Cristina Barbieri (born 12 June 1963), best known as Diana Est, is an Italian singer who retired in the mid-1980s.

Born in Milan, Barbieri started her career as the vocalist in a new wave group formed by alumni of the Santa Marta Music School in her hometown, first using her birth name Cristina, then adopting a number of stage names.^[1] In 1981, she was put under contract by Dischi Ricordi and adopted the stage name Diana Est.^[1] Shortly later, she made her record debut with "Tenax", an Italo disco song written by Enrico Ruggeri whose lyrics were partly in Italian and partly in Latin.^[1][2] In 1983, she got her main hit with the song "Le Louvre", still written by Ruggeri.^[1][3]

Following a further single, and once her contract with Ricordi expired, Est abruptly decided to quit showbusiness in the mid-1980s.^[1][2] In 2002, the novelist Matteo B. Bianchi wrote a short story, Magnifica ossessione (i.e. "Magnificent obsession") about the imaginary life of Est after her retirement.^[4]

Barbieri is the niece of singer-songwriter Mario Lavezzi.^[1]

Singles

• "Tenax" / "Notte senza pietà" (1982)
• "Le louvre" / "Marmo di città" / "Le louvre" (instrumental) (1983)
• "Diamanti" / "Pekino" (1984)^[2]

• Cristian Cizmar. "Diana Est, una meteora dalla scia luminosa". Raro! (245). July 2012. pp. 59–63.