The Monster of Florence complete cast breakdown: Who plays who & where you have seen them before

The Monster of Florence revisits Italy’s most notorious cold-case murders in a four-episode Netflix limited series, tracking how a .22 Beretta and a pattern of couples killed between 1968 and 1985 ignited one of Europe’s longest investigations. Directed by Stefano Sollima and co-created with Leonardo Fasoli, The Monster of Florence premieres worldwide on October 22, 2025, after an out-of-competition bow at the Venice Film Festival. Across the season, the drama follows the early Sardinian “pista” suspects and the zigzag from police files to courtrooms and front pages. The ensemble is largely Italian, led by Marco Bullitta, Valentino Mannias, Francesca Olia, Liliana Bottone, Giacomo Fadda, and Antonio Tintis.

Below is a cast-first guide to who plays whom and where you may have seen them, followed by the essential story and release plan, plus what the makers say the show is doing and not doing.

The Monster of Florence cast breakdown: who plays who and where you have seen them

1) Francesca Olia as Barbara Locci: an emerging Italian actor with short-form and indie credits like Rebecca in Timor and in Boys as Cloe.

2) Giacomo Fadda as Francesco Vinci: appeared in To Rome with Love and Mary Magdalene.

3) Marco Bullitta as Stefano Mele: viewers may recognize him from The Mute Man of Sardinia, where he played Pietro Vasa.

4) Valentino Mannias as Salvatore Vinci: earlier screen work includes Miriam – Il diario. He played Vogliazzo in that project.

5) Antonio Tintis as Giovanni Mele: TV appearances include Don Matteo 11 and the TV movie Principe Libero.

6) Niccolò Cancellieri as Piero Mucciarini: known for roles in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Medici.

7) Nicolò Pasetti as Wilhelm: Character listed on the series roster. Previous credits include The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

8) Luca Pusceddu as Francesco Usula: supporting player in the ensemble per the listings. His previous TV credits include Boris 4 as Head Lawyer and Crossing Lines season 3 as Inspector Pedrotti.

9) Liliana Bottone as part of the ensemble: film credits include Parthenope, where she played Lucia Esposito, and as Marianna in Thank You Guys.

10) Giordano Mannu also features in the cast, seen with the team on the Venice red carpet.

The Monster of Florence: Story, episode count, and release plan

Premise: The Monster of Florence dramatizes the 1968-1985 killings around Florence and the sprawling inquiry that followed, with attention to the early Sardinian line of investigation and the way suspects and theories multiplied over time.

Episode count: 4 episodes in a limited-series format.

Where and when to watch: all episodes of The Monster of Florence stream on Netflix worldwide on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

Festival launch: screened out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival before its Netflix debut.

The official synopsis for The Monster of Florence on Netflix reads,

“Eight double murders. Seventeen years of terror. Always the same weapon. A .22 caliber Beretta. One of the longest and most complex Italian investigations into the first and most brutal serial killer in the country’s history: The Monster of Florence.

It further reads,

This story is based on ongoing legal proceedings and investigations. In a story where there have been many possible monsters, over time and investigations, our story focuses on them, the possible monsters, from their point of view. Because the monster, in the end, could be anyone.”

The Monster of Florence: Makers’ statements and production notes

Creative team and producers: created by Leonardo Fasoli and Stefano Sollima, directed by Sollima, produced by The Apartment for Fremantle with AlterEgo and producers Lorenzo Mieli, Stefano Sollima, and Gina Gardini. Sollima’s stated intent has been consistent in festival and press materials. As per a TV Insider report dated September 18, 2025, director-producer Stefano Sollima said,

“Horror, to be truly told, must be faced, not avoided.”

further adding,

"And a story, to come through with clarity, without embracing a thesis, must begin at the very beginning. To recount it with honesty, respect, and rigor must still carry meaning. Not to solve, not to explain, but simply to remember. A way to remain close to those who were left there, forever in the night."

A companion director’s statement on the Venice program page stresses the tone. As per La Biennale di Venezia program page for 2025, Sollima wrote,

“You sense the danger of slipping into morbid fascination, of turning pain into entertainment, and, on the other hand, the temptation to soften the horror to make it more bearable. But horror, in order to be truly portrayed, must be traversed. Not avoided..”

What this means for viewers: The Monster of Florence uses documents, court records, and competing hypotheses to track suspects across the early “Sardinian lead,” while showing how an investigation can widen and warp across years. The show leans on lived detail rather than speculation and keeps its eye on how choices by institutions shape outcomes.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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