10 inspiring Italian women you should know about

Local Italy

04-03-2025

Saturday, March 8th, will be International Women's Day (or Festa della Donna in Italian).
Though it's not an official national holiday in Italy, the event is recognised in the form of celebrations and parades all around the country.
Besides talks, gatherings and marches, you can also expect Italian florists to work overtime this Saturday as, according to a uniquely Italian tradition, men give the women in their families yellow mimosa flowers as a token of appreciation.
With just days to go until this year's Festa della Donna, we looked at 10 of the most inspiring women in Italian history – and how they left an indelible mark on the world.
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656)
A true artistic pioneer, Artemisia Gentileschi was the first woman to be accepted into Florence's Art Academy (Accademia delle Arti).
Despite suffering a harrowing sexual assault and enduring a brutal trial, she used her trauma as inspiration for her powerful and dramatic paintings, often depicting strong female protagonists like Judith Slaying Holofernes.
Her work challenged the male-dominated art world and continues to be celebrated today as one of the finest examples of Baroque painting.
A woman looks at 'Lucretia' by female Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Photo by BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
Grazia Deledda (1871-1936)
Born in Sardinia, Grazia Deledda became the first Italian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926.
Her novels, deeply rooted in the traditions and struggles of her homeland, tackled themes of love, sin and redemption.
Despite societal constraints on female writers, she persisted in her writing career, publishing her first short story under a pseudonym before achieving international recognition.
Her works are a testament to the power of storytelling in capturing cultural identity and human emotion.
Rita Levi Montalcini (1909-2012)
Pioneering neurobiologist Rita Levi Montalcini overcame the anti-Semitic laws of Fascist Italy to continue her research in secret.
Her groundbreaking discovery of the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) earned her the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1986, revolutionising neuroscience and paving the way for the modern-day treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
In her later years, she remained active in politics and philanthropy, advocating for women's education and scientific research.
From 2001 until her death, she served in the Italian Senate as a Senator for Life.
Levi Montalcini lived to the age of 103. Her funeral in Turin was attended by thousands of people.
Nobel laureate for medicine Rita Levi Montalcini (R) is saluted by French ambassador to Italy Jean-Marc de La Sabliere during an award ceremony on December 5th, 2008 at the French Academy in Rome. Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP
Margherita Hack (1922-2013)
A renowned astrophysicist and fierce advocate for science, Margherita Hack was the first woman to direct an astronomical observatory in Italy.
She was famous not only for her contributions to stellar spectroscopy but also for her outspoken views on social issues.
As an atheist and champion for LGBTQ+ rights, she defied conventions and inspired generations with her fearless intellect.
A statue of Hack was erected in Milan in 2022 – the first in Italy dedicated to a woman of science.
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
Maria Montessori was a physician, educator and humanitarian, best known for developing the so-called 'Montessori Method' – a revolutionary approach to education that fosters independence, creativity, and self-directed learning.
Montessori was one of the first women in Italy to graduate with a medical degree and pioneered new teaching methods for children with special needs.
Today, over 15,000 schools worldwide follow her principles, and her legacy continues to influence modern education.
She was also a vocal advocate for women's rights and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times.
Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799)
A child prodigy fluent in multiple languages, Maria Gaetana Agnesi wrote the first comprehensive book on differential and integral calculus.
She was appointed to the faculty of the University of Bologna, making her one of the first women in the world to hold a university professorship.
Despite her success in mathematics, she later dedicated her life to charity, focusing on helping the poor and sick.
Her mathematical legacy lives on, as she gave her name to a particular cubic plane curve – the 'Witch of Agnesi'.
Teresa Mattei (1921-2013)
Teresa 'Chicchi' Mattei was a fearless anti-fascist fighter during World War II and one of the youngest members of the Constituent Assembly that drafted Italy's post-war constitution.
She played a pivotal role in promoting gender equality and is credited with choosing the mimosa flower as the symbol of International Women's Day in Italy, as it was a resilient flower epitomising partisans' fight.
Her lifelong dedication to justice and democracy remains an inspiration for today's generations.
Eleonora de Fonseca Pimentel (1752-1799)
Eleonora de Fonseca Pimentel was an influential Italian poet and revolutionary who played a crucial role in the 1799 Neapolitan Revolution.
Deeply influenced by the Enlightenment and the ideals of the French Revolution, she became one of the leading voices advocating for freedom and equality in Naples.
As a writer and intellectual, she contributed to Monitore Napoletano – a journal that spread revolutionary ideas and rallied support for the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy in favour of a republic.
Pimentel's involvement in the revolution symbolised a unique fusion of intellectualism and activism.
Her commitment to these ideals ultimately led to her arrest and execution after the fall of a short-lived Neapolitan Republic, but her legacy as a fearless advocate for justice and equality endures.
Samantha Cristoforetti (born in 1977)
Samantha Cristoforetti is an Italian astronaut who became the first European female commander of the International Space Station during the Minerva Mission in 2022.
Born in Milan, she studied mechanical engineering in Germany and trained as a fighter jet pilot in the Italian Air Force.
She joined the European Space Agency in 2009 and holds the record for the longest mission by any European astronaut – 200 days in space.
A UNICEF ambassador and polyglot, she is a trailblazer for women in STEM fields.
Her story was featured in the 2016 documentary AstroSamantha, inspiring countless young women to follow a career in space science and exploration.
Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti poses for a picture during the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport on June 19th, 2023. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP
Nilde Iotti (1920-1999)
Nilde Iotti was a trailblazing Italian politician and one of the most significant figures in post-war Italy.
Born in Reggio Emilia, a stronghold of Italy's Communist movement, Iotti's career spanned decades and culminated in her becoming the first woman to hold the position of President of the Chamber of Deputies – a role she held for an unprecedented 13 years.
A key figure in the Resistance against Fascism, Iotti began her political journey as a young partisan, aiding the fight against Fascist and Nazi forces during World War II.
She worked as a messenger, distributing food supplies and materials to Resistance fighters.
After the war, Iotti continued her political activism, becoming a founding member of the Union of Italian Women.
Over time, she became one of the most powerful women in Italy's post-war politics, tirelessly advocating for gender equality, social justice and democratic reforms.
A staunch defender of women's rights, Iotti worked to groundbreaking divorce and abortion laws and remained a vital voice in Italian politics until her death in 1999.