All about Italy #1_2018 - US Edition

CULTURE, HISTORY, TOURISM, POLITICS, FASHION, FOOD, MUSIC, ART & LEISURE

Forms, Art

ETTORE SOTTSASS.

BEYOND THE VALENTINE Cinema

ITALY AND THE OSCARS: A LONG LOVE STORY Italian Villages

ITALY, THE HAMLET HEART #womenarethefuture

MARINA RINALDI: MADE FOR WOMEN Music: Luigi Borgato

RECOGNIZING AND OVERCOMING LIMITS Italy at Sea

LUXURY IS “HOME”

BY THE SEA

YEAR XIX - ISSUE # 70 - 2018 - USA $ 12.50 WWW.ALLABOUTITALY.NET

EDITORIAL

WE ALWAYS NEED BEAUTY

New Year, and our challenge remains the same. Once again, as always, we won’t give up reminding you of life’s colorfulness, the beauty of a country so close to our heart and, at the same time, an expression of a culture and history irredeemably fascinating, stretching back across the years.

This year, 2018, represents an important moment for global recognition of one of the founding values of Made in Italy: In fact, the Agricultural Ministries of Food and Forestry Policies, along with Cultural Heritage and Tourism, have dubbed these 12 months the National Year of Italian Food.

Throughout the year, enogastronomic and cultural events will showcase Italian tradition — the expert voice on how to transform art, beauty and culture into the pinnacle expression of all things good.

“It’s a thing of beauty that, should we call it our own, would cheer us, and would still do so even if it were to belong to someone else”: there are no words more appropriate than those of the ‘Maestro’ Umberto Eco to describe the spirit of sharing embodied in this twenty year story of beauty.

The beauty of the art of creation, that capacity to think in narratives and films in homage to the great Italian names who down the years have explored the world of expression, writing the history of the Oscars through to the present day. The beauty of a long musical journey accompanied by the composer and producer Mauro Paoluzzi which reveal to us unpublished episodes in his long collaboration with Gianna Nannini and other stars on the international scene.

The beauty of a modern-day inventor, Luigi Borgato, who, in his workshop, piece by piece, created some of the most wonderful pianos in the world.

The beauty of being alive within our open, artistic world even though, because of its heritage, Italy is finding herself ever more on the radar of international tourism, which is particularly true of those towns which make up the ‘spine’ of the Italian peninsula.

A story within a story then, like a great big universe enclosed within an iconic, quality brand-name such as Lamborghini - as remarked by its manager, Christian Mastro.

Look to the future without ever forgetting the importance of tradition: to this end we’re at the beginning of a new adventure, a new collaboration with Artemest, an appointment with the best of Italian craftsmanship to explore its creative world.

Because with beauty, one must know how to recognise it.

Editor in Chief Franco Del Panta

Co-Editor & Vice President Paolo Del Panta

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Italian Villages

The Interview

Kitchen Stars

22. ITALY, THE HAMLET HEART

56. CULTURAL CITADEL PREPARES FOR THE FUTURE

82. THE FRIENDLY GOURMET GIANT

Music beyond the limits

Tasteful Experience

62. RECOGNIZING AND

88. ROVAGNATI TAKES ITALIAN FLAVOR STATESIDE

Italian Oscars

30. ITALY AND THE OSCARS: A LONG LOVE STORY

OVERCOMING LIMITS

Bottega Veneta

Fashion Last Emperor

#womenarethefuture

36. RED, LIKE VALENTINO

68. MARINA RINALDI: MADE FOR WOMEN

Forms, Art

42. ETTORE SOTTSASS. BEYOND THE VALENTINE Rome to discover

48. CHRONICLES AND HISTORY FROM THE QUIRINALE PALACE

#womenarethefuture

72. THE SOFT FASHION REVOLUTION

92. URBAN IS THE NEW COOL Italy at Sea

98. LUXURY IS “HOME”

BY THE SEA Music Icon

The City, its flavors

74. A TASTE OF HISTORY

104. MAURO PAOLUZZI : GIANNA NANNINI, ANNIE LENNOX AND A LIFE OF MUSIC

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4 PHOTOREPORTAGE 6 PHOTOREPORTAGE 8 PEOPLE 10 FASHION 12 DESIGN 14 FOOD 16 GO VEGAN 18 LIFESTYLE 20 TV SHOW 124 ARTEMEST

