On June 23, 2025, at the age of 91, Lea Massari, an unforgettable actress who made her mark in the history of Italian and French cinema with innate grace, passed away.

Lea Massari, an actress of Italian and French cinema, died in Rome. She was 91 years old. The news of her death, which occurred on Monday, June 23, in her Roman home, was made public only after the funeral. The funeral ceremony took place today, Tuesday, June 24, in a strictly private setting in Sutri, Viterbo Province, at the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The parish priest, Don Giuliano Alessi, confirmed it. Lea Massari now rests in the family chapel of the municipal cemetery.

Born in Rome on June 30, 1933, under the name Anna Maria Massatani, and raised in the Monteverde neighbourhood, Lea Massari chose her stage name in memory of her fiancé, Leo, who tragically passed away shortly before their wedding. She made her film debut in 1954 with Proibito by Mario Monicelli. Fame arrived in 1960 thanks to Anna’s role in L’avventura by Michelangelo Antonioni, alongside Monica Vitti. That film made her an icon of Italian auteur cinema. In 1961, she starred in the masterpiece Una vita difficile by Dino Risi, with Alberto Sordi. That same year, she also appeared in Il colosso di Rodi by Sergio Leone.

Over the years, Massari has worked with some of the greatest directors, including Francesco Rosi (Christ Stopped at Eboli), Valerio Zurlini (The First Quiet Night), Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Allonsanfàn), Claude Sautet (The Lover), and Louis Malle (Murmur in the Heart). In France, she acted alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo, Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider and Yves Montand. Among her awards: a David di Donatello in 1961 and two Nastri d’Argento for best supporting actress.

In the 1960s and 1970s, she starred in some of the most beloved Rai dramas, including I promessi sposi (The Betrothed), The Brothers Karamazov, and Anna Karenina. At the theatre, she was applauded in Rugantino with Nino Manfredi and in plays by Brecht and Murrell. Her last film appearance was in 1990. In the 1980s, she retired to her home in Sardinia, dedicating herself to music and animal rights. A staunch activist, she supported campaigns against hunting and vivisection. “I am no longer curious about cinema,” she said in a rare interview. In the firmament of European cinema, studded with glittering icons, Lea Massari shone with a fainter, yet persistent light.