List of personalities of the city of Genoa

This list includes people born in Genoa and those who worked in Genoa but were born elsewhere. The list does not claim to be complete.

Personalities born in Genoa

Leon Battista Alberti

Christoph Columbus

Niccolò Paganini

Giuseppe Mazzini

Goffredo Mameli

Pope Benedict XV

Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza

Vittorio Gassman

Edoardo Sanguineti

Riccardo Giacconi

Paolo Villaggio

Renzo Piano

Daniela Dessi

Fabio Luisi

Guido Marini

Sabrina Salerno

Until 1800

Innocent IV (around 1195 - 1254), Pope
Hadrian V (around 1215 - 1276), Pope
Raniero Grimaldi (1267-1314), politician and French admiral
Giorgio Fieschi (? –1461), cardinal
Carlo Marsuppini (1398–1453), humanist and statesman
Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472), humanist, writer, mathematician, cryptologist, architect and architectural theorist
Antoniotto Usodimare (1415−?), Navigator
Innocent VIII (1432–1492), Pope
Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510), saint and mystic
Lorenzo Cibo de 'Mari (1450 / 51–1503), Archbishop of Benevento and Cardinal
Christopher Columbus (around 1451 - 1506), navigator
Fabrizio del Carretto (1455–1521), Grand Master of the Order of St. John
Niccolò Fieschi (1456–1524), archbishop and cardinal
Bartolomeo Columbus (around 1461 - 1515), cosmographer and navigator
Antoniotto Adorno (1479–1528), 45th Doge of the Republic of Genoa
Federigo Fregoso (1480–1541), cardinal, Archbishop of Salerno and Bishop of Gubbio
Juan Bautista Pastene (around 1507 - around 1581), sea captain and conquistador
Giambattista Castello (1509–1569), builder
Benedetto Lomellini (1517–1579), cardinal of the Catholic Church
Domenico Pinelli (1541–1611), cardinal of the Catholic Church
Giovanni Battista Pinello di Ghirardi (around 1544–1587), composer and conductor
Giovanni Battista Paggi (1554–1627), art writer and painter
Ambrosio Spinola (1569-1630), nobleman
Giacomo Serra (1570-1623), cardinal
Domenico Rivarola (1575–1627), archbishop and cardinal
Giandomenico Spinola (1580–1646), bishop and cardinal
Francisco de Borja y Aragón (1581–1658), Spanish writer
Bernardo Strozzi (1581–1644), painter
Virginia Centurione Bracelli (1587–1651), benefactress, founder of the order and mystic
Giovanni Carlone (1590–1630), painter
Ottaviano Raggi (1592–1643), bishop and cardinal
Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni (1597–1685), cardinal and archbishop
Agustín Spínola Basadone (1597–1649), Bishop of Tortosa, Archbishop of Granada, Santiago and Seville, Cardinal
Gioacchino Assereto (1600–1650), painter
Giovanni Paolo Oliva (1600–1681), General of the Societas Jesu
Giovanni Girolamo Lomellini (1607-1659), cardinal
Giovanni Stefano Donghi (1608–1669), bishop and cardinal
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664), painter and etcher
Giacomo Franzoni (1612-1697), cardinal
Lorenzo Imperiali (1612–1673), cardinal
Lorenzo Raggi (1615-1687), cardinal
Odoardo Cibo (1619–1705), clergyman
Marcello Durazzo (1633-1710), cardinal
Giovanni Battista Gaulli (1639–1709), painter
Martino Bitti (around 1656–1743), violinist and composer
Carlo D'Aprile (1621–1668), architect and sculptor
Giovanni Battista Langetti (1635–1676), painter
Otto de Grana (1629–1685), military leader and diplomat
Alessandro Magnasco (1667–1749), painter
Giorgio Spinola (1667–1739), Apostolic Nuncio and Cardinal
Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt (1668–1745), master builder
Giovanni Antonio Guido (around 1675 -?), Violinist and composer
Giovanni Battista Spinola (1681–1752), cardinal, governor of Rome
Luigi Centurioni (1686–1757), General of the Societas Jesu
Jerónimo Grimaldi (1710–1789), diplomat
Giovan Battista Perasso (1735–1781), folk hero of the city of Genoa
Marie Catherine Brignole (1737–1813), Princess of Monaco
Anton Joseph von Brentano-Cimaroli (1741–1793), Austrian general
Maria Antonia von Branconi (1746–1793), nobleman
Carlo Barabino (1768–1835), architect and town planner
Giacomo Filippo Fransoni (1775-1856), bishop and cardinal
Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840), violinist, guitarist and composer
Felice Romani (1788–1865), author and librettist
Girolamo Ramorino (1792–1849), General
Antonio Garibaldi (1797–1853), Curia Bishop and Diplomat of the Holy See

