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ITALIAN COMPANIES MAKING IT BIG IN DENMARK A TASTE OF ITALY:

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DESIGN AND INNOVATION: From fashion to technological excellence, Italy inspires creativity

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INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADOR QUEIROLO more Italian researchers come to Denmark. In the future we see potential in renewable energies, biotech and green growth.

Q: For how long has Italy had consular presence in Copenhagen?

A: Consular relations and treaties existed long before the unification of Italy, in 1861. I recently came across an agreement between Denmark and the old Maritime Republic of Genoa, dating back mid-18th century and convening non-aggression of respective vessels.

Formal bilateral diplomatic relations were established immediately after our independence. I am the 40th Italian envoy to Copenhagen.

Q: Being EU trade partners, how significant is the Danish market to Italy?

A: Food and beverages, machineries, fashion and house complements are still the bulk of Italian export, in exchange of food, chemicals and drugs that we import from Denmark. Bilateral trade resisted the recent economic crisis, and is fluctuating around five billion euros. We are both heavily exporting countries and, despite the common effort to further expand the trade towards emerging markets, intra EU figures still account for a considerable percentage.

In 2014 a new Italo-Danish Chamber of Commerce was officially established in Aarhus, quite an exception to the present trade policies, but in accordance with the orientation of the private sector, especially small caps and Small to Medium Enterprises.

Building on Italian-Danish relations: From business and culture to scientific collaboration.

Q: Tell us about the nature of past and present Italian-Danish relations?

A: There has always been a link between the two countries. Renaissance and Baroque inspired Danish artist and architect, Thorvaldsen spent years in Italy while Andersen wrote that Rome was his ideal place to stay. The present residence of the Italian Ambassador was

bought closer to Amalienborg in 1922, due to the friendship between the two - then - Royal Houses. The accession of Denmark to the EU being both already NATO members - brought us in the same political family, but in more recent times bilateral trade, growing cross investments and vibrant tourism exchanges have set a new mood. Scientific cooperation is rising, and

Italy is the 5th biggest manufacturer in the world (the second in Europe after Germany), a major tourism destination, a unique country of brands and craftsmanship. Denmark is a highly specialised, high income, knowledge oriented, heavy travelling country, with top of the range commodities. The complementarities are obvious and very well perceived by the Danes who travel to Italy every year by their hundreds of thousands (more than 600 000: 1/9 of the entire population). But there is also a good climate for business.

Cementir-Aalborg Portland (cement) and CNH - IVECO (industrial vehicles) have their world or regional headquarters here. Salini-Impregilo 3

EMBASSY SUPPLEMENT

the Danish élite doing the typical “Grand Tour”

relations, where to from here?

a glorious, distant memory.

A: I think that we both agree there is a potential

The Glyptotheque is full of Roman artefacts, as the State Museum of Fine Arts of Italian paintings and drawings. The two Copenhagen Opera Houses showcase every year numerous Italian masterpieces, while DR Auditorium and other concert facilities frequently host classical and jazz performances by top Italian artists.

Maestro Fabio Luisi will be soon conducting the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Eugenio Barba, created 50 years ago in Holsteanimates the consortium for the Copenhagen Metro (the second largest infrastructural building site in EU). La Rinascente (luxury department stores) has bought and is totally renovating Illum. Grimaldi-Finnlines (RoRo cargoships) has a big maritime cabotage hub in Esbjerg.

Direct flights are increasing, and Alitalia is back again well positioned in Kastrup. Technogym (fitness machines) is the market leader in its sector.

bro, central Jutland, a unique, still very vital experience of popular theatre, Odin Teatret, with the full support of the municipality.

The life of the Danish King Christian VII inspired the last novel of Italian Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Dario Fo, and we hope to have the author among the guests of the Bogforum 2015 in November.

Gloria cinema, in Rådhustorv, has just inaugu-

At the same time, the food and beverage industry is in very good shape: Italian wines are steadily the best-selling in Denmark since 2009, both in volume and value, while Barolo and Brunello (the two fiercest regional rivals) have exceptionally joined the efforts in this market, promoting every year an always more popular showcase in the old Borsen Palace.

Q: How easy is it for Danish companies to set up shop in Italy, is Italy an investment friendly destination?

A: Ongoing reforms in Italy work towards prioritising the foreign investment attraction of the country, but in any case our country has been a very popular destination for deals by the biggest names in Danish business. Carlsberg-Birra Poretti (Como) and the Vestas production site (Taranto) are two examples. Maersk, already present in the Gioia Tauro transhipment port (Calabria), has right now closed a deal in Vado Ligure, near Genoa, to building the biggest refrigerated facility in western Mediterranean.

Novo Nordisk and Danish Crown have strong commercial ties with us and Italy is to them a target market.

Q: What of the future of Italian-Danish

to Italy in the 18th and 19th centuries are not just

rated an Italian contemporary movie series. At the same time, we see a renaissance of interest towards the immense cultural heritage of the Peninsula, with a constant flow of big exhibitions that Denmark is using to promote the knowledge society and attract qualified tourism. In 2014, we had Roman sculpture in the Glyptotheque, in 2015 Roman artefacts from the burial of a local chieftain of the 2nd century are on exhibition at Odense City Museums.

In April 2016, the new spectacular Moesgaard Museum of Aarhus will dedicate an exhibition to the Roman gladiators.

The Italian Cultural Institute in Copenhagen teaches Italian to up to 450 adults a year, and has a solid programme, open to other embassies. While the reciprocal Danish Academy in Rome offers scholarships to young gifted

in intensifying the political dialogue, on subjects like completing the European single market, renewable energy and single market for energy, green and IT growth, scientific cooperation, international peace keeping, security and defense procurement and, last but not least, the Arctic.