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Editor in Chief Franco Del Panta f.delpanta@allaboutitaly.net Co-Editor & Vice President Paolo Del Panta p.delpanta@allaboutitaly.net Art Director Francesco Sciarrone Picture Editor M. Fernandez Duna Translator Kate Carlisle Administration Jenny Cheung Photo Editor M. Beduschi Staff writers & Photos M. Morelli, L. Mancini, E. Pasca, E. Rodi, M.Bertollini, M. Pituano, J.Daporto, E.Della Croce, S.Riva, S.Mallinckrodt, D.Proietto, I.C. Scarlett, Y.Leone, M.Baffigi, D.Zaccaretti

PHOTOREPORTAGE

MASONE LABYRINTH: LOST BETWEEN ART AND BAMBOO Inaugurated two years ago, this world made entirely of bamboo was tapped the largest labyrinth on earth. The Masone Labyrinth, supported by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci, is located in the eponymous locality in the province of Parma. The eye is guided skillfully into the labyrinth. Masone is, in fact, composed of about 200,000 bamboo plants, between 30 centimeters and 15 meters tall, from 20 different species, extending seven hectares.

“When Minos built his labyrinth as a prison, he had dark and cruel intentions,” says Ricci, who explains the idea of “his” labyrinth; “I imagined a sweetened equivalent, which was also a Garden, where people could walk, getting lost from time to time, but without being in danger”. Inside the Parco della Masone (Masone Park) there is also a museum complex that collects works collected by Ricci over the last 50 years. Set over 5,000 square meters, the collection reflects the personal taste of the publisher and is continually expanding. Present works include Canova, Bernini, Hayez and Antonio Ligabue, among others. The Masone Labyrinth also hosts numerous cultural activities, including temporary exhibitions, conferences and concerts. www.labirintodifrancomariaricci.it Giorgio Migliore

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PHOTOREPORTAGE

FICO: THE WORLD’S LARGEST FOOD PARK IN BOLOGNA The so-called “Disneyland of Food”, Italy’s first food park, is the largest in the world. FICO (Fabbrica Italiana Contadina) was curated by architect Thomas Bartoli of Eataly Design and opened its doors on November 15th. The first balance sheet shows a record turnout, with growth in its future considering that about 6 million guests are expected annually, and approximately 2 million of which come from abroad.

A place for business and tourism, for the enhancement of Made in Italy and in particular of healthy food from the Bel Paese, FICO wants to be the biggest venue in the world to celebrate Italian cuisine, wine and food biodiversity. Promoting cultural, economic, social, environmental and food sustainability programs is one of the objectives of the Bologna park, which covers over 10 hectares of land, two of which are earmarked to hold over 200 animals in open-air pens and be fitted with eight covered shelters. FICO will have 40 farm factories for the responsible production of meats, cheeses, pasta, oil, sweets, beer etc. There are also 40 restaurants, six educational classrooms and six educational attractions for younger people to have fun and learn.

Respect for the environment extends beyond the park itself: ecological buses will connect FICO from Bologna’s Central station, running regularly every 30 minutes until midnight. www.eatalyworld.it Giorgio Migliore

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XXX XXX XXX

PEOPLE

STEFANIA SPAMPINATO, A NEW DOCTOR FOR ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’

U

ntil a few months ago, Sicilian 35-years-old Stefania Spampinato was an actress looking for an opportunity in Los Angeles as well as a ‘Grey’s Anatomy’s fan. “I watched 13 seasons on TV,” she says now that she appears alongside her favorite characters. She plays the role of gynecologist Carina De Luca, sister of Dr. Andrew De Luca, not be a marginal role.

Born and raised in Catania, Spampinato, at age 19, aimed to become a professional dancer: “I first moved to Milan, then to London, where I lived for 5 years. There I started studying acting, but I never thought it could be my job. I did not want to: my dream was to be a dancer.”

