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ROME - LA BELLA FIGURA

Everyone here likes to cut a figure especially the Carabinieri! And the women really are beautiful, many with those sultry looks, high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes which catapulted Sophia Loren to stardom. I've compared notes with other globetrotters and we're all agreed that Rome has an exceptional concentration of attractive women! What is the source of these good looks? Italians in Rome seem more homogeneous than, say, the populations of Britain or France. Perhaps this ensures more regular and harmonious features. And a surprisingly high proportion of women - even mature women - have ideal figures to go with their looks. Even the road-sweepers are immaculately coiffured belle ragazze who look like they're just modelling the immaculately clean overalls.

The pursuit of la bella figura is reflected in the heavy advertising on TV for muscle-twitching electrodes and other torture equipment, but better this than the American-led descent into gross obesity. Feminism of the Anglo-American variety has made little impact here. TV programs of all types are liberally adorned with belle ragazze as a matter of course. I don't understand much Italian but "belle ragazze" are words I often seem to hear in street conversations! A pizza shop, meanwhile, advertises: "Cercasi ragazza apprendista"' (Girl apprentice wanted), which I presume would be illegal in socially-controlled Britain.

It seems I was too busy filming ancient monumnents to end up with any pictures of people, but if there are any belle ragazze from Rome reading this, send me your photos and I'll put them here!

Rik - 8 June 2001

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