Federica Fontana

By Ines Mendoza

Italy has provided an abundance of cultural and artistic riches for the world to date: fine wine, exquisite dining and an unnatural tendency to ride mopeds whenever possible are but a few.

Add to that an endless list of fashion designers and models that tend to make us everyday girls look like two day old tuna sandwiches - unappealing and slightly bitter.

And Federica Fontana just happens to be one of those models.

Born on April 30, 1977, in Monza, Italy, Fredrica thrived with her sultry looks and magnificent measurements, beginning modeling in her teens, and in 1995, at the age of 18, she placed second as "Miss Buona Domenica" (Miss Good Sunday), and third as "Bellissima," or "Most Beautiful," in her native Italy.

What followed from there is an impressive list of television appearances, as audiences all over Italy succumbed to her buxom curves and sparkling smile.

In 1995, Fontana kicked off her career as an Italian television personality, appearing on "La sai l'ultima", and from here her star began to rise with more TV appearances: in 1997, on programs such as "presentazione Ufficiale del Milan" and "Volevo Salutare".

She played a hosting role on the children's show "Slurpiamo" on the Antena 3 network and "Strettamente Personale" for TMC. In 1998, Fontana demonstrated her dancing talents on the program entitled "Scatafascio" - what we here at Web Wombat can only assume is Italy's version "Dancing With The Stars". Since then an array of sport shows, sitcoms and musicals have all been part of her ever growing CV.

In short, she has appeared on more programs and switched networks more times than Bert Newton and his wigs combined - however, is largely unknown outside of her native Italy, where she is also the face of "Nescafe Ice Coffee".

That may be in due part to the fact that the majority of Italian television comprises of little more than beautiful women teamed with crocodile leather skinned elderly men. That said, Daryl Somers was teamed with a talking ostrich and that show ran for 28 years, so who am I to judge?

Thankfully in 2003, photographer Antoine Verglas had enough sense to take Federica's Italiano charms all the way to sunny California. Her sizzling appearance in the GQ calendar, alongside Brazilian bombshell Fernanda Lessa, allowed an international audience to glance their eyes sideways at this finely tanned and toned Mediterranean beauty.

From there, the TV host and "lady of world television soccer" was given her own 12 month calender spread in 2004. No doubt something which proudly hung on the garage wall of every hot-blooded male and Portia DeRossi-loving female throughout the most fashionable country in all the world.

As for the boys, if you feel you're in the market for this busty Italian, don't get too confident - literally. Egotism is said to be a big turn-off for Fontana, something she can't stand. And really, this is true for most self-respecting women, right girls?

In fact, all she is hoping is that she doesn't end up alone and lonely, which shouldn't be too much of a worry for the girl with "come hither" look that can instantly make any man with basic eyesight and a pulse drool on demand.

So next time you decide jump on a plane en-route to the land of mopeds, be sure to make your way to the closet 'Televisione' and switch onto whatever station this mini-skirt clad beauty may be appearing on that particular week.