Corriere Adriatico
By Laura Ripani
February 15, 2026
SAN BENEDETTO To welcome her on Viale Buozzi, fresh from the title of Miss Europe, the escort of the traffic police was even mobilized. Anna Ranalli, the symbolic woman of the Sixties in a city that was exploding on the wave of the Economic Miracle, died yesterday at the age of 84.
The election
Her name will forever remain linked to the election that saw her triumph in 1960 in Beirut. She had been chosen by Ezio Radaelli on the advice of Mimmo del Moro out of over 200 contestants to represent Italy at the Miss Europe contest. It was the evening of June 11, 1960 when she was elected. On her way back, she paraded along the streets in an open car: next to her was the deputy mayor, Luigi Sciarra: confetti was thrown at her. She was the daughter of a taxi driver and had 3 sisters. Fabulous rumors immediately spread in the city, that she had even been courted by some sheikhs and her return was worthy of a Hollywood star.
She was a sort of testimonial ante litteram, with several tourists admitting that they had chosen San Benedetto because of this wonderful woman.
Ranalli - who in 1958 had interrupted her studies to enroll at the Experimental Center of Cinematography - was hired by the best Italian directors and made 7 films. The best known was "The Magnificent Three" with Walter Chiari, Ugo Tognazzi and Raimondo Vianello. After achieving popularity, she studied singing with the masters Francesco Ferrari and Bruno Zambrini, recorded some records and participated in the television program "Tempo di musica".
At the cinema she played some roles in comedies and mythological films such as Rocco and the sisters also directed by Giorgio Simonelli (1961), Le ambiziose, directed by Antonio Amendola, Maciste contro lo sceicco by Domenico Paolella (1962) and I 4 tassi, directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1963) then Perseo l'invincibile, directed by Alberto De Martino. As a singer she participated with Amore mio-mao in the "Six Days of Song" in 1961.
Private life
She left the cinema to devote herself to her family after marrying Gianfranco Battelli, a rally driver who had abandoned racing for her. He followed him to manage two hotels in Chianciano Terme. In recent years she had retired to private life between San Benedetto and Martinsicuro, unforgotten.
RANALLI, Anna (Anna Maria Ranalli)
Born: 1/21/1942, San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche, Italy
Died: 2/14/2026, San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche, Italy
Anna Ranalli’s western – actress:
The Magnificent Three – 1961 (Dolores)
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