Economy – The foreign press is following with interest investments by Italian companies and by foreign enterprises in Italy. Financial Times reports on the acquisition of Hensoldt by Leonardo, with the aim to “expand its presence” in Germany’s defence market (April 25 – Leonardo clinches Hensoldt stake to boost presence in Germany*) and recounts the path towards the listing of FAAC, the automatic gatemaker aiming to “take advantage of stimulus measures to boost construction” and to “boost Italian IPOs” (April 27 – FAAC: Church-owned gatemaker would boost Italian IPOs*). The stock market also takes centre stage in the French daily Les Echos as it discusses the prospects of integrating Piazza Affari into the European Euronext group, which is set to become the continent’s leading stock market (April 29 – Avec le rachat de la bourse italienne, Euronext s’impose comme un géant des marchés actions*). The French economic daily also reports on LVMH, which is increasing its stake in the Tod’s group (April 23 – LVMH augmente sa participation chez Tod’s, le chausseur italien*).
Culture – In culture, The Washington Post reports on the discovery of a fresco during some reconstruction works at the Uffizi: a work attributed to Bernardino Pocetti, depicting the young Cosimo de’ Medici along with allegories of Florence and Siena (April 23 – Italy’s Uffizi discovers lost frescoes during COVID shutdown*). Florence and the Medici are also the focus of the new book, The Bookseller of Florence, which Ross King dedicates to the ”fascinating story of a bookstore run by Vespasiano da Bisticci” in the fifteenth century (The Wall Street Journal, April 23 – ‘The Bookseller of Florence’ Review: Manuscripts and Medicis*).
The articles dedicated to music focus on the life of the late Milva, the “red” singer highly appreciated in Germany as shown by the German dailies’ great attention to her death (April 24 and 25 in Die Welt – Italienische Sängerin Milva gestorben; Die Zeit – : Sängerin Milva gestorben; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – Mila ist gestorben; Partisanin im Schlagerhimmel; Sueddeutsche Zeitung –Die Stimme der Freiheit).
Style – There are also abundant reports devoted to lifestyle. Taking centre stage is Vespa, the “iconic scooter” celebrating its 75th anniversary (Le Nouvel Observateur, April 23 – La Vespa, icônique scooter italien fête ses 75 printemps; L’Economiste, April 26 – La Vespa, îconique scooter italien fête ses 75 printemps Die Welt, April 27 – Fahrbericht Vespa GTS 125). The legend of La Dolce Vita is back in another article in Le Nouvel Observateur, dedicated to how Rome is dealing with the end of the lockdown (April 28 – A Rome le retour de la “dolce vita”). Pending a real, in-person visit, Le Monde proposes “an immobile” and virtual journey amid the beauty of Palermo (April 27 –Voyage immobile à Palerme, solaire et vénéneuse*).
*Article available for pay / at regstration