Sandra Milo, a radiant figure in Italian cinema and a muse to the renowned director Federico Fellini, passed away at her home at the age of 90, surrounded by family. The news came from local outlets, marking the end of a career that stretched across more than six decades and left an indelible mark on the screen, both big and small.
Known affectionately as sandrocchia by Fellini, a nickname that reflected the intimate connection they shared, she also had a notable relationship with socialist leader Bettino Craxi. Throughout her long career, Milo appeared in seventy Italian films and collaborated with a host of celebrated directors, including Roberto Rossellini, Antonio Pietrangeli, Luigi Zampa, Dino Risi, Pupi Avati, Gabriele Salvatores, and Gabriele Muccino.
Her journey began with a bold foray into cinema in the mid-1950s after her debut in The Bachelor, alongside Alberto Sordi. Milo’s path spanned many genres and eras, culminating in a final television appearance in a Christmas-season series not long ago. She was also known for her steadfast advocacy on behalf of entertainment workers, a cause she pursued with the same passion that characterized her performances.
Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary of Culture, remembered Milo as a hero of Italian cinema whose loss would be felt by both the small and the big screens. She highlighted Milo’s remarkable versatility, noting how easily she could shift registers to capture the hearts of millions of Italians who watched her work across generations.
Born in Tunisian soil as Salvatrice Elena Greco on March 11, 1933, Milo’s family moved back to Italy when she was three. At sixteen she entered matrimony with Marquis Cesare Rodighiero, a relationship that lasted only a few months before she began pursuing modeling in Milan, a step that helped launch her film career. Her entry into cinema was facilitated by the Greek filmmaker Moris Ergas, who supported her early work with Sordi and helped connect her to a broader world of actors and directors.
Early collaborations brought her into contact with legendary talents such as Totò, Brigitte Bardot, and Vittorio De Sica. She appeared in notable productions like The General in 1959 and Ghosts of Rome with Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni in 1961, establishing a reputation for versatility and screen presence that few could rival.
Her artistic partnership with Fellini extended well into the 1960s, including intimate collaborations on films like 8½ and Giulietta degli Spiriti. Milo also featured in other significant works of the era, such as The Umbrella, directed by Dino Risi in 1965, where her performance stood out alongside a galaxy of Italian cinema’s premier talents.
After stepping back from acting for a period, she reunited with the public in the 1980s, becoming a familiar face once more on the big screen and on television. A notable later project was Happy Family, a collaboration that linked cinema with theatre and reflected her enduring appeal across different media.
Among her personal stories, Milo has spoken about a close, complicated relationship with Bettino Craxi. In a television interview from 2007, she discussed experiences that shaped her view on life and dignity, offering a candid glimpse into the human side of public figures who often remain in newspapers and on screens long after their primetime years.