Florence-born Italian leading lady whose anatomy figured prominently into a number of '50s and early '60s spear-and-sandal plots whether a fetching princess or evil temptress.In 1947, at the Miss Italia beauty contest, which was won by actress Lucia Bosé , she placed second.Husband Riccardo Freda met her initially when he offered her a role in one of his films. They got married in Brazil, where they shot two films together, but eventually returned to Italy where she was frequently directed by her husband.Her sultry, dark-haired looks were featured in many magazine spreads in the 1950s and she was often thought of as the Italian version of Ava Gardner .