Investments – The foreign press continued to report on investments coming into Italy. The Primark deparments stores, for example, are planning an initial opening in Milan in 2016, and will then open elsewhere (Financial Times, July 10 – Primark heads for Milan with growth plans*; The Times, July 10 – Primark fashions its arrival in Italy with new Milan store*).
Italian fashion brands, held by foreign capital, are also investing in the domestic market. Valentino, for instance, has just opened its large store in Rome (New York Times, July 9 – Valentino’s Roman Legion*).
As regards Italian investments abroad, the foreign press reported on the Ferrari bid for the British group Thorntons (Reuters, July 10 – Ferrero says take-up of offer on UK’s Thorntons at 75 pct), and Bloomberg reported of a 220 million dollar investment that Enel Green Power made in the wind energy sector in Mexico (July 14 –Enel Green Investing $220 Million in Mexico Wind Farm). There was also interest in the European success of the Fiat 500, with an interview with the director of the Fiat brand in Europe, Luca Napolitano (July 10 – 3 Fragen an: Luca Napolitano – Vorstand Fiat Europa).
Culture – There were also highlights from the world of culture. First, there was the concert of the La Scala Philharmonic at Sarajevo to commemorate the massacre of Srebrenica (New York Times, July 12 – Italy’s La Scala Performs a Concert for Peace in Bosnia*) and a profile of Gino Paoli, the most literary of Italian songwriters (El Pais, July 13 – Gino Paoli, la certeza de la duda).
The Times wrote about Ennio Marricone and the Italian composer’s recent soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino July 14 – Morricone teams up with Tarantino for a few dollars more*).
The New York Times was interested in painting, with an article from Florence on discovering the art of Piero di Cosimo (July 9 – Dazzling Piero, Rehabilitated*), while for literature El Pais told its readers about writer Sandrone Dazieri’s participation in the week-long festival of crime novels in the Spanish town of Gijón (July 13 – Alias: Sandrone Dazieri & Fantômas). There was also interest in new releases and the recent film by Gabriele Salvatores (Liberation, July 14 – Gabriele Salvatores cherche le garçon).
Tourism – Investors are also attracted by tourists’ love of Italy. The Financial Times advised its readers to consider buying a home in Trieste, with a prime real estate market and high quality of life (July 10 – Life could be a breeze: buying a home in the Italian city Trieste*). According to the French paper Liberation, there are also possibilities in old converted deconsacrated churches (July 10 – En Italie, la dolce vita des églises défroquées).
And all this as Italian cities remain among the world’s top ten tourist destinations. Time recently ranked Rome and Florence at the top (July 10 – These Are the 10 Best Cities to Visit Around the World).
And while the New York Times told its readers about an enchanting honeymoon through the peninsula, from Venice to Sicily (July 10 – A Honeymoon Through Italy*), Franfurter Allgemeine Zeitung went to Rome to discover the secrets of the Sistine Rooms in the Vatican, with its frescos and manuscripts (July 12 – Den „Vergilius Vaticanus“ lieh schon Raffael aus).
Finally, two Spanish papers traveled to Cervino to narrate the conquest 150 years ago of the peak of the impossible mountain (July 14 in El País – 150 años de la conquista del Cervino; El Mundo – 150 años de la primera escalada a la montaña imposible).
Lifestyle: cuisine & cars – The foreign press showed interest in Italian cuisine, publishing Italian recipes (The Times, July 11 – Tagliata with rocket and grana padano*), as well as an analysis of the Eataly movement, which is – according to the Spanish El Mundo – the major food phenomenon produced by Italy recent years (July 11 – El movimiento Eataly conquista Milán).
Finally, there was interest in cars. Die Welt wrote of businessman Matteo Panini’s passion for collecting Maserati (July 13 – Panini sammelt auch Maserati)
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