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List of famous people from Florence, including photos when available. The people below are listed by their popularity, so the most recognizable names are at the top of the list. Some of the people below are celebrities born in Florence, while others are simply notable locals. If you're from Florence you might already know that these prominent figures are also from your hometown, but some of the names below may really surprise you. This list includes people who were born and raised in Florence, as well as those who were born there but moved away at a young age.

This list is made up of many different people, including Sandro Botticelli and Rose McGowan.

If you want to answer the questions, "Which famous people are from Florence?" or "Which celebrities were born in Florence?" then this list is a great resource for you.

Rose McGowan is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 44 Rose Arianna McGowan is an American actress and singer. She has played Paige Matthews in The WB supernatural drama series Charmed, and Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley ...more

Florence Nightingale is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 90 (1820-1910) Florence Nightingale, OM, RRC was a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She came to prominence while serving as a manager of nurses trained by ...more

Jean-Baptiste Lully is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 55 (1632-1687) Jean-Baptiste Lully was an Italian-born French composer, instrumentalist, and dancer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of ...more

Sandro Botticelli is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 65 (1445-1510) Sandro Botticelli was one of the most famous painters of the Renaissance period, and he was one of five painters chosen by Pope Sixtus IV in 1481 to adorn the Sistine Chapel with a series of ...more

Franco Zeffirelli is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 95 Franco Zeffirelli, KBE is an Italian director and producer of films and television. He is also a director and designer of operas and a former senator for the Italian centre-right Forza Italia ...more

Roberto Cavalli is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 77 Roberto Cavalli is an Italian fashion designer from Florence. He is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. He is the father of fashion designer Daniele

Giovanni Papini is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 75 (1881-1956) Giovanni Papini was an Italian journalist, essayist, literary critic, poet, and novelist.

Darian Durant is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 35 Darian Bernard Durant is a professional Canadian football quarterback currently playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He played college football at the ...more

Sam Phillips is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 80 (1923-2003) Samuel Cornelius Phillips, better known as Sam Phillips, was an American musician, businessman, record executive, music producer, and disc-jockey, who played an important role in the emergence ...more

John Singer Sargent is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 69 (1856-1925) John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his career, he created ...more

Giulio Racah is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 56 (1909-1965) Giulio Racah was an Italian–Israeli physicist and mathematician.

W. C. Handy is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 85 (1873-1958) William Christopher Handy was an American blues composer and musician. He was widely known as the "Father of the Blues". Handy remains among the most influential of American ...more

Niccolò Galli is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 18 (1983-2001) Niccolò Galli was a promising professional footballer who died in a road traffic accident aged 17. The son of former Italian international goalkeeper Giovanni Galli, he began with his ...more

Giorgio van Straten is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 63 Giorgio van Straten is an Italian writer, editor, translator and manager of arts organizations. In 2000 he was awarded the Grand Official Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. That same year ...more

Arthur Gamgee is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 68 (1841-1909) Arthur Gamgee FRS was a British biochemist.

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 69 (1360-1429) Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was an Italian banker, a member of Medici family of Florence, and the founder of the Medici Bank. While other family members, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' ...more

Mario Chiari is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 80 (1909-1989) Mario Chiari was an Italian production designer and art director. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film Doctor Dolittle.

Fosco Maraini is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 92 (1912-2004) Fosco Maraini was an Italian photographer, anthropologist, ethnologist, writer, mountaineer and academic.

Anna Banti is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 90 (1895-1985) Anna Banti was an Italian writer, art historian, critic, and translator.

George P. Cosmatos is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 64 (1941-2005) George Pan Cosmatos was a Greek/Italian film director.

Filippo Brunelleschi is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 69 (1377-1446) Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for his development of linear perspective and for engineering the dome ...more

Alessandro Galilei is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 46 (1691-1737) Alessandro Maria Gaetano Galilei was a Florentine mathematician, architect and theorist, a member of the same patrician family as Galileo. He received architectural and engineering training from ...more

Francesco Barberini is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 82 (1597-1679) Francesco Barberini was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. The nephew of Pope Urban VIII, he benefited immensely from the nepotism practiced by his uncle. He was given various roles within the ...more

Houston Person is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 83 Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in ...more

Valentino Bucchi is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 60 (1916-1976) Valentino Bucchi was an Italian composer.

