Isabella Ferrari

Isabella Fogliazza (born 31 March 1964), better known by her stage name of Isabella Ferrari, is an Italian actress. She's best known for her role as Chief Giovanna Scalise in the first two seasons of Italian police procedural series Distretto di Polizia (2000–2002). At the 1995 Venice Film Festival she won a Volpi Cup award for Best Supporting Actress in the film The Story of a Poor Young Man.

Career Ferrari was born Isabella Fogliazza in Ponte dell'Olio, Province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna. At the age of 15, she was elected Miss Teenager in a contest held in a discoteque. She made her acting debut at the age of 17 as Selvaggia in the Carlo Vanzini comedy Sapore di mare in 1982; she also performed in the film's sequel Sapore di mare 2- un anno dopo. Since then, she has regularly performed in films, television and the theatre. She is best known to the Italian audience as Police Commissioner Giovanna Scalise, the protagonist in the first two seasons of the police drama series Distretto di Polizia.

At the 1995 Venice Film Festival, Ferrari won a Volpi Cup for Best Supporting Actress in the Ettore Scola film Romanzo di un giovane povero in which she played the part of Andreina.

She was nominated to the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress in 2006 thanks to her performance in The Goodbye Kiss and in 2008 for her performance in Quiet Chaos.

In 2021, she was selected as a jury member for the International competition section of the 74th Locarno Film Festival held from 4 to 14 August.

In May 2025, she joined the cast of Bertrand Mandico's upcoming film Roma Elastica.

Personal life Ferrari lives in Rome, Italy, and is the mother of three children. Her eldest daughter, Teresa, who was born in 1995, is by her first husband, Massimo Osti; and her younger daughter, Nina (born 1998), and son, Giovanni (born 2001) are by her second husband, director Renato De Maria.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1987 Professione vacanze Alice Episode: "A qualcuno piace il calcio" 1993 Les Mercredis de la vie Maria Episode: "Un homme à la mer" 1994 Haute tension Anna Caron Episode: "Impasse meurtrière"1998 Provincia segreta Raffaella Granelli Main role (season 1); 3 episodes Nicholas' Gift Alessandra Television movie 2000 Sospetti Serena Arcalli Main role (season 1); 6 episodes 2000–2002 Distretto di Polizia Chief Giovanna Scalise Lead role (season 1-2), guest (season 3); 47 episodes 2003 Doppio agguato Anna Millesi Television movie 2004–2005 Cuore contro cuore Francesca De Luca Lead role; 22 episodes 2007 Liberi di giocare Silvia Mauri Television movie 2009 Eisfieber Antonia Gallo Television movie 2011 Storia di Laura Laura Television movie 2015 Una grande famiglia Claudia Manetti Main role (season 3); 8 episodes 2018–2020 Baby Simonetta Loreti Main role; 18 episodes2023 Sei donne – Il mistero di Leila Viola Razzieri Main role; 4 episodes Gigolò per caso Francesca Episode: "Chapter 2: Francesca" Upcoming series

Theatre Anestesia totale (2011) Il catalogo (2010) Due partite (2006) I tre alberghi (1999) Ondine (1994))