5,000 lire for a smile

The first Italian beauty contest was in 1939, thanks to the intuition of two masters of the Italian creativity: publicist Dino Villani and writer Cesare Zavattini. The idea was simple, but revolutionary: launching a photo contest to promote a toothpaste produced by Gi.Vi.Emme beauty company. At first, the prize consisted of an award of 5,000 lire – the current in Italy at that time – in government bonds, but whenadditional in-kind prizes were included, the contest became a cultural phenomenon, its name turning into 5.000 lire e un corredo per un sorriso (5,000 lire and a trousseau for a smile). Winning meant takinghome a real treasure for that period: a whole trousseau, a fur coat, a modern gas stove, a precious chandelier made in Murano – a little Venice’s island famous for its glass handicrafts –, a raincoat, six pairs of silk tights, a two-weeks stay for two people at the Grande Albergo in Cattolica, on the Adriatic Sea. To participate, a picture that portrayed a nice smile was enough. The success was overwhelming: the idea of winning and having a moment of fame spurred the people on, and a lot of Italians sent their most curious portrays. Despite the war, the population caught that call to being light-hearted. Just like that, a whole country decided to bare their soul and give a smile to the camera lens. In 1946, after the forced break during the war, the beauty contest went back into Italians’ dreams under the name La bella d’Italia (The beauty of Italy). Short after its name turned for good into Miss Italia.  

In collaboration with: Città di Torino – Dipartimento Gabinetto del Sindaco, Ufficio Look of The City.