Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida dies: minister

Italian actor Gina Lollobrigida one of the last icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood has died aged 95 culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano announced MondayFarewell to a diva of the silver screen protagonist of more than half a century of Italian cinema history Her charm will remain eternal Sangiuliano wrote after Italys ANSA news agency reported her deathPrime Minister Giorgia Meloni also paid tribute to Lollobrigida famed when younger for her biting wit and sensual beauty describing the actor as a great talent passionate intense enthrallingShe was one of the most important performers of her generation who contributed to the diffusion of the Italian image in the world Meloni said in a statementLollobrigida had undergone an operation in a Rome clinic in September after breaking her femur ANSA reportedHer funeral will be held on Thursday in one of the churches in Piazza del Popolo in Rome it saidBest known for Luigi Comencinis 1953 classic Bread Love and Dreams and Jean Delannoys 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Lollobrigida starred with many of the leading men of the time including Errol Flynn Burt Lancaster and Humphrey BogartBorn on July 4 1927 in Subiaco a mountain village 50 kilometres 30 miles east of Rome her big breakthrough came in 1953 starring alongside Bogart in John Hustons romp Beat the DevilBogart said at the time Lollobrigida made Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley TempleLollobrigida won seven David di Donatello awards during her career Italys Oscar equivalentBut by the 1970s she had turned from acting to sculpture and photojournalism including getting a scoop interview and photo shoot with Cuban leader Fidel CastroShe was back in the spotlight in 2021 amid a bitter legal battle with her son over her fortuneItalys Supreme Court ruled that she needed a legal guardian to stop people preying on her wealth because of a weakening in her perception of realityAlso Read Selena Gomez addresses bodyshaming comments received following Golden Globes appearanceThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever