Aprite le finestre
"Aprite le finestre" is an Italian song by Franca Raimondi. It was composed by Virgilio Panzuti, with lyrics by Gian Stellari. It won the sixth edition of the Sanremo Music Festival and subsequently in the of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the first-ever entry from Italy, and the first-ever entry in Italian, performed in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Background
Conception
The song was composed by Virgilio Panzuti, with lyrics by Gian Stellari. It is in the Tuscan style, with Franca Raimondi singing about the joy of Spring beginning and her desire to open the windows to let the new season in.Sanremo
On 9 March 1956, Raimondi performed "Aprite le finestre" for the first time, during the second night of the sixth edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, placing first and advancing to the final. On 10 March 1956, she performed the song again in the final, placing first again and winning the festival.Radiotelevisione italiana used that Sanremo to select its songs and performers for the of the Eurovision Song Contest, and as the contest rules allowed two entries per country, the two best placed entries in Sanremo became the entries for Eurovision: winner "Aprite le finestre" by Franca Raimondi and runner-up "Amami se vuoi" by Tonina Torrielli.
Eurovision
On 24 May 1956, the first Eurovision Song Contest was held at Casinò Lugano in Lugano hosted by Radiotelevisione svizzera on behalf of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, and broadcast live throughout the continent. Raimondi performed "Aprite le finestre" seventh on the evening, following 's "Ne crois pas" by Michèle Arnaud and preceding the ' "Voorgoed voorbij" by Corry Brokken. Gian Stellari conducted the live orchestra in the performance of the Italian entries. Points and final placings at this contest have never been revealed, meaning that the only statement which can be made about the song's final position was that it did not win.The songs were succeeded as Italian representative at the by "Corde della mia chitarra" performed by Nunzio Gallo.