Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

migration into what is today

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

has been going on, in different migrating cycles, for centuries, beginning in prehistoric times right to the modern age. In addition, Corsica passed from the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the La ...

to France in 1768, and the county of

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

and Savoy from the

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...

to France in 1860. According to

Robin Cohen Robin Cohen (born 1944) is a social scientist working in the fields of globalisation, migration and diaspora studies. He is Emeritus Professor of Development Studies and former Director of the International Migration Institute, University of Ox ...

, "about 5 million French nationals are of Italian origin if their parentage is retraced over three generations". According to official data of the Eurostat for 2012, the number of Italian citizens residing in France was 174,000.

History of Italians in France

Middle Ages and Renaissance

There has always been migration, since ancient times, between what is today Italy and France. This is especially true of the regions of northwestern Italy and southeastern France. As Italian wealth and influence grew during the Middle Ages, many Florentine, Genoese and Venetian traders, bankers and artisans settled, usually through family branches, throughout France. Regions of significant Italian diaspora sprang up as far north as

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

. However it was not much as a percentage of the French global population. This Italian migration developed more through the Renaissance, as previous generations became assimilated. Italian artists, writers and architects were called upon by the French monarchy and aristocrats, leading to a significant interchange of culture, but it was not a massive immigration of popular classes. Since the 16th century, Florence and its citizens have long enjoyed a very close relationship with France. In 1533, at the age of fourteen, Catherine de' Medici married

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

, the second son of King Francis I and Queen Claude of France. Under the gallicised version of her name, Catherine de Médici, she became Queen consort of France when Henry ascended to the throne in 1547. Later on, after Henry died, she became regent on behalf of her ten-year-old son King Charles IX and was granted sweeping powers. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. Other notable examples of Italians that played a major role in the history of France include

Cardinal Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...

, born in

Pescina Pescina () is a township and ''comune'' in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. It is a part of the mountain community Valle del Giovenco. Geography Pescina borders on the communes of Celano, Collarmele, Gioia dei Marsi, Ortona d ...

was a cardinal, diplomat and politician, who served as the chief minister of France from 1642 until his death in 1661. Mazarin succeeded his mentor, Cardinal Richelieu, and extended France's political ambitions not only within Italy but towards England as well. Enrico Tonti, born near Gaeta, Italy (1649/50 - 1704) was an Italian-born soldier, explorer, and fur trader in the service of France. He was the son of Lorenzo de Tonti, a financier and former governor of Gaeta. Enrico was second in command of the La Salle expedition on his descent of the Mississippi River. Tonti's letters and journals are valuable source materials on these explorations. Enrico's brother, Pierre Alphonse de Tonti, or Alphonse de Tonty, Baron de Paludy (ca. 1659 – 10 November 1727) was an officer who served under the French explorer Cadillac and helped establish the first European settlement at Detroit, Michigan, Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit on the Detroit River in 1701. Several months later, both Cadillac and Tonty brought their wives to the fort, making them the first European women to travel into the interior of North America. He was the son of Lorenzo de Tonti who was a financier and former governor of Gaeta. Lorenzo de Tonti was the inventor of the form of life insurance known as the tontine.

Henri de Tonti Henri de Tonti (''né'' Enrico Tonti; – September 1704), also spelled Henri de Tonty, was an Italian-born French military officer, explorer, and ''voyageur'' who assisted René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, with North American explora ...

, involved in LaSalle's exploration of the Mississippi River and the establishment of the first settlement in Arkansas, was his older brother.

Modern period

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, French emperor and general, was ethnically

of Corsican origin, whose family was of Genoese and Tuscan ancestry. Italian popular immigration to France only began in the late 18th century, really developed from the end of the 19th century until the World War I and became quite massive after this war. France needed workforce to compensate for the war losses and its very low birthrate. Initially, Italian immigration to modern France (late 18th to the early 20th century) came predominantly from northern Italy (

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

Veneto it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

), then from central Italy ( Marche,

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

), mostly to the bordering southeastern region of

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

. It wasn't until after World War II that large numbers of immigrants from southern Italy immigrated to France, usually settling in industrialised areas of France, such as

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

and

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

Demographics

The 2021 Report "Rapporto Italiano Nel Mondo 2021" Italian Report in the World 2021, recorded 444,113 Italian-born people.

Autochthonous populations

In both the

County of Nice The County of Nice (french: Comté de Nice / Pays Niçois, it, Contea di Nizza/Paese Nizzardo, Niçard oc, Contèa de Niça/País Niçard) is a historical region of France located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent t ...

, parts of Savoy, "Italian" can refer to autochthonous speakers of Ligurian and

Piedmontese language Piedmontese (; autonym: or , in it, piemontese) is a language spoken by some 2,000,000 people mostly in Piedmont, northwestern region of Italy. Although considered by most linguists a separate language, in Italy it is often mistakenly regard ...

s, natives in the region since before annexation to France, and also to descendants of Italians that migrated to the areas when they were part of Italian states. The number of inhabitants with Italian ancestry is generally indeterminable, and the use of French language is now ubiquitous. In addition, Corsica was a part of the

until 1768 and many Corsicans speak along with French the

Corsican language Corsican (''corsu'' , ; full name: ''lingua corsa'' , ) is a Romance language constituted by the continuum of the Italo-Romance dialects spoken on the Mediterranean island of Corsica (France) and on the northern end of the island of Sardinia (Ita ...

, closely related to the

Tuscan dialect Tuscan ( it, dialetto toscano ; it, vernacolo, label=locally) is a set of Italo-Dalmatian varieties of Romance mainly spoken in Tuscany, Italy. Standard Italian is based on Tuscan, specifically on its Florentine dialect, and it became the ...

of Italian.

Notable Italian French people

The list is organized chronologically, listing Italians in France by birth date periods

First half of the 19th century

Bonaparte family Italian and Corsican: ''Casa di Buonaparte'', native_name_lang=French, coat of arms=Arms of the French Empire3.svg, caption=Coat of arms assumed by Emperor Napoleon I, image_size=150px, alt=Coat of Arms of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, typ ...

Philippe Antoine d'Ornano Philippe Antoine d'Ornano, 1st Comte d'Ornano (January 17, 1784 – October 13, 1863) was a French soldier and political figure who rose to the rank of Marshal of France. He was made ''Count d'Ornano of the French Empire'' in 1808. He was born a ...

(1784–1863), general and cousin of

* Louis-Auguste Blanqui (1805–1881), politician. * Henri Cernuschi (''Enrico Cernuschi''; 1821–1896), banker, journalist, and art collector (born in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

). His collection is known as the

Musée Cernuschi The Musée Cernuschi (; 'Cernuschi Museum'), officially also the ('Asian Arts Museum of the City of Paris'), is an Asian art museum located at 7 avenue Vélasquez, near Parc Monceau, in Paris, France. Its Asian art collection is second in Pari ...