Ten years later, a new life change when she moved to Los Angeles: “There I began to study acting more seriously. I was 29 and I started from scratch again.” She says that her first auditions were bad, and she had a hard time to find

good ones, until her turning point: “I went to the audition for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ without knowing how big the role was.

They were looking for an actress who spoke Italian, but I thought it just a guest star role, maybe for a patient...” But it was not so, and this is one of those roles that can change a career. “Often I say, ‘is this really happening?’ I’m super happy.” Her first fan was her mother, who she lost not long ago: “Not being able to share all of this with her was very bad. My mom is the main reason I started this career: I was a Sicilian girl and she let me go, she was always my greatest supporter. But there is one thing: I received the news that I had the role on her birthday and began to shoot on her name-day. Even at home, everyone was even more excited because of this.”

Alessandro Creta

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FASHION

A NEW RINASCENTE OPENED IN ROME After 11 years of renovations work, Rinascente inaugurated its new store in the heart of Rome, just a few steps away from the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, in Via del Tritone 61. This is the second Rinascente store in Rome - the other being in Piazza Fiume -, and the eleventh in Italy. The numbers of Rinascente in Via del Tritone (also known as ‘the Tritone’) are certainly impressive: 14,000 square meters; 1852 days of construction site; 4,720,000 kg of steel used; 8 floors; 250 million euros of investments, of which130 for the purchase of the property; 650 employees, for a total of 25,000 hours of training; 116 tills; for more than 800 international brands ready to conquer the hearts and the wallets of the 8 million expected visitors a year. Long renovations were entrusted to great architects and designers who had already redisigned Rinascente stores, resulting in a perfectly-balanced building stitching together the past and the present, ancient and modern. It is the only department store in the world that can boast, within its structure: an archaeological site exposing one of the treasures of Ancient Rome, the Virgin Aqueduct - which was discovered during works on the basement level -, a ‘palace’ built in the 1900s that becomes an integral part of the store (occupied by the Louis Vuitton boutique), a domus of the 4th century, spas, mosaics, terraces on the sixth floor with a view breathtaking of Rome, along with a skylight well designed to allow the light to cross all 8 floors in height, giving the environment a unique touch.

The facade – designed, together with the first and second floor, by Vincent Van Duysen - features 96 windows and 7 shop windows framed by dark bronze finishes. The main area of basement level, designed by Claudio Silvestrin and Giuliana Salmaso, is occupied by the Exhibiton Area dedicated to cultural events, but there is also a coffee shop, where you can have a coffee with a view of the aqueduct. Indeed, as Pier Luigi Cocchini, Rinacente CEO, said commenting the new Rinascente: “It is not just a simple department store, but a meeting place, a magnet for the whole city.” All major fashion brands are present in the new Rinascente, including Prada - which has never been present in the historic Milan store -, Christian Louboutin – with its first Italian boutique -, Luis Vuitton – which designed a special edition of its Star Trail Ankle Book especially for the Tritone -, and Valentino - with 4 different corners. However, many are also the casual-wear brands that have a space in the department store. “I do not think that there is another place in Rome with so much choice. After all, if we want eight million visitors a year to enter the Tritone, we need a wide range of offer and prices,” said Vice Chairman of Rinascente Vittorio Radice. www.rinascente.it Ilona Catani Scarlett

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DESIGN

LA QUERCIA 21: QUALITY AND ORIGINALITY AT YOUR SERVICE La Quercia 21 is a craft workshop producing interior furnishings for the whole house: living-room, kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. They have adopted an eclectic approach to their designs, mixing styles and solutions, ranging from minimalism to artistic, from a vintage aesthetic to an industrial one, always with an eye on the needs and tastes of customers.

La Quercia 21 is a project resulting from the meeting of two carpenters: a craft workshop, an eclectic vehicle for ideas, materials and techniques.

Taking inspiration from the history and development of furniture and experimenting constantly with new improvements both aesthetic and functional, we can now design and produce made-to-measure furniture in our own workshop: tables, chairs, lamps, bookshelves, work-surfaces, beds, wardrobes, stairs and other wooden structures.

Every piece is made by hand, combining joints, mosaics, inlays and lacquering. Everything is then treated with a natural finish of oil, water and beeswax.

For those in search of something high-quality and original, the team at La Quercia is ready to meet the needs of everyone: in fact the designers are more than happy to work together with the client to design just the right item. www.laquercia21.it Margherita Pituano

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FOOD

COSTARDI BROS. POP IS SERVED! One is the “savory” chef, the other the “sweet” chef. Two Brothers, Christian and Manuel, and a Michelin-starred restaurant in Vercelli at the Hotel Cinzia, opened in 1967 by their grandparents Nino and Sandra.

Their place? They describe it as follows: “This is the place where evolution is a glimpse of the past projected towards the future. We revolutionized it in 2007 with our cuisine and innovating our dishes. A home where those who enter feel like guests, not customers.”

Four tasting menus — Emotion, Territory, Passion, Evolution — and the Classics. A culinary extravaganza that features 20 variants of local rices.

The tasty risotto is an aromatic Carnaroli, inside and out. The Costardi’s signature dish is served in cans inspired by Warhol ‘s Campbell custom labels, nicknamed the fantastic 4: Costardi’s Condensed Tomato Rice, Carbonara Rice, Sartorial Rice and Evening Dress Rice.

“Rice for us is the seed from which we started. We sowed a grain of rice and from there came the COSTARDIBROS, this is our motto, we were born and raised in Vercelli, the cradle of the best risotto rice, so for us, the love for rice and risotto was the most natural thing possible.”

Two brothers united by a grain, two different personalities, a constant play off. But there is also a place for delicious and playful pasta. Albeit the Western Spaghetti, fried pasta eaten like chips, or Noodles to Chocolate, a salted salad with oriental notes.

The menu runs the ingredient gammut from a scent to a memory: the important thing is that each dish represents the true style of Costardi. www.christianemanuel.it Maria Baffigi

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GO VEGAN

ITALIAN INVENTORS CREATE A VEGAN EGG Four students of the Master’s Degree in Food Sciences and Food Technologies at the University of Udine, Francesca Zuccolo, Greta Titton, Arianna Roi and Aurora Gobessi, worked for a year and a half on experiments in the University’s laboratories to develop their vegan hard-boiled egg which has been patented and will soon be presented to the market.

The whole egg is produced entirely with ingredients of vegetable origin, but with its appearance and organoleptic characteristics are the same of a normal hardboiled hen egg. It is presented as a ready-to-eat product suitable for those who follow a vegan diet, but also for people with high cholesterol and those affected by celiac disease, since it is cholesterol and gluten free. The egg is entirely made up of natural ingredients, mostly protein, especially flours of various legumes, vegetable oils, a gellant and a special salt. It is a refrigerated product to be eaten in salad or in combination with sauces. The inventors commented that they encountered some difficulties during the development stage, “which required a great deal of testing to achieve the optimum formulation in terms of consistency and taste of the finished product.” Over the next few weeks, the patent will begin its marketing journey, with the presentation to companies potentially interested in acquiring the process to obtain this new food product. “The sector of interest is the food industry, in particular those industries that already produce products for vegan consumers or functional foods. The product can be sold in organic, vegetarian and vegan groceries, but also in any supermarket, in consideration of the growing demand for this type of products.”

Ilona Catani Scarlett

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LIFESTYLE

THE MILLENNIAL FRAGRANCES OF ABRUZZO BOTTLED UP One of Europe’s oldest and most extraordinary parks has now created a perfume line, inspired by the Riserva Naturale dell’Abruzzo (Abruzzo Natural Reserve) and is now ready to spread the love for Italian flora abroad. The Park, which includes the regions of Lazio, Molise and Abruzzo, is the brainchild of entrepreneur Paride Vitale and his partner Ugo Morosi. The line includes perfume, cologne and soap. Just like Abruzzo’s spectacular nature, Parco1923 is a fragrance that conquers the senses thanks to an olfactory pyramid built on a variety of plants and flowers from the region. The fresh and light odor of the Laburnum anagyroides, the essence of juniper berries, honeysuckle and weaver’s broom. Then wild angelica, wormwood and moss. Naturally, beechwood, a park icon that occupies 60% of the woods in the area. The choice of the plants that make PARCO1923 was realized in collaboration with the leadership of the National Park, is the underpinning aroma, repeating the smells and fragrances that characterize the trails of the Natural Reserve.

