Economy – Economic reporting takes centre stage with the growth strategies of Italian luxury groups. Financial Times recounts how Diesel’s founder Renzo Rosso is creating one of the sector’s leading national groups, with operations like the one that resulted in the acquisition of Jil Sander (May 21 – Renzo Rosso’s ‘alternative’ luxury group*), while Le Monde covers the change in balance favouring the Italian partners in EssilorLuxottica, analyzing Leonardo Del Vecchio’s “France campaign” (May 25 – EssilorLuxottica : « Leonardo Del Vecchio a remporté sa campagne de France »*). Lastly, coverage is also devoted to infrastructure, with an interview with Marco Alverà who explains Snam’s strategy to transform Southern Italy into a “new energy hub” (Bloomberg, May 25 – Snam CEO Sees South Italy as New Energy Hub in EU Recovery Plan*).
Culture – This week has seen a plethora of cultural reporting. While Le Monde interviews Minister Dario Franceschini for the inauguration of the Venice Biennale Architettura on the restart of Italian culture (May 22 – Dario Franceschini : « La culture est un devoir moral et un bien pour l’économie »*), the Chinese press agency Xinhua covers the reopening of Rome’s museums (May 22 – Visitors view exhibits at Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome, Italy) and announces expanded Italian-Chinese cooperation in culture and tourism (May 24 – Italy, China could expand cooperation in culture, tourism, sports: CICC CFO Lorenzo Riccardi). On the other hand, the focus is on science in Lucca, where a group of international researchers has analyzed the data, about a thousand years old, of certain stalagmites: a tool to study climate change, but also to explain the “water miracles” that were widespread in the area in the sixth century (The Guardian, May 25 – Weatherwatch: stalagmites help explain sixth-century water miracles).
The spotlight is also on music, with the victory at the Eurovision Festival of the “Italian hard rock” of Maneskin, a group born on the streets of Rome that “combats the dictatorship of the politically correct” (in El País May 22 and 23 May – Italia gana Eurovisión 2021 con el rock de Maneskin; Måneskin, de las calles de Roma a ganar Eurovisión 2021; The New York Times – Eurovision, Celebrating the Sounds of a Postpandemic Continent* – Italy’s Maneskin Wins Eurovision Song Contest; Italy wins the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest*.; Die Welt – Italien gewinnt mit Rocksong – Deutschland mal wieder fast Letzter; Die Zeit – Italien gewinnt Eurovision Song Contest; Franfurter Allgemeine Zeitung –„Rock ’n’ Roll never dies“).
El País also devotes coverage to remembering the life of Franco Battiato, attempting to “decipher the legacy of an enigmatic artist” (May 23 – La perspectiva Battiato).
Lifestyle, tourism, and wine & food – Several reports are devoted to the Italian lifestyle, tourism, and wine & food. El País offers “excellent reasons to visit the magnificent Aeolian Islands” (May 27 – Razones para visitar las islas Eolias: las siete magníficas), while Bloomberg test-drives Ferrari’s latest hybrid model (May 24 – Ferrari Pitches $500,000 Hybrid Supercar as a Bargain for Daily Driving*).
In fashion, Financial Times interviews Florentine designer Gioia Bini, who recounts her style and passions: from socks from the Tyrol to anchovies from Amalfi (May 22 – Fashion designer Gioia Bini: ‘I adore chaos – it creates harmony*). In Wine & Food, The Wall Street Journal recommends the best bargains in Campanian wines, from Greco di Tufo to Fiano di Avellino, passing by way of Furore della Costiera (May 20 – Italy’s Best White-Wine Bargains*), while Le Monde interviews “culinary author” Laura Zavan, a Treviso native residing in Paris where she writes books “to allow Italian cuisine to be discovered” (May 21 – Laura Zavan : « En testant mes recettes, ma mère a pris goût à la cuisine »).
*Article available for pay / at registration