Casale Monferrato - People

People

Notable people born in Casale, or with close connections to the town, include:

• Evasius (died 3rd, 4th, or 8th century, perhaps), martyr and patron saint of the town
• Ubertino of Casale (1259–1329), Franciscan preacher and theologian
• Yolande of Montferrat (1274–1317), became Eirene, Empress-Consort of Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor
• Facino Cane (1360–1412), condottiere
• William VIII, Marquess of Montferrat (1420–1483), who established Casale as its definitive capital
• Boniface III ((1424–1494)), Marquess of Montferrat
• Giovanni Martino Spanzotti (born circa 1455), painter
• William IX, Marquess of Montferrat (1486–1518)
• Anne d'Alençon (1492–1562), Marchioness of Montferrat
• Bianca Maria Gaspardone (died 1526), the rich heiress who became wife to Ermes Visconti and to the Count of Cellant, (and mistress to many more) before her public execution in Milan.
• John George, Marquess of Montferrat (1488–1533)
• Boniface IV, Marquess of Montferrat (1512–1530)
• Stefano Guazzo (1530–1593), founder of the Casale literary academy the Illustrati
• Niccolò Musso (c.1590 – c.1623), painter of the Baroque period
• Camilla Faà di Bruno (c.1599-1662), the ‘Bella Ardizzina’ who secretly married Francesco Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara and of Montferrat.
• Ferdinando del Cairo (1666–1748), a painter of the Italian Baroque school, was born in Casale
• Giacomo Zanetti (1698–1735), master-builder and architect who completed the baroque reconstruction of Santa Caterina, and built several palazzi in the town
• Pietro Francesco Guala (1698–1757), painter of the Piedmontese Baroque school
• Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli (1707–89), architect
• Carlo Cozio, Count of Montiglio and Salabue (1715–1780), chess player
• Carlo Vidua, Count of Conzano (1785–1830), traveller and archeologist
• Carlo Evasio Soliva (1791–1853), musician
• Luigi Canina (1795–1856), archaeologist and architect
• Joseph Rocchietti, the earliest known Italian-American novelist, was an emigrant from Casale
• Giovanni Lanza (1810–1882), politician
• Ascanio Sobrero (1812–1888), chemist
• Eleuterio Pagliano (1826–1903), painter
• Luigi Hugues (1836–1913), engineer, geographer and musician
• Francesco Negri (1841–1924), photographer
• Giovanni Celoria (1842–1920), astronomer
• Giulio Viotte (1845–78), artist.
• Giovanni Camerana (1845–1905), magistrate, poet, art critic: one of the prime members of the scapigliatura movement.
• Leonardo Bistolfi (1859–1933), sculptor.
• Leandro Bisiach (1864–1946), a violin maker.
• Ugo Cavallero (1880–1943), military commander.
• Cesare Maria De Vecchi (1884–1959), politician.
• Umberto Caligaris (1901–1940), footballer.
• Egidio Ortona (1911–1996), diplomat.
• Augusto Segre (1915–1986), writer and antifascist.
• Giampaolo Pansa (born 1935), journalist and writer.
• Sergio Castelletti (born 1937), footballer.
• Giovanni Piana (born 5 April 1940), philosopher.
• Roberto Bolle (born 1975), ballet dancer, was born in Casale, although he grew up in Trino Vercellese.

• Portrait of Anna d'Alençon by Macrino d'Alba

• Niccolò Musso, self portrait

• Ascanio Sobrero

• Roberto Bolle