Virginia Oldoini Virginia Oldoïni Rapallini, Countess of Castiglione (22 March 1837 – 28 November 1899), better known as La Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat who achieved notoriety as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. She was also a significant ...

(1837–1899), mistress of Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, Ga ...

(1838–1882), lawyer and politician (his father was from Genoa) *

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

(1840–1902), writer and politician (his father, Francesco Zolla, was born in Venice) *

Philippe Solari Philippe Solari (2 May 1840 in Aix-en-Provence – 20 January 1906 in Aix-en-Provence) was a provencal sculptor, of Italian origin, a contemporary and friend of Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola. He acquired French nationality in 1870. Youth Bo ...

(1840–1906), artist * Joseph Galliéni (1849–1916), French officer (father from

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

) *

Jean-François Raffaëlli Jean-François Raffaëlli (April 20, 1850 – February 11, 1924) was a French realist painter, sculptor, and printmaker who exhibited with the Impressionists. He was also active as an actor and writer. Biography Born in Paris, he was of Tusc ...

, (1850–1924), artist *

Raoul Pugno Stéphane Raoul Pugno (23 June 1852) was a French composer, teacher, organist, and pianist known for his playing of Mozart's works. Biography Raoul Pugno was born in Paris and was of Italian origin. He made his debut at the age of six, and with t ...

(1852–1914), composer, pianist *

Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, later known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza; 26 January 1852 – 14 September 1905), was an Italian-born, naturalized French explorer. With his family's financial help, he explored the Ogoou ...

(''Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà''; 1852–1905), explorer (born at Castel Gandolfo, near

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

) *

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Giu ...

(1801–1835), Italian-born opera composer *

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

, (1792–1868) composer

Second half of the 19th century

* Clément Castelli (1870–1959), Italian-born painter (from Premia,

Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Italian: ''Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola'' ) is the northernmost province in the Italian region of Piedmont. It was created in 1992 through the fusion of three geographical areas which had previously been part of the Pr ...

region) *

Vincent Scotto Vincent Scotto (21 April 1874 – 15 November 1952) was a French composer. Biography Early life Vincent Scotto was born on 21 April 1874 in Marseille to Pasquale Scotto d'Aniello and Antonia Intartaglia, from the island of Procida, north of th ...

(1874–1952), composer *

Ricciotto Canudo Ricciotto Canudo (; 2 January 1877, Gioia del Colle – 10 November 1923, Paris) was an early Italian film theoretician who lived primarily in France. In 1913 he published a bimonthly avant-garde magazine entitled ''Montjoie!'', promoting Cubism ...

(1879–1923), Italian-born writer (from

Gioia del Colle Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territory ...

) *

Ettore Bugatti Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti (15 September 1881 – 21 August 1947) was an Italian-born French automobile designer and manufacturer. He is remembered as the founder and proprietor of the automobile manufacturing company Automobiles E. Bugatti, wh ...

(1881–1947), Italian-born automobile designer and manufacturer (from

) * Rembrandt (Annibale) Bugatti (1884–1916), Italian-born sculptor (from

) * Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (1884–1920), Italian-born painter and sculptor (from

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

) *

Henri Bosco Henri Bosco (16 November 1888 – 4 May 1976) was a French writer. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Life Bosco was born in Avignon, Vaucluse into a family of Provençal, Ligurian and Piedmontese origin. Through ...

(Fernand Marius Bosco) (1888–1976), novelist *

Michel Carlini Michel Carlini (1889, Marseille – 1967) was a French politician. He served as the Mayor of Marseille, France's second largest city, from 1947 to 1953, and as a member of the National Assembly of France for the Bouches-du-Rhone from 1951 to 195 ...

(1889–1967), lawyer and politician *

Elsa Schiaparelli Elsa Schiaparelli ( , also , ; 10 September 1890 – 13 November 1973) was a fashion designer from an Italian aristocratic background. She created the house of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, which she managed from the 1930s to the 1950s. ...

(1890–1973), Italian-born fashion designer (from

) *

Jean Giono Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France. First period Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...

(1895–1970), novelist (Italian ancestry) *

José Corti José Corti is a bookshop and publishing house located in Paris, France, and was founded in 1925. It is named after its founder, José Corticchiato (14 January 1895 – 25 December 1984). José Corticchiato started his business by publishing the ...

(''José Corticchiato''; 1895–1984), publisher *

Lazare Ponticelli Lazare Ponticelli (born Lazzaro Ponticelli; 24 December 1897, later mistranscribed as 7 December – 12 March 2008), Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was at 110, the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France an ...

(''Lazzaro Ponticelli''; 1897–2008), Italian-born veteran of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(from Bettola, near

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

) *

Paul Belmondo Paul Alexandre Belmondo (born 23 April 1963) is a French racing driver who raced in Formula One for the March and Pacific Racing teams. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, the son of actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and grandson of scul ...

(1898–1982), sculptor (born in

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

of Italian ancestry) *

Cino Del Duca Cino Del Duca (25 July 1899 – 24 May 1967) was an Italian-born businessman film producer and philanthropist who moved to France in 1923 where he made a fortune in the French publishing business. Biography Cino Del Duca Born in Montedinove in t ...

(1899–1967), Italian-born businessman, film producer and philanthropist (from

Montedinove Montedinove is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about north of Ascoli Piceno. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 566 and an area of .All dem ...

, Ascoli Piceno) *

Guillaume Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire) of the Wąż coat of arms. (; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic of Polish descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the ...

(1880–1918), poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic (born in

)

1900s

* Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin dit

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...

(1903–1971), actor and singer *

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the firs ...

(''Stefano Grappelli''; 1908–1997), jazz violinist (his father was from

Alatri Alatri ( la, Aletrium) is an Italian town and ''comune'' of the province of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, with c. 30,000 inhabitants. An ancient city of the Hernici,Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hernici". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed. ...

, near

Frosinone Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the Va ...

)

1910s

Rina Ketty Rina Ketty (1 March 1911 – 23 December 1996), whose real name was Cesarina Picchetto, was an Italian singer, notably of the legendary song ''J'attendrai''. The song became a huge hit during World War II and was appreciated by Allied soldiers a ...

(''Rina Pichetto''; 1911–1996), Italian-born singer (from

Sarzana Sarzana (, ; lij, Sarzann-a) is a town, ''comune'' (municipality) and former short-lived Catholic bishopric in the Province of La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. It is east of Spezia, on the railway to Pisa, at the point where the railway to Parma diver ...

) *

Marcel Bich Marcel Louis Michel Antoine Bich, baron Bich (; 29 July 1914 – 30 May 1994) was an Italian-born, French manufacturer and co-founder of Bic, the world's leading producer of ballpoint pens, lighters, and razors. Early years Bich was born in Tur ...

(1914–1994), Italian-born manufacturer and co-founder of Bic (from

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

) *

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pia ...

(''Édith Giovanna Gassion''; 1915–1963), singer (her mother, Line Marsa, born in

, was of Italian-Berber descent) * Achille Zavatta (1915–1993), clown *

Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a French-born Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer, whose career in France dominated the years after the Second World War until his death. He released s ...

(1916–1993), Singer and songwriter *

Henri Betti Henri Betti, born Ange Betti (24 July 1917 – 7 July 2005), was a French composer and a pianist. Pianist and composer of Maurice Chevalier from 1940 to 1945, Henri Betti is best known for composing the music of the songs ''C'est si bon'' (lyric ...

(1917–2005) composer and pianist (his father is born in

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

and his grandfather is born in

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...

). *

Giuseppe Tacca Giuseppe Tacca (12 August 1917 – 18 October 1984) was an Italian-French professional road bicycle racer. He rode in the 1947, 1948 and 1949 Tour de France. Italian by birth, he was naturalized French the 02 July 1948. Major results ;1 ...

(1917-1984), cyclist *

Claude Barma Claude Barma (3 November 1918, in Nice – 30 August 1992, in Paris), was a French director and screenwriter, and an early creator of French television programmes. Biography After studying electrical engineering, he entered television in 1946 with ...

(1918–1992), director and screenwriter * Jeanne Modigliani (1918-1984), historian * Adolphe Deledda (1919-2003), cyclist

1920s

César Baldaccini César (born Cesare Baldaccini; 1 January 1921 – 6 December 1998), also occasionally referred to as César Baldaccini (), was a noted French sculptor. César was at the forefront of the Nouveau Réalisme movement with his radical compressi ...

(1921–1998), sculptor *

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

(1921–1981), singer * Émile Bongiorni (1921–1949), footballer * Stellio Lorenzi (1921–1990), screenwriter *

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held strong ...

(''Ivo Livi'') (1921–1991), actor and singer * Roger Grava (1922–1949), footballer *

Serge Reggiani Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-French actor and singer. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. After studying acting at the Conservatoire des arts cinématogr ...

(1922–2004), singer *

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric shap ...

(''Pietro Cardin'') (1922–2020), fashion designer * François Cavanna (1923–2014), author *

Marcel Zanini Marcel Zanini (real name Zannini; 9 September 1923 – 18 January 2023) was a Turkish-born French jazz musician.. Zanini was born on 9 September 1923 in Istanbul, Turkey. His family arrived in Marseille in 1930 and settled there. His father was ...

(born 1923), jazz musician *

Armand Gatti Armand Gatti (; 26 January 1924 – 6 April 2017) was a French playwright, poet, journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker and World War II resistance fighter.Banham (1998, 413). His debut film ''Enclosure'' was entered into the 2nd Moscow Internati ...

(1924–2017), also known as Dante Savoir Gatti, poet, author, playwright, director, screenwriter, producer, journalist *

Michel Piccoli Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli (27 December 1925 – 12 May 2020) was a French actor, producer and film director with a career spanning 70 years. He was lauded as one of the greatest French character actors of his generation who played a wide vari ...

(1925–2020), actor *

Raphaël Géminiani Raphaël Géminiani (born Clermont-Ferrand; born 12 June 1925) is a French former road bicycle racer. He had six podium finishes in the Grand Tours. He is one of four children of Italian immigrants who moved to Clermont-FerrandColin, Jacques ( ...

(born 1925), cyclist *

Philippe Castelli Philippe Castelli (8 June 1926 – 16 April 2006) was a French film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1960 and 1992. Selected filmography * '' Les Bonnes Femmes'' (1960) - Le régisseur * '' Wise Guys'' (1961) - Le portier au verniss ...

(1926–2006), actor *

Marcel Azzola Marcel Azzola (10 July 1927 – 21 January 2019) was a French accordionist. He performed with Stan Getz and Jacques Brel, among others. The famous line "" ("Heat up, Marcel") in Brel's song "Vésoul" refers to Azzola, who played the accordion d ...

(1927–2019), accordionist *

Remo Forlani Remo Forlani (1927–2009) was a French writer and screenwriter born in Paris to a French mother and an Italian immigrant father. In 1987 he was awarded the Grand Prix du Théâtre de l'Académie française. Selected filmography * ''Juliette a ...

(1927–2009), writer and screenwriter *

Emmanuelle Riva Emmanuelle Riva (; 24 February 1927 – 27 January 2017) was a French actress, best known for her roles in the films ''Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) and '' Amour'' (2012). Riva was nominated for a BAFTA Award for her role in ''Hiroshima mon ...

(1927–2017), actress *

Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; ; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo, was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration with ...

(1927–2020), comic author *

Daniel Filipacchi Daniel Filipacchi (born 12 January 1928) is the Chairman Emeritus of Hachette Filipacchi Médias and a French collector of surrealist art. Career Filipacchi wrote and worked as a photographer for ''Paris Match'' from its founding in 1949 by J ...

(born 1928), photographer, art collector and publisher *

Jean Dotto Jean-Baptiste Dotto (27 March 1928, in St-Nazaire – 20 February 2000, in Ollioules, FranceWilly Rizzo Willy Rizzo (22 October 1928 – 25 February 2013) was an Italian photographer and designer. Publications *''Starsociety'', editor Schirmer Mosel, 1994 *''Mes stars : L'Album secret de Willy Rizzo'', text of Jean-Pierre de Lucovich, editor Fili ...

(1928–2013), photographer and designer *

Luc Ferrari Luc Ferrari (February 5, 1929 – August 22, 2005) was a French composer of Italian heritage and a pioneer in musique concrète and electroacoustic music. He was a founding member of RTF's Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRMC), working alongsid ...

(1929–2005), composer *

Claude Nougaro Claude Nougaro (, oc, Claudi Nogaròu; 9 September 1929 – 4 March 2004) was a French songwriter and singer. Life and career Claude Nougaro was born in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and a piano teacher, Liette ...

(1929–2004), jazz singer and poet

1930s

* Bernard Stasi (1930–2011), politician *

Robert Enrico Robert Georgio Enrico (13 April 1931 – 23 February 2001) was a French film director and scriptwriter best known for making the Oscar-winning short ''An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'' (1961). He was born in Liévin, Pas-de-Calais, in the nort ...

(1931–2001), film director *

Roger Piantoni Roger Piantoni (26 December 1931 – 26 May 2018) was a French footballer who played as an inside-forward and was a star on the French national team in the late 1950s. During the 1949–1950 season, he was the champion of Lorraine with his te ...