Marta Pagnini is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 27 Marta Pagnini is an Italian rhythmic gymnast.

Giotto is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list Famous People From Florence
Giotto di Bondone, known as Giotto, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to ...more

Tammy Irons is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 54 Tammy Irons was a Democratic member of the Alabama State Senate, representing the 1st District from 2006, after a special election, until 2014. The district includes Florence.

Francesco Guicciardini is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 57 (1483-1540) Francesco Guicciardini was an Italian historian and statesman. A friend and critic of Niccolò Machiavelli, he is considered one of the major political writers of the Italian Renaissance. ...more

Piero Umiliani is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 75 (1926-2001) Piero Umiliani was an Italian composer of film scores, and is most famous for his song "Mah Nà Mah Nà" and orchestra score "Arrivano I Marines".

Alessandro Pavolini is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 42 (1903-1945) Alessandro Pavolini was an Italian politician, journalist, and essayist, notable for his involvement in the Fascist government during World War II and also for his cruelty against the opponents ...more

Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand... is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 66 (1671-1737) Gian Gastone de' Medici was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Grand Duke Cosimo III and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. His sister, Electress ...more

Charles White Whittlesey is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 37 (1884-1921) Lt. Colonel Charles White Whittlesey was an American Medal of Honor recipient who is notable for leading the "Lost Battalion" in the Argonne Forest during World War I.

John Douglas, 9th Marquess of ... is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 56 (1844-1900) John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry was a Scottish nobleman, remembered for lending his name and patronage to the "Marquess of Queensberry Rules" that formed the basis of ...more

Giovanni di Cosimo de' Medici is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 42 (1421-1463) Giovanni di Cosimo de' Medici was an Italian banker and patron of arts. Born in Florence, he was the son of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder and Contessina de' Bardi, and brother to Piero the Gouty. ...more

Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duk... is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 55 (1519-1574) Cosimo I de' Medici was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Francesco Fossi is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 29 Francesco Fossi is an Italian rower and a police officer.

Giovanni de' Bardi is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 78 (1534-1612) Giovanni de' Bardi, Count of Vernio, was an Italian literary critic, writer, composer and soldier.

Jim David is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 80 (1927-2007) James Theodoric David was an American football defensive back for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He attended Colorado A&M.

Mark Thompson is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 62 Mark LaMarr Thompson is an American radio personality and occasional actor, best known for the nationally syndicated Mark & Brian morning show. After attending the University of North ...more

Emmet O'Neal is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 69 (1853-1922) Emmet O'Neal was an American Democratic politician and lawyer who was the 34th Governor of Alabama from 1911 to 1915. O'Neal was born on September 23, 1853 in Florence, Alabama to Edward A. ...more

Dario Cecchi is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 74 (1918-1992) Dario Cecchi was a costume designer, production designer, painter, writer and film art director.

Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' M... is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 40 (1463-1503) Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, nicknamed the Popolano, was an Italian banker and politician, and the brother of Giovanni il Popolano. He belonged to the junior branch of the House of ...more

Harryette Mullen is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 64 Harryette Mullen, Professor of English at University of California, Los Angeles is an American poet, short story writer, and literary scholar.

Francesco Casagrande is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 47 Francesco Casagrande is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Casagrande was a professional cyclist between 1992 and 2005.

Francesco Bartolomeo Conti is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 51 (1681-1732) Francesco Bartolomeo Conti was an Italian composer and player of the mandolin and theorbo. He also wrote the oldest mandolin method book that has survived. Little is known about the biography of ...more

Cosimo Rosselli is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 68 (1439-1507) Cosimo Rosselli was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento, active mainly in his birthplace of Florence.

Philip B. Meggs is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 60 (1942-2002) Philip Baxter Meggs was an American graphic designer, professor, historian and author of books on graphic design. His book History of Graphic Design is a definitive, standard read for the study ...more

Antonio Neri is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list Famous People From Florence
Died at 38 (1576-1614) Antonio Neri was a Florentine priest who published L’Arte Vetraria or The Art of Glass in 1612. His father was a physician, and he was an herbalist, alchemist, and glassmaker. Neri traveled ...more

Stefano Tonchi is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list Famous People From Florence
age 58 Stefano Tonchi is the editor of W magazine. He was previously editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Having previously worked at Esquire and L'Uomo Vogue, Tonchi's editorial roots are ...more