19th century

1801 to 1850

Cesare Pugni (1802-1870), composer
Giuseppe Mazzini (1805–1872), lawyer, nationalist, democrat and freedom fighter
Giovanni Domenico Ruffini (1807–1881), English-Italian writer
Paula Frassinetti (1809–1882), religious sister
Maria Brignole Sale De Ferrari (1811–1888), aristocrat, salonière and patroness
Camillo Sivori (1815-1894), violinist and composer
Gaetano Alimonda (1818-1891), Cardinal of the Catholic Church
Michele Novaro (1818–1885), composer
Luigia Abbadia (1821-1896), opera singer
Nino Bixio (1821–1873), freedom fighter
Domenico Chiodo (1823–1870), naval officer, engineer and architect
Goffredo Mameli (1827–1849), patriot, poet and author of the Italian national anthem
Gerolamo Boccardo (1829–1904), political economist and politician
Placido Maria Schiaffino (1829–1889), abbot and cardinal
Girolamo Maria Gotti (1834–1916), Curia Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church

1851 to 1900

Giovanni Battista Castagneto (1851–1900), Brazilian painter
August Gruber (1853–1938), protozoologist
Benedict XV (1854–1922), Pope
Ernesto Giacomo Parodi (1862–1923), Romanist
Louis Dapples (1867–1937), Swiss manager
Sophie von Merenberg (1868–1927), high society lady
Emanuel Philibert of Savoy (1869–1931), nobleman and general
Giovanni Enrico Eugenio Vacca (1872–1953), mathematician
Pietro Bixio (1875–1905), track cyclist
Giuseppe Migone (1875–1951), Archbishop of the Curia
Domenico Cavagnari (1876–1966), Admiral and State Secretary
Enrico Canfari (1877–1915), football player and official
Giovanni Prini (1877–1958), sculptor and painter
Eugenio Canfari (1878–1962), football official and entrepreneur
Bartolomeo Pagano (1878–1947), actor
Pedro Massa (1880–1968), Catholic priest, prelate of Rio Negro in Brazil
Piero Bolzon (1883–1945), journalist and politician
Vittorio Valletta (1883–1967), industrialist
Gilberto Govi (1885–1966), actor
Cuno Hofer (1886–1931), Swiss lawyer and writer
Norman W. Walker (1886–1985), American businessman and author
Emilio Lunghi (1887–1925), middle-distance runner and sprinter
Filippo Bottino (1888–1969), weightlifter and Olympic champion
Giovanni Reggio (1888–1972), sailor
Augustus Bertelli (1890–1979), British entrepreneur and racing car driver
Eduard Erkes (1891–1958), German sinologist
Giacomo Lercaro (1891–1976), cardinal and archbishop of Bologna
Pavlos Rodokanakis (1891–1958), Greek painter
Palmiro Togliatti (1893–1964), General Secretary of the Communist Party of Italy (PCI)
Umberto Terracini (1895–1983), politician, co-founder of the Italian Communist Party
Giuditta Rissone (1895–1977), actress
Eugenio Montale (1896–1981), writer and Nobel Prize winner
Giacomo Devoto (1897–1974), linguist, Romanist and lexicographer
Guido Mentasti (1897–1925), motorcycle racing driver
Domenico Mordini (1898–1948), sailor
Pietro Ghersi (1899–1972), automobile and motorcycle racing driver
Alessandro Vallebona (1899-1987), radiologist
Marcello Nizzola (1900-1947), wrestler

