1800–1899
The 19th century
Whose names filled the books of the 19th century — anyone at all, however long dead — counted as mentions per million words printed, so a period that simply published more does not inflate anyone.
Talked about then
Whose names appeared most in Italian books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Giotto1267–1337 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists5.5 - 2
Antonio da Correggio1489–1534 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists5.0 - 3
Lorenzo de' Medici1449–1492 · 15th century · Politicians3.0 - 4
Dante Alighieri1265–1321 · 14th century · Writers2.9 - 5
Pietro Perugino1448–1523 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists2.9 - 6
Donato Bramante1444–1514 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects2.6 - 7
Torquato Tasso1544–1595 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers2.6 - 8
Caravaggio1571–1610 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists2.1 - 9
Apostolo Zeno1668–1750 · 18th century · Writers2.1 - 10
Cimabue1240–1302 · 13th century · Artists2.1 - 11
Tintoretto1519–1594 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.9 - 12
Charles Borromeo1538–1584 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures1.8 - 13
Donatello1386–1466 · 15th century · Artists1.8 - 14
Paul the Deacon720–799 · 8th century · Writers1.8 - 15
Leonardo da Vinci1452–1519 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.7 - 16
Philip Neri1515–1595 · 16th century · Religious Figures1.7 - 17
Marco Polo1254–1324 · 13th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1.7 - 18
Cosimo de' Medici1389–1464 · 15th century · Politicians1.7 - 19
Galileo Galilei1564–1642 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists1.7 - 20
Andrea Doria1466–1560 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1.6 - 21
Giulio Romano1499–1546 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.6 - 22
Guercino1591–1666 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.5 - 23
Domenichino1581–1641 · 17th century · Artists1.5 - 24
Ugo Foscolo1778–1827 · 19th century · Writers1.4 - 25
Petrarch1304–1374 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics1.4 - 26
Andrea del Sarto1486–1530 · 16th century · Artists1.2 - 27
Pietro Aretino1492–1556 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.2 - 28
Alessandro Manzoni1785–1873 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.2 - 29
Giorgio Vasari1511–1574 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.2 - 30
Masaccio1401–1428 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.1 - 31
Baldassare Franceschini1611–1690 · 17th century · Artists1.1 - 32
Francis of Assisi1182–1226 · 13th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.1 - 33
Cesare Borgia1475–1507 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures1.1 - 34
Paolo Veronese1528–1588 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.1 - 35
Guido Reni1575–1642 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.0 - 36
Dino Compagni1255–1324 · 13th century · Writers1.0 - 37
Pietro Bembo1470–1547 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures1.00 - 38
Guido Cavalcanti1258–1300 · 13th century · Writers0.99 - 39
Niccolò Machiavelli1469–1527 · 16th century · Politicians0.99 - 40
Filippo Maria Visconti1392–1447 · 15th century · Politicians0.97 - 41
Cesare Balbo1789–1853 · 19th century · Politicians0.97 - 42
Giuseppe Mazzini1805–1872 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Activists0.93 - 43
Prospero Colonna1452–1523 · 15th century0.90 - 44
Benvenuto Cellini1500–1571 · 16th century · Artists0.90 - 45
Benedetto Varchi1503–1565 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.88 - 46
Francesco Guicciardini1483–1540 · 16th century · Writers0.88 - 47
Aloysius Gonzaga1568–1591 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0.88 - 48
Vittorio Alfieri1749–1803 · 18th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures0.87 - 49
Silvio Pellico1789–1854 · 19th century · Writers0.87 - 50
Cesare Cantù1804–1895 · 19th century · Writers0.87 - 51
Giacomo Leopardi1798–1837 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.85 - 52
Vincenzo Gioberti1801–1852 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.85 - 53
Giovanni Boccaccio1313–1375 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.85 - 54
Francesco Redi1626–1697 · 17th century · Doctors0.85 - 55
Francesco Gonzaga1444–1483 · 15th century0.84 - 56
Franco Sacchetti1332–1400 · 14th century · Writers0.82 - 57
Teodato Ipato750–800 · 8th century · Politicians0.80 - 58
Salvator Rosa1615–1673 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.76 - 59
Giordano Bruno1548–1600 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.75 - 60
Girolamo Savonarola1452–1498 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.74 - 61
Domenico Passignano1559–1638 · 16th century · Artists0.74 - 62
Paolo Sarpi1552–1623 · 16th century · Academics0.73 - 63
Parmigianino1503–1540 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.72 - 64
Paolo Giovio1483–1552 · 16th century · Writers0.71 - 65
Massimo d'Azeglio1798–1866 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.71 - 66AMAldus Manutius the Younger1547–1597 · 16th century0.71
- 67
Aldus Manutius1449–1515 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy0.71 - 68
Bernardo Tasso1493–1569 · 16th century · Writers0.71 - 69
Lucrezia Borgia1480–1519 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures0.69 - 70
Pietro da Cortona1596–1669 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.69
- 71MVMatteo Villani1283–1363 · 14th century · Writers0.68
- 72
Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei1675–1755 · 18th century · Writers0.66 - 73
Luigi Alamanni1495–1556 · 16th century · Writers0.65 - 74
Vittoria Colonna1492–1547 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.64 - 75
Pietro Verri1728–1797 · 18th century · Academics0.64 - 76
Pinturicchio1454–1513 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.64 - 77
