Italy at its best on the markets – According to the Spanish El Economista, Italy is making an all out effort in 2014. An example of how the foreign press tells the story of the progress being made by the Italian economy. This is not only seen in the improved performance in European stock markets (April 25 – Se mire por donde se mire, Italia ‘lo borda’ en 2014). Italian bonds rates have also reached their lowest since the introduction of the euro, as reported on April 29 by the Financial Times (Italy’s borrowing costs reach euro-era lows*), Expansion ( Italia coloca sus bonos a 5 y 10 años al menor coste del euro),and Bloomberg (Italy Sells Five-Year, 10-Year Debt at Record-Low Yields). According to a recent report by Barclays, Italian bonds are now the public debt bond preferred by Japanese investors.
Minister Pier Carlo Padoan explained the economic reforms that the government is enacting to Expansion (April 29 – “La abolición de las provincias tiene una ventaja económica directa”), as rating agencies expressed their favorable opinion. Fitch, for example, saw an improvement of Italy’s economic prospects (April 25 in Expansion – Fitch mejora la perspectiva de Italia antes de su decisión sobre España; El Economista – Fitch mejora de ‘negativa’ a ‘estable’ la perspectiva del rating de Italia: L’Orient le Jour – Italie: Fitch confirme la note BBB+, relève la perspective à stable).
Italian design: fashion, interiors and cars – The foreign press spoke about Made in Italy last week, using the terms style, talent and ideas. First item on the list, as always, was fashion, with China Daily taking a look at the exhibit at the Victoria and Alberto Museum of London on creations of Italian designers (April 27 – Italian glamour on show). The women’s supplement of O Globo, Ela, publishing a profile of Ottavio Missoni Jr., third generation of the Lombard family’s design firm (April 26 – Com 29 anos, neto de Ottavio e Rosita Missoni comanda a famosa grife italiana
In a supplement on design, the Sunday Times reported on the Salone del Mobile of Milan, the yearly show of the best ideas in interior design (April 27 –All the fun of the fair: Lessons from Milan interiors shows*), while the New York Times wrote about the attraction of the Italian brand Bugatti, the designer of historic models like the Atlantic, the Mona Lisa of cars (April 27 – The Industrial Art of Those Talented Bugattis*).
Another chance to enjoy automobile design was the announcement of the FCA group’s plans for Alfa Romeo. As Expansion and Les Echos explained, the Biscione based firm is planning to compete with Mercedes and BMW (April 30 – Fiat dará independencia a Alfa Romeo dentro de Fiat; Fiat prépare une nouvelle relance d’Alfa Romeo). Finally, there was interest in the Italian story of Inglesina, the historic baby carriage maker, which predicts a 10% growth rate for 2014 thanks to its taste for elegance (El Pais, April 27 – Inglesina, una historia italiana).
Culture, tourism and culinary arts – A trip to see the hidden art treasures of Florence, suggestions for the works of Donatello in New York or Lucio Fontana in Paris. Last week, the foreign press proposed itineraries through Italian art, in the Belpaese and out. The Wall Street Journal wrote about Florentine works of art that can only be seen if you reserve a visit (April 25 – Florence’s Hidden Art Treasures*) . It also suggested a visit to the Modern Art Museum of Paris for a retrospective of Lucio Fontana (April 25 – Paris Museum Offers a Retrospective of Lucio Fontana*). Finally, the New York Times visited the Metropolitan Museum for an exhibit of sculpture from the Duomo of Florence (April 27 – Museum Draws Donatello From Italy*).
The Financial Times published an article in its column Expat about Amineh Pakravan, the daughter of an Iranian general, who decided to move to Tuscany to make wine (April 25 – How the daughter of an Iranian general became a winemaker in Italy*). Meanwhile the New York Times also stayed in the region to taste the dishes at the restaurant Oreade a Castiglioncello April (29 – Restaurant Report: Ristorante Oreade in Castiglioncello del Trinoro, Italy*).
Finally, the foreign press turned its attention to the newest arrivals in bookstores. There were two reviews of Italian books in the major Spanish paper El Pais. The first was on the work of philologist Luciano Canfora (April 26 –Democracia cadáver) and the other on the latest book by writer judge Giancarlo de Cataldo (April 30 – Balas a la sombra del Coliseo).
* marked articles viewable online upon payment or registration