Lea Massari, one of the most intense and reserved actresses in Italian cinema throughout the second half of the twentieth century, died at the age of 91. She passed away on Monday, June 23, at her residence in Parioli, Rome, where she had been receiving care for some time after suffering a fall. The news was reported by Il Messaggero. Her funeral was held privately at the cathedral of Sutri, in the province of Viterbo, followed by burial in the family chapel. Lea Massari, an actress with a subtle beauty and a timid demeanor, has worked with some of the best Italian and foreign filmmakers over the last three decades. In Italy, she was directed by masters such as Sergio Leone, Dino Risi, Nanni Loy, Giuseppe Bertolucci, the Taviani brothers, and most notably Michelangelo Antonioni, who made her unforgettable in ‘L’avventura’. Her career also had a significant impact in France, where she acted alongside renowned actors such as Jean-Paul Belmondo, Yves Montand, Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Michel Piccoli. Only 29 of the 55 directors she's worked with were Italian, demonstrating her great worldwide presence. Recognized for her dramatic talent, Massari won a David di Donatello in 1961 for 'Una vita difficile' ('A Difficult Life') and 'I sogni muoiono all’alba' ('Dreams Die at Dawn'). She also received two Nastri d’Argento awards for Best Supporting Actress in 'La prima notte di quiete' ('Indian Summer') of 1972, and 'Cristo si è fermato a Eboli' ('Christ Stopped at Eboli') of 1978. She was not only a prominent figure in cinema, but also in the theater, where she made her début as Rosetta in Rugantino by Garinei and Giovannini, alongside Nino Manfredi, Aldo Fabrizi, and Bice Valori. On television, she is remembered for her portrayals of the Nun of Monza in 'The Betrothed' (1967) and the tormented 'Anna Karenina' (1974), both directed by Sandro Bolchi. In the mid-1980s, she decided to retire and relocate to Sardinia with her husband Carlo Bianchini, whom she married in 1963 and divorced in 2004. Since then, she has lived away from the spotlight, in the same quiet dignity that always marked both her life and her art.