Vittorio Sgarbi hospitalized: what happened and how is he doing?

Vittorio Sgarbi is hospitalized in serious condition at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome . The 74-year-old art critic and television personality is in the intensive care unit : the news was confirmed by the hospital itself, as reported by Ansa and major national newspapers.

The turning point came on the evening of Thursday 1 October , with the official note from the Gemelli Polyclinic : the hospitalisation is linked to respiratory failure and his conditions, although critical, are currently stable.

What happened

Sgarbi has been in intensive care at Gemelli Hospital since Wednesday, September 30. The initial news circulated that evening, with confirmation from the hospital company reported by news agencies.

On Thursday , October 1st, the hospital initially announced that it would not release medical bulletins . Then, in the evening, the official statement arrived with the reason for his hospitalization and an initial assessment of his condition.

Update of October 1, 2026, the Gemini note

The statement from the Gemelli Hospital clarifies two issues that remained unanswered in the preceding hours: the cause of his hospitalization, respiratory failure , and his clinical condition, described as "critical but stable ." Doctors have not indicated a prognosis or length of hospital stay , and the art critic remains in intensive care under monitoring. The statement is signed by Professor Massimo Antonelli , director of the Department of Emergency, Anesthesiology, and Resuscitation Sciences at the Gemelli Hospital. His partner Sabrina Colle and his sister Elisabetta are also in intensive care , as reported by newspapers.

Before the official statement, some rumors had circulated , including the hypothesis of pneumonia , never confirmed by the hospital. As always in these cases, it's best to separate official information from unverified rumors.

Update of October 1, 2026, the words of his daughter Evelina

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 1st, his daughter Evelina Sgarbi arrived at Gemelli Hospital and was able to enter intensive care for a few minutes. That evening, she released a statement about the visit to her father.

"I visited my father at Gemelli Hospital today. I'm devastated," Evelina said. "I found him in extreme pain , which devastated my mind and will remain indelibly etched in my heart. Unfortunately, my cry of pain wasn't heard in time." This is a direct statement from the family, which doesn't provide details about his medical condition.

Update of October 2, 2026, the note from lawyer Iacobbi

Also on Thursday, October 1, a statement from the legal community was released. Lorenzo Iacobbi , Evelina Sgarbi 's lawyer , released a statement describing the hospitalization as "not a sudden event, but the tragic and foretold epilogue of irresponsible management of the art critic's illnesses."

In the statement, the lawyer claims that his daughter, "for over a year and in every place," had asked for help for her father, also reporting "a forced and incessant summer of promotional activities and participation in events" throughout Italy. At the end of the visit, he explained to reporters that his condition remains critical and that Sgarbi is intubated and unconscious , with hopes of improvement in the coming hours. This information was provided by the lawyer, not confirmed by a medical bulletin: the hospital has not released any new official updates beyond Thursday's statement.

Update of October 2, 2026, the reconstruction of the family

On Friday, October 2nd , a firsthand reconstruction of the days leading up to her hospitalization arrived. Eugenio Lio , Elisabetta Sgarbi 's partner, provided it to Fanpage , responding to rumors that Sgarbi had been ill for two weeks and that her symptoms had been underestimated. These rumors were reported by sources close to her daughter Evelina and picked up by several newspapers.

According to Lio, the fever began on September 29th , and he was admitted to the hospital on the morning of the 30th . In the early hours, his condition was monitored at home by the private Gemelli a Casa care service , and Sabrina Colle is said to have called the doctors, who examined Sgarbi, took his temperature, and administered Tylenol . The fever had gone down, but during the night between the 29th and 30th , it rose again and his oxygen saturation dropped, leading to his hospitalization being organized for the following morning. "It didn't seem serious at first, but then the situation worsened," Lio explained. This is a reconstruction provided by a family member, and does not replace official clinical information.

Regarding his current condition, Lio referred to the hospital's report, which described him as "critical but stable ," explaining that "we need to wait." A possible new statement from Gemelli Hospital could arrive in the next few hours, but at this time, the hospital has not released any official updates other than the statement from Thursday, October 1st.

Update of October 3, 2026, the response of attorney Ruffolo

The legal front has also returned to television in the last few hours. Attorney Ugo Ruffolo , who is representing Sgarbi in the lawsuit filed by his daughter Evelina, appeared on Rai 1's La Vita in Diretta . Ruffolo dismissed the idea that the art critic's public commitments of recent months, including presentations and guest appearances, had worn him down: "The accusations are indecent," he said, explaining that "Sgarbi was much more exhausted by slogging through the courts, leaving in a bundle, than by giving presentations for his own pleasure."

The lawyer then focused on the relationship between father and daughter, calling it "humiliating" for a man "of that stature" to have to prove to a judge or an expert that he is competent to understand and decide. He was referring to Evelina's request to appoint a support administrator, which the judges had ordered a medical assessment. This statement, from Sgarbi's lawyer, contains no updates on his medical condition. The art critic remains in intensive care at Gemelli Hospital, awaiting a possible new medical report.

