Economy – Italy’s economy is on the up. So said the Wall Street Journal on November 6 in a piece entitled – Italy’s Economy: Turning the Corner*, in which it reported on the positive figures shown in the last few weeks; the “best in Europe” it said. On the same day, Bloomberg Businessweek expressed the same opinion, based on a statement by the Bank of Italy declaring that more credit would be available next year – Italy’s Lending to Rise in 2016 Amid Recovery, Central Bank Says.
As foreign businesses – such as Ageas, the Belgian Insurance company – are starting to look with interest at what is happening on the Italian market, as reported by Reuters on November 6 – Belgian insurer Ageas mulls options for 2.5 bln euros cash pile-CEO, the foreign press have also been writing about how Italian groups are performing at the moment, with Poste Italiane, for example, practically doubling in the first nine months of the year, also reported by Reuters, but on November 9 – Poste Italiane says 9-mth net profit nearly doubles.
Art – The art world has given the press much to report on this week. On November 5, the New York Times ran a piece on Carlo Crivelli, a little known 15th century Venetian painter – Carlo Crivelli, an Overlooked Renaissance Master, in Boston, whilst on November 9, the Wall Street Journal chose to focus on another great Italian artist, Giorgio Morandi, this time from the 20th century, and an exhibition in New York dedicated to his work – ‘Giorgio Morandi’ Review: Still Lifes That Find the Sublime*.
On November 6, the Financial Times, on the other hand, wrote a more general piece about Italian art and how it has been attracting great interest in recent auctions in both New York and London – The Art Market: Italians in NYC*, a fact confirmed in a follow-up piece it published 3 days later reporting on the price just paid for a Modigliani – Chinese billionaire buys Modigliani nude for $170m at Christie’s.
Art, in the guise of one of Italy’s most important art galleries, the Galleria Continua, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, featured in the November 8 edition of Liberation – Galleria Continua, gotha à la crème, and the next day, the Wall Street Journal dedicated an article to the work of Dom Quartuccio, photographs providing a revealing insight into New York’s Italian community, on show at the Italian American Museum right there in the Big Apple – Little Italy’s Revered Photographer*.
Leading Lights – On November 9, Les Echos, published a profile of Andrea Munari, the BNLs new CEO and member of the Executive Board of the bank’s parent company, BNP-Paribas – Un Italien au profil international à la tête de BNL. A few days later, on November 12, Die Welt chose instead to feature the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi – Italiener Grandi wird neuer UN-Flüchtlingskommissar. Meantime in Spain, El Mundo dedicated an article, published on November 7, to the communicative charm of Lapo Elkann – El encanto del hombre canalla along with another piece on the same day that focused instead on Italian music, featuring an in-depth interview with popular singer Laura Pausini – Laura Pausini, la voz que no calla. On November 9, one of Spain’s other papers, El Pais, wrote about the phenomenon that is Elena Ferrante, the pen name used by a highly successful novelist whose true identity remains unknown – Elena Ferrante: “Escribir es una apropiación indebida”.
Tourism & lifestyle – Tourism, along with aspects of Italian lifestyle also warranted a mention this week, with the Washington Post explaining, on November 9, that Milan and New York have got together to promote travel to both cities – NYC, Milan announce tourism partnership. Meantime on November 6, the New York Times, wrote about the search for eternal life going on in one of the towns on Lake Garda’s breathtaking shoreline – Limone Sul Garda: Where to Find the Secret to a Long Life?* Tourists, albeit of a very particular kind, also made the press, with an article published by Bloomberg Business on November 9 about those who head for Fiorano in order to indulge in lessons on how to drive a Ferrari – Six Tricked-Out Driving Schools for Luxury Auto Nuts.
As to lifestyle, M, Le magazine du Monde ran a piece on November 6 that described how, in the 1950s, Piaggio’s Vespa 400 economy car was introduced specifically to compete with Fiat’s 500 – Vespa 400, la plus française des petites italiennes*.
*Article available for pay/with registration