Economy – The economy, and the automotive sector in particular, won attention from international newspapers over the summer. Special attention is given to the life of Cesare Romiti, a “symbol of Italy’s industrial heyday,” (The Wall Street Journal, August 21 – Cesare Romiti Took On Fiat Unions, Revived Car Maker’s Fortunes*), and “Gianni Agnelli’s historic right-hand man” (El Mundo, August 19 – Adiós a Cesare Romiti, histórica mano derecha de Agnelli en Fiat y ex presidente de RCS); other reports focus on a saga involving Fiat’s founding family (Les Echos, August 6 – Susanna, Margherita, Ginevra…, les femmes du clan Agnelli) and FCA’s strategies to relaunch the premium segment with a new Maserati supercar (Reuters, September 9 – Maserati rolls out new super sports car to drive turnaround ahead of FCA-PSA merger) Le Monde also covers the choices of Luca de Meo, new chief of Renault (September 7 – Le nouveau patron de Renault réorganise le groupe autour de ses marques*).
In finance, Boersen Zeitung reports on Intesa Sanpaolo which, after its acquisition of UBI, “is the Eurozone’s second most important bank” (August 5 – Intesa Sanpaolo sieht sich in der Champions League*), while The New York Times covers the go-ahead given by Brazilian authorities for the new anti-Covid drug manufactured by Italy’s Dompè (September 1 – Italy’s Dompe to Start Testing New Treatment in Brazil for Severe COVID-19 Patients*).
The Festival reanimates Venice – It is “one of the few major cultural events in Europe taking place” despite the virus (The Wall Street Journal, September 7 – Venice Hopes Its Film Festival Can Help Kick-Start a Coronavirus Recovery*). The Venice Film Festival, albeit with the rules imposed by social distancing (New York Times, September 4 – Venice Film Festival Opens, Defiant but Socially Distanced*), has attracted considerable participation by the international press (The New York Times, September 1 – Venice Reclaims Spotlight as 1st COVID-Era Film Fest Opens*). The published articles recount “fun moments” at the event’s sidelines (The New York Times, August 30 – Canals, Carpets and Kisses: Fun Moments From Venice Festival*) and the high number of female directors in the competition, given that for the first time nearly one half of the films were directed by women (The New York Times, September 2 – Female Directors Close to Parity at Venice Film Festival*); among them, Gia Coppola is making the news with a film on “influencer culture” (New York Times, September 5 – Influencer Culture Skewered in Gia Coppola Film at Venice*).
Pedro Almodovar was also on hand in Venice (El Mundo, September 1 – Arranca la Mostra de Venecia, libre del virus de Netflix y con Almodóvar como primer reclamo), along with the young Australian director Roderick MacKay who, to present his film, will have to brave a “double quarantine” in Italy, and upon returning to Australia (The New York Times, September 5 – Quarantine a Small Price to Pay for Australian in Venice; Reuters, September 4 – Australian film-maker braves double COVID quarantine for Venice festival*).
Other cinema articles cover the Bologna Festival, an event dedicated to restored films, honouring Henry Fonda this year (Le Monde, September 7 – Le festival de Bologne met à l’honneur Henry Fonda*), and review Gianni Di Gregorio’s comedy Citizens of the World (Libération, August 25 – «CITOYENS DU MONDE», LEURRES DE LA RETRAITE*), along with two restored versions of the films of Alberto Lattuada (Liberation, August 31 – ALBERTO LATTUADA, LA MÉLANCOLIE EN CŒUR ET EN CORPS*).
Culture: art, literature, science –Culture still takes the spotlight in the articles devoted to Italy by international publications during the summer. In art, certain recently departed figures are celebrated: the critic Philippe Daverio (Le Monde, September 7 – La mort de Philippe Daverio, critique d’art franco-italien*) and the “gallerist, collector and art-book publisher with a visionary instinct” Enrico Navarra (The New York Times, August 6 – Enrico Navarra, Art World Visionary, Is Dead at 67*). There is also coverage of the anomalous edition of the Venice Biennale which will reopen in 2022 and is in the meanwhile “celebrating its past” with shows in the Giardini and online (Financial Times, August 12 – Venice Biennale seizes the moment by celebrating its past*).
Financial Times also visits the Capodimonte Museum and its exhibition dedicated to Vincenzo Gemito, defining it as a “revelation” (August 31 – Unclassifiable and exquisite: Vincenzo Gemito in Naples*), while The Wall Street Journal publishes an article on the social function of the busts of emperors in Ancient Rome (September 4 – Face to Face With the Rulers of Rome*). And Le Monde, in a review reserved for ‘secret theatres,” pays a visit to the small stage at the Italian Embassy in Paris, decorated with the rococo of a Sicilian palazzo (August 12 – L’odyssée du théâtre sicilien de l’ambassade d’Italie à Paris*).
In literature, the spotlight is on Elena Ferrante’s new book, The Lying Life of Adults (Financial Times, August 13 – The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante — truth about adolescence*, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, August 31 –Höhere Moral). The newspapers review the work, “a suspenseful story about the sins of parents” (The New York Times, August 25 – Elena Ferrante’s New Novel Is a Suspenseful Story About the Sins of Parents*), consider what “a relief it is when an author who has written a masterpiece returns to prove the gift intact” (The New York Times, September 1 – Elena Ferrante Returns With ‘The Lying Life of Adults’*), and recount, with remote interviews, the history of the “mysterious author” whose identity still remains unknown (El Mundo, August 29 – Elena Ferrante: “De niña era muy mentirosa. Alrededor de los 14 años, tras muchas humillaciones, decidí crecer”).