The packaging also embraces the unique and ancient territory, with its deep green color and the black bear, iconic animal of the nature reserve, as well as the Park logo. For every bottle of Parco1923 sole, one euro will be donated to biodiversity and conservation. For sale in the flagship store nestled in the heart of the National Park (in the Pescasseroli county) and online at www.parco1923.com.

Alessandro Creta

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TV SHOWS

IN 2018 JUVENTUS ON NETFLIX

Following the success of ‘Last Chance U’, the American Football documentary series, Netflix is producing another one about Italy’s historic football team, Juventus. The Bianconeri will star in a new four-part documentary series that will be launched by Netflix in early 2018. Each 60-minute episode will be available exclusively on the streaming service, and it will give a chance to fans from all over the world to enter the Juventus Stadium, experience the matches, follow the training sessions, and the personal lives of the team members from a behindthe-scenes point of view, the one of coach Massimiliano Allegri. “It’s a source of pride that Juventus is the first football club to be the subject of a Netflix Original Docu-series,” said Juventus Co-Chief Revenue Officer Federico Palomba. “Projects like this one confirm our passion for innovation and for being, in every sense, a sport entertainment brand; but also our determination to reach Bianconeri fans across the world and millions of Netflix users, who, thanks to this documentary will have the opportunity to know Juventus from every angle.” Erik Barmack, Vice President of international original series at Netflix, commented: “Netflix is the home of passionate storytelling, and there are no more passionate fans than the Bianconeri’s ones. We are excited to have a unique, exclusive access to one of the most important teams in the world.”

Sascha Mallinckrodt

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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian Villages

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Italian Villages | ALL ABOUT ITALY

Villages are the backbone of the Italian peninsula: an intangible patrimony abundant in history, tradition, culture and beauty

Italy, the hamlet heart

Bard

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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian Villages

Masterpieces of fascinating and secular beauty, archives of ancient stories, traditions and timeless knowledge, the villages represent the most authentic and significant piece of Italian territorial cloth. Precious gems throughout the peninsula, these micro-paradises of beauty continue to offer daily the most profound and sincere essence of Italian identity and belonging.

The Italian villages are a real living heritage, a treasure trove of extraordinary memories of the past that laid the foundations for the future, an invaluable treasure to be preserved and valued both within national borders and abroad, together with all their historical celebrations, folklore, events, and astonishing landscapes.

Architecture, gastronomy, culture and nature perfectly coexist in extraordinary equilibrium.

Their fragility makes it even more important and essential to defend them. To know them is to love them, in perpetuity.

One is spoiled for choice when seeking an Italian village. Start small, aim high…. a limited yet varied horizon is a nice appetizer to start with.

Vairano Patenora

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Imagine a sort of first ideal itinerary, starting from the north of the peninsula, beginning with the village of Bard, the smallest municipality in Valle d’Aosta, with its 150 inhabitants (give or take a few).

First stop, a great example of 19th-century fortress.

Today, the Museo delle Alpi (Museum of the Alps) holds numerous exhibitions, shops and a convenient café. Modern panoramic elevators lead to the top and a camera is recommended for breathtaking panoramic shots.

Moving to Piedmont, to Neive, is like opening the pages of a fairytale: rows of stone houses and winding lanes climb up to the Clock Tower. This former Roman settlement, fought over by nearby Alba and Asti in the Middle Ages, is today one of the most beautiful terrains along the region’s wine road. It is the lush and blessed land of the Langhe and here the words “Barbera” and “Moscato” live in the inhabitants DNA and subsequently seep into the heart of those who visit. From Langhe to Lombardia, stop at Tremosine, a village mentioned by the father of Italian, Dante, in his book Inferno: a mythical place in the heart of the Alto Garda Pietrapertosa

Italian Villages | ALL ABOUT ITALY

Cividale Bresciano Park, 2,000 souls and an enviable view of Lake Garda surrounded by a one-ofa-kind landscape. The western road by car is spectacular, as is a motorcycle ride or Nordic walk. In the province of Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia, history and legend merge indissolubly in the village of Cividale, a town founded by Julius Caesar. UNESCO has declared part of the town a World Heritage site, while the Ponte del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge) is one of the most famous and crossed in Italy.