Giuliano de' Medici1453–1478 · 15th century · Politicians0.62 - 78
Marsilio Ficino1433–1499 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.62 - 79
Filippo Villani1325–1407 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.62 - 80
Paulus Manutius1512–1574 · 16th century · Writers0.61 - 81
Catherine de' Medici1519–1589 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0.60 - 82
Scipione Ammirato1531–1601 · 16th century · Writers0.58 - 83
Bernardino of Siena1380–1444 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.58 - 84
Francesco Filelfo1398–1481 · 15th century · Academics0.56 - 85
Andrea Gritti1455–1538 · 15th century · Politicians0.56 - 86
Pontormo1494–1556 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.52 - 87
Antonio Rosmini1797–1855 · 19th century · Academics0.51 - 88
Leon Battista Alberti1404–1472 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects0.49 - 89
Francesco Foscari1373–1457 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.47 - 90
Giosuè Carducci1835–1907 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.47 - 91
Andrea Dandolo1306–1354 · 14th century · Politicians0.45 - 92
Alessandro Cagliostro1743–1795 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0.45 - 93
Francesco Vettori1474–1540 · 16th century · Writers0.45 - 94
Leandro Alberti1479–1552 · 16th century · Writers0.45 - 95
Amerigo Vespucci1454–1512 · 15th century · Historical Figures0.44 - 96
Erasmo of Narni1370–1443 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy0.44 - 97
Anton Maria Salvini1653–1729 · 17th century · Writers0.43 - 98
Michelangelo1475–1564 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.43 - 99
Francesca da Rimini1259–1285 · 13th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.42 - 100
Antonio Canova1757–1822 · 18th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.42
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 19th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
Giuseppe Verdi1813–1901 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians18 decades - 2
Pope Leo XIII1810–1903 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures15 decades - 3
Giacomo Puccini1858–1924 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians15 decades - 4
Giacomo Leopardi1798–1837 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades - 5
Pope Pius XI1857–1939 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures10 decades - 6
Gabriele D'Annunzio1863–1938 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers14 decades - 7
Pope Pius IX1792–1878 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures18 decades - 8
Pope Pius X1835–1914 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures12 decades - 9
Pope Benedict XV1854–1922 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures11 decades - 10
Alessandro Manzoni1785–1873 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades - 11
Giosuè Carducci1835–1907 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers17 decades - 12
Gioachino Rossini1792–1868 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians20 decades - 13
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy1820–1878 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures12 decades - 14
Giuseppe Mazzini1805–1872 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Activists20 decades - 15
Niccolò Paganini1782–1840 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians18 decades - 16
Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour1810–1861 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians10 decades - 17
Umberto I of Italy1844–1900 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures14 decades - 18
Pope Gregory XVI1765–1846 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures19 decades - 19
John Bosco1815–1888 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures16 decades - 20
Gaetano Donizetti1797–1848 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians19 decades - 21
Vincenzo Bellini1801–1835 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians22 decades - 22
Pietro Mascagni1863–1945 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians13 decades - 23
Giovanni Verga1840–1922 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers15 decades - 24
Emilio Salgari1862–1911 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers13 decades - 25
Amedeo Avogadro1776–1856 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists19 decades - 26
Cesare Lombroso1835–1909 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors16 decades - 27
Amadeo I of Spain1845–1890 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 28
Eleonora Duse1858–1924 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Actors14 decades - 29
Giovanni Giolitti1842–1928 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians14 decades - 30
Giovanni Pascoli1855–1912 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers14 decades - 31
Vittorio Emanuele Orlando1860–1952 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians13 decades - 32
Francesco Crispi1818–1901 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians18 decades - 33
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies1806–1878 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 34
Luigi Cadorna1850–1928 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians11 decades - 35
Margaret of Savoy1851–1926 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists17 decades - 36
Armando Diaz1861–1928 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians11 decades - 37
John William Waterhouse1849–1917 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0 decades - 38
Francis II of the Two Sicilies1836–1894 · 🇮🇹 Italynot measured—
- 39
Francis I of the Two Sicilies1777–1830 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured— - 40
Dominic Savio1842–1857 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures11 decades - 41
Cosima Wagner1837–1930 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians13 decades - 42
