Economy – The most recent storm to assail stock markets across the world (including the Milan Stock Exchange), has filled the economic and financial pages of the international press this week. Italian companies of interest to foreign investors or that are looking to foreign markets to increase turnover, are nonetheless very busy and are also featuring in newspapers around the globe. On February 4, Bloomberg wrote about Qatar Airways’ interest in Meridiana – Qatar Airways in Talks Over Transaction With Italy’s Meridiana, whilst on February 7, Spain’s Expansion explained how it is that these days, Italy and Portugal are the two European markets attracting the lion’s share of Chinese capital funding – Portugal e Italia se alzan como los destinos preferidos de la inversión china en Europa and just 2 days later, Reuters reported on the agreement, worth 5 billion Euros, signed by Ferrovie dello Stato (State Railways) in Iran – Italy’s state train company to help Iran develop rail system.
Other business success stories were also reported by the world’s press, with the fashion sector attracting the greatest interest. On February 8, Reuters ran a piece on Yoox, the online luxury retailer that has recently merged with the French, Net-A-Porter, and has done much better than analysts anticipated – You NAP beats forecast with 2015 pro-forma sales of 1.7 bln euros. On February 10, El Pais explained how Luxottica has managed to dominate some 80% of the sector on a global basis – El negocio redondo de las gafas de sol de lujo está en Italia, It was luxury of a different kind however, that featured in Les Echos on February 5, in an article about the launch of Ducati, explained how it was ready to make new records, both on the track and in terms of sales – Ducati: le grand retour des bolides.
Culture – Several articles of a cultural nature were published this week, with the success of books written by Elena Ferrante leading the way. Two pieces appeared on February 9, in the New York Times and Time respectively, announcing that stories written by probably the most mysterious in Italian authors are to be turned into a TV series – Elena Ferrante Novels Destined for Television Series* and Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels Are Headed to Television. Another Italian writer, Melania Mazzucco, featured in El Mundo, on February 8, with a review of her book “You are what you are” – La soledad del hombre madre. The previous day, the Sunday Times featured the American-Bengalese writer, Jhumpa Lahiri, whose latest book has only just hit the shelves of the world’s bookstores, in an article in which she explained why she had shunned English and moved to Rome in order to write in Italian – Arrivederci, English. I’m in Rome to write as the Romans do*. Next, on February 7, the Financial Times dedicated space to the London stage of “Leonardo Da Vinci: the Mechanics of Genius” world tour. The exhibition, first mounted in Paris thanks to the collaboration between Milan’s Museum of Science and Technology and its counterpart in Paris, features 3D models based on the 15th century designs of the Tuscan built in Milan in 1952 to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s birth – Da Vinci’s imagination and a playground of invention.
Tourism – articles of interest to visitors to Italy also featured this week – just as they always do and two featured in the New York Times. The first, on February 4, focused on the wines of the Valtellina district and their increasing popularity in the US – Valtellinas Are No Longer Hiding in the Hills* whilst the second, on February 9, was full of suggestions as to the best way to visit Italy on two wheels – Touring Italy by Vespa. Meantime, on February 7 El Pais wrote about the arrival of some Bolivian Oruro “bubbly” at the Venice Carnival – El carnaval boliviano de Oruro brilla en Venecia whilst on February 9, El Mundo turned its attention to Verona, “the mecca” for those in love and the ‘Verona in Love’ festival – Verona, meca de los enamorados.
*Article available for pay/with registration