Bellissima : feminine beauty and the idea of Italy

Abstract

"Feminine beauty has been more discussed, appreciated, represented in art and associated with national, cultural identity in Italy than in any other country. This study investigates the debates and conflicts the issue provoked. Gundle examines the role of peasant beauty in symbolising the failed hopes of the Risorgimento, and the annexation of this by the establishment in the late nineteenth century; Fascism's failure to mould the ideal modern Italian woman; the politicization of beauty pageants after the Second World War; the symbolic role of film and television stars; and the controversy over the election of the first non-white Miss Italy in 1996." "Although the public discussion of feminine beauty was largely a male affair, the women were caught up in it, and who were seen, on account of their beauty, to embody the nation, were never passive objects. Indeed, they often used or manipulated the tradition of beauty for their own ends. This book explores these issues through the careers and public images of numerous prominent women including Queen Margherita of Savoy, the opera singer Lina Cavalieri, and the film stars Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale and Monica Bellucci."