Economy– The foreign press’s coverage of Italy spotlights the economic reactions to the difficult geopolitical scenario: Reuters recounts how, in its “renewables drive,” the country has given the green light to 6 new wind farms (March 10 – Italy gives green light to six wind farms in renewables drive). Defence spending is also covered, with € 1 billion allocated by Leonardo to modernize its high-tech offerings (March 14 – Leonardo to boost defence electronics business with 1 bln euro spending). Also topping a billion euros is the valuation that the Italian IT consulting and software firm Deda Group is seeking, according to Bloomberg, with its planned listing (March 16 – Italy’s Deda Group Said to Seek IPO at $1.1 Billion Valuation*). And while Boersen Zeitung reports record profits for Generali (March 15 – Generali legt Rekordergebnis vor*), Die Zeit interviews Walter De Silva, “the man who conceived the Alfa Romeo style” (March 15 – Alle meine Autos sind wie Söhner für mich*). Lastly, Xinhua focuses on the wine sector, where “exports reach record levels” in 2021, for a value of € 7.1 billion (March 12 – Italy’s wine exports reach record levels in 2021).
Culture and tourism – Numerous reports are devoted to culture. El País reviews A Magical Flight by Giovanna Giordano (March 14 – Giovanna Giordano sobrevuela la invasión italiana de Abisinia en una novela con un aviador poeta y ecos de ‘El principito’) and The Church is on Fire by Andrea Riccardi, a “cooperating history professor and scholar of Christianity” (March 11 – Andrea Riccardi, el historiador que vislumbra el fin del cristianismo*). The Wall Street Journal covers education, reviewing Cristina di Stefano’s book The Child is the Teacher: The Life of Maria Montessori, dedicated to the “reformer” of teaching methods (March 16 – ‘The Child Is the Teacher’ Review: Montessori’s Unpinned Butterflies*).
El País devotes coverage to architecture with the San Giacomo church that the architect Benedetta Tagliabue has designed in Ferrara, in a blend of “urban planning and craftsmanship” (March 15 – Benedetta Tagliabue: construir la fe a mano*). And while The New York Times interviews the new director of the excavations at Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, who recounts the “open, multiethnic society” revealed by numerous finds in this archaeological “treasure chest” (March 11 – Pompeii Moves With the Times*), Suddeutsche Zeitung pays a visit to Positano, “the refuge of German artists” (March 14 – Positanos Avantgarde).
Les Echos explains how the designer Etro took inspiration for his new collection from Franco Battiato, the “pop idol” and “pioneer of the electronic scene” (March 13 – Quand Etro s’inspire d’une idole de la pop italienne*). Relaxation is also covered, with Tuscany’s Saturnia and Fonteverde listed by Financial Times among the 5 “super-scenic hot springs” (March 13 – Five super-scenic hot springs*).
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