Ania Pieroni

Ania Pieroni (born 28 February 1957) is an Italian former actress, who is best known for The House by the Cemetery, Tenebrae (1982) and Inferno (1980).

Early life Pieroni was born on 28 February 1957 in Rome to a bourgeois upper-middle-class family. Her paternal grandfather was the mayor of Pescara, while her maternal grandfather was a German architect. Her father was a Knight of Malta, a pilot who as a hobby traded American cars. She attended primary and secondary Catholic schools, and later graduated high school in Rome. On the advice of her father, who was in favor of a diplomatic career, Pieroni began attending a faculty of political sciences.

Film career Pieroni started her film career by taking a small part in the 1978 Alberto Lattuada film Stay as You Are. She also starred as a mysterious music student in the 1980 horror film Inferno by Dario Argento, and worked with him again playing a shoplifter in Tenebrae two years later. Her most famous role however was in the 1981 Lucio Fulci film The House by the Cemetery as the ill-fated babysitter Ann. Her last film was Fracchia contro Dracula, released in 1985. Pieroni was offered to reprise the role of Mater Lachrymarum in Argento's 2007 film Mother of Tears, but turned it down. From 1985 to 1991, she was the director for a local TV station called GBR.

Personal life In the 1980s, Pieroni lived in Milan, and at that time was engaged to Count Roberto Gancia. However, the Gancia-Pieroni engagement fell apart after she met and got romantically involved with Bettino Craxi, the secretary of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). In 1991, Pieroni ended her affair with Craxi and became involved with Osman Mancini, a journalist from GBR (the private TV channel Pieroni was heading at the time). When Craxi got involved in the Mani pulite scandal, he took refuge in Tunisia. Pieroni is recognized for being the only one of those who were involved not to "hide". On 19 September 2001, Pieroni married Neapolitan industrialist and steel mogul Gennaro Moccia. Pieroni returned to public life when she helped and participated in the election campaign for Silvio Berlusconi's party, Forza Italia.

Filmography Year Title Role 1978 Stay as You Are Cecilia 1979 Velvet Hands Maggie 1980 Inferno Musical student (Mater Lachrymarum) 1981 Ann 1981 Maddalena 1982 Tenebrae Elsa Manni 1982 Count Tacchia Duchess Elisa Savelli 1984 Signore e signori Carlotta 1985 Mai con le donne Lisa 1985 Fracchia contro Dracula Countess Oniria