Cynthia Benini is a name that has been in the headlines recently as her case brought international attention to the marriage between her husband, Giampiero Couto. He was at the time of death a controversial trial held in chambers of the lower chamber of the court of cassation in Milan, Italy. His defense team argued that he was not the cause of death since he had served several years in the military and could therefore not have been involved in the accident. Several weeks after the accident, Cynthia and Giusgio were married in their hometown of Genoa and despite some strong resistance from the press and public opinion, they were pronounced husband and wife on the day of the wedding. The couple remained together until last week when their attorneys presented their argument to the courts that effectively declared them man and wife.
Throughout their marriage, Cynthia repeatedly mentioned her profession as an actress in films and television. In fact she made a total of twenty appearances in feature films during her lifetime. Her films had largely been fictionalized affairs although she did feature in one historical drama entitled “The Courtship of Admira” which was set in Naples at the outbreak of World War II. Her profession did not stop her from being a fashion icon. She dressed elegantly and wore numerous bracelets and rings which cumulatively totaled several thousand dollars and was a constant accessory for her public and private life.
The question as to why she changed her profession to an active role in public and private life is answered in the opening pages of this book. The author carefully observes the paradoxical character traits that accompany being a professional woman who enjoys high levels of status and public approval while at the same time feeling alienated from her own sex due to her height. Several moments from the public life of Cynthia Benini show the height advantage that many women of her stature enjoy over their less than average height counterparts. In some cases up to an inch and in other cases more, Benini manages to outshine her shorter height peers in both her career and personal life. This accounts for her being called “the taller of the two women of the century” by the French writer, Philippe Mihailovich.