There are many famous people, in their respective fields, who were born in Catanzaro, or at least in the province itself, and there are also quite a few who can proudly claim origins there through their parents.
This list also includes those who, for various reasons, have had a connection with the city, so much so that some of them have been awarded Honorary Citizenship.
Let's start with those who were born right in Catanzaro or in the province:
GIANNI AMELIO
Director (1945)
After his birth in San Pietro Magisano, his father emigrated to Argentina and Gianni thus spent his childhood and adolescence with his mother and grandmother; the absence of the father figure would be a constant in many of his works. He attended the P. Galluppi classical high school in Catanzaro and later, at the University of Messina, where he graduated in philosophy and began to take an interest in cinema.
FRANCESCO COLELLA
Actor (1974)
Born in Catanzaro, he moved to Rome to pursue an acting career and in '95 graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts S. D'Amico. Between '97 and '98 he attended an advanced course at the Teatro di Roma. He is one of the main actors of L. Ronconi, with whom he worked in 17 productions.
NINETTO DAVOLI
Actor (1948)
Shortly after his birth in San Pietro a Maida, he moved with his parents to Rome. With a friendly character, the typical Roman accent, and an open smile, he was discovered by Pier Paolo Pasolini who, after giving him a cameo in the film The Gospel According to Matthew, chose him as co-star, alongside Totò, in the film “The Hawks and the Sparrows”.
ACHILLE CURCIO
Poet (1930)
Born in Borgia, he moved to nearby Montauro. He wrote his first poems at a very young age, and chose dialect as the natural setting for his world. After the publication of Lampari and Hjumara, his house in Catanzaro and the one by the sea, in Calalunga, became meeting places for great figures of the twentieth century.
ELISABETTA GREGORACI
Host - Showgirl (1980)
Born in Soverato, her first steps in the entertainment world date back to 1997 when she was elected Miss Calabria at the Miss Italy contest. She later had a career as a model. In 1999 she debuted as an actress. She was also an ambassador for the Calabria Region.
MASSIMO MAURO
Former footballer - TV pundit (1962)
Born in Catanzaro, midfielder, grew up in Catanzaro, where he made his Serie A debut in 1980. He played for Udinese from 1982 to 1985, for Juventus (with whom he won an Intercontinental Cup and a league title) until 1989, and finally for Napoli (who bought him for 3 billion lire) until 1993, with whom he won a second league title in 1990 and an Italian Super Cup.
ALBERTO MATANO
Journalist and TV host (1972)
Born in Catanzaro, his television career began in 1998 at the ANSA Agency. He became a professional journalist in 1999. He has hosted many special editions and live broadcasts of Tg1. Later he became an author and host.
DOMENICO MENNITI
Entrepreneur (1947)
Born in Catanzaro, he leads Harmont & Blaine S.p.A., the company with the dachshund symbol, an Italian brand known worldwide, which produces, markets, and distributes classy sportswear and is based in the province of Naples. It has a commercial network that includes 69 single-brand boutiques in Italy and 70 abroad, with significant presence in over 1,500 clothing stores worldwide.
MAURIZIO TALARICO
Entrepreneur (1968)
Born in Catanzaro, in 1999 he founded in Rome Talarico Cravatte, a small company that amazed the market with the idea of coloring ties with a mix of colors: from light to dark backgrounds, revolutionizing a market that was used to cold and dark colors. His creations are characterized by an "X" shaped stitch that can only be done by hand.
RENATO DULBECCO
Nobel Prize (1914 - 2012)
Born in Catanzaro, he was a biologist and physician awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1975. In 1983 he was also awarded honorary citizenship of Catanzaro.
CASSIODORUS
Politician (485-580)
Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator, born in Scolacium, lived under the Roman-barbarian kingdom of the Ostrogoths and later under the Eastern Roman Empire.
ANDREA CEFALY
Painter (1827/1907)
Born in Cortale, called "senior" to distinguish him from his nephew Andrea Cefaly junior, who was also a painter. After his studies in Catanzaro, at the Scolopi college, he moved to Naples in 1842 to pursue a legal career. Later, after overcoming his father's resistance, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, as a student of Filippo Marsigli, and at the free school of Giuseppe Bonolis. After returning to Cortale, in 1862 he founded a School of Painting, with Garibaldi as honorary president.
