Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure:
- Here’s a self-promotional item for you – James over at Wandering Italy recently asked me a few interesting questions about what I love about Italy and the biggest lie people tell about Italians (among other things), and he’s put the answers up on his blog. Y’know, just in case you didn’t already read enough of what I say by reading WhyGo Italy, you can read my interview with James for additional Jessica time.
- A new book about allied soldiers who helped save Italian art during WWII sounds really interesting… Anyone read it yet?
- That enormous jackpot that had Germans flooding into Italy to buy lottery tickets has been won – but by whom? Normally the identity of lotto winners is kept secret, but with the amount of money that was just won (nearly €150 million) people are asking more questions this time. For starters, we know the winner bought the ticket in Bagnone, a town in Tuscany.
- So, the Pope got his cast off after breaking his wrist on vacation, and he says his wrist is “still a bit lazy.” The Pope with a lazy wrist. There are, like, 7,000 jokes in there waiting to be told (by people who don’t mind risking eternal damnation).
- I hate to be snotty, but I’m not sure I have much sympathy for people who just up and move to Italy with no research, and then are surprised it’s not an easy experience for them.
- Interesting… Italy’s PM Berlusconi was apparently planning to take part in a Catholic “plenary indulgence” in L’Aquila this past week. Whether he thinks that would make all his sins go away is debatable (whether he thinks he’s actually committed any sins is even more debatable), but it seems he canceled the trip anyway.
- This op-ed piece declares that women are “rising up” in Italy and they aren’t going to tolerate things like Berlusconi’s transgressions and sexist commentary (not to mention anyone else’s) anymore. I’m not sure I’m that optimistic, but I hope she’s right.
- Berlusconi has launched “libel” suits against media outlets in Italy and in other European countries – he says all the stories they’ve been printing about his private life (AKA all the friggin’ call-girl/underage-girl scandals) are lies. Natch.
- And it’s not enough that Berlusconi controls much of the private media in Italy, as the head of state he’s also in charge of state-run media – which is why it’s not surprising that a trailer for a movie called “Videocracy,” which is about modern-day media and government in Italy and (therefore) features footage of Berlusconi, has been banned from RAI stations.
- Apparently being a mob boss isn’t just a man’s job anymore. Women – “Godmothers” – are showing they’ve got what it takes to rule with an iron fist, too.
- A survey of French, Spanish, and English travelers has ranked Italian the most romantic language.
- Cherrye’s listed a few Italy travel myths on her site recently, which may be helpful (especially if you’re traveling in the south).
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