Economy – This week, the foreign press spot-lit some of the businesses that contribute the most to Italy’s economy. Enel, “Europe’s largest utility company” featured in several articles, with a headline talking of the 27% increase in profits it enjoyed last year (Expansión, March 21 – Enel aumenta su beneficio casi un 27% en 2018, hasta los 4.800 millones) whilst another piece focused on its plans for green energy (Reuters, March 21 – Italy’s Enel puts faith in green energy, grids to power growth; a story that also caught the attention of the New York Times – Italy’s Enel Puts Faith in Green Energy, Grids to Power Growth*). Bloomberg, on the other hand, wrote about sustainable energy focusing on Snam and its experiments with hydrogen power in a pasta factory (March 28 – Your Next Plate of Pasta Could Be Hydrogen-Powered). Another Bloomberg piece was all about Atlantia and how it plans to place Europe at the center of its plans for growth (March 26 – World’s Biggest Infrastructure Company Wants to Rebuild Europe).
Italians in the nation’s cultural, science and sporting news – produced three articles this week, with Sueddeutsche Zeitung marking the 200-year anniversary of the writing of “Infinity” with a tribute to its author, the poet Giacomo Leopardi (March 27 – Der Schiffbruch ist mir süß in diesem Meere), El País was all about the latest book to be published by the professor of psychology and neurosciences, Giuliana Mazzoni (March 27 – Giuliana Mazzoni: “Para mentir hay que tener en cuenta lo que el otro es capaz de creer”), whilst El Mundo was all about the dedicated and hard-working ski champion, Sofia Goggia who has, so far, climbed the podium 25 times in her career (March 27 – Sofia Goggia, imagen de Falconeri y ejemplo de superación: así se construye una campeona).
Tourism – This week, the Financial Times was in Florence to determine exactly why the city is attracting a new crop of “expats”, publishing an article that explained all about the tax breaks available to anyone who chooses to settle somewhere that boasts a “vibrant” cultural life (March 22 – Why expats are looking to settle in Florence). In another piece, it also provided details of a 17th century house in Venice, only a stone’s throw away from St. Mark’s square (March 22 – Hot property: Prime spots for people-watching). Another British paper, The Guardian, was in Pompeii to find out more about the ancient Roman “fast food” bar in Termopolia (March 27 – Pompeii ‘fast food’ bar unearthed in ancient city after 2,000 years) whilst the New York Times ran an article that set out all that the new owners of the Castello Potentino, located in the countryside near Monte Amiata, have been doing to revitalise the previously abandoned property (March 22 – Life, the Etruscan Way). Then the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, was in Milan to write about the city’s intention to reopen the canals – in the “Navigli” district, using Leonardo da Vinci’s plans to guide them (March 23 – Leonardos verlorene Wasserstraßen).
Food & Drink – This week Italian cuisine inspired two articles, the first, that provided a recipe for polenta with leeks and gorgonzola, pointing out that it is not merely a “side” dish (New York Times, March 22 – This Polenta Stands Alone), whilst the other one treated its readers to a “simple” cake, prepared according to a traditional homemade recipe (Der Standard, March 26 – Torta semplice – der einfachste Kuchen Italiens).
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