SAUL GRECO
Architect (1910 - 1971)
Born in Catanzaro, his main works visible in the city are: the Municipal Theater 1953; the ANAS Headquarters 1955; the Civil Hospital 1955; the Provincial Administration Building 1956; Galleria Mancuso Complex 1959, the ENEL Building 1962, Bank of Italy 1967.
BERNARDINO GRIMALDI
Politician (1839 - 1897)
Born in Catanzaro, he devoted himself to forensic activity and to teaching constitutional law in the university branches attached to the Galluppi boarding school in Catanzaro. He is known for the famous phrase: “For me, all opinions are respectable, but as a minister or deputy I believe that arithmetic is not an opinion,” also better known as: “mathematics is not an opinion.”
TONY PILEGGI
Painter (1917 - 1980)
Tony Pileggi, born in Maida, created the official Coat of Arms of the City of Catanzaro, which is also used as the official logo of the Unione Sportiva Catanzaro. He also painted portraits of some mayors of the time, the frescoes of the Church of Madonna di Porto Salvo in Lido, now lost, and others in the Church of Madonna di Porto in Gimigliano, and in the Chapel of the Galluppi Boarding School. His works can also be found in the halls of the Provincial Administration, the University, and the salons of Palazzo Fazzari. He was also the first teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catanzaro, which, thanks to his teaching of the free school of nude drawing, opened its doors in the academic year '72-'73.
MATTIA PRETI
Painter/artist (1613 - 1699)
Born in Taverna, he learned the techniques of Caravaggio, by whom he was strongly influenced. In 1653 he moved to Naples, where he frescoed the city gates. He also created some works in the churches of his hometown.
MIMMO ROTELLA
Artist (1918 - 2006)
Born in Catanzaro, he is one of the greatest contemporary artists, among the founders of the Nouveaux Réalistes movement and inventor of the famous décollages. Here, in his city, he created the House of Memory, housed in his mother's home, right in the historic center. In December 1999, he held an extraordinary exhibition in the new Monumental Complex of San Giovanni. On January 8, 2006, he passed away in his home in Milan. He rests in the monumental cemetery of the Calabrian capital.
SAVERIO ROTUNDO
Artist (1923 - 2019)
Better known as ‘U Ciaciu, born in Catanzaro, his stage name comes from his great-grandfather who, when he left to go to war in 1915, was greeted by friends and family saying “ciau Cì”; combining the various greetings and dialect abbreviations, the word “Ciaciu” emerged. In his hands, iron became soft, malleable; he was able to dominate and shape it. For his works, he used not only metal, but also clay, plaster, bricks, paper materials, fabrics, wood, stone, cans, and plastic.
The following figures were born in locations that at the time were part of the province
of Catanzaro, which was separated in 1992
RINO BARILLARI
Photographer (1945)
When it comes to paparazzi, you can't help but think of him, whose real name is Saverio Barillari, born in Limbadi (which became a province of VV in 1992). At the age of 14 he ran away from home and went to Rome. He bought a camera and sold the photos he took to various news agencies. From the 1960s onwards, he focused on cinema, the Years of Lead, and various crime stories.
RINO GAETANO
Singer-songwriter (1950 -1981)
Born in Crotone (which became its own province in 1992), he is remembered for his rough voice, his irony, and the profound lyrics of his songs, as well as for the social criticism often hidden behind seemingly light and carefree lyrics. A turning point in his career was his Sanremo experience with Gianna, a song not loved by the singer-songwriter, but which became a huge hit. His death, which tragically occurred at the age of 30 due to a car accident, made Gaetano even more appreciated, and he acquired cult artist status.
GIUSEPPE RITO
Sculptor (1907 - 1965)
Born in Dinami (which became part of the province of Vibo Valentia in 1992) in 1922, he moved to Catanzaro immediately after the war. In 1945 he created the sculptural group Justice and Freedom, placed on the entrance staircase of the courthouse. Between 1951 and 1954 he worked on the work The Quarryman, placed in 1956 in the central niche of the nineteenth-century walls of the Castle of S. Giovanni and which became a symbol of the City. In the following years he created The Assumption in bronze, for the bell tower of the Cathedral.
RAF VALLONE
Actor (1916/2002)
Born in Tropea (province of Vibo Valentia since 1992), married to actress Elena Varzi with whom he had his daughter Eleonora and twins Saverio and Arabella, he also had a relationship with French actress Brigitte Bardot. He is best known for his work as a film actor, but was also a footballer and journalist.
