Economy – The economy takes centre stage this week with Italian companies carrying out extraordinary operations and investing in sustainability. The international media spotlight is on the acquisition of Stone Island completed by Moncler (Reuters, December 7 – Italy’s Moncler buys smaller rival Stone Island): a € 1.15 billion operation that allows the group to “accelerate” in view of “a year of transition” like 2021 (Financial Times, December 7 – Moncler to buy Stone Island in deal that values rival at €1.15bn*), and that signals the intention “to consolidate rather than be acquired” (Reuters, December 7 – Italy’s Moncler adds Stone Island to collection in $1.4 billion deal), while opening to the opportunity of building a “new house” of Italian luxury brands (Bloomberg, December 8 – Moncler Opens the Door to a New House of Luxury*).
Growth operations are also seen for Illy, the “premium coffee” brand that has “changed its strategy” in order to concentrate on the growth of the American market (Bloomberg, December 4 – Italy’s Illycaffe Targets Retail Coffee Market in U.S. Expansion*).
Other articles concentrate on investment in sustainability by the major energy groups: Reuters reports that Eni is speeding up its “renewables drive with greenfield development and small acquisitions” (December 4 – Eni to speed up renewables drive with greenfield development, M&A), while Snam has signed an agreement with Germany’s Linde for growth in hydrogen (Reuters, December 7 – Snam and Linde join forces on European hydrogen projects). Lastly, Le Monde’s analysis dedicated to Enel explains how the group has “wagered in advance on the energy transition, becoming “a super-major in renewables” (December 7 – « L’électricien Enel tient sa revanche sur ses concurrents dans le nucléaire et le pétrole, longtemps imbus de leur puissance »*).
Culture – The foreign press also dedicates coverage to culture, starting with the opening at Milan’s La Scala, whose “online gala,” according to the Financial Times, was a “triumph” (December 8 – La Scala’s online gala is a triumph*). In art, The New York Times reviews The Shadow Drawing, Francesca Fiorani’s book dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci, which emphasizes that scientific thinking is the secret behind the Renaissance genius’s artworks (December 8 – What Made Leonardo Such a Great Artist? Science, Says a New Book*). The Guardian also talks about books, recounting the experience of LibriSottoCasa, the initiative of Luca Santini, the “Don Quixote of booksellers” in Milan who is taking on the online giants with deliveries by bike (December 9 – ‘I’m often faster’: Milan’s bicycling bookseller takes on the online giants).
Le Nouvel Observateur, on the other hand, covers Valerio Carocci, the “talented youth” who embodies “the rebirth of Italian cinema” (December 6 – Grâce à Valerio Carocci et sa bande de « ragazzi », le cinéma s’est réveillé en Italie), while El País is getting ready for the Mostra de Cinema Italià de Barcelona to be held online from December 11 to 18 (December 10 – Els ‘azzurri’ del cinema visiten Barcelona (virtualment).
Life style and social commitment – Reports on luxury concentrate this week on the social impacts of life style: The Wall Street Journal recounts how a Ferrari 458 Spider changed the life of a Californian consultant who created the first all-female Ferrari rally, as well as a foundation that helps young women (December 5 – A Life-Changing Ferrari 458 Spider*). Expansión, on the other hand, covers a new Boarini Milanesi model, the brand’s “most expensive and socially responsible purse” which, sold for € 6 million, will finance the struggle against ocean pollution (December 4 – Este bolso de Boarini Milanesi cuesta seis millones de euros y ayudará a salvar los océanos).
Sport – Many international news outlets mark the death of Paolo Rossi, the footballer who led Italy to victory at the 1982 World Cup (The Washington Post, December 10 – Paolo Rossi, who led Italy to 1982 World Cup, dies at 64), one of this sport’s “greats” (The Guardian, December 10 – Paolo Rossi, Italian football great and World Cup winner, dies aged 64) considered by many to be a “hero” or “idol” (Le Monde, December 10 –Le footballeur italien Paolo Rossi, héros du Mondial 82, est mort à 64 ans; El Mundo, December 10 – Muere Paolo Rossi, el héroe del Mundial de 1982; Libération, December 10 – Paolo Rossi, mort d’un héros du foot italien; Sueddeutsche Zeitung, December 10 – Fußball-Idol Paolo Rossi gestorben).
Tourism and wine & food – In tourism, El País offers a crossing of the Alps by bike, from Lake Geneva to Turin (December 4 – La travesía de los Alpes en bicicleta), and, at the suggestion of Spanish actress Arlette Torres, pays a visit to Lazio’s two “secret islands”: Ponza and Palmarola (December 4 – Dos islas secretas del Lazio). The New York Times, on the other hand, makes its way to Abruzzo to recommend Montepulciano, “little known” abroad, but “highly popular” among those who try it (December 7 – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: Highly Popular but Little Known*). There is also coverage of panettone, the treat flattered by so many attempts at imitation (Die Welt, December 10 – Italienisches Traditionsgebäck mit Tücken) that the Olivieri bakery, now in its sixth generation, also delivers to the United States (The New York Times, December 7 – Panettone, Fresh From Italy*).
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