(1931–2018), footballer *

Annie Fratellini Annie Violette Fratellini (14 November 1932 – 1 July 1997) was a French circus artist, singer, film actress and clown. Biography She was born Annie Violette Fratellini on 14 November 1932, in Algiers, French Algeria, where her parents, who w ...

(1932–1997), circus artist, clown, singer and film actress *

Francesca Solleville Francesca Solleville (born 2 March 1932, Périgueux) is a French singer. She lives in Malakoff ( Hauts-de-Seine). She is the granddaughter of the founder of the . She is married to the painter Louis . Biography Francesca Solleville was born in ...

(born 1932), singer * Paul Virilio (1932–2018), philosopher, cultural theorist and urbanist *

Max Gallo Max Gallo (; 7 January 1932 – 18 July 2017) was a French writer, historian and politician. He wrote over one hundred books. The son of Italian immigrants (his father was of Piedmontese descent and his mother was from the region of Parma), Gall ...

(1932–2017), writer, historian and politician *

Pierre Milza Pierre Milza (16 April 193228 February 2018) was a French historian. His work focused mainly on the history of Italy, the history of Italian immigration to France and the history of fascism, of which he was a recognized specialist. He was prof ...

(1932–2018), historian *

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...

(born 1933), actor *

Loris Azzaro Loris Azzaro (9 February 1933 – 20 November 2003) was a French-Italian fashion designer. He rose to prominence in the 1960s with his flamboyant dresses and he went on to become well known for his perfumes. Life and career Loris Azzaro was born ...

, (1933–2003), fashion designer and perfumer, born in Tunisia to Sicilian parents. *

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt. She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known son ...

(''Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti'') (1933–1987), singer, actress and Miss Egypt 1954. *

Emanuel Ungaro Emanuel Ungaro (13 February 1933 – 21 December 2019) was a French fashion designer who founded the eponymous fashion house in 1965. Early life Ungaro's Italian father fled to France from Francavilla Fontana of Brindisi province because of the ...

(1933–2019), fashion designer *

Nino Ferrer Nino Agostino Arturo Maria Ferrari (), known as Nino Ferrer (15 August 1934 – 13 August 1998), was an Italian-born French singer-songwriter and author. Biography and career Nino Ferrer was born on 15 August 1934 in Genoa, Italy, but lived the ...

(''Nino Agostino Arturo Maria Ferrari'') (1934–1998), singer *

Lucien Bianchi Lucien Bianchi (10 November 1934 – 30 March 1969), born Luciano Bianchi, was an Italian-born Belgian racing driver who raced for the Cooper, ENB, UDT Laystall and Scuderia Centro Sud teams in Formula One. He entered a total of 19 Formula One ...

(1934–1969), racing driver * Pia Colombo (''Eliane Marie Amélie'') (1934–1986), singer *

Claude Faraldo Claude Faraldo (March 23, 1936 – January 30, 2008) was a French actor, screenwriter and film director. He was born to Italian immigrants. He directed the French cult film classic ''Themroc ''Themroc'' is a 1973 French satirical film by directo ...

(1936–2008), actor, screenwriter and film director *

Bruno Gigliotti Orlando Productions is a French record label, owned by Bruno Gigliotti, brother of Egyptian-Italian then French singer Dalida, for whom he used to be the manager. In the late 1960s, he founded the Orlando label as a vehicle to release and to co ...

(

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

) (born 1936), music producer *

Christiane Martel Christiane Martel (born Christiane Magnani on 18 January 1936) is a French actress and beauty queen. She became the second woman to win Miss Universe, in 1953.Eugène Saccomano Eugène Saccomano (23 September 1936 – 7 October 2019) was a French radio journalist and non-fiction author. Biography Eugène Saccomano was born on 23 September 1936 in Marseille, southern France.Grégoire LeménagerEugène Saccomano, le journ ...

(1936–2019), journalist, author *

Claude François Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of "Comme d'habitude" (c ...

(1939–1978), singer and songwriter *

Michèle Mercier Michèle Mercier (born 1 January 1939 as Jocelyne Yvonne Renée Mercier) is a French actress. In the course of her career she has worked with leading directors like François Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jacques Deray, Dino Risi, Mario Monic ...

(born 1939), actress *

Liliane Montevecchi Liliane Montevecchi (October 13, 1932 – June 29, 2018) was a French-Italian actress, dancer, and singer. Career Montevecchi took her first dance classes at 8 with Pierre Duprez, primo ballerino of the Opera in Paris, France. She entered the Co ...

(1932–2018), actress, dancer, and singer

1940s

Raymond Forni Raymond Forni (20 May 1941 – 5 January 2008) was a French Socialist politician. Biography The son of an Italian immigrant from Piedmont, Forni was born in Belfort, in 1941. His father died when he was 11. At 17, he had to stop studying, a ...

(1941–2008), politician * Catherine Tasca (born 1941), politician *

Gilbert Bellone Gilbert Bellone (born 27 December 1942 in Grasse) was a French professional road bicycle racer. Major results ;1962 :Grasse ;1965 :Saint-Vallier ;1966 :Guéret :Prix de Saint-Céré :Chateauneuf :Saint-Claud ;1967 :Toulon :Vuelta a España: :: ...

(born 1942), cyclist *

Edwige Fenech Edwige Fenech (, ; born 24 December 1948) is an Algerian-born Maltese-Sicilian actress and film producer. She is mostly known as the star of a series of ''commedia sexy all'italiana'' and ''giallo'' films released in the 1970s, which turned her ...

(born 1948), actor and film producer *

Jean-François Mattei Jean-François Mattei (born 14 January 1943) is a French doctor and politician. Medical career Jean-François Mattei is a professor of pediatrics and genetics. He served as the director of Genetics at the teaching hospital of Marseilles. He ...

(born 1943), doctor and politician *

Jean-Louis Bianco Jean-Louis Bianco (born 12 January 1943) is a French politician and civil servant who served as Minister of Social Affairs and Integration from 1991 to 1992 and Minister of Equipment, Transport and Housing from 1992 to 1993 under President Fra ...

(born 1943), politician *

Pino Presti Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta (born 23 August 1943), professionally known by his pseudonym Pino Presti, is an Italian bassist, arranger, composer, conductor and record producer from Milan. He is a 5th-dan black belt in Shotokan Karate. Pre ...

(born 1943), musician, composer and producer *

Luc Merenda Luc Charles Olivier Merenda (born 3 September 1943) is a French film actor. He was one of the most prominent actors of the Italian poliziotteschi genre, working several times with Sergio Martino and Fernando Di Leo. He is of Italian origin thr ...

(born 1943), actor *

Gérard Rinaldi Gérard Rinaldi (February 17, 1943 – March 2, 2012) was a French actor, musician, lyricist, artistic director and singer with Les Charlots. Career Death Rinaldi died of lymphoma on March 2, 2012. He was 69. A few days later, holding back ...