While Le Monde devotes coverage to the writings of the philosopher Emanuele Coccia, whom the French newspaper has included among the “thinkers of the new world” (August 5 – Emanuele Coccia : « Nous sommes tous une seule et même vie »*), other publications review Samantha Cristoforetti’s new book in which the “International Space Station veteran” recounts “the new space economy, and what life in orbit taught her about humanity” (Financial Times, August 28 – Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti: ‘There’s nothing permanent about us’*: The Guardian, August 25 –‘From the mundane to the sublime in a second’: Samantha Cristoforetti on life in space).
Another biography, just published in Spain, is dedicated to Maria Montessori, the “revolutionary educator” (El País, August 31 – Montessori, la pionera que cambió la educación moderna; El Mundo, August 26 – Maria Montessori: la pedagoga revolucionaria que enseñó al mundo a tratar a los niños con respeto) and “pioneer of education,” being celebrated on the 150th anniversary of her birth (Le Monde, August 8 – Maria Montessori : la vieille dame et sa méthode*).
Fashion and design – Numerous reports are also dedicated to fashion and design. Financial Times interviews Walter Chiapponi, creative director at Tod’s (September 6 – An exclusive interview with the new creative director at Tod’s*), while WSJ Magazine describes the daily routine of Brunello Cucinelli (August 10 – Brunello Cucinelli on the Decision-Making Advice Jeff Bezos Gave Him*). The magazine also discusses the “timeless success” of the accessories designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany (August 27 – How Elsa Peretti and Tiffany’s Bone Cuff Changed Jewelry Forever*)
While El País publishes an article describing the design work by Gabriella Crespi, between “futurist luxury and handicrafts” (August 20 – Gabriella Crespi, la diseñadora más deseada por la ‘jet set’ que lo dejó todo para retirarse en el Himalaya), Le Matin covers the entry of Italian interior design brand Bisazza into Morocco’s online market (August 7 – Bisazza annonce l’ouverture de sa première vitrine virtuelle au Maroc). Lastly Handelsblatt reports on car design, describing how Lamborghini Diablo has become a “vintage car” (August 25 – Teufel im Blechkleid – der Lamborghini Diablo ist nun offiziell ein Oldtimer*).
Tourism – In tourism news, The New York Times pays a visit to Capri, bereft of so many American visitors this year (September 8 – Capri, a Getaway for the Rich and Famous, Misses Its Americans*) and, for its “The World Through a Lens” feature, journeys to the “enchanting village” of Panicale, in Umbria (August 17 – Quiet Reflections on the Enchanting Italian Village of Panicale*).
Several reports are dedicated to Tuscany: The Guardian visits Florence through ten books (August 26 – Top 10 books about Florence), while Le Nouvel Observateur, thanks to the book by Massimo Casprini, recounts the city’s tradition of “buchette del vino” (August 14 – Virus: comment la Florence des Médicis inventa la vente de vin “sans contact”). Financial Times reports on Britons relocating to the Tuscan countryside to make “dream a reality” (August 19 – The home buyers making their Tuscan dream a reality*) and discusses the tours organized by British groups to discover the region’s roads by supercar (September 9 – Vroom with a view: my turbocharged tour of Tuscany*).
The London daily also proposes a second home in Cernobbio to provide lake-view working and add “sunshine to any Zoom meeting” (September 4 – Five properties ideal for working from home). El País publishes an itinerary in Palermo, visiting the catacombs and statues of Villa Palagonia (August 30 – Sicilia, entre guerreros y monstruos), while The Wall Street Journal reports on the experience of a “working-vacation” in the olive groves of Puglia (September 3 – Starved for Italy? Mark Your Calendar for Next Fall’s Harvest Time*). Again with the objective of providing an “authentic experience,” Bloomberg visits San Giovanni di Gualdo, where tourists are offered free stays in residents’ homes (August 26 – Stay for Free in Italy*). And while Der Standard proposes taking refuge amid the natural beauty of Sardinia (July 31 – Sardinien – die momentan beste Insel für Italien-Sehnsüchtige), other articles devote their reporting to the Venice lagoon with the resumption of tourism in Venice (Bloomberg, August 30 – Venice Looks to Jump-Start Tourism*), and the discovery of the small island of Poveglia (El Mundo, August 5 – Viaje a Poveglia, el islote donde sólo vive la muerte).
Wine & Food – Lastly, food and wine are covered. The German dailies offer recipes for pastiera napoletana (Die Zeit, September 6 – Süße Grüße aus Neapel) and stuffed courgette flowers (September 8 – Zucchiniblüten-Bruschetta: Sommerlich und filigran), and report on the pinsa that is making inroads in Germany (August 26 –Wie die Pinsa der Pizza Konkurrenz macht). And while Bloomberg emphasizes the excellent value of Italian rosés (August 18 – Forget French Rosé, Italy’s Under-Explored Pink Wines Offer Big Value*), El Mundo recounts the “orange revolution” of the Spritz that is “triumphing” in Europe’s bars (September 1 – La revolución naranja del spritz que se bebe Europa).
*Article available for pay / at registration