Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure:
- Milan and Lombardy have joined the madness by banning the eating of things like gelato, kebabs and pizza in public places. Is this the end of the joy of the passeggiata?? Say it ain’t so, Italy!
- Thankfully, people in Milan are protesting the absurd new law, including a publicized protest by a political candidate.
- I wanted to be amused – highly amused, in fact – that Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, his wife Veronica Lario (a former showgirl), & his Equal Opportunities Minister (and former topless model/showgirl – is that some kind of prerequisite for any position around him? Wait, don’t answer that…) Mara Carfagna had recently been painted as mostly-nude angels in an art exhibit. But then I read that the artist “wanted to pay tribute” to Berlusconi and wasn’t being ironic at all. Damn.
- Evidently one Ferrari museum in Italy isn’t enough. The city of Modena laid the first stone of a new museum dedicated to the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari, who was born there.
- I’m all about sharing good tips for traveling, and thankfully I’ve got some travel-savvy internet pals who do the same. Cherrye at My Bella Vita lists 25 of her best Italy travel tips, and I hear there are plans for more tips to come on her blog.
- Not only does Venice come out on top of this list of the most expensive cities in Europe for hotels, but Rome & Florence also make the top ten.
- This summer’s G8 summit is scheduled to be held on the island of Sardinia, but Italy PM Berlusconi wants to move it to L’Aquila, one of the towns hit hardest by the April 6th earthquake. The move would save money (according to Berlusocni) as well as help bring some much-needed visitor income to the area. The G8 partner countries are reportedly amenable to the move.
- The city of Rome turned 2,762 years old on April 21st, and there have been all kinds of celebrations going on. The one that caught my eye, however, was this chariot race – the “horses” are men riding bicycles that are made up to look like horses, and each bike is pulling a chariot with another man in it. Both men are wearing cycling duds, although some have faux-”feathered” fans on their helmets. The whole thing is downright hilarious.
- You can read about one earthquake survivor’s personal experience in this online diary.
- Ecotourism isn’t just limited to Earth Day – you can do your part to travel in an eco-friendly way year-round, even in Italy. Italofile mentions one organization, Protect Cinque Terre, that works to rebuild and maintain the national park’s fragile hiking trails.
- You’ve probably heard of the Palio di Siena (and seen parts of it on the big screen in “Quantam of Solace”), but did you know there are similar Palio events in lots of other Italian towns? Here’s a bit of information on the Palio in Bormarzo.
- I’m not a parent, so perhaps I’m wrong, but I’m not sure I agree with all of the suggestions for this “teen-approved” Roman holiday. If it’s stated up front that the teenagers aren’t going to be into art & history, then why is it assumed that fountains and the Sistine Chapel are going to be “sure bets?”
- After 140+ migrants floated in the Mediterranean for four days while Malta & Italy argued about whose responsibility they were, they were finally taken in by Italy. One woman on board the ship, who was pregnant, had already died by the time the arguments ended.
- Officials in Italy are planning to move forward with an inquiry into whether shoddy construction is at all to blame for the collapse of more modern buildings in the Abruzzo earthquake of April 6th. This decision comes despite protest over such a move by PM Silvio Berlusconi.
- The Vatican says they’ll help with the restoration of some of the artwork which was damaged in the earthquake.
- I spent some time this past week fawning over the stunningly gorgeous photos of Italy taken by Kevin Day and posted on his blog. It’s rare when photos capture the magic and mystery of a place this well, in my opinion.
- Police in Aosta were searching for a German couple who abandoned their 3 young kids at a pizzeria, and the couple was found a few days later.
- Love locks are being removed from some Italian monuments, including the church near the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
- The Vatican has announced plans to build an enormous solar power plant – the largest in Europe – to power 40,000 Italian homes.
- Rick Steves fans know Vernazza is his Cinque Terre town of choice, and he writes about the town again for CNN.
- Berlusconi’s obvious affection for Italy’s young starlets continues, as he’s chosen a former Miss Italy contestant and participant on the Italian Big Brother to stand for the European Parliament’s upcoming elections.
- Join Ms. Adventures in Italy’s Sara Rosso for a spin around Rome from the back of a Vespa scooter!
- Okay, so it’s all well & good that Italy has approved what’s being called an “anti-stalking law,” but for a government official to say that “Italy is now among the most advanced nations in terms of the fight against sexual violence” is a bit rich when the prime minister has said publicly that it’ll be hard to keep rapists at bay when Italian women are so beautiful.
- The cost of the proposed bridge from the Italian mainland to Sicily could, according to the governor of Calabria, make Calabria earthquake-proof.
- Rome’s Colosseum is in need of restoration, says the city’s mayor.
- Prince Charles and Camilla will be in Italy this week, visiting Rome, Florence, Naples & Venice.
- A new survey says that thanks to the flagging economy, more Italians will be taking their holidays in-country this year.
- Rome isn’t all about the ancient sites or the bustle of a modern city. There are some great green spaces in the city, too, including these four parks.
- This story of a super-helpful Italian handyman, quite different from the “Under the Tuscan Sun” stereotype, made me giggle.
- Fans of Lidia Bastianich, the celebrity chef foodies know & love from “Lidia’s Italy,” may be interested in knowing she’ll be the featured guest on a James Beard Foundation cruise of the Mediterranean this October.
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