A particularly successful edition of the Miss Italy Pageant was Miss Italy 1947. It counted among the finalist's several future movie stars: Gianna Maria Canale, Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida , Eleonora Rossi Drago and Silvana Mangano. The eighth edition of Miss Italia took place in Stresa as the previous one, in one evening on September 28th, 1947.

One of these contestants, Italian screen legend Gina Lollobrigida was honoured with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Thursday to celebrate a half-century as one of the world's most iconic leading ladies.

Born Luigina Lollobrigida in Subiaco, Italy on July 4, 1927, Gina Lollobrigida was a model and beauty pageant contestant in her youth. She finished third in the 1947 Miss Italia pageant.

On being asked how she felt about her commemoration at the Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame, Gina told a section of the media, "What can I say? I'm very moved. I didn't expect, after so many years, to be back here and to have all this love"

"I was very spoiled in America, even when I came the first time, and I did the first movie with MGM, with Frank Sinatra. I remember they treated me like a queen. I will never forget that," she continued.

She thanked fans for making her famous across the world, declaring that the movies, unlike other artforms, were "magic" and that working made her "feel alive."

Tiziana Rocca, the general director of the ongoing Filming on Italy festival in Los Angeles, described Lollobrigida as a "legend" with an "outstanding career."

The actress, once a famous Italian pin-up, is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1956 US movie "Trapeze," in which she starred alongside Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis

The Golden Globe-winning star, 90, has appeared in about 60 movies but her big breakthrough came when she starred alongside Humphrey Bogart in John Huston's 1953 romp "Beat the Devil.

Lollobrigida won the first of her three David di Donatello Awards from L'accademia del Cinema Italiano as best actress in 1956 for "Beautiful but Dangerous."

Affectionately known as "La Lollo" by fans, she also won the award in 1963 for "Imperial Venus" and 1969 for "Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell."

The Italians named her "the most beautiful woman in the world" after she starred in her signature movie "La Donna piu bella del mondo" (1955).

In the 1970s Lollobrigida turned her interest to photojournalism and today she keeps busy with photography and sculpture.