Her death was announced on Wednesday by the former mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni on behalf of Vitti's husband Roberto Russo.
Vitti, who found success in both comedies and dramatic roles, is best known for her portrait of alienation in Michelangelo Antonioni's drama L'Avventura.Â
Widely considered a masterpiece, the role made her an international star.
Hollywood director Martin Scorsese once wrote: "'L'Avventura gave me one of the most profound shocks I've ever had at the movies."
"An actress of great irony and extraordinary talent, she conquered generations of Italians with her wit, her bravura, her beauty," Prime Minister Mario Draghi said.
"She brought glamour to Italian cinema around the world."
Alongside Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and Claudia Cardinale, Vitti was one of Italy's most distinctive actresses.
Vitti became the melancholic symbol of loneliness in Antonioni's intellectual-existential films, and later she showed her comedic talent in comedies such as La ragazza con la pistola (The Girl with a Pistol).
Born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli in Rome, she received the Silver Bear at the 1984 Berlinale for her outstanding individual performance in the film Flirt.
In 1995, she was awarded the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival.
For the past two decades Vitti lived in seclusion from the public eye due to a serious illness.
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