Luxury items and lifestyle: financial results – This is a time when many companies are announcing their yearly financial results and the foreign press showed an interest last week in luxury items and lifestyle. The Financial Times reported on the leap up on the stock market of Moncler due to higher than expected sales (March 5 – Moncler shares power ahead as sales beat expectations*), and Reuters ran pieces on the future of Borsalino (March 5 – Italian hat maker Borsalino looks at options to keep going) and Campari’s reaching its margin goals Campari (March 10 – Campari hits 2014 gross margin goal as sales rise). The British press agency also wrote about the good prospects of another group, Brembo, producing high end brakes for cars like Ferrari and Porsche (March 5 – Brembo sees 2015 sales growing, looking at M&A). Instead, Le Monde, while waiting for the yearly report of Ferragamo, ran a profile of Wanda, the Florentine family’s queen mother and wife of the company founder, Salvatore (March 9 – Wanda Ferragamo, la reine mère*).
Culture – There was also interest in cultural events. The Financial Times announced that post-WWII Italian art is in the spotlight in galleries around the world, with prices rising as a consequence (March 6 – The invasion of Italian art — from Tefaf to Art Basel Hong Kong*). There were also articles on literature. El Pais interviewed the writer Antonella Cilento (March 8 – Antonella Cilento: “La escritura es como el cerdo, no se tira nada”), The Sunday Times studied the mystery of Elena Ferrante, the moniker of an author of great success ” (March 8 – The unknown great*). and the New York Times announced the November publication of the newest book by Umberto Eco (March 9 – New Umberto Eco Novel to Be Released in US in November*). For theater, Le Monde ran an article on the Servillo brothers, in France with their play “La Parola Canta” (March 11 – Toni et Peppe Servillo, l’un chante, l’autre aussi*). There was also interest in music with Franco Battiato taking his latest recording on tour to Paris and Barcelona (Liberation, March 8 – Franco Battiato en odeur de synthés; El Mundo, 10 – ‘Somos esclavos’).
Tourism – The foreign press was also full of recommendations for tourist destinations. Les Echos turned its attention to the Expo of Milan, running a profile of Giuseppe Sala, CEO of the company organizing the exhibition (Liberation, March 8 – Franco Battiato en odeur de synthés; El Mundo, March 10 – ‘Somos esclavos’). Then, there were more classic ideas. El Pais recommended that its readers take a trip on the road throughout the Bel Paese (March 6 – Italia a toda prisa). The Financial Times wrote about the renaissance of the Basilicata, thanks to the selection of Matera as the European capital of culture (March 6 – Basilicata’s renaissance*), and the New York Times, again in Lucania, suggested a visit to Metaponto (March 6 – Discovering the Ruins of Italy’s Ionian Coast*). Finally, The Times went even further south with a guide to the best hotels in Sicily (March 7 – The best hotels and villas in Sicily*).
* marked articles viewable online upon payment or registration