Benedetto Vittorio Emmanuele Secondo Cottafavi, the son of an army officer and landowner, was blessed with a comprehensive university education in law, philosophy, and literature by the time he completed his studies at the prestigious Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome in 1938.
As a young man, Cottafavi embarked on a professional journey in the film industry, commencing as a humble clapper boy. Over time, he progressed to scripting motion picture screenplays and working as an assistant director under the esteemed Alessandro Blasetti and Vittorio De Sica. This valuable experience eventually led him to assume the role of a director in his own right in 1943.
Many of Cottafavi's films were characterized by their opulence, including a string of tongue-in-cheek "sword-and-sandal" costume spectaculars that explored mythological themes and often revolved around the Roman Empire or Ancient Egypt. From the mid-1960s, Cottafavi dedicated himself exclusively to directing television series and mini-series, with RAI (RadioTelevisione Italiana) serving as his primary employer.
