For eight decades, Miss Italy has reflected changing ideas about women, beauty and society in Italy. From its origins in 1939 as the photographic contest “5,000 lira for a smile,” the pageant became closely connected to cinema, television and popular culture.
Lucia Bosè, Gina Lollobrigida, Silvana Mangano and Sofia Loren were among the future stars associated with the contest. As Italian society changed, Miss Italy evolved alongside debates over traditional gender roles, women’s bodies, feminism and representation on television.
From the rise of the Valletta and Velina to the Berlusconi era, Rubygate and protests for women’s rights, television became a central arena for these questions. RAI’s decision to stop broadcasting Miss Italy in 2013 brought renewed debate over whether beauty contests represent objectification or emancipation.
Miss Italy offers a lens through which to consider the evolving place and representation of women in Italian society.
Documentary: Miss-represented : Italian Women Through History
Directed by: Roberto Garzelli
Production: Stella Films (2021)
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