Characters who have parents of Catanzaro origin
CHICK COREA
Musician (1941 - 2021)
Armando Anthony Corea, known as Chick, boasts paternal grandparents originally from Albi. An American composer, pianist, and keyboardist, best known for his jazz and jazz fusion productions in the seventies and eighties.
DALIDA
Singer/Actress (1933 - 1987)
Dalida, stage name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was born to parents originally from Serrastretta. Italian singer and actress naturalized French. Popular both in Italy and France, she sold over 170 million records worldwide. Due to depression, the singer took her own life on May 3, 1987.
JO CHAMPA
■■Actress (1968)
Rosina Ciampa was born to an American mother and a father originally from Amaroni. She was a model for Gianni Versace. As an actress, she worked with Massimo Troisi, Ettore Scola, Bernardo Bertolucci, Damiano Damiani, and Christian De Sica.
OSCAR LUIGI SCALFARO
Former President of the Italian Republic (1918/2012)
The Scalfaro family, originally from Catanzaro, were decorated with the title of baron on their surname.
STEVEN TYLER
Singer-songwriter (1948)
Historic frontman of the hard rock band Aerosmith, born Steven Victor Tallarico, he is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. Steven's grandfather, the musician Giovanni Tallarico, emigrated to the United States from Cotronei (which became a province of VV in 1992).
People connected to the city of Catanzaro for various reasons
CORRADO ALVARO
Writer (1895 - 1956)
Born in San Luca (Rc) in 1895, he completed his high school studies in Catanzaro where he remained until January 1915, the year he left for military service. In the National Boarding School "P. Galluppi" of Catanzaro, a commemorative plaque has been placed in his honor.
GEORGE GISSING
Writer (1857 - 1903)
He is credited with the term Paparazzo. In his famous travel story "By the Ionian Sea," he described his journey. In particular, he mentioned the owner of a hotel in Catanzaro, where he stayed in 1897, a certain Coriolano Paparazzo. Fellini liked the surname so much that he adopted it for the photographer character in the film "La dolce vita."
Famous people, not from Calabria, awarded Catanzaro Citizenship
RITA LEVI MONTALCINI
Neurologist and Nobel Prize Winner (1909 - 2012)
As a sign of gratitude for the opening, in the city, of a center of the “Montalcini Foundation”.
ENNIO MORRICONE
Composer (1928 - 2020)
Linked to our region due to the many concerts he performed, he also served as honorary president of the “Great Music for Cinema” festival at the Politeama.
MASSIMO PALANCA
Former Footballer (1953)
He played with Catanzaro in the 1974-75 season, where he was called “O Rey”. In everyone's memory, both Catanzaro fans and others, are the three goals he scored at the Stadio Olimpico during the match against Roma on 4/3/1979, which ended 3-1 for the Giallorossi.
CLAUDIO RANIERI
Former footballer and now football coach (1928 - 2020)
Historic captain of Catanzaro in the 1970s, he contributed to the second promotion to Serie A.
SAVERIO STRATI
Writer (1924 - 2014)
He graduated from the Galluppi High School in Cz, and it is precisely in the city of Catanzaro that he set one of his most famous novels, "It's Our Turn".
FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI
Director (1923 - 2019)
Very attached to what he called his “dearest” Catanzaro, especially due to the happy circumstance that the first opera performed at the Teatro Politeama, in 2003.
Catanzaro also has its own carnival mask
GIANGURGOLO
Calabrian mask of the commedia dell’arte, whose name is said to derive from Gianni Boccalarga or Gianni Golapiena. A person of many words, great greed and hunger, hence “Gianni the greedy.” It is said to be inspired by a real person from Catanzaro. From his behavior and way of speaking, he appears as the typical rich squire, braggart, show-off, swaggerer, someone who demands respect without giving it in return to more humble people, and who, on the other hand, in front of those who may represent a danger or threat, adopts attitudes of reverence and humility bordering on submission, always sycophantic and flattering. In his approach to women, he manages to set aside his grotesque sides, showing off a baroque, artificial erudition, but always ends up being mocked and ridiculed, especially because of his physical appearance. Giangurgolo conventionally wears a red mask on his face, enhanced by a cardboard nose, and a cone-shaped hat on his head. He wears a ruffled Spanish collar, a bodice and red and yellow striped trousers, white stockings or, again, red and yellow ones, and a belt to which a long sword is attached, which he repeatedly uses against those who are weaker but which always hangs limply in front of those who could give him a beating.