According to popular tradition, the locals had to bargain with the devil to build the bridge in such a critical location. The price to pay was the soul of the first passer, so today’s traveler can cross it and sleep easy…the price has been paid. Asolo, in Veneto in the province of Treviso has an ancient history dating back to Paleolithic times and has been embraced by important personalities and artists throughout the centuries. The poet

A “Borgo” is a fascinating small Italian town, generally fortified and dating back to the period from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

It is unique and built around a castle or palace belonging to the noble family that held power at that time and it is often surrounded by walls.

Giosuè Carducci called it “the city of the 100 horizons”, while the Queen of Cyprus moved her court here in the 15th century and the “Divine” Eleonora Duse lived and was buried here. Asolo is a small jewel embedded in a beautiful region that has not only Venice, but many other gems to be proud of. Asolo’s fortress overlooks the Ricco mountain and allows you to see, on the clearest days, even the Venice Lagoon; the panoramic walk continues with a visit to the castle of Queen Cornaro, then do not miss the defensive walls, the Roman aqueduct and finally a snap a photo memory in Piazza Garibaldi.

Tourists who decide to take a trip to Italy have a soft spot in their heart for Tuscany.

If there is only one choice from the innumerable treasure of the region, Sorano, in the province of Grosseto, is exceptional.

Its houses are excavated in the stone, like the southern village of Matera, giving Sorano its nickname, the Tuscan Matera. Overhanging the Lente Valley, rich in history and nature,

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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian Villages

its austere and pendulous appearance are unique. The Sorano Orsini Fortress and the Leopoldo Masso are must-sees, but the ancient and evocative Etruscan trails excavated in the rock know as the Vie Cave are not to be forgotten.

The words of master poet Dante Alighieri play out in the Marche region, and the beauty of Gradara, dominated by its gracious castle, is where the unfortunate love of Paolo and Francesca was supposedly set in the book Inferno. The fortified village of Gradara, in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, captures the heart with its dreamy atmospheres and its rich and ancient history. From the scenic views In Italy we have around 270 Borghi, of the castle you can enjoy the display of vivid colors brushed across the Marche from the Dolomites to Sicily, hills, with the blue of the Adriatic Sea to as and they are the symbol a backdrop. This noble and sophisticated of the Italian culture with artistic village, encircled in the two layers of 14th and architectural heritage, tradition century walls, offers in all its unexpected treasures of to be enjoyed. and eno-gastronomic treasures History and legend play out in the town of Pacentro in Abruzzo. It is said that once upon a time, the Trojan hero Pacinus, who left Enea on the banks of the Tiber, came to the foot of Mount Morrone and founded the hamlet. Today, this splendid jewel in the heart of the Abruzzo Mountains, in the province of L’Aquila and nestled in the Majella National Park, is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, fascinating visitors with colorful streets, the 16th century church the Chiesa Madre, the historical wheat

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Italian Villages | ALL ABOUT ITALY

Pacentro

scale known as the Preta Tonna. The unmistakable twin towers of Castello Caldora-Cantelmo dominate the horizon and with a pinch of luck music icon Madonna, whose family is originally from the town, may be wandering the alleys of her beloved village.

Brushstrokes of history play out in the province of Caserta, every year in August. Harkening back in the Middle Ages, games and mock duels fill the charming alleys of Vairano Patenora. Dominated by its scenic castle, the village seems to be suspended in time. It is said that the famous Teano meeting between the father of Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi and King Vittorio Emanuele

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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian Villages

II, took place just outside Vairano, sealing the unification of the country. During the fascist dictatorship, Antonio Gramsci was imprisoned in the town’s Taverna della Catena.

