Monica Vitti, Italian Screen Great of 'L'Avventura' and 'The Girl With the Pistol,' Dies at 90

Monica Vitti, the Italian actress who collected major prizes at home across a celebrated film career, has died at the age of 90.

Her husband, photographer Roberto Russo, announced her death through Italy's Culture Ministry. No official cause was given, though she had reportedly been living with dementia before she died.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini paid tribute in a statement, saying: "Goodbye to the queen of Italian cinema." Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Vitti "brought prestige to the Italian cinema around the globe."

Vitti began her career in the 1950s and drew wide acclaim in 1960 for "L'Avventura," directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. She played a woman searching for her missing best friend, a performance that earned her the first of seven Italian Golden Globes.

Her professional partnership with Antonioni, who also had a romantic relationship with her away from the screen, attracted considerable public attention. Together they made other films in which she starred, among them "L'Eclisse" and "La Notte."

Vitti was equally at home in comedy. She won the best actress award at the David di Donatello Awards, widely regarded as Italy's equivalent of the Oscars, five times. The first came for 1968's "The Girl With the Pistol," directed by Mario Monicelli and one of many popular comedies she headlined.

Her other David di Donatello wins came for the comedies "Duck in Orange Sauce," "Nin Tirabuscio" and "Amori miei," and for the musical "Polvere di stelle."

Her work in English was limited to two films: "Modesty Blaise" in 1966 and "An Almost Perfect Affair" in 1979.

In 1989, Vitti made her directorial debut with "Secret Scandal," in which she also starred. The drama brought her Italian Golden Globes for best actress and best first feature film.

She stepped away from the film industry in the early 1990s. In 1995, the Venice Film Festival honored her career achievements with a Golden Lion Award.