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and finally... Italy is back with Raphael Gualazzi!!

19 February 2011 at 23:58 CET

The Sanremo Festival takes place during five days in February in the city of the same name. This year it celebrated it's 61st edition. For years the winning song of Sanremo went on to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest, the last time this happened was in 1997 with Jalisse's Fiumi Di Parole, the last time that the country participated in Europe's favourite TV show.

Since the Italian broadcaster, RAI, announced their comeback to the competition there's been a high interest in knowing the entry. It was already announced that it'd be one of this year's Sanremo contestants, not necessarily the winner, as a special expert jury commissioned for the task would make the decision.

And the decision was announced around 22:45 CET by former Italian entry in 1970 Gianni Morandi, this year's Sanremo presenter, and it was a winner indeed: the singer Raphael Gualazzi, who won the "Giovani" section of the Festival on Friday night with the song Follia d'Amore will represent Italy at the Final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest on the 14th of May in Düsseldorf!

Gualazzi also won the Critics award, named the Mia Martini Award in honour to the late Italian performer who also represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1977 and 1992.

You can check the song on RAI.tv