Italy bid farewell to many celebrities and notable public figures over the course of the past year, from fashion icons to screen legends, celebrated artists and even a pope.JanuaryOliviero Toscani, the Milan photographer famed for his provocative "shockvertising" campaigns for fashion brand Benetton, died on 13 January aged 82. Toscani shook up the advertising world in the 1980s and 1990s by using visually striking images and addressing contentious social issues such as race, war, religion and sexuality.March Actress Eleonora Giorgi died in Rome on 3 March aged 71, following a long battle with cancer. Giorgi appeared in dozens of films in the 1970s and 1980s, many of which were comedies and erotic comedies. During her final illness she received much praise for her positive outlook on life. April In one of the world's biggest news stories of the year, Pope Francis died in the Vatican on 21 April, Easter Monday, aged 88. The death of the pontiff followed a prolonged hospitalisation in Rome's Gemelli hospital and led to Italy declaring five days of mourning, leading up to his funeral in St Peter's Square. June Alvaro Vitali, the comic actor discovered by Fellini and best known for his role as naughty schoolboy Pierino, died in Rome on 25 June aged 75. Vitali starred in more than 150 films, mostly in Italy's bawdy "commedia sexy" genre that thrived in the 1970s and early 1980s, however he faded from the limelight in recent decades. The renowned Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro died on 22 June, a day before his 99th birthday. Pomodoro was celebrated internationally for his polished bronze orbs, fractured to reveal jagged interiors, which were placed in high-profile sites including the United Nations headquarters in New York and at the Vatican Museums. August Pippo Baudo, a legendary television presenter watched by generations of Italian audiences, died in Rome on 16 August aged 89. Hailed as "the king of Italian television", Baudo presented numerous successful TV shows, including Domenica In, as well as hosting the Sanremo Music Festival a record 13 times. Gianni Berengo Gardin, the photographer celebrated for his iconic black-and-white images of life in Italy, died in Genoa on 6 August aged 94. A tireless chronicler of Italy's social and cultural transformations over the past six decades, Berengo Gardin's legacy comprises more than two million photographs and 260 books. September Giorgio Armani, the celebrated Italian fashion stylist who built up a billon dollar fashion business, died in Milan on 4 September aged 91. The Armani brand, founded in 1975, was famed for its elegant but minimalist style. Italian premier Giorgia Meloni said the designer "brought prestige to Italian fashion and inspired the entire world", remembering him as "a symbol of the best of Italy." Claudia Cardinale, the legendary Italian actress who starred in 1960s film classics Il Gattopardo and Pink Panther, died on 23 September aged 87 in Nemours, France. Cardinale worked with some of Italy's greatest directors, including Fellini, Visconti, Leone and Monicelli, in a movie career that spanned six decades. October Sofia Corradi, the Italian professor of educational sciences and inventor of the Erasmus student exchange scheme in the European Union, died in Rome on 17 October aged 91. Corradi was known as 'Mamma Erasmus' for her revoluntionary idea of promoting cultural, social and academic exchanges between European students. James Senese, the celebrated Italian saxophonist, composer and singer-songwriter, died in Naples on 29 October aged 80. Senese was a leading exponent of the "Napoli Sound" - a blend of jazz, funk, blues and Neapolitan tradition music - and is remembered for a long collaboration with fellow musician Pino Daniele. November Peppe Vessicchio, the Italian conductor, composer and television personality, died in Rome on 8 November aged 69. Vessicchio was a household name in Italy thanks to his appearances at Sanremo, having conducted in nearly every edition of the festival since 1990 and scoring four wins as the orchestra's director. Ornella Vanoni, the pop singer, songwriter and actress whose colourful career spanned six decades, died in Milan on 22 November aged 91. Vanoni achieved massive success with hit songs in the 1960s and participated in Sanremo eight times. She sold more than 55 million records and was much loved for her ironic sense of humour. December Nicola Pietrangeli, the first Italian to win a Grand Slam and widely regarded as one of Italy's greatest tennis champions, died on 1 December aged 92. Pietrangeli won two Grand Slams - the Roland Garros in 1959 and 1960 - holding the Italian record for 65 years before being surpassed this year by Jannik Sinner. Image: Giorgio Armani. Photo credit: FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.com.