Last year, the Italian Minister and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Culture and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all visited Copenhagen.

There is room also for extended cooperation among local administrations, like for example Aarhus and Matera (in the region of Basilicata), that will be European Cultural Capitals in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

Q: Why would you encourage Danes to visit Italy?

A: They do it already with unrelenting enthusiasm, as I said, and with a very positive attitude, paying several visits a year to our country, falling in love with charming destinations, rediscovering out of reach little villages, establishing down there little communities of Danes affectionate to Italy.

With the intensification of direct flights, I would rather encourage them to extend the range of their exploration, encompassing new destinations in southern Italy and the big islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

Q: How long have you been Ambassador to Denmark, and what do you enjoy most about the country?

A: You normally associate traditional European posts with mature, consolidated relations, with intense current affairs but little to add or imagine. I was surprised to discover how much you still can build upon, if the moment is favourable - much to the concern of my essential and overwhelmed team! I owe them a lot.

Danes, both entities acting under the auspices of a cornerstone bilateral agreement.

That is why I think that the Danish governmental and academic authorities should not underestimate their own interest in the teaching of Italian in schools and universities, which ap-

Q: Talk us through the cultural ties the

pears to me also a reasonable job opportunity,

two countries share?

taking into consideration the aforementioned

A: Frederik IV, Thorvaldsen and Andersen, and

scenario.

With no previous Scandinavian background I also appreciate this so distinctly Copenhagen atmosphere, informal, relaxed and reassuring - everyday more fashionable in our media, among Italian tourists and young professionals.

Already at midterm of the usual four-year mandate, I frequently reflect on how diverse and yet complementary are the cultures composing the unbeatable European mosaic.

President and Publisher: Ejvind Sandal ● Editor: David Nothling ● Layout: Lyndsay Jensen ● Commercial Director: Hans Hermansen, hans@cphpost.dk, Tel: +45 2420 2411 ● Picture credit for images: iStock & Italian Embassy Embassy

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ITALY’S LONG HISTORY

From its early beginnings and the Roman Empire that inspired an international political system, to a modern, diverse nation – take a journey through the ups and downs of Italy’s illuminating history. By Associate Professor Gert Sørensen

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There’s an old saying that Italy was born old.

The country, which we know today as a large and important nation in Europe, was formally established as an independent kingdom in 1861, and celebrated its first 150 years in 2011. Before that, the Italian peninsula had experienced a much longer history which had already left its mark in the countryside, the surviving buildings and in the archives and library documents.

Therefore, it cannot come as a surprise that Italy contains a considerable portion of Europe’s cultural heritage. Italy enjoys the most UNESCO World Heritage sites, which once again gives evidence to the nation being at the heart of the European development for centuries.

One need only think of the Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen, who left behind novels and dairy entries about his travels through Italy in the 19th century.

brace the notion that being Italian means sharing a history. Looking back at the Etruscans in the first half of the first millennium B.C. their organisation of central Italy contributed to shaping the Tuscan landscape, and even though the Romans subsequently did their best to erase the memory of the Etruscans, they did end up adopting many Etruscan traditions. However, with the Roman Urbs dominating both sides of the Mediterranean and large parts of the near Orient, it became obvious that Rome’s expansion as a republic, and later an empire, would eventually transcend the borders of the Italian peninsula. At that point, the Italian peninsula itself had already been divided up into different administrative areas and given Latin names, such as Latium, Etruria and Apulia – which can be recognised in the names of current regions Lazio, Tuscany and Puglia.

One could therefore question when Italy’s history actually began and whether it is possible to utilise the word ‘Italians’ about a time before there was a national state which defined its citizens as Italians. Perhaps you can if you em-

Despite the Roman Empire collapsing during the middle of the first century A.D. due partially to the pressure of the large migrations from Northern Europe, and an Arabic expansion in the Middle East and North Africa which would

eventually reach Spain and southern Italy, the peninsula managed to retain much of its urbanisation and continued to build on the Roman civitas (city or città). There are grounds to argue that the upswing that took place in Italy after the year 1000 is substantially related to cities such as Pisa, Venice and Genoa. They are all located on the coasts and understood early on to develop civil rule and a differentiated business structure. Their success was initially based on a powerful navy that made it possible for them to gain control of the Mediterranean trade routes.

A city such as Florence grew in importance and became the most critical centre for the Italian renaissance between the 14th and 16th century.

Ancient Rome, meanwhile, survived as the capital of Christianity. But it was soon clear that the prosperity which many of the competing city states had enjoyed, also became a hindrance to the further development of the peninsula. While France and Spain developed large territorial states, Italy remained divided between many small city states which were often at war with one another whilst being varyingly backed by European powers.

This led to a significantly different development in Italy, which was forced to wait until the middle of the 19th century to become united. Compared to the other European powers, Italy was a ‘late bloomer’. It also meant that the newest national state in the European family at the time, faced the daunting task of securing its outer borders and establishing social and cultural unity within. The latter aspect of the task was particularly complex. The foundation of the Italian Risorgimento project was something that the elite connected to the House of Savoy, and that the prominent statesman Cavour from the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont pushed through. A minimal portion of the population had any influence and the unity enhanced the disparity between the wealthy northern Italy and the poorer southern Italy. The relationship between state and church was also fragile to the point that the church actually worked against the young worldly state.

Despite these deep contradictions, Italy slowly developed into an industrial society that gave hope for a more prominent position in international politics, also in relation to having colonies.

