Sometimes called "the Devil's Violinist," Niccolò Paganini's virtuoso talent, accompanied by his extraordinary dexterity and flexibility, gave him an almost mythic reputation—he is considered by many to be the greatest violinist of all time.
A tenor known for his larger-than-life showmanship, Luciano Pavarotti helped expand the popularity of opera worldwide.
Venetian merchant and adventurer Marco Polo traveled from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295. He wrote Il Milione, known in English as The Travels of Marco Polo.
Charles Ponzi was best known for the financial crimes he committed when he conned investors into giving him millions of dollars, and paid them returns with other investors' money.
Pope Benedict XIV (originally Prospero Lambertini) was head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1740 to 1758.
Poet Ezra Pond authored more than 70 books and promoted many other now-famous writers, including James Joyce and T.S. Eliot.
Miuccia Prada is an Italian fashion designer best known as the head of Prada, a fashion powerhouse that specializes in luxury goods for men and women.
Italian composer Giacomo Puccini started the operatic trend toward realism with his popular works La Boheme and Madame Butterfly.
A leading figure of Italian High Renaissance classicism, Raphael is best known for his "Madonnas," including the Sistine Madonna, and for his large figure compositions in the Palace of the Vatican in Rome.
The daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini is an Italian-born actress known for such films as Blue Velvet, Cousins, and Immortal Beloved.
Roberto Rossellini, father of actress Isabella Rossellini, was an Italian film director associated with the Neorealist movement. His most celebrated work is Rome, Open City.
Elsa Schiaparelli was one of the world's leading fashion designers in the 1920s and '30s.
St. Francis of Assisi abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian Church and live in poverty. He is the patron saint for ecologists.
Italian operatic soprano Renata Tebaldi was best known for her exquisite and emotional quality of her singing.
Italian-American actor Rudolph Valentino was admired as the “Great Lover” of the 1920s.
Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer who is known for several operas, including La Traviata and Aida.
Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian explorer who chartered the Atlantic coast of North America between the Carolinas and Newfoundland, including New York Harbor in 1524. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York was named after Da Verrazzano.
A designer to celebrities and royalty such as Princess Diana, Gianni Versace brought vitality and art to an industry considered out of touch with the street.
America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine navigator and explorer who played a prominent role in exploring the New World.
Antonio Vivaldi was a 17th and 18th century composer who’s become one of the most renowned figures in European classical music.