(1943–2012), actor and singer *

Walter Spanghero Walter Spanghero (born 21 December 1943) is a former French rugby union footballer. His father, Ferruccio Dante Spanghero, emigrated from Friuli, arriving in France in the 1930s to make a living as a bricklayer. He was a part of the France nation ...

(born 1943), rugby player *

Jean-Pierre Castaldi Jean-Pierre Castaldi (born 1 October 1944) is a French actor. He is the father of French TV presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television program ...

(born 1944), actor * Nicole Grisoni, also known as

Nicoletta Nicoletta is a surname and feminine given name derived from the Greek ''Nikolaos'', most often used in Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Nicoletta is also a surname. Given name * Nicoletta (singer), full name Nicoletta Grisoni, French singer, ...

(born 1944), singer * Michel Gérard Joseph Colucci (

Coluche Michel Gérard Joseph Colucci (, ; 28 October 1944 – 19 June 1986), better known under his stage name Coluche (), was a French stage comedian and cinema actor. He adopted ''Coluche'' as a stage name at age 26, when he began his entertainment ca ...

) (1944–1986), humorist * Daniel Bevilacqua (Christophe) (1945–2020), singer *

Jean-Claude Izzo Jean-Claude Izzo (Marseille 20 June 1945 – Marseille 26 January 2000) was a French poet, playwright, screenwriter, and novelist who achieved sudden fame in the mid-1990s with the publication of his three neo-noir crime novels ''Total Chaos'', ...

(1945–2000), writer *

Patrick Modiano Jean Patrick Modiano (; born 30 July 1945), generally known as Patrick Modiano, is a French novelist and recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is a noted writer of autofiction, the blend of autobiography and historical fiction. In ...

(born 1945), writer *

Richard Cocciante Riccardo Cocciante (; born 20 February 1946), also known in French-speaking countries and the U.S. as Richard Cocciante (), is an Italian singer, composer, theatre man and musician. He acquired French citizenship. Personal life Cocciante was ...

(Riccardo) (born 1946), singer * Alice Donadel, also known as Alice Dona (born 1946), singer * Hervé Forneri, also known as

Dick Rivers Hervé Forneri (; 24 April 1945 – 24 April 2019), known professionally as Dick Rivers, was a French singer and actor who began performing in the early 1960s. He was an important figure in introducing rock and roll music in France. He was an a ...

(1946–2019), singer *

Hubert Falco Hubert Falco (born 15 May 1947 in Pignans, Var) is a French politician who has been appointed Secretary of State for development of the territory in the government of François Fillon on 18 March 2008. He is the mayor of Toulon Toulon (, ...

(born 1947), politician * Max Guazzini (born 1947), entrepreneur *

Daniel Russo Daniel Russo (born 13 May 1948) is a French film actor, comedian and director. Theater Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Russo, Daniel 1948 births Living people Male actors from Marseille French male film acto ...

(born 1948), film actor * Henri Proglio (born 1949), manager

1950s

Corinne Cléry Corinne Cléry (born 23 March 1950), also known as Corinne Piccolo, is a French actress. She is known for the films ''Moonraker'' (1979), '' The Story of O'' (1975), '' Hitch-Hike'' (1977) and '' Yor, the Hunter from the Future'' (1983). Early ...

(born 1950), actress * Richard Galliano (born 1950), accordionist *

Gérard Schivardi Gérard Schivardi (born 17 April 1950) is a French politician. He contended in the French presidential election of 2007 under the colours of the Workers' Party (''Parti des Travailleurs'') of Trotskyist legacy. He came last in the first round of ...

(born 1950), politician *

Claude Bartolone Claude Bartolone (; born 1951) is a Tunisian-born French politician who was President of the National Assembly of France from 2012 to 2017. A member of the Socialist Party, he was first elected to the National Assembly, representing the Seine- ...

(born 1951), politician *

Fabrice Luchini Fabrice Luchini (; born Robert Luchini; 1 November 1951) is a French stage and film actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Potiche'', ''The Women on the 6th Floor'', and '' In the House''. For his role in the 2015 film '' Courted'' he won th ...

(born 1951), stage and film actor *

Marc Cerrone Marc Cerrone Daryl Easlea, "Supernature Boy", ''Record Collector'', #502, February 2020, pp.60-63 (, ; born 24 May 1952) is a French disco drummer, composer, record producer and creator of concert shows. Cerrone is a producer of 1970s and 198 ...

(born 1952), musician, composer and producer * Jean-Marc Todeschini (born 1952), politician *

Francis Cabrel Francis Christian Cabrel (; born 23 November 1953) is a French singer-songwriter, composer and guitarist. Considered one of the most influential French musical artists of all time, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the real ...

(born 1953), singer *

Patrick de Carolis Patrick de Carolis (born 19 November 1953) is a French TV journalist and writer. He has been president of French public service broadcaster France Télévisions from July 2005 to August 2010. Biography Journalistic career President of Fr ...

(born 1953), TV presenter *

Angelo Parisi Angelo Parisi (born 3 January 1953 in Arpino, Frosinone, Italy) is a French judoka and olympic champion. He won a gold medal in the ''heavyweight division'' at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, li ...

(born 1953), judoka *

Philippe Risoli Philippe Risoli (born 9 September 1953 in Paris) is a French television host with Italian origins. He is also an unsuccessful singer. Biography Canal + and France 3 He presented the trivia game ''Quiz Star'', from 10 February 1986 to 6 Septe ...

(born 1953), television and radio presenter *

Christian Estrosi Christian Paul Gilbert Estrosi (born 1 July 1955) is a French sportsman and politician who has served as Mayor of Nice since 2017, previously holding the office from 2008 to 2016. A former professional motorcyclist, he served as a government m ...

(born 1955), politician *

Michel Platini Michel François Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a French football administrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, a ...

(born 1955), footballer * Thierry Beccaro (born 1956), actor and TV presenter * André Vallini (born 1956), politician *

Michèle Rubirola Michèle Rubirola (born 28 July 1956) is a French politician who served as Mayor of Marseille from 4 July to 21 December 2020. A physician by occupation, she succeeded Jean-Claude Gaudin, who chose not to run for reelection to a fifth term in of ...

(1956), politician * Claude Onesta (born 1957), handball player *

Thierry Gilardi Thierry Gilardi (26 July 1958 – 25 March 2008) was a French football commentator. Biography Gilardi was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines to a family of Italian ancestry. He was an avid reader of the French sports newspaper ''L'Équi ...

(1958–2008), stage actor and television presenter *

Jeannie Longo Jeannie Longo (born 31 October 1958 in Annecy, Haute-Savoie) is a French racing cyclist, 25-time French champion and 13-time world champion. Longo began racing in 1975 and was active in cycling through 2012. She was once widely considered the b ...