20th century

1901 to 1925

Bruno Bianchi (1904–1988), sailor
Agostino Novella (1905–1974), politician and trade unionist
Luigi Poggi (1906–1972), sailor
Giuseppe Siri (1906–1989), Archbishop of Genoa and Cardinal
Nando Barbieri (1907–1997), Italian racing driver
Adriano Chicco (1907–1990), chess composer and chess historian
Margherita Carosio (1908–2005), opera singer
Enrico Poggi (1908–1976), sailor
Alberto Erede (1909–2001), conductor
Eugenio Henke (1909–1990), admiral
Angelo Francesco Lavagnino (1909–1987), film composer
Luigi Bernabò Brea (1910–1999), Classical archaeologist
Aldo Gentilini (1911–1982), painter and sculptor
Marianne Rein (1911–1941 / 42), poet
Paolo Emilio Taviani (1912-2001), politician
Anastasio Alberto Ballestrero (1913–1998), Archbishop of Turin
Claudio Gora (1913–1998), actor and director
Karl Alexander Kirn (1913–2008), German occupational physician
Giuseppe Accattino (1914–1979), film director, screenwriter and producer
Pietro Germi (1914–1974), film director, screenwriter, actor and producer
Luigi Durand de la Penne (1914–1992), naval officer and war hero
Alfredo Poledrini (1914–1980), archbishop and diplomat
Giuseppe Taddei (1916-2010), opera singer
Mario Revollo Bravo (1919–1995), Archbishop of Bogotá
Giancarlo De Carlo (1919-2005), architect
Enrico Gras (1919–1981), documentary filmmaker
Paolo Levi (1919–1989), playwright and screenwriter
Alberto Cardone (1920–1977), director, assistant director, screenwriter, film editor and production manager
Elsa Albani (1921-2004), actress
Piero Carini (1921–1957), racing car driver
Emanuele Luzzati (1921–2007), painter, graphic artist, set designer, illustrator and animator
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (1922–2018), population geneticist
Vittorio Gassman (1922-2000), actor
Emilio Scanavino (1922–1986), painter
Alberto Lupo (1924–1984), actor
Marcello Bardola (1925–1999), Swiss actuary and bridge master
Eleonora Rossi Drago (1925-2007), film actress
Joe Sentieri (1925–2007), pop singer and actor

1926 to 1950

Armando Bandini (1926–2011), actor and voice actor
Enzo Melandri (1926-1993), philosopher
Duccio Tessari (1926–1994), painter
Giovan Battista Carpi (1927–1999), comic book artist and author
Alarico Gattia (* 1927), comic book artist, author and illustrator
Emilio Picasso (1927–2014), physicist
Emilio Caprile (1928-2020), football player
Andrea Gallo (1928–2013), priest and Christian social reformer
Gallieno Ferri (1929–2016), cartoonist
Gottfried Gruben (1929–2003), German building researcher
Giuliano Montaldo (* 1930), director
Edoardo Sanguineti (1930–2010), writer, poet, critic and translator
Mario Corti (1931-2020), football player
Riccardo Giacconi (1931–2018), Italian-American astrophysicist and Nobel Prize winner
Maria Grazia Marchelli (1932-2006), ski racer
Paolo Villaggio (1932–2017), actor, writer, director and author
Nino Ferrer (1934–1998), French singer, songwriter and composer
Gianfranco Reverberi (* 1934), composer and musician
Carla Marchelli (* 1935), ski racer
Michele Pellerey (* 1935), Roman Catholic theologian and educator
Enzo Doria (* 1936), filmmaker
Rainer Offergeld (* 1937), German politician
Renzo Piano (* 1937), architect
Celestina Casapietra (* 1938), soprano
Ugo Fangareggi (1938-2017), actor
Werner Greuter (* 1938), Swiss botanist
Gian Piero Reverberi (* 1939), composer, arranger and music producer
Rosanna Schiaffino (1939–2009), actress
Marisa Solinas (1939–2019), actress and singer
Fabrizio De André (1940–1999), songwriter
Adalberto Giazotto (1940-2017), physicist
Giulio Paolini (* 1940), painter, sculptor, object and concept artist
Francesco Valle (1940-2003), boxer
Livia Giampalmo (* 1941), actress, voice actress, film director and screenwriter
Luigi Montefiori (* 1942), actor and screenwriter
Ombretta Colli (* 1943), actress, singer and politician
Gianluigi Calderone (* 1944), television director and screenwriter
Maria Pia Conte (born 1944), actress
Mauro Piacenza (* 1944), Curia Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
Luciana Serra (* 1946), opera singer
Gian Piero Ventura (* 1948), football player and coach
Guido Mantega (* 1949), politician and economist

