The discrete father of Nutella – The most common news from Italy in the foreign press last week was doubtless the passing of Michele Ferrero. There were numerous articles about the Piedmont businessman, discussing his discrete existence and legendary inventions, from Nutrella to Kinder eggs. His unique story made a sort of Willy Wonka in the flesh, as various papers compared him to the Roald Dahl character famous for his chocolate factory.
Not only the English language papers wrote about him (Financial Times, February 15 – Nutella creator Michele Ferrero dies at 89*; Wall Street Journal, February 13 – Michele Ferrero, Maker of Nutella, Dies*; New York Times, February 15 – Michele Ferrero, Pioneer Who Gave the World Nutella, Dies at 89; Time, February 15 – World’s Richest Candy Maker and Nutella Founder Died on Valentine’s Day; Bloomberg Businessweek, February 14 – Michele Ferrero, Owner of Nutella Confectioner, Dies at Age 89) Reuteurs, February 14 – Michele Ferrero, owner of Nutella empire, dies at 89; Washington Post, February 17 –The father of Nutella was a ‘real-life Willy Wonka’ The Times, February 15 – Michele Ferrero*). The death of Ferrero also touched the French press (Le Monde, February 16 – La mort du milliardaire Michele Ferrero, inventeur très discret du Nutella*; Les Echos, February 16 – Michele Ferrero: la disparition de «Mister Nutella» et après… ?; Liberation, February 15 – Ferrero, la pâte repose; L’Express, February 16 – Mort de Michele Ferrero inventeur du Nutella), Germany (Suddeutsche Zeitung, 14 Schokoladenkönig Michele Ferrero ist tot) and Spain (El Pais, February 15 – Muere Michele Ferrero, el creador de Nutella y de los huevos Kinder; El Mundo, February 15 –Fallece Michele Ferrero, propietario de Nutella), and in in Lebanon (L’Orient le Jour, 15 – Le père de la Nutella n’est plus).
Italians in the world – There were also articles in the foreign press about famous Italians living throughout the world. They included the rebel physicist Carlo Rovelli, whose latest book was reviewed by Le Monde (February 17 – Carlo Rovelli, physicien rebelle; interviewed by Aspen on May 15, 2013, Physique quantum, peinture et musique classique); Michele Mariotti, in New York to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera (New York Times, February 13 – Michele Mariotti to Conduct at the Metropolitan Opera) and Marina Kundu, an Italian-Indian professor, the first woman to direct the Hec Paris Business School (Financial Times, February 15 – Women in Business — Marina Kundu). The Wall Street Journal, published an interview with designer Alessandro Sartori (February 13 – Berluti’s Alessandro Sartori on Great Style and the Apple Watch).
Tourism and culture – As always, the foreign press gave its readers suggestions about places to visit in Italy. The Sunday Times wrote about the spectacular Carnival of Ivrea (February 15 – A spectacular Battle of the Oranges’ citrus clash in Italy) and again gave its readers a list of the best of Italy, with suggested cultural events of 2015 (February 18 – The best of Italy 2015*). The English weekly explained how the Belpaese is now a destination for people from abroad seeking real estate bargains, even more than in nearby France (The Sunday Times, February 16 – Italian property: the best bargains). The Financial Times also wrote about real estate deals, traveling to Val d’Orcia to wrote about the signs of recovery of the residential market (February 13 – Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia bucks downward trend of Italian property).
There were other reports, one from Cremona by the New York Times, which reported on the secrets of the best violins constructed there (February 16 – Sweetest Violins Explained: Holes Fill In Blanks) and another from New York, which people are waiting with bated breath for the exhibit of masterpieces of Donatello, rarely seen outside Italy. (Wall Street Journal, February 12 – ‘Pumpkinhead’ Meets New York Art).
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