So, it’s probably not the stuff you’d find on the front page of the dailies in Italy, but it’s Italian news nonetheless.
Late Sunday night just before I was shutting down my computer I read the first reports of the Italy earthquake. At the time, the bulk of the news was coming in via Twitter, and the latest information had the epicenter in L’Aquila - about 60 miles east of Rome in the Abruzzo region - with two confirmed deaths. I woke up Monday morning to find the news was, not surprisingly, much worse.
The death toll has risen to 294 people, with more than 2,000 injured and (at last count) more than 65,000 left homeless as a result of the crumbled, …
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I just learned from someone I follow on Twitter that a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit southern Italy several hours ago (and since there’s basically no news about it online yet, I’m going to say that this is one more reason why Twitter is so incredibly wonderful - and if you’re not following me, you should be!). According to the USGS website, the epicenter of the quake was roughly 40 miles west of Cosenza in Calabria at a depth of just over 160 miles. So while it doesn’t seem like this would be bad enough to do much …
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I’ll be the first to admit that when I heard the intiial rumors trickling in earlier this year that Ronaldinho would be joining my Italian soccer team, AC Milan, I was skeptical. (That may actually be an understatement.) But after a dodgy start to their season, the team has been on a streak of playing pretty darned well lately, and lots of the credit has to go to Ronaldinho. He’s not only been scoring his own goals, he’s been creating lots of opportunities for other players to score (or at least get close). So, I may have …
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Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure:
Are you one of the people who has watched Italian TV and wondered why every single show seems to require its own chorus line of skinny women in skimpy outfits? If you are, you’ll love the humor in this video.
A retired couple in Italy was arrested in Sicily recently for selling marijuana - they turned to selling drugs when they couldn’t make ends meet on their pension income.
As someone who loves Venice and hates pigeons, I’m pleased to hear that the pigeon population in the …
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Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure:
As if there weren’t already enough weird laws in Italy, Tui at Mental Mosaic just sent me news that an Italian town is going to be collecting dog DNA samples so that, when someone fails to clean up their doggy’s doo-doo, they can take a poopy sample and fine the exact owner responsible for not tending to the mess. Brilliant, I say!
What happens when the actor who created Borat decides to incorporate the Milan fashion world into his new movie? Well, he gets arrested, for …
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Italians know drama. They do drama so well, you’d think it’s genetic. So given the hubbub surrounding the arrival of English soccer superstar David Beckham (and his equally famous wife, Posh Spice Girl Victoria) to the city of Milan, you’d almost wonder if the Beckhams aren’t actually Italian instead of English. I mean, what other couple is going to be stalked as they choose a hotel to stay in for a few days? Especially in a city that sees its fair share of celebrities on a pretty regular basis?
Beckham was in Milan over the weekend being introduced as …
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Anyone familiar with Venice knows that the city has an issue with water. Its relationship with the water that surrounds it is complicated, and the fragility of this canal city is part of what makes it both endlessly romantic and in a constant state of peril. And now that winter has once again come to Italy, Venice is once again suffering from the famous “acqua alta.”
“Acqua alta,” or “high water,” is a fact of life in Venice - there is a good portion of every wet season when it’s easier to …
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Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure:
The author of the book about the mafia - which has recently been made into a movie - is leaving Italy following threats on his life.
Yet another Roman stadium has been excavated - well, it’s about half-excavated right now - and opened to the public last weekend.
Remember when someone dyed the water in the Trevi Fountain red? Well, the guy who’s accused of doing it is now facing charges.
I wonder how Leonardo da Vinci would feel about his beloved Mona Lisa appearing on …
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Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure:
According to a study from 2007, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the #1 shoplifted food item in Italy. I just have a hard time picturing how anyone would hide a giant wheel of cheese in their purse.
Ever wondered what they’re actually eating in the famous painting of “The Last Supper” in Milan? Well, thanks to restorations, now we know: eel.
What would Italians want to have if they were stranded on a desert island? Why, Pasta, trousers, soap and a radio, of course.
A new study released …
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It’s almost futile to post anything about Alitalia right now, as things seem to be changing by the nanosecond, but this morning I’ve noticed two stories in the news that are worth mentioning.
First, Alitalia has placed a “For Sale” ad in three Italian newspapers and one paper in London today. I find this incredible for two reasons. Primarily, it’s because this is Italy’s national flag carrier we’re talking about here, not some used sofa someone’s trying to get rid of on Craigslist. But even beyond that, do they really think there’s anyone in Italy - let alone the rest …
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