Economy – Economic coverage in the international news outlets continues to tell the story of growth of Italian companies: Reuters covers Enel, whose 2020 profits have risen to “beat expectations.” The Group will therefore continue to “expand its green energy and … cut carbon emissions” (March 18 – Italy’s Enel posts 9% rise in net profit to beat expectations). And even with the pandemic, Lamborghini also enjoyed a positive year, with sales, in spite of two months of lockdown, driven by the Chinese, thus making the last financial year “the most profitable” in the brand’s history (Les Echos, March 20 – Quand Lamborghini nargue la crise sanitaire*). Ferrovie dello Stato is seeing international growth, with an interview in Expansión with the Group’s CEO Gianfranco Battisti, who explains that “Trenitalia wants to bring value to the Spanish railway system” (March 21 – “Trenitalia quiere aportar valor al sistema ferroviario español” Gianfranco Battisti, CEO de Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane).
Several reports relate to agreements and acquisitions: Reuters discusses Seri’s agreement with Unilever, which will make it possible to convert the “southern plant in Pozzilli” to plastics recycling “based on EU circular economy models” (March 22 – Italy’s Seri in plastics recycling venture with Unilever). Other dailies, however, focus on the European authorities’ green light for the acquisition of GrandVision by EssilorLuxottica, “the worldwide eyewear giant” which thus closes a € 7.2 billion operation (Financial Times, March 23 – EU set to clear EssilorLuxottica’s €7.2bn acquisition of GrandVision*; Les Echos, March 23 – Le rachat de GrandVision par EssilorLuxottica autorisé par l’Europ*).
Education is also in the news, with the good position of the Politecnico di Milano School of Management, which has recorded the greatest salary increase for its alumni three years after earning their master’s, and is ranked among the leaders in corporate social responsibility (Financial Times, March 21 – Ranking expands, but Warwick retains top slot*). Lastly, La Presse takes an interest in the Italian/Tunisian financial collaboration in the “Selma” project in support of women working in agriculture (March 22 – Coopération tuiso-italienne – Projet “Selma”: Soutenir les jeunes femmes rurales ).
Culture – In culture, Financial Times discusses how the Uffizi wishes to “reshape post-pandemic tourism” by spreading its masterpieces throughout Tuscany, in Director Schmidt’s project that, according to the publication, “might be a model” for other cities (March 18 – The Uffizi’s bid to reshape post-pandemic tourism*). Financial Times also devotes coverage to the Renaissance, reviewing a BBC radio series dedicated to the life and work of Benvenuto Cellini (March 22 – Benvenuto Cellini — is this the face of the sculptor and murderer?*). Lastly, Libération recalls the “great Italian documentarian” Cecilia Mangini, with the possibility of streaming eight of her films (March 16 – Les splendeurs documentaires de Cecilia Mangini en streaming*).
Style – Style and luxury take centre stage in various articles in the foreign press. The New York Times Style Magazine covers the new limited edition of Fendi’s Baguette, the “iconic” bag made by artisans using a “centuries-old technique” (March 19 – The Making of an Especially Intricate Fendi Baguette Bag*). The magazine also finds room to cover the Roman apartment where Marie-Louise Sciò withdraws during breaks from work “among her family’s three hotels – including the legendary Il Pellicano in Tuscany.” (March 18 – The Rome Apartment a Hotelier Calls Home*).
Lastly, The New York Times and the Catalan edition of El País remember Elsa Peretti, designer jewellery “whose elegant, sculptural creations for Tiffany & Company revolutionized tastes in accessories” (March 21 – Elsa Peretti, Star Designer of Elegant Jewelry, Dies at 80*; March 20 – Mor Elsa Peretti, l’amiga de Halston i Dalí que va transformar ossos i faves en icòniques joies de Tiffany)
Tourism – Science and tourism are together in the reporting that The Guardian provides from the Catania war room of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, where scientists monitor “every breath” of Etna, which is back in the news after recent eruptions (March 22 – ‘We monitor its every breath’: inside Mount Etna’s war room), while Financial Times covers real estate, reporting, among the luxury villas for sale in the Mediterranean, a home in Capri for more than € 5 million (March 19 – Hot Property: homes for sale in the Mediterranean*).
Wine & Food – In Wine & Food, Le Monde proposes the recipes of Italian chef Giovanni Passerini “for getting through the new lockdown” (March 20 – Resto : Passerini, tutti quanti en Italie*), while The New York Times marks the debut of a special cut of prosciutto di Parma, Culatta, on the American market (March 22 – An Italian Prosciutto Makes Its American Debut*). The German dailies, on the other hand, offer the recipe for paposcia, a focaccia typical of Apulian cuisine (Der Standard, March 23 – Paposcia: Das apulische Snackbrot), as well as an homage to the Sicilian culinary tradition, “between sorbets and arancini” (Sueddeutsche Zeitung, March 23 – Schmelztiegel vom Feinsten).
*Article available for pay / at registration