It was actually a strong sense of nationalism, combined with the moods in other European nations, which propelled Italy into World War I on the side with the French and British against Germany and Austria. Italy looked forward to conquering the last ‘Italian’ areas from Austria

and completing the long unification process.

The disappointment of the Versailles Treaty in 1919 contributed to the political and social turmoil which nurtured the emergence of Mussolini and fascism. This new kind of political activism was clearly underestimated by the political establishment, which futilely sought to contain the phenomenon and ultimately ended up supporting it. In October 1922, Mussolini formed his first government and from 1925-26 the fascist regime became a reality. Thanks to its alliance with Germany, the country was thrust into a catastrophic course which culminated with defeat in World War II in 1945.

Italy was strongly influenced by this tragic experience immediately following the war. The new democratic powers in the big people’s parties (the Christian Democracy, the Communists and the Socialists) took initiative for a new constitution (1948) which abolished the monarchy and proposed some far-sighted visions for Italy’s development as a modern economy and welfare state. It was on this basis that Italian politicians such as Alcide De Gasperi took an active part in the European project which would later become the underpinning of the EU with the Treaty of Rome in 1957. For the Italian politicians, it was essential to not only prevent Italy, but also Europe, from tumbling back into totalitarian regimes. However, from post-World War II until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989,

Europe was affected by the Cold War’s fragmentation of the continent into two spheres of power. Because Italy had the largest communist party outside the Soviet bloc it meant that the nation was a hotbed of coup attempts and terrorism on both the right and left wings from the 1960’s and through the 1970’s. That left behind a weakened Italy which was vulnerable to corruption and organised crime. When the post-war political class collapsed in the beginning of the 1990’s, the road was paved for a new form of political culture. The Berlusconi era, which ended in 2011, and the recent years of economic recession – now supplemented by an immense migration crisis – has left behind a country with considerable resources having to redefine its role and future in a globalised world. In this regard, Italy is no different than the rest of Europe.

WHICH INGREDIENTS DOES IT TAKE FOR FRUITFUL COOPERATION? A message by Birger Riis-Jørgensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Italy, Rome.

Last year, a staggering number of Danes visited Italy – as you would have read in the interesting interview with my Italian counterpart in Copenhagen, Ambassador Queirolo Palmas. Last year as well, an Italian slept in a hotel bed in Denmark 280 000 times. Compared to Italy’s

neighbours, this figure indicates a very great Italian interest in Denmark.

We sense this intensive people-to-people interaction every working day. Obviously, we welcome it. We are delighted to facilitate it - as is the Italian embassy in Denmark.

Danish tourists never lost sight of Italy. But during the recent deep recession, many Danish businesses focused elsewhere. Virtually all major Danish companies, however, stayed in Italy with sales and service organisations. Quite a number of them also continued their production facilities in Italy. Some are now investing big times in Italy. Why? Italy may not be the easiest of markets to get established in. But it is big – the 4th largest economy in the EU with a population of 60+

million. It is a key international economic player in its own right. Among EU countries, only Germany is a bigger industrial exporter than Italy.

The many highly specialised clusters in northern Italy speak their own clear and competent language.

Just as Denmark is an interesting market for Italy, and Danish companies interesting partners for Italian businesses, so Italy is worth focusing on for Danish companies. We at the embassy believe that there is scope and opportunities for many more at this juncture of renewed economic growth and reform in Italy.

Add to this, a rich cultural interchange and close cooperation on many issues, not least in the EU and NATO – and you have the ingredients for a mutually very productive and fruitful relationship.

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A CHARMING BALANCE OF CONTRASTS Quartetto d’archi della Scala

Silver medallion of 6 siliquae portraying Honorius, Western Roman Emperor (AD 393-423). Many of these coins have been found in Gudme on Funen.

and presentations about renaissance literature to screening of new Italian films. Nothing is left out when it comes to promoting the fascinating Italian cultural heritage as well as current initiatives.

An excellent example of the captivating relations between Italy and Denmark was manifested by the exhibition The Roman Connection, shown earlier this year in Møntergården, Odense. An exhibition that made visible a relationship between the Roman Empire and Denmark, in particular the Danish island Funen, dating as far back as the period between 500 B.C. and 500 A.C.. The exhibition featured a grand opening with guests such as the Italian Deputy Minister of Culture Francesca Barracciu and the Danish then Minister of Culture Marianne Jelved, and marked the collaboration between the two countries, that was initiated with the international Hans Christian Andersen exhibition The Wild Swans, shown in Rome in 2012.

Celebrate Italian culture and way of life in Denmark.

FROM THE ARENA OF ROME TO THE TRANQUILITY OF DENMARK The cultural relationship between Denmark and Italy is vibrant and active. The two countries represent very different cultural expressions and traditions, which perhaps could be the very rea8

son for this lively exchange. The Italian Institute of Culture in Copenhagen has the very pleasant job of promoting Italian culture and language in Denmark. This is achieved by arranging and

The museological field has been further strengthened with the organisation of a dramatic exhibition on the lives of Roman gladiators at Moesgaard Museum near Aarhus, in collaboration with the Colosseum in Rome and a range of Italian museums, due to take place in the spring of 2016.

hosting a wide range of cultural events, from

THE HERE AND NOW

classical concerts to exhibitions of modern art,

Film and music

The Italian Cultural Institute has, in collaboration with Rai Cinema, The Danish Film Institute and the Municipality of Copenhagen, organised a series of contemporary Italian films named Grazie Gloria screened in Gloria Biograf in the centre of Copenhagen. The series consists of eight films, one shown every month from August 2015 to March 2016. The films are very different in matter and manner, and serve to provide a unique opportunity to experience the recent contributions from the world of Italian film in Denmark.