John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton1834–1902 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured— - 43
Francesco Hayez1791–1882 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists20 decades - 44
Edmondo De Amicis1846–1908 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers16 decades - 45
Errico Malatesta1853–1932 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Activists11 decades - 46
Ruggero Leoncavallo1857–1919 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians13 decades
- 47
Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily1772–1807 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musiciansnot measured— - 48
Alexander of Battenberg1857–1893 · 🇮🇹 Italy17 decades - 49
Andreas Hofer1767–1810 · 🇮🇹 Italy22 decades - 50
Camillo Golgi1843–1926 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors15 decades - 51
Luigi Facta1861–1930 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians12 decades - 52
Charles Felix of Savoy1765–1831 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures0 decades - 53
Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies1822–1889 · 🇮🇹 Italynot measured— - 54
Giuseppe Peano1858–1932 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics14 decades - 55
Giovanni Segantini1858–1899 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists13 decades - 56
Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Berry1798–1870 · 🇮🇹 Italy0 decades - 57
Maria Anna of Savoy1803–1884 · 🇮🇹 Italy0 decades - 58
Giovanni Schiaparelli1835–1910 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists15 decades - 59
Massimo d'Azeglio1798–1866 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians19 decades - 60
Marco Minghetti1818–1886 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians18 decades - 61
Antonio Salandra1853–1931 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians15 decades - 62
Giovanni Battista Belzoni1778–1823 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures4 decades - 63
Arrigo Boito1842–1918 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers16 decades - 64
Amilcare Ponchielli1834–1886 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians15 decades - 65
Prince Henry of Battenberg1858–1896 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 66
Karl Mozart1784–1858 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians0 decades - 67
Louis of Parma, king of Etruria1773–1803 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades - 68
Filippo Turati1857–1932 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians14 decades - 69
Goffredo Mameli1827–1849 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers18 decades - 70
Pietro Gasparri1852–1934 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures12 decades - 71
Alessandro Moreschi1858–1922 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians3 decades - 72
Vito Volterra1860–1940 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics14 decades - 73
Lidia Poët1855–1949 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Lawyersnot measured— - 74
Vincenzo Gioberti1801–1852 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics20 decades - 75
Luigi Capuana1839–1915 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Journalists15 decades - 76
Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti1774–1849 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figuresnot measured— - 77
Saverio Mercadante1795–1870 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians20 decades - 78
Oreste Baratieri1841–1901 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured—
- 79
Joseph Cafasso1811–1860 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figuresnot measured— - 80
Ernesto Teodoro Moneta1833–1918 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Journalists11 decades - 81
Alfredo Catalani1854–1893 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians13 decades - 82
Benedetto Pistrucci1783–1855 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artistsnot measured— - 83
Macedonio Melloni1798–1854 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists19 decades - 84
Ermete Zacconi1857–1948 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Actorsnot measured— - 85
Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte1851–1948 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figuresnot measured— - 86
Gemma Bellincioni1864–1950 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musiciansnot measured— - 87
Giuseppe Bossi1777–1815 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artistsnot measured— - 88
Luigi Canina1795–1856 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academicsnot measured— - 89
Luigi Lavazza1859–1949 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Foundersnot measured— - 90PTPietro Tacchi Venturi1861–1956 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figuresnot measured—
- 91
Alice Barbi1858–1948 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musiciansnot measured— - 92
Camillo Serafini1864–1952 · 🇮🇹 Italynot measured— - 93
Pelagio Palagi1775–1860 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artistsnot measured— - 94
Antonio Anastasio Rossi1864–1948 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figuresnot measured— - 95
Franco Leoni1864–1949 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musiciansnot measured— - 96
Enrico Sibilia1861–1948 · 🇮🇹 Italynot measured— - 97
Giovanni Migliara1785–1837 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artistsnot measured— - 98
Luca Montuori1859–1952 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured— - 99
Gino Loria1862–1954 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academicsnot measured— - 100
Giovanni Tebaldini1864–1952 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musiciansnot measured—
How this is measured
- Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
- Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
- Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
- What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.