Actress Monica Vitti — Remembered as the 'Queen of Italian Cinema' — Dead at 90

Monica Vitti, an award-winning actress known for her decades of work in Italian movies, has died at age 90.

Dario Franceschini, Italy's Minister of Culture, confirmed the news in a statement Wednesday, saying, "Farewell to Monica Vitti, farewell to the queen of Italian cinema. Today is a really sad day, a great artist and a great Italian disappeared."

Walter Veltroni, a former mayor of Rome, also tweeted an announcement early Wednesday morning. Per Variety, the translated post reads: "Roberto Russo, her companion in these years, asks me to communicate that Monica Vitti is no more. I do so with great grief, affection, and nostalgia."

According to The New York Times, Vitti began dating filmmaker Russo in 1975 and they married in 1995.

Vitti famously starred in director Michelangelo Antonioni's films L'Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961) and L'Eclisse (1962), and they collaborated again on 1964's Red Desert.

In an Italian TV interview in 1982, she discussed working with Antonioni, according to The Guardian, saying, "I was lucky enough to start my career with a man of great talent [but who was also] spiritual, full of life and enthusiasm."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The star earned a BAFTA Award nomination for L'Avventura, and at the Italian Golden Globes in 2000, she received a career achievement award. Vitti was also honored with a Career Golden Lion at the 1995 Venice Film Festival.

Vitti made two English-language films, according to Variety: 1966's Modesty Blaise and 1979's An Almost Perfect Affair. She also wrote, directed and starred in 1990's Secret Scandal.