(born 1958), cyclist * Thierry Mariani (born 1958), politician

1960s

Gérard Onesta Gérard Onesta (born 5 August 1960) is a French politician and was Member of the European Parliament for the South West of France. He is a member of Europe Écologie–The Greens, part of the European Greens. On 20 July 2004 he was re-elected ...

(born 1960), politician *

Catherine Malandrino Catherine Malandrino is a French fashion designer. She resides between New York City, and Paris. Early life and education Malandrino was born in Grenoble in the French Alps to Italian parents. She began her professional career in Paris after a ...

(born 1963), fashion designer * Stéphane Sanseverino (born 1961), singer *

Bruno Bellone Bruno Bellone (born 14 March 1962) is a former French international footballer who played as a winger, and who earned 34 caps and scored two goals for France from 1981 to 1988. One of the goals was in the final of the 1984 European Championsh ...

(born 1962), footballer *

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplish ...

(1962–1999), jazz pianist *

Roberto Alagna Roberto Alagna (; born 7 June 1963) is a French operatic tenor. He obtained French citizenship in 1981, while also retaining his previous Italian citizenship. Early years Alagna was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, outside the city of Paris, in 1963 to ...

(born 1963), tenor singer * Nadine Morano (born 1963), politician *

Jean Alesi Jean Alesi (born Giovanni Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French professional racing driver of Italian origin. After successes in minor categories, notably winning the 1989 Formula 3000 Championship, his Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, ...

(born 1964), Formula One driver *

Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, also written Bruni-Tedeschi (; born 16 November 1964), is an Italian-French actress, screenwriter and film director. Her 2013 film, '' A Castle in Italy,'' was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. ...

(born 1964), actress *

Christophe Neff Christophe Neff (born 10 June 1964 in Tübingen, Germany) is a Franco-German geographer, working on Mediterranean ecosystems, the geography of the Mediterranean Basin and fire ecology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He is considered a ...

(1964), geographer * Eric Ciotti (born 1965), politician *

Jean-Marc Morandini Jean-Marc Morandini (; born 5 August 1965) is a French television host. Morandini was born in Marseille. In 1985, aged 20, he became the youngest TV announcer in France. He worked for channel ''La Cinq'', before creating and animating the program ...

(born 1965), journalist, radio, and TV host (Corsican father and Sardinian mother) *

Florent Emilio Siri Florent-Emilio Siri (born 2 March 1965) is a French film director and screenwriter born in Lorraine. Siri studied cinema at the Sorbonne University and ESRA in Paris. Siri is a music video director. He has worked with such bands as IAM, Allian ...

(born 1965), film director and screenwriter *

Éric Cantona Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (; ; born 24 May 1966) is a French actor, director, producer, and former professional footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Cantona is credited as having made Manchester United a d ...

(born 1966), footballer *

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

(born 1967), actress *

David Ginola David Ginola-Ceze (born 25 January 1967) is a French former professional footballer who has also worked as an actor, model and football pundit. A former forward, Ginola played football for ten seasons in France before moving from Paris Saint-G ...

(born 1967), footballer *

Bruno Putzulu Bruno Putzulu (born 24 May 1967) is a French actor, born in Toutainville, France. Life and career Born to a Sardinian father, Bruno Putzulu was born and raised in Toutainville, Haute-Normandie. Although he liked football, he chose an acting ...

(born 1967), actor * Jean-Michel Tinivelli (born 1967), actor * Bruno Caliciuri (born 1968), singer-songwriter *

Tatiana Trouvé Tatiana Trouvé (born 4 August 1968) is a contemporary Italian visual artist based in Paris who works in large-scale installations, sculptures, and drawings. Trouvé is the recipient of numerous awards including the Paul Ricard Prize (2001), Mar ...

(born 1968), contemporary visual artist *

Laurence Ferrari Laurence Ferrari ( ; born 5 July 1966) is a French journalist, best known as a former anchor of the TF1 weekday evening news ''Le 20H''."À TF1, Laurence Ferrari va remplacer Patrick Poivre d’Arvor", ''Le Monde'', Guy DutheiLemonde.frRetrieve ...

(born 1969), journalist and TV anchor *

Marianne James Marianne James (born 18 February 1962) is a French singer, writer, actress, TV host and fashion designer. She has co-presented the French coverage of the '' Eurovision Song Contest''. Early life Born in Montélimar, Marianne Gandolfi grew up ...

, singer, writer, actress

1970s

Benjamin Castaldi Benjamin Castaldi (; born 28 March 1970) is a French television host, columnist, radio host and producer. He is the former host of '' Secret Story'' which is a spinoff of '' Loft Story'' that he hosted as well. Biography Family Benjamin Castald ...

(born 1970), television personality *

Marina Foïs Marina Sylvie Foïs (born 21 January 1970) is a French actress. Life and career Born in Boulogne-Billancourt in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in a family from Russian, Jewish Egyptian, German and Italian ancestry, Marina Foïs was discove ...

(born 1970), actress *

Dominique Casagrande Dominique Casagrande (born 8 May 1971 in L'Union, Haute-Garonne) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Honours *Trophée des Champions: 1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. ...

(born 1971), footballer *

Hélène Ségara Hélène Ségara (), born Hélène Aurore Alice Rizzo on 26 February 1971, is a singer of Music of France, French, Armenians, Armenian and Italy, Italian descent, who came to prominence playing the role of Esméralda (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame ...

(née Hélène Rizzo) (born 1971), singer *

Sylvie Testud Sylvie Testud (born 17 January 1971) is a French actress hose film career est Actress for '' Fear and Trembling'' (2003), and the European Film Award for Best Actress for '' Lourdes'' (2009). Her other film roles include '' Beyond Silence'' ( ...

(born 1971), actress, writer and film director *

Philippe Candeloro Philippe Candeloro (born 17 February 1972) is a French former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (1994, 1998), a two-time World medalist (1994 silver, 1995 bronze), a two-time European silver medalist (1993, 1997 ...

(born 1972), figure skater *

Julie Gayet Julie Gayet (; born 3 June 1972) is a French actress and film producer.< ...

(born 1972), actress and film producer *

Chiara Mastroianni Chiara Charlotte Mastroianni (born 28 May 1972) is a French actress and singer. She is the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve. Early life Mastroianni was born to French actress Catherine Deneuve and Italian actor Marcello Ma ...

(born 1972), actress and singer *

Vincent Candela Vincent Philippe Antoine Candela (born 24 October 1973) is a French former professional footballer. With the French national team, Candela won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. Early life Candela was born in Bédarieux, Hérault. Cl ...

