Gina Lollobrigida, an Italian actress, who was once known as the Mona Lisa of the 20th century died at the age of 95 on Monday, Italian news agency ANSA reported. No other details about her death have been revealed.

Lollobrigida shot to fame in the 1950s as a Mediterranean sex symbol and later became a photographer and sculptor after stepping away from the entertainment industry.

The Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano paid tribute to the actress on Twitter: “Farewell to a diva of the silver screen, protagonist of more than half a century of Italian cinema history. Her charm will remain eternal.”

Who was Gina Lollobrigida?

She was born on July 4, 1927, in Subiaco. In her youth, Lollobrigida did some modeling and participated successfully in several beauty contests.   

At the age of 18, Lollobrigida played a part in the comedy Santarellina by Eduardo Scarpetta at the Teatro della Concordia of Monte Castello di Vibio. In 1947, Lollobrigida entered the Miss Italia pageant and came in third place, giving her national exposure.  

One of her earliest roles was as Gemma, the unhappy adulteress in the 1953 movie The Wayward Wife. She went on to land leading roles in two Italian comedies by Luigi Comencini – Bread, Love and Dreams, and Bread, Love and Jealousy.

Her rise to fame happened with John Huston’s 1954 film Beat the Devil. In 1955 she made what became one of her signature films, The World’s Most Beautiful Woman. She has worked with legendary directors such as Rene Clair and Carol Reed.

As her film career was on a lapse, Lollobrigida established a second career as a photojournalist. In the 1970s, she got a scoop by gaining access to Fidel Castro for an exclusive interview.  

She made a foray into politics last year, standing in the Italian general election just after her 95th birthday. However, she failed in the election.