Economy – This week’s financial news has focused on success stories coming out of Italy’s style and food & wine sectors. El País wrote about Superga’s plans to go into new markets (January 26 – Superga: el éxito de unas zapatillas de lona con etiqueta italiana) whilst the Wall Street Journal described the research facilities Piaggio has opened in the US from which it will launch new products linked to the future of mobility (January 30 – The Creators of the Vespa are Launching a New Product*).
In France, on the other hand, les Echos ran a feature on Granarolo, Italy’s answer to Lactalis that is out to conquer the US market (January 31 – Lait : Granarolo, le rival italien de Lactalis*) and the same financial daily had already published a piece on Ferrero and the substantial investment the company has made in Normandy following the company’s success in France, which currently holds the world record for consumption, pro-capita, of Nutella (January 30 – Nutella : Ferrero dope son usine normande*).
The Guardian featured another so-called “Italian institution”, the Antica Pizzeria da Michele, which is also enjoying international success thanks to a Hollywood blockbuster and the opening of a third restaurant in London (February 1 – Eat, pray, pizza: London’s slice of the Neapolitan revolution).
Culture – More Italian culture this week with both les Echos and the New York Times, spending time at the sculptor Giuseppe Penone’s exhibition at the Palazzo Fendi in Roma (January 27 – Giuseppe Penone au Palazzo Fendi*; January 30 – Arte Povera Is Back) whilst El País was also in the Italian capital to check out the contemporary art exhibition entitled “Love” that has proved particularly popular with younger visitors (January 26 – Los jóvenes de Roma se enamoran del arte contemporáneo).
Italian cinema also got a mention with an interview in el Mundo with Paolo Sorrentino, the director famous for never relaxing for even a moment (January 29 – Paolo Sorrentino: “El Vaticano es demasiado inteligente para criticarme”).
Tourism – The Guardian mentioned several Italian campsites in an article about 20 of the best campsites for families across Europe (January 28 – 20 of the best family campsites in Europe), whilst in another “best in Europe” article, el País included the Castle of Torrechiara, in the hills around Parma as one of the most beautiful (January 27 – Los castillos más bonitos de Europa). The Financial Times, on the other hand, published a piece about how the “dolce vita” and the Italian landscape, together with new tax regulations is likely to attract managers and businesses in the new post Brexit era (January 26 – Italy offers non-doms la dolce vita with tax breaks*).
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