Great things are happening in the field of music.

Italian Fabio Luisi has been appointed as Director of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra from 2017, which is naturally a great honour for both sides.

Furthermore, October 27 2015 presents a great opportunity to fully experience the charming balance of the Italian-Danish in the form of a splendid concert at the grand hall of Glyptoteket with Quartetto d’archi della Scala, one of the most interesting names in chamber music in Italy at this time. The concert has been ar-

ranged on the occasion of the 15th edition of the International Italian Language Week.

Learning The more scientific relations are facilitated by the Danish Institute in Rome which provides a wide range of scholarships and academic opportunities for researchers.

The steadily growing interest in Italian language courses offered by the Italian Institute of Culture Copenhagen is a clear reflection of the vibrant and very active relations between the two nations. Relations that are paving the way to a bright future characterised by a continuing great collaboration and exchange between Denmark and Italy.

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TOURIST IN THE KNOWN, AND THE UNKNOWN ITALY

One of the most popular and inspiring tourist destinations, Italy has so much to offer. We highlight some of the more interesting, but less known attractions to consider on your next Italian trip. By Ib Larsen, Italien Information Service AS

Italy is one of the western world’s most important tourist destinations: Generations of Danes and other Europeans have visited the country. Since the Golden Age in the 1800s, writers and painters have travelled to Italy: HC Andersen and Thorvaldsen, just to name a few. Italy is also one of the countries in the world which has the most places, buildings and monuments on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list.

CULTURAL AND ART CITIES At least once in a lifetime it is a must to get to the major cultural and art cities in Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice. But be warned, it’s easy to become a “Roma-aholic”. It is suggested that you make up your mind on what you want to see and explore before your first trip - as the attractions these cities have to offer are very addictive. The first several times you visit one of these beautiful Città d’Arte (Art Cities), one hurries to get inside to visit museums and churches – but there are so many more places that you just have to see.

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Pic courtesy of Ivan Maenza

In the rush to get into the Marcus Church, Doge Palace, other famous churches, and the likes in Venice, you often forget - or just don’t have enough time to enjoy the most important aspects of Venice itself, including the beautiful squares, bridges, the special light and atmosphere. Like all cities in the world, these art cities are most adorable in the morning, while life slowly begins and before other tourists start to come in their thousands - and again late in the day when the tourists start to disappear, and the soft evening light and the good atmosphere again occupy the city: Only then you have witnessed and experienced these cities at their best.

Pic courtesy of Mario Ferrero

THE QUAINT AND UNKNOWN But even after having visited the beautiful Città d’Arte, and perhaps several times, and you have had time to see the city itself, walk along the river or along the canal, just to be and just enjoy La Dolce Vita, then most of the visitors still miss the experience of the ‘real Italy’ - and not least to meet the ‘real, ordinary Italians’, in their ordinary lives. The ‘real and true’ Italy is found in the small and unknown towns and villages where life is still lived in the best Italian way: Where young and old still share common experiences and together preserve traditions of food and culture.

Unfortunately, you often meet residents of these little, unknown treasures saying: “We have nothing special in our city - so head into Bologna, Piacenza, Bari or another known city”.

But it is precisely this - that there is nothing special - that makes such places something special.

The weekly travelling market where the Italian mamma shops, while the lucky husband is allowed to meet with the other men, maybe play cards at the bar, talking about everything and nothing, and enjoy a glass of good local wine or an espresso. It is in these small towns - and the smaller the better - that you can practice the Italian you have tried to learn at night school; and even if you can only speak a few words or no Italian words, you cannot avoid the long conversations with the welcoming and hospitable locals: With just 10 Italian word, kindness and body language you will make a good impression.

Ask at the local tourist office, when the weekly market takes place - and remember to ask when the next “sagra” takes place in the area.

A sagra can be a harvest festival celebration for the new wine – but where EVERYTHING is celebrated. The freshly slaughtered pig, truffles, spring, fall - everything! There are thousands of local visitors to the many stalls. Good vibes and above all – as everyone including tourists appreciates – “Si mangia bene e si spende poco” (You eat well and it’s cheap).

5 MORE TOP TOURIST SPOTS: 1. San Gimignano: Nicknamed the medieval Manhatten, San Gimignano is a village in Tuscany famous for its 14 stone towers.

2. Lake Como (Italian Lake District): The Lake is famous for the attractive villas which have been built here since Roman times.

3. Pompeii: On August 24, 79 A.D. the volcano Vesuvius erupted, covering the nearby town Pompeii with ash and soil, and subsequently preserving the city in its state from that fateful day. Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with approximately 2,500,000 visitors every year.

4. The Amalfi Coast: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is a stunning stretch of coastline along the Sorrentine Peninsula. Hillside towns are built precariously along the steep mountains that cascade down to the sea.

5. The Vatican: Home to some of the world’s most priceless art and art collections. Beyond the obvious sites of St Peter’s Basilica and St Peter’s square, the Vatican is home to countless attractions. The famous Sistine Chapel displays wall and ceiling paintings by Michelangelo and many of other of Italy’s most famous artists.

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THE ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

An active partner for your business between Denmark and Italy.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Denmark was founded in Aarhus in 2010 by a group of Danish and Italian managers and entrepreneurs.

Today, the Chamber of Commerce counts over 100 members, from small innovative start-ups to worldwide known corporations in both countries. Being officially recognised by the Italian State, it is part of a network of 79 Italian Chamber of Commerces’ in 54 countries worldwide, created to foster Italian export and promote the brand “Made in Italy” abroad.

In particular, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Denmark aims at fostering the commercial exchange and investment stocks between Italy and Scandinavia, providing a wide number of services to both Italian and Danish companies, institutions and organisations.

In addition to cooperating with single companies – primarily by offering commercial, marketing and communication, linguistic, legal and fiscal services – the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Denmark develops more structured internationalisation projects for public/private 12

institutions or groups of companies (regions, Chambers of Commerce, associations, consortium, cooperatives, networks of enterprises, industrial districts, banks and international organisations).

Moreover, the Italian Chamber of Commerce has over the years built strong cooperation with exhibition centers in Denmark and in Italy, including; Bella Center in Copenhagen, Herning Messe Center in Herning, Fiera Milano in Milan,

Verona Fiere in Verona, among others. The purpose of these relationships is to organise delegations of exhibitors (such as the Italian group of companies which will exhibit during Food Expo 2016 in Herning) or buyers (during the last week of September, for example, a group of architectures and contractors from Denmark and Sweden was awarded a free trip to Verona to meet Italian manufacturers within the natural stone industry during Marmomacc, the leading global event in the sector).

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Denmark continues to provide support to Danish companies in the following areas:  Search of partners, agents, suppliers, distributors, producers, retailers, wholesalers in Italy;  Market research reports & Business analysis;  B2B/B2C Marketing activities;  Legal and tax advice;  Linguistic support, translations and interpreting;  Participations into trade fairs or events in Italy;  Organisation of Business Italian language courses;  Organisation of promotional events, seminars, conferences, workshops, incoming.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Denmark operates from its headquarters in Aarhus, and from its representative office in Copenhagen, collaborating with the Italian Embassy in Copenhagen. For further information, visit the website www.danitacom.org or contact info@danitacom.org.

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ALITALIA

“It is about reconnecting Alitalia with Italy, and promoting Italy in the world. Our entire company is dedicated to working together to make this happen,” Montezemolo said.

Flying you in true Italian style.

Alitalia boasts one of the most modern and efficient fleets in the world with an average age of eight years. In June of this year, Alitalia relaunched with a new brand, exciting products as well as modern livery. “Alitalia’s livery is universally associated with Italy and viewed as iconic and highly recognised. However, it was clear that it needed to evolve to bring Alitalia into the 21st century, in a way that could meet our ambitious objectives and the most demanding market expectations,” said Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Chairman of Alitalia, following the launch.

He went on to say that the new-look and feel of Alitalia is “classic Italian style” projected into the future with a modern, fresh feel. The aircraft interiors are fresher, more stylish, and uniquely Italian, which now feature the type of fine detailing and design associated with luxury Italian sports cars. There are also several new in-flight experiences, placing considerable emphasis on

greater customer choice, innovation, quality, and importantly, more personal control over how guests relax, dine and are entertained on board.

Alitalia has also begun rolling out of its Wi-fi connectivity on long-haul flights, together with improved movie and entertainment services.

tional destinations, with a total of 164 routes and about 4 500 weekly flights. Included in these weekly flights are 13 from Copenhagen to both Milan and Rome – six flights to Rome and seven to Milan. Visit www.alitalia.com to book your flight today!

Where do you want to fly to?

As part of its 2015 schedule, Alitalia flies to 102 destinations, including 27 Italian and 75 interna-

Alitalia is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, is part of the Transatlantic Joint Venture and Etihad Airways partner.

Advertisement

ALL ROADS LEAD TO . . .

In 2002 the Italian STF Group of Magenta (Milan), specialized in engineering and manufacturing of heat transfer products and heat recovery steam generators for the thermal power sector, acquired the Danish high-tech boiler manufacturer Burmeister & Wain Energy A/S (BWE) with roots to the old B&W founded in 1843.

With a BWE boiler solution

BWE is today a world leader within highly advanced and efficient utility and biomass boilers.

BWE, located in Kgs. Lyngby, has 150 employees out of which a significant part are Italians. The STF Group is active world wide with references in many countries over several continents.

you are on the right way to a greener energy supply!

.

www.bwe.dk

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THE LARGEST ITALIAN INVESTMENT IN DENMARK In 2004, the Italian cement group Cementir Holding acquired Danish Aalborg Portland for 600 million Euro. The acquisition was not only the largest Italian investment in Denmark ever, but has also proved to be very successful.

The relationship between Cementir Holding and Aalborg Portland could be characterised as the perfect match. However, it is not your everyday story that two companies that are so different in corporate culture, gain so much from being merged.

A PROSPEROUS JOURNEY Today, the two companies can look back at an amazing journey together. Within Cementir Holding, the Aalborg Portland Group has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of white cement with factories in Egypt, China, Malaysia, USA, and Denmark with a yearly capacity of approx. 3.3m tonnes. Furthermore, the Aalborg Portland Group includes considerable cement production in Turkey.

The factory in Aalborg yields a yearly production of grey and white cement of around 3.0m tonnes. This factory has produced cement since 1889, and there are still large local deposits of the fine chalk for the cement production. The Aalborg location is exceptional with its own port facilities from which cement is shipped to European countries and to the USA. Within the Aalborg Portland Group you also find the ready mixed concrete business under the brand name of Unicon. You find the bluestriped concrete trucks in both Denmark and Norway, as major contributors to all infrastructure- and housing-projects. In its markets, Unicon is the market leader and thus part of the Italian successful investment.

In 2014, the Aalborg Portland Group reached net sales of 858 million Euro and 2,600 employees.

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UNIQUE SYNERGIES

results are obvious. Today, Cementir Holding

Cementir Holding and the Aalborg Portland Group have managed to combine strong competencies and qualities from both countries: Latin creativity and Nordic transparency. The Italians promote a strong and masculine corporate culture, while the Danes are strong on execution with an ability to work with clear scenarios, giving flexibility end empowerment as plans develop. This particular composition of values and strengths has proven to be an excellent driving force for the group.

and the Aalborg Portland Group stand stronger

Over the years, they have created numerous concrete results. Aalborg Portland’s focus on energy-saving production and the use of alternative fuels have brought on attention across the world. Overall, the Aalborg facility has contributed with strong research and development results, which are used throughout the Cementir Holding group today. Moreover, the economic

than ever, both in their local and international markets.

POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES Expectations for the future are positive. Investments in infrastructure and construction are rising and Cementir Holding continues to invest in capacity expansion in both Denmark and abroad.

The joint platform is strong and the group is recognised for its high knowledge level and competent consultancy, its logistics and service, and of course cement products of very high and homogeneous quality. For these and many more reasons, Aalborg Portland is not just the largest, but indeed also among the most successful Italian investments in Denmark.

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VESTAS AND THE ITALIAN WIND MARKET Making significant contributions towards Italy’s renewable energy obligations.

Wind capacity in Italy has grown steadily over the past twenty years, with an average annual growth well above 1 GW over the past five years.

The notable development of the wind industry in the country ranks Italy in fifth place in terms of installed capacity only after Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

POWERING ITALY BY WIND Vestas’ activities in Italy have widely contributed to Italy’s renewable energy generating mix through the production, sales and installation of cutting-edge wind technology, which has constantly evolved to ensure a reduction in the cost of energy, together with an increased business case certainty for the investors in the market. Vestas Italia is considered the pioneer of the Italian wind industry together with the customers who have always shown great loyalty to Vestas and its products. In 2014, Vestas confirmed its leadership in the Italian market with an approximate 40% market share in cumulative installations. The company has local manu-

facturing facilities and a service organisation in Taranto and a commercial office in Rome.

Vestas has now reached more than 3 400 MW of installed capacity in Italy, nearly 40% of the total installed base in the country or the equivalent to 25% of Italy’s renewable energy obligation under the EU 2020 targets.

This significant milestone results from years of commitment and partnership with Italian customers and the country’s energy sector stakeholders.

Vestas has sold, installed and serviced nine generations of turbines since its first project in 1991; ranging from V27-225 kW to V100-1.8 MW, V1002.6 MW and three variants of the new 3.3-3.45 MW platform: V112, V117, V126. Vestas turbines’ have been transported and erected in the more traditional sites, such as central and southern Italy or the islands, as well as in regions where wind power plants had never been installed before, as in Valle D’Aosta.

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EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE

Text and graphics by ESS

One of the largest science infrastructure projects being built in Europe.

Designed to generate neutron beams for science, the ESS will benefit a broad range of research, from life science to engineering materials, from heritage conservation to magnetism.

The facility design includes a 5 MW linear proton accelerator, a rotating tungsten target station, 22 state-of-the-art neutron instruments, a suite of laboratories, and a super-computing data management and software center.

ITALY’S CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT Italy is one of the eleven ERIC funding members, and one of the major contributors to the ESS construction investment cost, after the two host countries Sweden and Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom and France. Italian institutes and industry will contribute more than €80 million in in-kind contributions, mainly related to 16

the accelerator and neutron instruments. Italy is contributing to the low energy part of the accelerator, the resistive magnet system along the accelerator to focus the proton beam, the superconducting cavities production to accelerate the protons and in the field of detector technology for neutron instrumentations.

The facility is under construction in Lund, Sweden, next to the world-leading synchrotron light source, MAX IV, and with the Data Management & Software Centre (DMSC) located in nearby Copenhagen. From the moment the first neutrons produced by the ESS register their existence on a detector, the raw experiment data will flow from Lund to Copenhagen and then on to the ESS scientific user community throughout Europe and the world.

Organised as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium, or ERIC, with Member Countries throughout Europe, this next-generation research facility is being built through the collective global effort of hundreds of scientists and engineers. Together, they have developed and specified a technical design of the facility,

including the Accelerator, the Target Station, and instrument concepts.

The construction of ESS formally began with the Groundbreaking Ceremony on September 2, 2014. It is anticipated that two to three thousand guest researchers from universities, institutes and industry will participate in the ESS user program each year, making use of the facility’s broad range of neutron instruments to answer their scientific questions.

Today, scientists, engineers, project managers, and builders are well into the construction of the most powerful neutron source in the world.

ESS will provide the tools for analysis that will enable the next important discoveries in nanotechnology, life science, pharmaceuticals, materials engineering, and experimental physics.

It is understood that ESS, both through the research that will be performed there and the establishment of the facility itself, will serve as an economic driver for all of Europe.

ESS is expected to deliver its first neutrons by the end of the decade, with the user programme to follow in 2023.

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THE SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR ITALIAN SPACE TRAVEL

Samantha Cristoforetti trades the Italian Air Force for a space expedition.

Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian Air Force Captain, is also a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. Between November 2014 and June 2015 she spent 199 days on board the International Space Station as a Flight Engineer for Expedition 42 and 43. During the Futura Mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Samantha conducted experiments in the Station’s laboratories.

Cristoforetti was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009. She joined ESA in September 2009 and completed basic astronaut training in November 2010. She was launched on her first ASI mission aboard the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 23 November 2014.

liams on-board the International Space Station in June 2007. Making the 38-year-old Italian astronaut the new record holder for the most

exterior facility is exposing ‘extremophiles’ and organic compounds to space and investigating the origin of life.

time in space on a single mission by a woman.

The record-setting stay wasn’t something that Cristoforetti was anticipating when she lifted off for the space station last year. She is now the seventh ESA astronaut, and the first female

For the extraordinary merits of her space mission, that was vastly publicised in international media and enhanced the popularity of astronautical activities, Cap. Cristoforetti was conferred upon the highest Italian distinction.

ESA astronaut to complete a long-duration mission in space.

SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION Aside from the record-breaking, Cristoforetti’s expedition saw much research conducted on genetics and biology; keeping ants, fruit flies, plants and worms for international studies on

RECORD SETTING

the effects of spaceflight over multiple gener-

On June 6 2015, Cristoforetti surpassed the 194 days, 18 hours and two minutes logged previously by NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Wil-

rope’s Columbus laboratory module continues

ations. In addition, hardware attached to Euto monitor the Sun and ocean winds. Another

The mission of “AstroSamantha” is the latest chapter in the long and successful participation of Italian agencies and companies in the international space sector (other highlights being the San Marco Launch Platform; Telespazio, a joint venture between Finmeccanica e Thales which is one of the world’s leading players in satellite services, and the satellite network of Cosmo-SkyMed).

Sources: http://www.esa.int/; http://www.nbcnews.com/

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THE ITALIAN FASHION INDUSTRY THE MANUFACTURERS, THE BRANDS, AND THE FUTURE OF ITALIAN FASHION

By Federico D’Angelo, Architect and Fashion Designer

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In the collective imaginary, Italy is today home to some of the world’s most celebrated luxury fashion brands. The list of fashion houses currently representing Italy on the global stage contains both historical brands founded in the beginning of the 20th century such as Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci and Prada, as well as contemporary brands founded from the 1950’s through to the 1970’s and 1980’s such as Pucci, Armani, Versace, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Roberto Cavalli and Dolce e Gabbana.

Federico D’Angelo Couture Dress. www.federicodangelo.com

Although historically the influence of Italian fashion can be traced as far back as to the Italian Renaissance, it is only at the beginning of the 1950’s that contemporary Italian fashion started regaining its influential status through Giovanni Giorgini’s high fashion events in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the fashion capital of post-war Italy. The fashion revolution that subsequently took place in Milan in the 1970’s moved the epicenter of Italian fashion from Florence and Rome to Milan, creating a business model adopted worldwide from the 1970’s through to the 1990’s, and allowing Italy to become a world leader in the sector.

The fashion sector’s historical and current creative and financial successes are undoubtedly due to a unique combination of design creativity and business entrepreneurship that is almost unique to Italy. The creativity expressed in Italian Couture, Prêt a porter and tailoring lines is sustained and accompanied by technologically advanced textile and leather industries as well as fine artisanal productions mostly located in the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Marche and Campania. These realities have since the beginning of the 20th century contributed to create and maintain the “Made in Italy”, a stamp of excellence that signifies know-how, tradition coupled with technical innovation, high level of craftsmanship and high quality of semi-finished products.

The success of Italian brands, textile and leather industries have ensured that Italy is today the largest producer of clothing and textiles in Europe, and the second largest exporter of fashion in the world. Its fashion industry, which includes Italian-based producers of semi-finished products such as yarns and fabrics and luxury giants such as Prada, Armani and Bottega Veneta, is formed by a vast network of tens of thousands of small to mid-sized businesses employing over 400,000 people throughout the country. The sector accounts for approximately 4% of the nation’s GDP and has a turnover of 70 billion euros per year, 40 of which are accounted from exports. To have an idea of its importance to Italy’s economy one should consider that between 2009 and 2014 the Italian luxury sector was one of the few that showed strong growth across different product categories (apparel, shoes and accessories) and different geographical markets, thus helping the country on its way to recovery from the financial crisis.

When speaking of fashion Milan, Florence and Rome are the three most important cities in Italy. Each city is present in the global Fashion calendar, is home to the headquarters of luxury giants, and has an important fashion district that attracts and dazzles millions of people coming from all over the world every year to buy Italian designed and produced fashion goods.

Milan managed from the 1970s through the 1990’s to establish itself as the undisputed capital of designer Prêt-a-Porter. It is currently ranked as one of the world’s four fashion capitals alongside Paris, New York and London, and due to its strategic importance, 19

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is home the prestigious brands and the Camera della Moda (the Italian Fashion Council), a non-profit organisation which represents the highest cultural values of Italian Fashion and promotes the development of Italian Fashion. Rome in recent years launched the event “Alta Moda Roma” (Rome High Fashion), a bi-yearly event dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging designers with an emphasis on the unique role played on the final product by Italian know-how and craftsmanship. Florence has diversified by focusing on high-end menswear and developing Pitti Uomo and Pitti Immagine into a global menswear event attracting the most prestigious brands and the most exciting new projects.

Despite its past and current creative and financial achievements, Italy is at present on its way to recovery after a period characterised by financial volatility, the contracting of its manufacturing sector and the fall of few prestigious fashion houses into the hands of foreign investors. The Italian fashion system had to undergo profound structural changes in response to it, and to adapt to challenges brought by the changing nature of the fashion business, cultural shifts, and the new demands of the global market.

In a market where the high quality standards for craftsmanship and materials impose upfront investments so high, that it makes it very difficult for new Italian designers to present and establish their lines without considerable financial support, the fashion system seems to have lately realised that its strategy cannot prescind from investing in the next generation of Italian “stilisti”.

As a result, under the guidance of Italy’s luxury giants such as Valentino, Armani, Versace and Fendi, to name a few, a new generation of fashion designers is slowly being ushered to the forefront. This is a necessity to bridge the generational gap between the “old guard” and younger generations, remain competitive and continue to exert Italy’s great creative and manufacturing influence on a global scale.