(born 1973), footballer *

Aurélie Filippetti Aurélie Filippetti ( ; born 17 June 1973) is a French politician and novelist. She served as French Minister of Culture and Communications from 2012 until 2014, first in the government of Jean-Marc Ayrault and then in the government of Manue ...

(born 1973), novelist and politician * Florence Foresti (born 1973), comedian and actress *

Elsa Lunghini Elsa Lunghini, stage name Elsa (born 20 May 1973), is a French singer and actress. She was a teenage pop-star in the late-1980s. In 1986, she was the youngest singer to reach number one in the French charts, with the single " T'en va pas", and sh ...

(born 1973), singer and actress *

Alessandro Mercuri Alessandro Mercuri is a French-Italian author and director, born in 1973. After studying philosophy in France, he graduated from CalArts. with a MFA in Live Action. In 2001 he made ''Alien American'', a documentary film about a woman who claimed ...

(born 1973), author and director *

Laurent Sciarra Laurent Sciarra (born 8 August 1973) is a former French professional basketball player. Professional career Sciarra began his professional career in 1990, with Hyères-Toulon Var Basket, and he moved to Paris Basket Racing in 1993. He played wit ...

(born 1973), basketball player * Barbara Pompili (born 1975), politician *

Gilles Marini Gilles Marini (; born 26 January 1976) is a French actor known for his roles in the film ''Sex and the City'', and in the American television shows '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Switched at Birth'' and ''Devious Maids''. He was also the runner-up i ...

(born 1976), actor *

Alice Taglioni Alice Taglioni (born 26 July 1976) is a French actress. Personal life Alice Taglioni was born in Ermont, Val-d'Oise. She is the daughter of an Italian man from Lombardy. She was Miss Corsica in 1996, but refused to participate in the election ...

(born 1976), actress and model * Fanny Biascamano (born 1979), singer

1980s

Seth Gueko Nicolas Salvadori (; born 27 October 1980), better known by his stage name Seth Gueko (, ), is a French rapper. He has released two albums that have charted in France and a number of street albums and mixtapes. Career Nicolas Salvadori was bor ...

(''Nicolas Salvadori'') (born 1980), rapper *

Benoît Pedretti Benoît Pedretti (born 12 November 1980) is a French football manager and former player who is the manager of the reserve team of Nancy. A midfielder, he was a deep-lying playmaker well-known for his wide range of passing. He started his profe ...

(born 1980), footballer *

Julie de Bona Julie de Bona (; born 7 December 1980) is a French actress. Life and career Julie has Italian and Vietnamese ancestry. Her father is a computer scientist and her mother is a seamstress. She was enrolled in the faculty of biochemistry when sh ...

(born 1980), actress *

Roxane Mesquida Roxane Mesquida (born 1 October 1981) is a French-American actress and model based in Los Angeles. Mesquida grew up in Le Pradet, a little town located in southern France. Her mother, writer Françoise Mesquida, is French/Spanish and her father ...

(born 1981), actress and model * Franck Signorino (born 1981), footballer * Laëtitia Tonazzi (born 1981), footballer * Jenifer (born 1982), singer and actress *

Vitaa Charlotte Bendaoud (; born 14 March 1983), known by her stage name Vitaa (), is a French singer-songwriter. Biography Vitaa was discovered by DJ Kost, who paired her with Dadoo in a duet . They sang "Pas à pas" ('Step by Step'). It was at this e ...

(''Charlotte Gonin'') (born 1983), singer *

Mathieu Flamini Mathieu Pierre Flamini (born 7 March 1984) is a French former professional footballer and environmental entrepreneur. A midfielder, he has played for French side Marseille, English sides Arsenal and Crystal Palace, Italian side Milan and Spanish ...

(born 1984), footballer *

Pio Marmaï Pio Marmaï (born 13 July 1984) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than twenty films since 2008. Early life and education Marmaï was born on 13 July 1984. His mother is a former costume designer at the Opéra de Strasbourg, and his f ...

, (born 1984) actor *

Morgan Amalfitano Morgan Henri René Amalfitano (born 20 March 1985) is a retired French professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He has played for Cannes, Sedan, Lorient, Marseille, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United. Amalfitano has earned one ...

(born 1985), footballer *

Élise Bussaglia Élise Bussaglia (born 24 September 1985) is a French footballer who plays as a midfielder for French club Dijon of the Division 1 Feminine. She was a member of the France national team. Bussaglia is a former winner of the National Union of P ...

(born 1985), footballer * Anthony Scaramozzino (born 1985), singer * Irene Curtoni (born 1985), ski racer *

Soko (singer) Stéphanie Alexandra Mina Sokolinski (born 26 October 1985), and known professionally as Soko (stylized as SoKo), is a French singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She has been active since 2002. Soko released her debut single "I'll Kill H ...

(born 1985), singer *

Charlotte Casiraghi Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi (born 3 August 1986) is a Monégasque model, socialite, writer, editor, equestrian, journalist, film producer, and humanitarian. She is the second child and only daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and S ...

(born 1986), princess of Monaco *

Olivier Giroud Olivier Jonathan Giroud (born 30 September 1986) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for club AC Milan and the France national team. Regarded for his work-rate, strength, acrobatic strikes, shot power, consistent goal-s ...

(born 1986), footballer *

Frédéric Sammaritano Frédéric Sammaritano (born 23 March 1986) is a French former professional footballer. Career Born in Vannes, Sammaritano spent three seasons at local club Vannes. In his last campaign with the club, he converted three goals and added seven as ...

(born 1986), footballer *

Vincent Muratori Vincent Muratori (born 3 August 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender. He began his football career at Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, ...

(born 1987), footballer *

Elisa Sednaoui Elisa Sednaoui (born December 14, 1987) is a model, actress, philanthropist and film director of Syrian, Italian, Egyptian, and French descent. She has appeared in such films as ''Eastern Drift'', ''La Baie du renard'', '':fr:Bus Palladium (film), ...

(born 1987), model, actress, philanthropist and film director * Yoann Maestri (born 1988), rugby union player *

Romain Alessandrini Romain Alessandrini (born 3 April 1989) is a French footballer who plays as a winger for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen. Club career Alessandrini spent six years of his youth career at Marseille. In 2005, he moved to Gueugnon making his de ...

(born 1989), footballer * Romain Amalfitano (born 1989), footballer *

Jules Bianchi Jules Lucien André Bianchi (; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French motor racing driver who drove for the Marussia F1 Team in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Bianchi had previously raced in Formula Renault 3.5, GP2 and Form ...

(1989–2015), Formula One driver *

Priscilla Betti Priscilla Betti (real name: Préscillia Betti; born August 2, 1989 in Nice), formerly known as simply Priscilla, is a French singer, dancer and actress. She released her first single at the age of 12, and has released five albums. In 2008–20 ...