January Oliviero Toscani, the Milan photographer famed for his provocative "shockvertising" campaigns for fashion brand Benetton,  aged 82. Toscani shook up the advertising world in the 1980s and 1990s by using visually striking images and addressing contentious social issues such as race, war, religion and sexuality. March Actress Eleonora Giorgi died in Rome  aged 71, following a long battle with cancer. Giorgi appeared in dozens of films in the 1970s and 1980s, many of which were comedies and erotic comedies. During her final illness she received much praise for her positive outlook on life. April In one of the world's biggest news stories of the year, Pope Francis died in the Vatican , Easter Monday, aged 88. The death of the pontiff followed a prolonged hospitalisation in Rome's Gemelli hospital and led to Italy declaring , leading up to his  in St Peter's Square. June Alvaro Vitali, the comic actor discovered by Fellini and best known for his role as naughty schoolboy Pierino,  on 25 June aged 75. Vitali starred in more than 150 films, mostly in Italy's bawdy "commedia sexy" genre that thrived in the 1970s and early 1980s, however he faded from the limelight in recent decades. The renowned Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro , a day before his 99th birthday. Pomodoro was celebrated internationally for his polished bronze orbs, fractured to reveal jagged interiors, which were placed in high-profile sites including the United Nations headquarters in New York and at the Vatican Museums. August Pippo Baudo, a legendary television presenter watched by generations of Italian audiences,  on 16 August aged 89. Hailed as "the king of Italian television", Baudo presented numerous successful TV shows, including Domenica In, as well as hosting the Sanremo Music Festival a record 13 times. Gianni Berengo Gardin, the photographer celebrated for his iconic black-and-white images of life in Italy,  on 6 August aged 94. A tireless chronicler of Italy's social and cultural transformations over the past six decades, Berengo Gardin's legacy comprises more than two million photographs and 260 books. September Giorgio Armani, the celebrated Italian fashion stylist who built up a billon dollar fashion business,  on 4 September aged 91. The Armani brand, founded in 1975, was famed for its elegant but minimalist style. Italian premier Giorgia Meloni said the designer "brought prestige to Italian fashion and inspired the entire world", remembering him as "a symbol of the best of Italy." Claudia Cardinale, the legendary Italian actress who starred in 1960s film classics Il Gattopardo and Pink Panther,  aged 87 in Nemours, France. Cardinale worked with some of Italy's greatest directors, including Fellini, Visconti, Leone and Monicelli, in a movie career that spanned six decades. October Sofia Corradi, the Italian professor of educational sciences and inventor of the Erasmus student exchange scheme in the European Union,  on 17 October aged 91. Corradi was known as 'Mamma Erasmus' for her revoluntionary idea of promoting cultural, social and academic exchanges between European students. James Senese, the celebrated Italian saxophonist, composer and singer-songwriter,  on 29 October aged 80. Senese was a leading exponent of the "Napoli Sound" - a blend of jazz, funk, blues and Neapolitan tradition music - and is remembered for a long collaboration with fellow musician Pino Daniele. November Peppe Vessicchio, the Italian conductor, composer and television personality,  aged 69. Vessicchio was a household name in Italy thanks to his appearances at Sanremo, having conducted in nearly every edition of the festival since 1990 and scoring four wins as the orchestra's director. Ornella Vanoni, the pop singer, songwriter and actress whose colourful career spanned six decades,  on 22 November aged 91. Vanoni achieved massive success with hit songs in the 1960s and participated in Sanremo eight times. She sold more than 55 million records and was much loved for her ironic sense of humour. December Nicola Pietrangeli, the first Italian to win a Grand Slam and widely regarded as one of Italy's greatest tennis champions,aged 92. Pietrangeli won two Grand Slams - the Roland Garros in 1959 and 1960 - holding the Italian record for 65 years before being surpassed this year by Jannik Sinner. Image: Giorgio Armani. Photo credit: FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.com.