While we expect the 2022 iteration of ‘Miss Italia’ to be contested this December as usual, we recently saw last year’s winner crowned at a delayed ceremony in Venice.
This coveted and historic title was eventually won by Zeudi di Palma, who beat off some serious competition in a dramatic finale on February 13th.
Of course, the best Italian bookmakers on www.bestbettingsites.com took a huge swathe of bets on the eventual outcome, while this trend is expected to continue through 2022. In this post, we’ll delver deeper into di Palma’s win and its impact, while taking a brief glimpse at the history of Miss Italia.
Assessing di Palma’s Victory – A Brief Breakdown
The 2021 iteration of Miss Italia was supposed to take place in December 2021, but this was postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, this lavish and culturally popular ceremony took place at the Venice Casino on February 13th, with hosts Elettra Lamborghini and Alessandro di Sarno announcing di Palma as the victor on a night of high drama.
A 20-year-old sociology student from the suburb of Scampia in Naples, di Palma was representing the Neapolitan capital in the final, having previously overcome Miss Napoli towards the end of 2021.
The brunette, 5ft 7 model courted a great deal of attention prior to the final, having broadly discussed the social issues that blighted here hometown during her childhood. After all, Scampia is best known for its ongoing mafia wars, high crime rates and soaring poverty, which have shaped di Palma’s personality and ambitions for the future.
She has also done much to follow in the footsteps of her mother, who previously founded the ‘La Lanterna di Scampia’, which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to tackling childhood poverty and keeping kids off the streets.
Di Palma’s backstory certainly contributed to her win, which came as little surprise as she entered the final as one of the leading favourites.
However, the win was still relatively dramatic, with di Palma initially eliminated from the final three, before this error was quickly corrected and she was progressed to the final stage of the competition.
After eventually being proclaimed the winner, di Palma was quick to celebrate her rivals for the crown. “Miss Italia is a family, and it is a path that I wish for every girl, even if she does not win”.
“The girls were wonderful, and a beautiful friendship was born with some of them,” she continued, before adding “which I intend to cultivate and preserve”.
Among the main contenders that di Palma managed to overcome was the pre-event favourite Ludovica Cutuli. The 20-year-old university student from Ragusa was tipped by many of the best Italian betting sites to prevail, thanks largely to her extensive modelling experience and previous participation in numerous fashion shows and beauty contests.
However, di Palma’s combination of style and substance saw her claim the coveted and long awaited 2021 crown, as she became just the fourth woman from the southern region of Campania to win the title (and the first since Roberta Capua in 1986).
The good news is that most Italian online bookmakers didn’t lose out too much, particularly with di Palma having seen her odds shorten considerably amid a slew of bets in the build up to the final.
A Brief History of Miss Italia
The history of Miss Italia can be traced back to 1939, when a forerunner of the event (Miss Sorriso or ‘Miss Smile’) started by Dino Villani.
The contest resumed after the Second World War in 1946 under its current moniker of ‘Miss Italia’, which created a scenario where participants were judged on their runway performance and other factors rather than photographs alone.
Since its inception, Miss Italia has undergone a number of changes, in the same way that Italian society has also evolved over time. For example, this competition started out by being broadcast on radio, but the event has been aired live on Italian television since 1987.
Since 1990, the dimensions of the contestants (including their chest, hip and waist measurements) are no longer judged, while Miss Italia was opened up to married women and mothers just four years later.
Recent winner di Palma was also note that many of the previous winners and contestants have subsequently enjoyed highly successful careers in modelling, television and film, including Lucia Bose, Simona Ventura and world-famous actress Sophia Loren.
The Last Word
Incredibly, the 2022 iteration of Miss Italia is still likely to take place towards the end of the year, so the top betting sites in Italy will soon be reopening their books for bets and wagers on a whole new selection of participants.
This event is always fascinating from the perspective of Italian online bookmakers, as it’s incredibly hard to call and create a viable list of favourites.
However, it’s also incredibly popular among punters, while the keenly contested and dramatic 2021 iteration will only attract more betting interest nationwide!