Il Bel Paese visto da fuori

“Crickets leaping round our feet. A butterfly at the rim of my hat. Burrs on our socks. Smells of fern and pine. The rhythmic rasp of the cicadas. And, ranged around us, a never-ending green. Cypress and cedar. Peaks and parched pastures. The combed vineyards and the dark oak thickets. Moving through it all, feeling […]

Elsewhere in the world, pasta al pomodoro is seen as Italy’s “symbol of national identity par excellence,” the Italian historian Massimo Montanari writes in “A Short History of Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce” (2019) — despite its origins as a regional specialty predating Italian unification (between 1861 and 1871) by several decades, a creation of Naples […]

“Many Venetians are sceptical of the fee, if not openly hostile to it. The city’s opposition parties tried their best to scuttle the plan; even Italy’s minister of tourism has voiced her disapproval. Critics argue that the admission charge turns Venice into a theme park and does little to address the heavy impact of tourism […]

“When Milan’s authorities embarked years ago on plans to promote the city as a buzzy destination by building on its reputation as Italy’s hip fashion and design capital, the resulting noise and rowdy overcrowding were perhaps not quite what they had in mind.” Fonte: The New York Times Autore: Elisabetta Povoledo Link: What Happens When […]

“Ms Meloni’s high esteem for Mr Orbán, the self-styled champion of “illiberal democracy”, is well known. Since taking office 18 months ago, she has – unlike the Hungarian prime minister – positioned herself reassuringly in Europe’s political mainstream on issues such as Ukraine. But at home, her government’s domineering determination to police the public square, […]

“Riccardo Gullo came up with the novel idea after a census estimated the number of feral goats on Alicudi, the smallest of Sicily’s Aeolian archipelago, was six times the island’s year-round human population of 100.” Fonte: The Guardian Autore: Angela Giuffrida Link: Great goat giveaway: Italian island inundated with adoption offers

“But in fact, I think that what we have seen is that Giorgia Meloni has really reassured international markets, Italy’s international partners, other members of Nato, that she isn’t quite the extremist that maybe many feared she might be”.  Fonte: Financial Times Autore: Gideon Rachman Link: Italy and the Giorgia Meloni phenomenon

Cattelan has experimented with gunshots before, shooting up American and British flags, or rather, having them shot. The artist, who is based in Milan and New York, maintains no studio, much less a shooting range, and his works are almost always fabricated by others. With “Sunday,” Cattelan sought to universalize the symbol of violence, dropping […]

“Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers. Just 17 people were killed by the mob in Italy in 2022, according to the latest official data, versus more than 700 in 1991.” Fonte: Reuters Autore: Emilio Parodi Link: Italy’s mafia turns to white-collar crime as murder, extortion […]

“Since the early 16th century, when Swiss mercenaries, revered for their bravery and loyalty, marched to Rome to serve Pope Julius II, the world’s smallest army has been enlisted at the Vatican to protect the pope, his residence and the city’s borders.” Fonte: The Guardian Autore: Angela Giuffrida Link: Meet the Vatican Swiss Guards ready […]