**Silvana Mangano (Rome, 1930 – Madrid, 1989)** was an Italian actress, a symbol of post-war Italian cinema.

She gained international fame with Giuseppe De Santis's *Bitter Rice* (1949), where she embodied the figure of the sensual and proud rice picker, an icon of neorealism. Her career evolved, demonstrating remarkable versatility. She worked with great directors: Luchino Visconti (*Death in Venice*, *Conversation Piece*) in roles of aristocratic and tormented women; Pier Paolo Pasolini (*Oedipus Rex*, *Theorem*) in intense and complex performances.

Initially associated with her striking beauty and popular roles, she later established herself in more mature and sophisticated roles, often portraying strong, enigmatic, or fragile women, capable of great psychological depth.