Delia Scala

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Delia Scala, born September 25, 1929 - died January 15, 2004, was an Italian ballerina and actress.

Born Odette Bedogni in Bracciano, Lazio, Italy, as a young girl the family moved to Milan where she studied ballet at La Scala Ballet School for seven years. She performed in numerous ballets until World War II, after which she began appearing in motion pictures using the stage name, Delia Scala. In 1956, she began a career in television, an industry that at the time in Italy was still in its infancy. She starred in several variety shows during the 50s and 60s, and became one of her country's most beloved TV showgirls.

During the mid 1950s she gained much publicity for her relationship with Formula One racecar driver Eugenio Castellotti. However, he died in 1957 when his Ferrari crashed while attempting a speed record at the Modena racetrack. She ultimately married Piero Giannotti, but he was killed in a bicycle mishap.

Although Scala achieved great fame, life was not easy and she was diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoing a radical mastectomy. After several years battling her cancer, Delia Scala died in 2004 in Livorno, Tuscany. With the news of her passing, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi called her a "model of vivaciousness and rigorous professionalism" and said she ranked among "the most beloved and popular artists in the history of Italian entertainment."