Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri
Alessandro "Dado" Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri (alesˈsandro ˈdaːdo ˈruspoli; 9 December 1924 – 11 January 2005) was an occasional actor and legendary figure of Rome's Dolce vita (historical period) era in the 1950s and '60s. Known for his eccentric lifestyle and charismatic personality, he was the 9th Prince of Cerveteri, 9th Marquess of Riano, 14th Count of Vignanello and Prince of the Roman Papal States. Dado was famous for his flamboyant walks along Via Veneto, often with a parrot perched on his shoulder, and served as inspiration for Federico Fellini's iconic film La Dolce Vita.
Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri

Unknown (Mondadori Publishers) · Public domain
- Name
- Alessandro Ruspoli
- Born
- 9 December 1924
- Birthplace
- Rome, Kingdom of Italy
- Died
- 11 January 2005
- Place of death
- Rome, Italy
- Nationality
- Italy · Kingdom of Italy
- Occupation
- actor · socialite · film director · art collector · eccentric
- Languages
- Italian
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Documentary summary
Alessandro "Dado" Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri (alesˈsandro ˈdaːdo ˈruspoli; 9 December 1924 – 11 January 2005) was an occasional actor and legendary figure of Rome's Dolce vita (historical period) era in the 1950s and '60s. Known for his eccentric lifestyle and charismatic personality, he was the 9th Prince of Cerveteri, 9th Marquess of Riano, 14th Count of Vignanello and Prince of the Roman Papal States. Dado was famous for his flamboyant walks along Via Veneto, often with a parrot perched on his shoulder, and served as inspiration for Federico Fellini's iconic film La Dolce Vita.
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Note VALÉORINE
Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri (1924–2005) was an actor, art collector and eccentric, among other activities, of Italian and Italian nationality. The actor was born and died in Rome. Languages used include Italian.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q2832816 · wikipedia · Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri
In this article
Biography
Biography
Dado descends from a brother of Cardinal Bartolomeo Ruspoli.

Italian nobleman Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri and his wife, Francesca dei Baroni Blanc
Italian magazine Epoca, year IV, N. 14, p.85

