In memory of a “cultural superstar” – Somebody remembered him as a “global superstar of the literary world”, like the New York Times in an article published on February 19 (Umberto Eco, 84, Best-Selling Academic Who Navigated Two Worlds, Dies*). For others he was “one of the greatest academics and writers of our time” (Wall Street Journal, February 20 – Umberto Eco, Author of ‘The Name of the Rose,’ Dead at 84 * and The Times, February 21 – Italy salutes Umberto Eco, the man who knew everything*). For others still, he was “a man of extraordinary talent and exuberance” (Financial Times, February 20 – Umberto Eco, academic, novelist and journalist, 1932-2016* and the next day, El País described him as a literary Titan Umberto Eco, Funes el memorioso). For L’Orient le Jour on February 20, he was a “monument to contemporary culture” (Umberto Eco, un monument de la culture contemporaine, est mort) and according to Libération a day later, he was a man “who believed in the vital force of culture (Ecce Eco*).
For yet more papers, simply citing “The Name of the Rose” was enough to celebrate the life of Umberto Eco in the headlines to their various articles, many of which appeared on February 20. (Washington Post – Umberto Eco, best-selling author of ‘The Name of the Rose,’ dies at 84, Bloomberg – Umberto Eco, Author of `The Name of the Rose,’ Dies at 84). For Die Welt, the book is the most intelligent medieval novel in the world (Er glaubte noch an das Gute in Mönchen), and according to Le Monde it was an unexpected and amazing best seller (Le succès inattendu du « Nom de la rose », le chef-d’œuvre d’Umberto Eco*) and for El Mundo, it turned a little-known professor into a world-famous author (Umberto Eco, el profesor vuelto novelista). Reuters continued the trend on February 21 (Umberto Eco, Italian author of ‘The Name of the Rose,’ dies at 84).
Other Eco’s novels also got a mention in the foreign press. On February 20, Le Nouvel Observateur wrote about “The Prague Cemetery”, describing the lively debate it caused (L’affaire Umberto Eco), whilst on February 23, L’Orient le Jour focused on his last book “Pape Satan Aleppe (Le dernier livre d’Umberto Eco sort vendredi), chronicles of a Liquid Society” that is to be published posthumously. Eco’s German wife and consequently his ties to her native land meant that the news featured heavily in the German press, with several articles appearing on February 21 including one in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, carrying the news of the passing of the “great humanist” (Großer Humanist» – Trauer um Umberto Eco), one in die Welt about the author’s wife and family (Warum eine Doktorarbeit wie “Derrick” sein sollte), and another in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung telling the story about the German publisher, Suhrkamp, that rejected “The Name of the Rose” without even reading the manuscript (Suhrkamp: «Name der Rose» wurde für 15000 Mark angeboten).
Italian celebrities – The passing of Umberto Eco was not the only Italian to feature in the international press as space was also found to remember Renato Bialetti, the entrepreneur who, as the New York Times explained on February 21, “put a moka (the stove-top espresso maker) in every kitchen in Italy (Renato Bialetti, the Mr. Coffee of Italy, Dies at 93) and he had already featured, on February 18, in an obituary in The Times (King of the moka pot gets one last roasting*).
Other famous Italians also occupied column inches, with El País, on February 22, celebrating the 60 year-long musical career of Ennio Morricone (Feliz aniversario, maestro Morricone) and on February 20 and 21, the German press wrote about the Golden Bear awarded to the director Gianfranco Rosi at the Berlin Film Festival for his film “Fuocoammare”, dedicated to the drama of the migrants in Lampedusa (die Welt – Goldener Bär fü Lampedusa-Doku, die Zeit – Lampedusa-Drama “Fuocoammare” gewinnt Goldenen Bären and Handelsblatt – Regisseur Gianfranco Rosi widmet Goldenen Bären den Bewohnern von Lampedusa).
A young entrepreneur from Milan, Brian Pallas, represented the Italian business world in a long profile published in the Financial Times on February 21 about the man and his start-up, Opportunity Network, that aims to “help businesses identify opportunities simply by using their smart phones” (Opportunity Network helps family businesses find the right deals*).
Fashion & style – This week, thanks to the new collections being shown on the runways in Milan, the foreign press has taken a particular interest in fashion and style.
Whilst the New York Times wrote, on February 24, about the revitalization of the Made in Italy brand, describing the week as “a constellation of emerging stars” (Italy’s Next Generation Takes Hold), other papers focused on the results of the Kering Group’s most important brand – the very Italian Gucci. (Reuters, February 19 – Gucci gives sneak preview of life after turnaround and the headline in the Financial Times – Gucci revival helps luxury goods group Kering*).
On the same day however, Spain’s financial daily, Expansión, featured another Italian fashion icon, writing about the Versace group’s ambitious plans for international growth that would include Madrid (Cómo Donatella Versace ha sostenido su imperio). Wall Street Journal also ran a piece, on February 23, about the exhibition, recently inaugurated in Florida, that reflects the history of Italian fashion (‘Bellissima: Italy and High Fashion 1945-1968’ Review*).
The automobile sector of the Made in Italy brand also featured this week, with Maserati presenting its first off-road vehicle in 100 years, reported on February 22, by Bloomberg, (Maserati Chases SUV Sales Boom With Long-Awaited Levante) and El Mundo (Maserati presenta el Levante, su primer todocamino en 100 años de historia) as well as Expansión – Maserati presenta el Levante, el primer todocamino de la marca. Lamborghini also got a mention in El Mundo on February 23, thanks to an announcement about the appointment of its new President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali (El ex jefe de Ferrari será el consejero delegado de Lamborghini).
Food & Wine – Pasta, wine and recipes for Italian dishes managed, as always, to make it into the foreign press. On February 19, the Financial Times wrote about a tour of Tuscany that doubled as an opportunity to learn the secret to cooking the perfect pasta (‘Pasta carries stories’*) and on February 22, the Wall Street Journal also featured Tuscany, this time writing about Chianti Classico, noting that even if it is not as well-regarded as it was, it still deserves serious attention (Can Chianti Shed Its Dusty, Banal Image?). Italian wines also featured in Bloomberg on February 19 in an article about those produced in the south of the country that are blazing a trail through the Italian wine sector (White Wines From Southern Italy Are Leading a Revolution).
The south also featured in the New York Times in a piece, on February 18, that recommended sampling the excellent Apulian dishes produced by a restaurant in Brooklyn (Review: Trullo d’Oro Transports to Southern Italy*). El País however, wrote on February 18, about the new program introduced by the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid, aimed at showing that there is more to Italy than all the usual stereotypes, and that includes science, culture and innovation (Italia no es solo pizza y ‘dolce vita’).
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