Business – Although most of the articles about Italy in the world’s press have focused on the upcoming referendum, there have been a few dealing with the country’s economy and business. The Financial Times interviewed the new Rector of the Università Bocconi, Gianmario Verona, exploring the importance of innovation and declaring that – according to the paper – the University is the Italian School of Business that has all the best contacts – (November 29 – Bocconi chief’s plans for Italy’s best-connected business school*). News about the internationalization of a few Italian businesses also took up a several column inches with Ferrero that is ready to close a deal that will expand its business in North American (Reuters, November 26 – Nutella maker Ferrero hopes to buy Delacre biscuits by mid-Dec whilst in another article it was described the joint venture Yoox has just embarked on with the intention of breaking into the Middle East market (Reuters, November 28 – Italy’s Yoox Net-A-Porter enters Middle East online luxury venture).
Another piece in Reuters was all about the significant step forward that the Monza Grand Prix has taken now that it is to be included in the Formula 1 calendar (November 29 – Monza finally signs new three-year contract) and the Guardian chose to run a piece on Italian fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni who has successfully built a multi-million pound business (November 29 – Chiara Ferragni – how a ‘crazy blogger’ turned her life into a shop window).
Culture & Science – Italian art featured in the Financial Times when it described the return of works by Tancredi Parmeggiani to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the city so beloved by the artist (November 25 – Tancredi Parmeggianni at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection*) whilst Washington Post focused on the exhibition being held at the Palazzo Braschi in Rome featuring the work of Artemisia Gentileschi (November 29 – Rome show explores painter Artemisia Gentileschi’s art, life*). Le Monde was at the Museo del Novecento in Florence to explore work by “visionary artist”, Gaetano Pesce (November 30 – Gaetano Pesce, designer féministe). Italian literature also got a mention, this time in a review, published in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Nicola Lagioia’s latest novel, “La Ferocia” (November 28 – Die Tweets der toten Tochter) and last but not least, it was opera that featured in l’Orient le Jour in a profile, written to coincide with the Festival of Beirut, of the Palermo born soloist Laura Giordano (December – 1 Laura Giordano, une « Siciliana vera » sacrément rossinienne).
As to science the Guardian wrote about the importance of the Cassini probe to the Italian Space Agency as it gets ready to make its way through the rings that surround Saturn (November 29 – Cassini spacecraft to begin swansong orbit of Saturn).
Lifestyle – Italian wines did well in articles about Italian lifestyle this week, with Les Echos in Florence exploring the Villa San Michele which it described as one of the five most beautiful cellars in the world (November 24 – Cinq des plus belles caves à vin au monde*) whilst the New York Times reviewed one of the “best grapes” from Piedmont, the Dolcetto (November 28 – Your Next Lesson: Dolcetto). Another article in the same paper took a look at a craft beer from Norcia that may well provide the funding needed to rebuild the basilica so tragically destroyed in the recent earthquake (November 28 – Beer May Be Basilica’s Salvation).
According to the Washington Post it is Italian food and lifestyle that have made Italy famous for the number people who live beyond the age of 100, backing up the facts with the story of Emma Morano, the world’s oldest living person (November 29 – World’s oldest living person celebrates 117th birthday*) and similar articles ran in les Echos (November 29 – Emma Morano, la dernière survivante du XIXe siècle, fête ses 117 ans*) and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeiung (November 29 – Zu Besuch bei Emma Morano).
Finally the lifestyle enjoyed by Italians – and the homes they live in – were subjects of interest to the New York Times in an article featuring luxury properties for sale in the Lombard capital (November 30 – House hunting in Milan*).
*Article available for pay / at registration