Valeri was born in Milan as Alma Franca Maria Norsa. She adopted her surname in the 1950s as an homage to the French critic and poet, Paul Valéry. Despite the old age and suffering Parkinson's disease, she's still very active on the Italian theatrical stage. Across the season 2005-2006 she performed her own monologue La Vedova Socrate ("Socrate's Widow") and Les Bonnes, by Jean Genet. Valeri started her career on the radio, where she created the character of "Signorina Cesira" and "Signora Cecioni", exhilarating sketches centereing on the idiosyncrasies of the Italy of 1950s. She co-starred important films hits, such as The Sign of Venus or Il vedovo, although most of her characters are supporting role. In the 1960s Valeri also frequently worked for Italian TV. Directed by Antonello Falqui, she starred in Studio Uno, Le divine and Sabato Sera. At the moment (January 2008) she is playing in the role of "Solange" in Jean Genet's "Le bonnes" at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan.