Economy – News on one particular Italian company attracted much attention this week, with les Echos, for example, reporting about the 1.5 billion Euros that the freight division of the Italian State Railways has attracted (February 23 – L’Italie relance son fret ferroviaire*). The same paper also carried a story about the important role the Italian property market has played in the financial success of the Foncière des Régions transalpine holding company (February 16 – Foncière des Régions célèbre une année record*).
Style & Fashion – Many column inches have been filled this week thanks to the draw of the major fashion event in Milan. The Financial Times focused on Gucci (February 22 – Pride, no prejudice: men’s and womenswear combine at Gucci’s AW17 show inspired by literary muses*) as did the Washington Post (February 22 – Gucci presents otherworldly fall-winter collection in Milan) and yet another article from Reuters was headed (February 22 – Gucci’s magic garden kick off Milan Fashion week). Sueddeutsche Zeitung was more interested in the success of the Venetian company – Golden Goose – that produces luxury sneakers (February 17 – Schmutzflink) and Spain’s el Mundo had something to say about Valentino and his costumes for the production of La Traviata currently running in Valencia (February 16 – Els colors de La Traviata). The same paper also published a piece to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “mythical” and very stylish Italian car, the Lamborghini Miura (February 17 – Tres padres para un coche mítico) whilst another Spanish paper, Expansión, wrote about the “exclusive” Ducati Diavel (February 16 – Así es la Ducati Diavel Diesel: exclusiva y de edición limitada).
Culture – This week, the foreign press also had something to say about Italian culture. The New York Times wrote all about the exhibition dedicated to the Italian Renaissance at London’s National Gallery with a particular focus on Michelangelo’s Christ Resurrected (February 21 – Nude Christ by Michelangelo, Long Forgotten, Will Be Shown in London*).
There were two articles on Italian cinema, one in Austria’s der Standard that reminisced about the director Pasquale Squitieri, who passed recently (February 18 – Italienischer Regisseur Pasquale Squitieri gestorben), whilst the Financial Times wrote about the social commitment of Italian documentary maker Edoardo Winspeare (February 17 – Edoardo Winspeare, Italian film-maker and environmental campaigner*).
The Venice Carnival prompted a piece in el País (February 16 – El Carnaval llega a Venecia) whilst the Guardian explained to its readers that the best way to learn Italian is when a cappuccino is also on offer (February 21 – Cappuccino with extra Italian Pop-up classes bring a buzz to adult learning) and Italian cuisine got a look in when the Sueddeutsche Zeitung chose to share a traditional recipe for chicken with black chickpeas (February 18 – Da lachen ja die Hühnchen).
*Article available for pay / at registration