Actress. Born Elena Caterina Catardi, she studied piano with Maestro Luigi Finizio graduating at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples. She made her debut as a pianist at the age of twenty-five and soon became a valued concert performer. In 1918, she married the actor Wladimiro De Liguori son of film director Giuseppe De Liguori, with whom had a daughter born the following year. A few years later Catardi driven by her husband began her career in the film industry with the stage name Rina De Liguori. In 1923, she got her first starring role in the drama “Messalina”. De Liguori was mainly used in historic films considered the first great masterpieces of Italian cinema such as “Quo Vadis?” (1925), “Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei” (1926) and “Il vetturale del Moncenisio” (1927), films that allowed her to become one of the greatest Italian divas of silent cinema. She also worked abroad in France, Germany and United States. After these experiences abroad, Rina chose to resume her career as a pianist, achieving remarkable successes. In 1939, she returned to Italy where resumed her film career by taking part in seven films filmed between 1942 and 1963, the last of which was “Il Gattopardo” directed by Luchino Visconti. (bio by: Ruggero)