Miss Italy

Valeria Altobelli

Where did you grow up? Tell us a little about your home town/city, and family.
I’ve grown up in Sora, a pleasant town near Rome. Sora is placed on Liri River, crowned by the Appennini mountain chain. In Sora the most attractive place is the historical centre that is very old and delightful. Sora is important, because that city has seen the birth of one of the most important international directors that’s to say Vittorio De Sica. I live in the suburbs, in a graceful house with my big family, composed by six members. My lovely sister, my mum, my dad, granny, my grandpa and myself. I think that it is the first and most important place in which a person's character can be formed and developed. We are a very close-knit family. Just to give an example: none of us starts eating if one of the six chairs is empty!

What Jobs have you done? What was the most interesting/bizarre?
Since the age of fourteen, I started to have occasional jobs in my "spare" (if I can define it so) time, above all in summer. I have had many interesting jobs: from secretary to hostess in various show-rooms, from interpreter to baby sitter, from waitress in bars or ice-cream shops and shop assistant to interior designer and decorator in furniture factories.
But the job, linked to my personal interest that I prefer mostly is to give private lessons of every subject to students that need a helping hand. In that way I can improve and study through many interesting topics. The most interesting and important job for me has been to sing in different music bands since I was fifteen until now. Singing is my favourite hobby and it has become for me a real "profession". Besides the most exciting and bizarre job I have been asked once to look after children in a "mini-club" in summer: play, water games and jokes were on the menu everyday.

What are your career ambitions, how do you plan to realise them?
My greatest ambition is to become a fair judge an I hope to apply my knowledge in order to defend honest people that need the "light of law": Human rights have to raise thanks to people that with a spirit of abnegation, trust in their profession. I plan to fulfil this dream by studying hard, travelling and improving my studies most of all comparing Italian point of view in terms of law with the international background, maybe becoming an ambassador between my country and the other world countries. I would like to specialize myself in International Law.

What is the proudest moment of your life? (Not including winning your National Title)
The proudest moment of my life is linked to a particular experience I have had with some friends of mine: some years ago, we adopted five third-world children of different countries with the intermediation of a missionary. I adopted a girl, sending her money to permit her some food, clothes and medicine she needed. She has never come to Italy, and I hope to collect enough money to make it possible for her to do this. As far as I am concerned, I have already met my lovely little friend. When I saw for the first time her sweet face and her black eyes on a photograph she sent me, my heart started beating faster and faster. A tear of joy dropped from my eyes and for a moment I have actually seen her as my "daughter". Seeing what she was seeing, thinking what she was thinking, and feeling what she was feeling. Then a true love spirit, the most sincere spirit in the world, has pervaded me.

What was the funniest/most embarrassing moment of your life?
The funniest moment of my life is, no doubt, my sister’s birth. I was six years old and my greatest desire was to have someone to play with and to look after. Dolls were not enough for me because I needed a sister to love, the same sister that I need and that I love still now and that is one of the most important person in my life. When my mum was in the hospital, I was at home, more nervous than everybody, always asking for some news. When the call came, I started running and screaming on the top of my voice that I had a sister too!The most embarrassing moment of my life is very nice and unusual! One morning entering the door of my high school I saw something on the wall. It was the message from one of my "wooers" that said: "Valeria you are my life! I love you". I hoped that none of the students had noticed that message, but that was quite impossible as it was written in black on a white wall, in big block capitals. I was the only Valeria in the school. During break time, walking through the school corridors, I felt that I was being pointed at by all the students: everybody was talking and laughing at me and if that wasn’t enough…my headmaster of my school entered my class and with a laugh said "I hope that similar love declarations will never happen in our school", looking at me. What an embarrassing moment.

How has your life changed since winning your National Title?
Since winning my national title my life has changed most of all in terms of "time". I have to plan my days "hour by hour" in order to succeed in organizing this new and exciting experience with my previous commitments and with my studies. It is hard work but it isn’t impossible if you are able to do it. Moreover it is pleasant and nice to be recognised by people and to receive a special consideration, as if you are a "star", when you are present at various events.

Tell us about an interesting event you have attended, or a person that you have met.
One of the greatest events I have attended has been a seminar on the "Globalisation and Human Rights". In this lecture I had the possibility of knowing many things about the history, the difficulties and the importance of the affirmation of human rights. In this world we are living in, these rights are often trampled down by cheeky and wicked people that don’t consider and also forget their importance and the "long fight" to achieve their affirmation.

What would you like to do, if you became Miss World 2004?
If I became Miss World 2004, I would like to undertake a "charity programme", faithful to the theme of "Beauty with a Purpose". I would like to travel all over the world, knowing different realities and facing different problems, opening my mind and my heart to different cultures and situations. Surely the possibility to take part in important and famous events like fashion shows, programmes or charity events could only be a great thing.

If you had a personal motto what would it be?
"Live as it could be the last moment of your life, think as you could live a hundred years".

Give details of any charitable work undertaken?
In my own small way I take part and organise various voluntary services. At first, I teach catechism to children in my parish, since I was thirteen. After that I have a voluntary group that works very well and with a great harmony. We organise meeting days for people who are either handicapped or orphans. Elderly and poor people, cooking for them and let themselves enjoy those beautiful moments with songs, games and gifts. Trying in that way, to let them forget the wickedness of the cruel world.

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