Update of October 3, 2026, the note from Evelina's mother

On Saturday, October 3, a statement also came from Evelina's mother, Barbara Hary , Sgarbi's former partner. In a statement reported by Resto del Carlino , Hary denounced a "media massacre" against her daughter by several television programs, "La Vita in Diretta" and "Dentro la Notizia," which she claims continue to spread "a false and misleading narrative" of the affair.

Regarding his health, Hary maintains that "Vittorio's problems are clinical and physiological, not depressive in nature," and speaks of a hospitalization "for pneumonia after days of fever," describing the art critic as "sick, with cancer, and a heart condition." These are statements from a family member, not a medical bulletin: the official statement from Gemelli Hospital indicates respiratory failure as the cause of his hospitalization and describes his condition as "critical but stable ." The art critic remains in intensive care, with no further official updates from the hospital.

Updated October 3, 2026, conditions stable according to agencies

On the afternoon of Saturday, October 3, new information arrived regarding Sgarbi's health. According to news agencies, led by Ansa, his condition remains stable and treatment continues in the Gemelli Hospital's intensive care unit.

This is not a new medical bulletin: the hospital has not released an official update since Thursday, October 1st. The news agencies, also reported by Adnkronos and LaPresse, however, describe the situation as stable , eliminating the adjective "critical" used in the first report, and confirm that Sgarbi remains hospitalized in intensive care. No prognosis or discharge time has been provided.

Update of October 4, 2026, the story of partner Sabrina Colle

On Sunday, October 4th, the newspaper Il Giornale published, on the Copernico page that usually hosts Sgarbi's column, an article by his partner Sabrina Colle . She reconstructs the hours leading up to his hospitalization.

According to Colle, on Tuesday, September 29, "everything was going well": a nurse from Gemelli Hospital, Luca , had stopped by the house to hydrate him and administer an antipyretic . The next morning, however, "I noticed that Vittorio wasn't breathing well." From there, she rushed to the Gemelli Hospital , waited alone in the emergency room , and was then allowed to join him in the intensive care unit.

In his writing, Colle describes the hospital as a labyrinth and recounts what he saw in the corridors, wards, and waiting rooms, focusing on the work of doctors, nurses, and young healthcare workers. The text concludes with a phrase addressed to Sgarbi: "What I saw didn't erase my anguish, but it helped me bear it," and with an image of the door to the intensive care unit, beyond which he writes that Vittorio is. This is a firsthand account from a family member, and contains no updates on his clinical condition. According to news agencies, his condition remains stable and Sgarbi is still hospitalized in intensive care.

Precedents in recent years

This isn't Sgarbi's first hospitalization. Since 2023, he's faced a series of health problems that have also led him to suspend his participation in television talk shows.

In the spring of 2025, he had been hospitalized for a long time for a deep depressive syndrome , remaining for over a month at the Gemelli hospital in Rome. Last February , at the Certosa di Ferrara , he returned to public appearing visibly weakened.

At that time, his personal situation had also been the focus of media attention due to the conflict between his partner and his daughter, an aspect that accompanied the news about his health.

Who is Vittorio Sgarbi?

An art critic, art historian, politician, and television personality, Sgarbi is one of the most recognizable figures on the Italian cultural scene. He has curated numerous exhibitions throughout Italy, including several in Naples, such as the Museum of Madness , and has been the protagonist of theater productions and television programs dedicated to art.

Frequently asked questions about Vittorio Sgarbi's hospitalization

Where Vittorio Sgarbi is hospitalized

At the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome , in intensive care . Confirmation comes from the hospital, as reported by news agencies.

What are his conditions?

Gemelli Hospital , in a statement dated Thursday, October 1st, described his condition as critical but stable . According to his daughter's lawyer, Lorenzo Iacobbi, the art critic is intubated and unconscious . No prognosis or hospitalization time has been released. According to news agencies, as of October 3rd, his condition is stable , with the "critical" adjective no longer used in the first statement, while treatment in intensive care continues.

Vittorio Sgarbi is intubated

Yes. According to the daughter's lawyer, Lorenzo Iacobbi, after the visit, Sgarbi was found to be intubated and unconscious . This is a statement from the lawyer, not a medical report.

Why is he hospitalized?

Due to respiratory failure , according to an official statement from the Gemelli Polyclinic. Hospitalization began on Wednesday, September 30.

When he was admitted

His admission to intensive care began on Wednesday, September 30. The news was confirmed by the hospital and reported by news agencies.

What the family said

Evelina Sgarbi's daughter spoke of a condition of extreme suffering . Her lawyer, Lorenzo Iacobbi , described her hospitalization as the "foretold epilogue" of a management deemed irresponsible. Added to this is the reconstruction of her sister's partner, Eugenio Lio , who indicated the onset of the fever on September 29th and the hospitalization on the morning of the 30th , describing the medical assistance as timely. These are biased statements, without clinical details. On October 4th, her partner Sabrina Colle's account, published in Il Giornale, of the hours preceding her hospitalization, was added.

He had other health problems

Yes. Since 2023 he has faced various health problems and in the spring of 2025 he was hospitalized for over a month, again at Gemelli, for a profound depressive syndrome.