There is no Beauty Pageant more resilient than Miss Italy. It has survived #MeToo, woke false moralizing, parliamentary inquiries, appeals from Italy’s national journalists’ union and even former President of the Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini’s religious ruling without ever giving up. And so, as it does every September, a new Miss Italy was crowned this year: Sarah Rizea, 18, born in Moncalieri, Piedmont, but a Liguria transplant, who competed in the finals as Miss Liguria. She is a student and an artistic swimmer with the Fiamme Oro Police sports group.

She was one of 8,000 girls who entered this year’s competition, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary — even longer if you count the years when it was known as “5,000 lire for a smile.”

Before Enzo Mirigliani took the helm, the pageant was run by Dino Villani, born in 1898: an advertising executive, inventor of the Italian Easter dove cake, painter, writer and founder of the Italian Academy of Cuisine. Before the war, from 1939 to 1941, the contest was not allowed to use the title “Miss.” When the English word returned in 1946, as Enzo Biagi also noted, it signaled that not only the war, but an entire era had come to an end.

Compare to the final held back then, in the ballroom of the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa, on the shores of Lake Maggiore, with last night’s event at Santa Severa Castle, a few miles from Rome, broadcast on San Marino RTV and RaiPlay, beyond changing beauty standards, remarkably little has changed, despite repeated attempts to turn this celebration of physical beauty into a showcase for inclusion.

But nothing is less inclusive or democratic than beauty and its standards. Nor can beauty be confused with talent, as though one was bestowed by grace. Patrizia Mirigliani, the Pageant’s Patron, has tried anyway, creating an Academy this year to prepare contestants for possible careers in show business.

It is an attempt to move beyond physical perfection by bringing out their “substance” and avoid offending the most extreme proponents of political correctness. Fair enough — except that too many people seem to remember the dignity of women only when it is time to elect a beauty queen. After all, hiding a real problem behind a fake one is a classic propaganda tactic and a classic form of resistance to change.

But who is afraid of Miss Italy?

“I’d like to know,” says Mirigliani, who looks to the future with optimism. “It’s a contest with a very clear identity. It has never missed a beat; I’ve always managed to get it on the air, even in very difficult years. Maybe there’s less fear now, but the prejudices are still there, hypocrisy is rampant, and we’ve been fighting it forever. Political correctness finds it convenient to go after the pageant because that way it can avoid dealing with the real problems.

“I remind everyone that we have been and continue to be a ‘clean’ gateway into the entertainment industry. I hope this will be a turning point and that people will finally understand how Miss Italy supports women and gives them opportunities.”

It would be difficult to argue otherwise, given how many actresses got their start here. Not to mention the great stars of the past. Among the contestants in 1947 were Lucia Bosè, who won, as well as Gina Lollobrigida, Gianna Maria Canale and Eleonora Rossi Drago.

In 1950, Rossana Bugliari won. But for Sophia Scicolone, who would later become Sophia Loren, the title of Miss Elegance was created because she was considered too “modern.”

“Many can become famous without winning,” Mirigliani recalls. “Just look at Caterina Balivo, who in 1999 didn’t win any sash but went on to become one of the most talented television hosts. That year, Manila Nazzaro won, and Alberto Sordi was on the judging panel.”

The club of uncrowned contestants also includes Bond girl Caterina Murino, who entered the competition in 1997, the same year as Mara Carfagna.

The following year, Ilary Blasi competed as Miss Cinema Lazio.

The title carries with it a wealth of Italian stories and controversies. One of the biggest came in 1996, when Dominican-born Denny Mendez was crowned. Some members of the jury, including Alba Parietti, Enrico Mentana, Bruno Vespa and Bob Krieger, argued that she did not represent Italian beauty.

The judging panels have always been at the heart of the competition, the place where controversies and scandals are born. And that has been true since the days when the jury included Vittorio De Sica and Luchino Visconti, journalist Arrigo Benedetti, painter Carlo Carrà, a professor at Milan’s Brera Academy, and comic actor Macario.

In 1946, the debate among the judges was heated. Some wanted to crown Rossana Martini, a sweet elementary school teacher, while others favored Silvana Pampanini, a bold and voluptuous beauty. To break the deadlock, Villani turned to the judges and asked: “Are we voting for the kind of girl we would want our sons to marry, or for something else?”

Eighty years later, it turns out that government minister Antonio Tajani has asked himself the same question. “Better to marry less flashy women who are more reliable,” he said, sparking a heated controversy in Italy.

So, once again, who’s afraid of Miss Italy?

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