Foto Alessandro Ruspoli Jane Fonda di Majalah Varianada Edisi 77 Tahun 1972
Majalah Varianada · https: museummusikindonesia.id/id/2020/12/02/varianada-edisi-077-1972/
Key facts
Key facts
• Consort — yes • Name — Alessandro Ruspoli • Succession — * 9th Prince of Cerveteri • Predecessor — Prince Francesco Ruspoli • Successor — Prince Francesco Ruspoli • Reign — 1989–2005 • Issue — * Prince Francesco Ruspoli • Princess Melusine Ruspoli • Prince Theodore Ruspoli • Tao Ruspoli • Bartolomeo Ruspoli • House — Ruspoli • Father — Prince Francesco Ruspoli • Mother — Countess Claudia Matarazzo • Born — 9 December 1924 • Birthplace — Rome, Kingdom of Italy • Died — 11 January 2005 • Place of death — Rome, Italy
Early life
Early life
Dado was born in Rome in 1924. His mother, his father's first wife Claudia dei Conti Matarazzo, who died when he was 9, was heiress to one of the largest fortunes in Brazil as daughter of Count Francesco Matarazzo. His father Francesco Ruspoli, 8th Prince of Cerveteri, later a poet, fought in both World Wars.
Cultural impact and lifestyle
Cultural impact and lifestyle
Ruspoli became known as a notable figure of the Italian dolce vita, recognized for his presence during the 1950s and 60s. He was known for walking along Via Veneto, often accompanied by a parrot on his shoulder. Dado's flamboyant lifestyle and magnetic personality served as inspiration for Federico Fellini's iconic 1960 film "La Dolce Vita." His wife Patricia described him as "an alchemist of life, transforming the everyday into the marvelous." In addition to his social prominence, Dado was a patron of the arts who supported the creation of the Ballets de Paris by Roland Petit and lived through the golden age of dance with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. Dado became known for his extravagant lifestyle in the 1950s and 60s. His magnetic presence attracted a constellation of luminaries from the worlds of art, literature, and cinema, including Brigitte Bardot, Salvador Dalí, Truman Capote, Roger Vadim, Roman Polanski, and Emmanuelle Arsan.
Personal life
Personal life
• Illustration — Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri and his wife, Francesca dei Baroni Blanc Ruspoli's first marriage, in Rome on 8 December 1947, was to Nobile Francesca dei Baroni Blanc (1920–1962), daughter of Nobile Mario dei Baroni Blanc and wife Anita Felici. She died in Milan on 27 February 1962. They had no children.
Second marriage
Second marriage
Ruspoli's second marriage was on 5 May 1964 at Vignanello, the location of the ancestral residence, Castello Ruspoli, to French aristocrat Nancy de Girard de Charbonnières (b. 1939), daughter of Roger Jean de Girard de Charbonnières and wife Andrée Marie Pommarède. Before their divorce in 1974, they were the parents of one son: • Don Francesco, Principe Ruspoli (b. 1967), being 10th Prince of Cerveteri and head of the Ruspoli family since the death of his father in 2005. He married Donna Angelica Visconti di Ozzano (granddaughter of Salvatore Ferragamo), they had a son and a daughter.
Relationship with Debra Berger
Relationship with Debra Berger
Following his divorce from Nancy, he had a relationship with actress Debra Berger (b. 1957), a daughter of William Berger. They never married but were the parents of two sons: • Tao dei Principi Ruspoli (b. 1975), who married actress Olivia Wilde in 2003; they divorced in 2011 without issue. • Bartolomeo dei Principi Ruspoli (b. 1978), who married Aileen Getty, a daughter of John Paul Getty Jr. and first wife Abigail "Gail" Harris, in November 2004; without issue.
Third marriage
Third marriage
Ruspoli's third marriage was also in Rome, on 20 November 1993, to Theresa Patricia Genest. This marriage produced a daughter and a son: • Donna Mathilde Mélusine dei Principi Ruspoli (b. 1994), a socialite. • Don Théodore Alexandre dei Principi Ruspoli (b. 1997)
Filmography
Filmography
• Identification of a Woman (1982) - Mavi's father • Les italiens (1989) - un inquisitore • The Godfather Part III (1990) - Vanni • Faccione (1991) • La casa del sorriso aka The House of Smiles (1991) - Andrea • Il giardino dei ciliegi aka The Cherry Orchard (1992) • The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1 episode, "Florence, May 1908", 1993) - Professor Reale • Just Say Know (2002) - Himself • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: The Perils of Cupid (2007) (V) - Professor Reale • Marco Ferreri, il regista che venne dal futuro (2007) - Himself
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The canonical record carries the following identifying particulars.
Origins and background
Origins and background
On origins, the institutional record states the following. Born in 1924 at Rome. Cerveteri died in 2005 at Rome.
Legacy and centenary
In December 2024, Rome celebrated the centenary of Dado's birth with events honoring his contribution to Italian culture and cinema. His widow Patricia Ruspoli organized commemorative events, with his son Théodore reading excerpts from Dado's poetry collection "Le pulsazioni del silenzio" (The Pulsations of Silence). Plans were made for additional commemorative events in Vignanello, the ancestral seat that Dado considered his "place of the heart."
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Cultured Story #12: The Ruspoli Family. Cultured Elegance. May 31, 2024.
- 2.Celebrazione del principe Alessandro Ruspoli. Il Vaporetto. December 9, 2024.
- 3.Cultured Story #12: The Ruspoli Family. Cultured Elegance. May 31, 2024.
- 4.Celebrazione del principe Alessandro Ruspoli. Il Vaporetto. December 9, 2024.
- 5.La festa per i 100 anni di Dado Ruspoli. Il Messaggero. December 10, 2024.
- 6.Festa a Roma per 100 anni di Dado Ruspoli. Seguonews. December 9, 2024.
- 7.Cultured Story #12: The Ruspoli Family. Cultured Elegance. May 31, 2024.
- 8.Cultured Story #12: The Ruspoli Family. Cultured Elegance. May 31, 2024.
- 9.Jordan, Julie. Olivia Wilde Separates from Husband Tao Ruspoli. People.com. February 8, 2011.
- 10.Wilkins, Bridie. Princess Melusine Ruspoli's home is literally a dream. Hello Magazine. 28 July 2020.
- 11.La festa per i 100 anni di Dado Ruspoli. Il Messaggero. December 10, 2024.
- 12.Festa a Roma per 100 anni di Dado Ruspoli. Seguonews. December 9, 2024.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
“Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further readingWikipedia
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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