Monica Vitti: 'Queen of Italian cinema' dies at 90

Actress Monica Vitti, who starred in a string of landmark Italian films in the 1960s, has died at the age of 90.

Paying tribute, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini described her as the "queen of Italian cinema" and "a great artist and a great Italian".

Vitti was best known for her work with director Michelangelo Antonioni on classics like 1960's L'Avventura, which earned her a Bafta nomination.

Her English-language roles included the title part in 1966's Modesty Blaise.

Following her death, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Vitti had "made Italian cinema shine around the world".

He added: "An actress of great wit and extraordinary talent, she conquered generations of Italians with her spirit, her bravura, her beauty."

Born in Rome, Vitti started out in the theatre, where she was spotted by Antonioni. The legendary film-maker went on to put her at the heart of The Night (1961), Eclipse (1962) and The Red Desert (1964).

She told Italian TV in 1982 she was "lucky enough to start my career with a man of great talent", who was also "spiritual, full of life and enthusiasm".

That relationship brought her worldwide acclaim and led to her first role outside Italy, opposite Terence Stamp and Dirk Bogarde in spy comedy Modesty Blaise.

After returning to her home country, she cemented her status as a screen icon and was particularly known for her comedies. Vitti was awarded a career Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1995.

In the 1990s, an autobiography titled A Bed is Like a Rose became a best-seller and a set text in Italian schools and universities.

"Its success is the most wonderful thing that has happened to me, a thousand times better than winning an Oscar," she said at the time.