Another enchanting and magical village, which seems to slumber beneath the jagged peaks of the Lucane Dolomites, sheltered by the benevolent Mount Impiso, is Pietrapertosa, in the province of Potenza, the highest village in Basilicata. One can get lost in the winding alleys as the rose-colored brushstrokes of the sunset paint the surrounding mountains.

Flying 120 kms an hour from the hamlets of Pietrapertosa to Castelmezzano is no fairytale.

Adventurers can experience the thrill of the Volo dell’Angelo (Angles’ Flight) between the two towns connected by zip lines.

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Our dream itinerary ends in Castellammare del Golfo, in Sicily. The Arab-Norman fort from which the city takes its name directly overlooks the crystalline blue of the Gulf of Trapani. Colors, cuisine, history and culture are cornerstones of the town, while tourists longing for sandy beaches can stretch out with the Inici mountain as a backdrop. It is a village with narrow, winding lanes and surprising churches.

This selection of small Italian wonders is just a small note inside a postcard: the story of Italian villages is never-ending, it is a secret whispered every day, offering new perspectives, eye-opening glimpses and fresh, delightful wonders.

Elisabetta Pasca

Italian Villages | ALL ABOUT ITALY

Castellammare del Golfo

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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian Oscars

Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, who carried off best foreign film statuette for “La Grande Bellezza”

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Italian Oscars | ALL ABOUT ITALY

During the Academy’s 90-year history, Italy has grabbed the coveted statue many times, triumphing in various categories and confirming itself as a genuine force in world cinematography.

Italy and the Oscars:

a long love story

I

taly just loves ‘Uncle Oscar’, so much so that THE RECORD FOR BEST FOREIGN FILM in almost 90 years of the award’s history, the In actual fact, Italy does indeed hold the record in this most coveted prize in the world cinematic prestigious category followed by France with 12 awards industry has often gone to the professionals and then Spain, which has won only four. The undisputed involved in the production of Italian movies, godfather of Neorealism, Vittorio De Sica, has taken four giving rise to emotional and memorable occasions Hollywood statuettes with “Sciuscià”, “Ladri di biciclette” which remain forever stamped on the collective (Honorary Awards in 1948 and 1950) and with “Ieri, oggi consciousness, such as Roberto Benigni’s iconic e domani” and “ Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini” (Oscars for walk down the aisle after the announcement of best Foreign Film 1948 and 1950). Federico Fellini took 4 an award for Best Foreign Film by a very excited Oscars with his double-bill telling the history of cinema: Sophia Loren. If her joyous “La Strada” (1957), “Le notti di scream “Roberto!” still echoes Cabiria” (1958), “8 ½” (1964) and Actors, directors, scenographers, in the memories of those “Amarcord” (1975). Completing present on that wonderful the winners list, unforgettable technicians, musicians, costumiers, occasion, neither should we editors and art-directors; Italy is always films such as “Indagine su forget the tears of joy of Ennio un cittadino al di sopra di at the head of the line outside Morricone, winner of the Best ogni sospetto” by Elio Petri Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.

Soundtrack award for the film (1971), the romantic homage “The Hateful Eight” by Quentin to cinematic fiction offered by Tarantino, or the incredible the nostalgic “Nuovo Cinema sweetness of Federico Fellini who, accepting a Paradiso”, perfectly put together by Giuseppe Tornatore Lifetime Award, while still on stage asked his wife, (1990), “Mediterraneo” by Gabriele Salvadores (1992), Giulietta Masina, not to cry in front of people. the film which tells the story of Greece and Italy, imbued Emotions rather like in a beautiful film, expressed with sun, sky and the beautifully dazzling Mediterranean; throughout 90 years of cinematic history, a history the poetic “La vita è bella” by Roberto Benigni (1999), of us all: between Italy and the Oscars without a engaging, sweet and sad at the same time, and that great doubt, we’re talking about a long love story on portrait of modern Italian society, with its weaknesses and account of the raft of successes, of which the 13 decadence, sketched unsentimentally in “La Grande statuettes for Best Foreign Film form only a part.

Bellezza” by Paolo Sorrentino (2014).

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