Biography
Luigi Visconti, better known by the stage name Fanfulla, was an Italian actor and comedian. Born in Rome on 26 February 1913, he began performing on stage at a young age alongside his mother, the actress Mercedes Menolesi, known as Diavolina. From the mid-1940s to the late 1950s he was a popular figure in cabaret and avanspettacolo, sometimes called the King of Avanspettacolo.
Visconti appeared in numerous films, often in supporting roles, from the early 1950s onwards. Federico Fellini relaunched his screen career by casting him as Vernacchio in Satyricon (1969); the performance earned him a Nastro d'Argento for best supporting actor. He also featured in Fellini's The Clowns (1970). He died of a heart attack in Bologna on 5 January 1971 while on tour.
