Vittorio Sgarbi is an Italian art critic, television personality, actor, and politician who is probably one of the most foul mouthed, aggressive, short-tempered Italians you are ever likely to be unlucky enough to meet.
With a list of convictions, mainly for slander, as long as your arm, Sgarbi continues to pop up on Italian television.
In 2010, Sgarbi tried, unsuccessfully, to have all YouTube videos of him removed, probably because most of them showed him swearing at, kicking, hitting or insulting someone or other.
Politically, Sgarbi has been associated with just about every political party under the sun! He may be Italy’s one and only radically fascist commie.
Man of culture Sgarbi’s favorite word seems to be the vulgar Italian slang for excrement. When this feisty critic is wound up, and it does not take much, this word certainly seems to fly around as if something had hit a fan.
Sgarbi’s arrogance is legendary in Italy. He also gained a certain infamy for being the first person to swear on Italian television and was fined 60 million lire for his televised expletive.
Not only does Sgarbi have a foul mouth, he can also be extremely insulting. One example of this is when he said of one Federico Zeri that he hated him and hoped he would die! What a charmer.
On another occasion and as a result of his big mouth, someone tipped urine all over this controversial art critic.
Once Sgarbi told a female member of the public that she was fat and should go and lose weight. The unfortunate lady was present during a television programme Sgarbi was appearing in.
In 2006, Sgarbi was kicked off a reality show for having argued with another participant, one Alessandra Mussolini – the granddaughter of infamous Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
Supposedly single, he has fathered no less than three children! At times Sgarbi has stated he is Roman Catholic. Other times he’s claimed he’s an atheist.
Rumor has it that Sgarbi has done one or two good things for Italy.
Vittorio Sgarbi amply qualifies as Italy Chronicles’ first Italian Rogue of the week.
Italian readers with half and hour or so of their time to spare might like to wade through the controversies section of Sgarbi’s Wikipedia entry.
If one were to write a book about the exploits of Sgarbi, the controversies would probably outnumber his achievements 1,000 to 1.
Tune in for another Italian Rogue next week!
Nominations happily accepted ;)
——
Photo credit: Elena Torre from Viareggio, Italy