(born 1989), singer, dancer and actress * Vincent Laurini (born 1989), footballer *

Benjamin Toniutti Benjamin Toniutti (born 30 October 1989) is a French professional volleyball player who plays as a setter for Jastrzębski Węgiel and the France national team. He won a gold medal in the men's tournament at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and i ...

(born 1989), volleyball player *

Guillaume Gigliotti Guillaume René Gigliotti (born 9 November 1989) is a French footballer who plays as a left back for Italian club Crotone. Career Born in Istres, Gigliotti finished his formation with Monaco, making his senior debuts with the reserve team i ...

(born 1989), footballer

1990s

* Rémy Cabella (born 1990), footballer * Xavier Chiocci (born 1990), rugby player * Sébastien Corchia (born 1990), footballer *

Nabilla Benattia Nabilla Leona Grange Benattia-Vergara (; , ; born February 5, 1992), commonly known by her first name Nabilla, is a French- Swiss model and reality TV personality. She has appeared in ''L'Amour est aveugle'' (2009), '' Hollywood Girls'' (2012–20 ...

(born 1992), model and TV personality *

Alexy Bosetti Alexy Bosetti (born 23 April 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Annecy. Early life Alexy Bosetti was born in 1993 to a Niçois family of Italian origins. He is the great grandnephew of the composer and p ...

(born 1993), footballer * Cindy Bruna (born 1994), model *

Yoan Cardinale Yoan Cardinale (born 27 March 1994) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for SC Toulon. Career Cardinale is a youth product of OGC Nice, Nice. He made his Ligue 1 ...

(born 1994), footballer *

Paul Nardi Paul Nardi (born 18 May 1994) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Belgian First Division A club K.A.A. Gent, Gent. Career Nancy Nardi is a youth exponent fro ...

(born 1994), footballer * Enzo Crivelli (born 1995), footballer *

Sandie Toletti Sandie Rose Toletti (born 13 July 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish Primera División club Real Madrid CF and the France national team. Career A playmaking midfielder, Toletti joined Montpellier ...

(born 1995), footballer *

Caroline Costa Caroline Costa Subtil, known professionally as Caroline Costa (born 9 May 1996), is a French singer and TV presenter. Early life Born May 9, 1996 in Moissac. Caroline Costa grew up in the Tarn-et-Garonne in Castelsarrasin, with her parents Laure ...

(born 1996), singer *

Fiona Ferro Fiona Ferro (born 12 March 1997) is a French professional tennis player born in Belgium. Ferro has won two singles titles on the WTA Tour and four singles titles on the ITF Circuit. She has career-high WTA rankings of No. 39 in singles, attaine ...

(born 1997), tennis player *

Delphine Cascarino Delphine Cascarino (born 5 February 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Division 1 Féminine club Lyon and the France national team. Club career Cascarino started playing football for her local youth teams ...

(born 1997), footballer *

Estelle Cascarino Estelle Cascarino (born 5 February 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester United of the Women's Super League, on loan from Division 1 Féminine club Paris Saint-Germain, and the France national team. ...

(born 1997), footballer * Paul Bernardoni (born 1997), footballer *

Olivier Boscagli Olivier Maxime Boscagli (18 November 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for PSV Eindhoven. Born in Monaco, he has represented France at youth level. Club career Boscagli is a youth exponent from OGC Nice ...

(born 1997), footballer * Lorenzo Callegari (born 1998), footballer *

Sonia Ben Ammar Sonia Ben Ammar (born 19 February 1999), also credited Sonia Ammar, is a Tunisian-French model, singer, and actress, who is signed with IMG Models. She has appeared on several magazine covers, including '' Vanity Fair'' and ''L'Officiel''. Ben ...

(born 1999), model and singer * Nicolas Cozza (born 1999), footballer *

Fabio Quartararo Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in the ...

(born 1999), Grand Prix Motorcycle racer

2000s

* Angelina (born 2006), singer

Gallery

File:Napoleon crop.jpg,

File:Paul Mignard - Jean-Baptiste Lully.jpg,

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he ...

File:Catherine-de-medici.jpg, Catherine de' Medici File:Henri de Tonti.jpg,

File:Лагранж.jpg, Joseph-Louis Lagrange File:Emile Zola 1902.jpg,

File:Alexandre Henri Gabriel de Cassini.jpg,

Henri Cassini Count Alexandre Henri Gabriel de Cassini (9 May 1781 – 23 April 1832) was a French botanist and natural history, naturalist, who specialised in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) (then known as family Compositae). He was the youngest of five chi ...

File:Léon Gambetta by Lége, Paris.jpg,

File:Cardinal Mazarin by Pierre Mignard (Musée Condé).jpg,

Jules Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...

File:Edith Piaf.jpg,

File:Dalida 1961.jpg,

File:Amedeo Modigliani 1919.jpg,

Amedeo Modigliani Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (, ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and ...

File:ALESI Jean-24x30-1999b.jpg,

File:Yves Montand Cannes.jpg,

File:Salvatore Adamo.jpg,

Salvatore Adamo Salvatore Adamo (born November 1, 1943) is a Belgian-Italian musician, singer and composer, who is known for his romantic ballads. Adamo was born in Comiso, Sicily, Italy, and has lived in Belgium since the age of three, which is why he has dual ...

File:Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (3).jpg,

Carla Bruni Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

File:Roxane Mesquida Deauville 2010 (cropped).jpg,

File:Alice Taglioni Deauville 2012.jpg,

File:Marina Foïs César.jpg,

File:Charlotte_Casiraghi.jpg,

File:Chiara Mastroianni Cannes 2013.jpg,

File:Elisa Sednaoui Deauville 2011.jpg,

File:Elsa Lunghini Lumières 2015.jpg,

File:Cali wiki.jpg,

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...

File:Jean-Paul_Belmondo_2001.jpg,

File:20130929 - PSG-Lyon 086.jpg,

File:20131031 FR20 Sandie Toletti 8835.jpg,

File:Laëtitia Tonazzi.JPG, Laëtitia Tonazzi File: Julie_de_Bona_2011_cropped.jpg ,

File:Stade rennais vs USM Alger, July 16th 2016 - Paul Nardi 3.jpg,

File:Jules Bianchi 2012-1.JPG,

File:FC Salzburg gegen Paris St. Germain (UEFA Youth League-21. Februar 2017) 24 (cropped).jpg, Lorenzo Callegari File:Nabilla Benattia in South Beach.JPG,

File:Cozza MHSC.jpg, Nicolas Cozza File:Ferro RG19 (10) (48199369072).jpg,

File:JESC 2018 partisipants. Angelina (France) (cropped).jpg, Angelina

References

{{#related:British migration to France European diaspora in France -

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Immigration to France by country of origin