Francesca Bertini

Francesca Bertini was an Italian actress who is best known for Novecento, Romeo e Giulietta, and Assunta Spina. She was born on January 5, 1892, in Florence, Tuscany, and became one of the most prominent silent film stars in the early 20th century.

Personal and Family Life

Francesca was born Elena Seracini Vitiello, the daughter of a comic theatre actress. In 1921, she married Alfred Cartier, a European nobleman, and banker. After his passing in 1959, she moved back to Rome, where she lived until her death in 1985. Bertini earned a record-breaking salary of $175,000 in 1915.

Career Highlights

Bertini made her film debut in La dea del mare in 1907. She quickly became a sought-after actress, with producers vying for her talent. She ventured into directing with films like Assunta Spina (1915) and Tosca (1918) and successfully transitioned from silent films to talkies, although she appeared in fewer films later in her career. Her last performance was in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Novecento in 1976.

Death and Legacy

Francesca Bertini passed away on October 13, 1985, in a grand hotel in Rome. Even in her final days, she welcomed friends and fans, embodying her status as a “diva.” Her impact on early Italian cinema is remembered and celebrated, and her life inspired a documentary in 1982 titled L’ultima diva: Francesca Bertini.

Filmography

Title Release Date Character
Novecento 1976-08-28 Sister Desolata
Romeo e Giulietta 1912-01-24 Giulietta
La signora delle camelie 1915-11-21 Margherita Gauthier
La Possession 1929-05-24 Jessie Cordier
L’histoire d’un Pierrot 1914-02-12 Pierrot
Nelly la gigolette 1915-01-02
Sangue Bleu 1914-07-01
L’amazzone mascherata 1914-02-21 Franca
Diana, l’affascinatrice 1915-11-20 Diana
Il processo Clémenceau 1917-09-27 Iza
Odette 1935-05-31 Odette
Il mercante di Venezia 1911-02-01 Jessica
Re Lear 1910-12-12 Cordelia
La terra promessa 1913-06-02
Assunta Spina 1915-10-27 Assunta Spina
L’ultima diva: Francesca Bertini 1982-01-01
Bellissime 2004-01-08 (archive footage)
Ivonne, la bella danzatrice 1915-09-15 Ivonne/Edith
La Femme d’une nuit 1930-06-16 Princess Lystrie
L’avarizia 1918-12-01 Maria Lorini
Fedora 1916-01-01 Fedora
Anima allegra 1919-08-01
Tosca 1918-07-04
L’accidia 1919-01-01
Diva Dolorosa 1999-10-21
Beatrice d’Este 1912-01-01 Beatrice d’ Este
La contessa Sara 1919-09-01
Il fascino della violenza 1912-09-01
La lussuria 1919-06-07
L’invidia 1919-01-01
Idolo infranto 1913-01-01 La pastorelle Francesca
Voglio a Tte! 1925-08-01 Consuelita
Dora la espía 1950-04-26 La principessa
Beatrice 1919-01-01
Odette 1916-01-10
Maddalena Ferat 1921-12-01 Maddalena Ferat
L’ira 1918-01-01
L’orgoglio 1918-01-01
Tristano e Isolda 1911-01-01 Isolda
Tu m’appartiens ! 1929-11-01
La donna nuda 1922-04-01 Lolette