents
- Gianfranco Dettori
Speed skaters
- Fabio Carta - Born in Torino, Sardinian parents
Religious figures
- Abraham da Cagliari (8th century A.D.), Rabbi
- Salvatore Alepus (1503–1568), Archbishop
- Nicholas Congiato, (1816 – 1897) Jesuit, President of Santa Clara University
- Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso (1796–1878), Cardinal
- Antiochus of Sulcis (died c. 110 AD), Christian martyr
- Saint Ephysius (250-303), Christian martyr
- Eusebius of Vercelli
- Riccus (13th century), Archbishop
- Saint Gabinus (4th century A.D.), Christian martyr
- St. Ignatius of Laconi, (1701-1781)
- Pope Hilarius (died 468), Pope
- Saint Lucifer (4th century A.D.), Bishop of Cagliari
- Antonia Mesina (1919–1935), Martyr
- Maria Gabriella Sagheddu (1914–1939), Saint Beatus
- Pope Symmachus (6th century A.D.), Pope
- Joseph Toronto (1818–1883), Mormon missionary
- Aloysius Varsi (1830 -1900)