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
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 (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 Alessandro Melis (born 1969), architect and writer Vico Mossa (1914–2003), Architect Enzo Satta, urbanist and architect Eugenio Tavolara (1901–1963), sculptor and designer
Authors
Milena Agus (born 1955) Francesco Alziator (1909–1977), writer and journalist Antonella Anedda (born 1955), half-Sardinian Giulio Angioni (1939–2017) 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
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
Gianni Agus (1917–1994) Andrea Arru (born 2007) Mavie Bardanzellu (1938–2022) Vittorio Congia (1930–2019) Rubi Dalma (1906–1994) Giancarlo Dettori (born 1932) Maria Frau (born 1930) Rossana Ghessa (born 1943) Rita Livesi (1915–1989) Mario Majeroni (1870–1931) Gloria Milland (1940–1989) Tiberio Murgia Caterina Murino Amedeo Nazzari Marisa Pierangeli Anna Maria Pierangeli, also known as Pier Angeli
Filmmakers
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
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
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
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
Giuseppe Anedda (1912–1997) Bianca Atzei (born 1987) Maria Carta Collage Giovanni Matteo De Candia, operatic singer (tenor), known as Mario Mahmood, singer born to a Sardinian mother and an Egyptian father 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 Mariano Garau (born 1952), composer and choral conductor 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
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
Francesco Maria Barracu (1885-1945), fascist politician and soldier 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), Enrico Berlinguer (1922–1984), Italian Communist Party leader Giovanni Berlinguer (born 1924–6 April 2015), member of the European Parliament Luigi Berlinguer (born 25 July 1932–1 November 2023), Minister of Universities, Science and Technology Mario Berlinguer (1891–1969) Sergio Berlinguer (born 6 May 1934–17 October 2021) 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), 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),
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 (born 1938), olympic champion
Extreme sports John Carta (1946–1990), skydiver and basejumper pioneer
Football
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)