1951 to 1975

Monica Esposito

Moana Pozzi (1992)

Camilla Alfieri in March 2008

Nicola Di Francescantonio (* 1951), film director
Luigi Rizzi (* 1952), linguist
Antonella Ruggiero (* 1952), singer
Francesco Moraglia (* 1953), Patriarch of Venice
Claudio Burlando (* 1954), politician
Rocco Cesareo (* 1955), theater and film director
Enzo Pietropaoli (* 1955), jazz bassist
Marcello Cesena (* 1956), actor and film director
Max Manfredi (* 1956), songwriter
Giampaolo Mazza (* 1956), football coach
Daniela Dessì (1957-2016), soprano
Marcello Lippi (* 1957), baritone, artistic director and literary scholar
Alessandro Profumo (* 1957), bank manager
Milena Agus (* 1959), writer
Fabio Luisi (* 1959), conductor
Carmen Russo (* 1959), dancer, soubrette and actress
Nicolò Anselmi (* 1961), auxiliary bishop in Genoa
Moana Pozzi (1961–1994), actress and porn star
Cristiano De André (* 1962), Cantautore
Monica Esposito (1962–2011), Daoism researcher
Guido Gallese (* 1962), Bishop of Alessandria
Dado Moroni (* 1962), jazz pianist
Stefano Grossi (* 1963), film scholar and film director
Sergio Luzzatto (* 1963), historian
Paolo Costella (* 1964), director and screenwriter
Massimo Farao (* 1965), jazz pianist
Guido Marini (* 1965), master of ceremonies for the Pope's liturgical celebrations
Claudio Paglieri (* 1965), writer
Andrea Pozza (* 1965), jazz pianist
Stefano Eranio (* 1966), football player and coach
Valter Longo (* 1967), Italian-American gerontologist
Sabrina Salerno (* 1968), singer
Fabio Zuffanti (* 1968), musician
Vanessa Beecroft (* 1969), performance artist
Tonhi Terenzi (* 1969), fencer
Björn Casapietra (* 1970), German tenor, presenter and actor
Enrico Casarosa (* 1970), animation filmmaker and illustrator
Enrico Chiesa (* 1970), soccer player and coach
Gianfranco Martin (* 1970), ski racer
Tiziana Beghin (* 1971), politician
Stefano d'Aste (* 1974), automobile racing driver

1976 to 2000

Marco Fertonani (* 1976), racing cyclist
Fausto Paravidino (* 1976), “child prodigy” of Italian drama
Vibeke Saugestad (* 1976), Norwegian musician
Salvatore Amirante (* 1984), football player
Camilla Alfieri (* 1985), ski racer
Pierpaolo De Negri (* 1986), racing cyclist
Niccolò Canepa (* 1988), motorcycle racer
Rocco Palumbo (* 1988), poker player
Vincenzo Fiorillo (* 1990), football goalkeeper
Marco Zipoli (* 1990), racing car driver
Samuele Buttarelli (* 1992), racing car driver
Andrea Basso (* 1993), tennis player
Federico Chiesa (* 1997), football player
Maria Ludovica Costa (* 2000), rower

Known residents of Genoa

Hernán Crespo

Pietro Sorri (1556–1622), painter
Orazio Gentileschi (1563–1639), painter
Antoine-Jean Gros (1771–1835), French painter
Mary Shelley (1797-1851), British writer
Auguste Groß von Trockau (1845–1915), German writer
Alberto Orrego Luco (1854–1931), painter
Schang Hutter (* 1934), sculptor
Bobby Durham (1937-2008), jazz musician
Daniela Bianchi (* 1942), actress
Giampietro Stocco (* 1961), writer and journalist
Hernán Crespo (* 1975), Argentinian football player