INTERACTIVE DESIGN The Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design.

If you’ve ever been surprised by how capable your smartphone is, or pleased by the simple, intuitive interface on a touchscreen or website, you’ve benefitted from the work of an interaction designer. Interaction design is a hardto-define but crucial part of the modern technological world, that focuses less on its inner workings and features, and more on making it fit into the real lives of everyday people.

The Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, located in a converted historic building just down the street from Amalienborg, is one of the leading lights of the discipline - not just in Denmark, but worldwide. CIID is led by CEO and co-founder Simona Maschi, an innovation expert who brought her expertise and network to Copenhagen from her native Italy in 2006, with the idea of creating an organization that combines a design school, research lab, consul20

tancy and incubator, all under one roof.

Although CIID’s educational sector graduates fewer than 25 students per year, it has since risen to become one of the most respected design schools in the world, whose graduates are sought after by companies like Toyota, Google and Intel. Many students also stay on in Copenhagen, to start their own innovative companies,

or work in CIID’s research and consulting departments, with Fortune 500 companies as well as local governmental organisations. The result of all this creative activity is a unique community that draws talent from around the world, and helps rethink the way companies like Novo Nordisk, Volvo, Lego and Microsoft deliver value to their customers, through products, services, and entire business strategies.

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THE ITALIAN LINK IN DANISH MARITIME TRANSPORT

Distribution of the new cars sold in Denmark.

Denmark has a rich maritime heritage and is still one of the World’s leading nations in the shipping industry. However, maybe surprisingly, an increasing amount of the country’s domestic trade is controlled by a strong, traditional Italian shipping family, especially when it comes to rolling cargoes such as cars and trailers.

As a small country, Denmark and Danish ports do not feature highly on the sailing lists of the big shipping lines. Most of the trade is served by either small regional feeder services or by larger European ports such as Hamburg.

One of the relatively few big shipping lines to call Denmark directly and regularly with a main line service is Italian Grimaldi Lines, which introduced the Danish west coast port of Esbjerg into its EuroMed liner network almost 20 years ago.

Since then, the activities have grown significantly. Grimaldi Lines now calls Esbjerg several times every month, connecting the port directly with destinations in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, including several Italian ports.

Through a hub in Belgium Grimaldi Lines offers connections to a wide range of ports in West Africa and South America as well.

A FAMILY AFFAIR Family owned Niels Winther Shipping in Esbjerg has worked as Grimaldi Lines’ local representatives since the start, and has therefore been heavily involved in not only building Grimaldi Lines’ position in Denmark but also in establishing local terminal and distribution facilities.

The Esbjerg-terminal company, owned in partnership by Grimaldi Lines and Niels Winther Shipping, presently handles and distributes a substantial, and growing, amount of the new cars sold in Denmark. These include Italians brands such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo, but also cars from a range of other manufacturers.

“Since the first port call in 1998 I have been entrusted as agent and partner to Grimaldi Lines, and head of their investments in Denmark,” says Henrik Otto Jensen, Senior Partner in Niels Winther Shipping.

He goes on to say, “today Grimaldi Lines is the longest serving container- and car-carrier service in the history of Esbjerg. With the backing of the visionary ship owner Dr. Emanuele Grimaldi the line has continued to call and invest in Esbjerg, also during the recent financial crisis.”

The Grimaldi-family’s involvement in the Danish shipping and transportation sector actually extends well beyond the activities in Esbjerg and even into regional Baltic trade far away from Italy. The Grimaldi Group took over the Finnish ro/ro liner company Finnlines in 2006 and their extensive network in the Baltic Sea and North Sea. In Denmark Finnlines calls the port of Aarhus twice a week ensuring frequent, direct connections to Germany and Finland.

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EXPO MILANO 2015 Since the beginning of May, Milan has been a global showcase for approximately 150 participating countries, displaying shared technological solutions aimed at feeding the planet and generating energy for life.

From May 1 until October 31, Milan is hosting the Universal Exhibition 2015 under the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. During this six-month period, Milan serves as a global space for approximately 150 participating countries showcasing the best of their technology in the attempt to offer a concrete answer to a vital need: Being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the planet and its equilibrium.

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS: FOOD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Expo Milano 2015 provides an opportunity to reflect upon, and seek solutions to, the contradictions of our world. On the one hand, there are still the hungry (approximately 870 million people were undernourished in

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the period 2010-2012) and, on the other, there are those who die from ailments linked to poor nutrition or too much food (approximately 2.8 million deaths from diseases related to obesity or to being overweight in the same period). In addition, about 1.3 billion tons of foods are wasted every year. For these reasons, the Expo wishes to open up debate and encourage conscious political choices, develop sustainable lifestyles, and use the best technology to create a balance between the availability and the consumption of resources. The aim is to create a unique experience for visitors, as protagonists, increasing their awareness of, and seeking their participation in the drive for:  The right to food that is healthy, safe and sufficient.  The environmental, social and economic sustainability of the food chain.  The preservation of taste and of food culture.

The most significant heritage of EXPO Milan will undoubtedly be the “Milan Charter” which sums up the most advanced principles, orientations and lessons learnt – from ensuring the right to food and food sovereignty to promoting and disseminating the culture of healthy diet as a global health tool, to safeguarding biodiversity and to minimising

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waste. Another noteworthy project is the “Women for EXPO” network which invites women from all the participating countries to express their views on the nourishment of the body and nourishment of freedom and intelligence. In other words, a simple and symbolic invitation to share the recipe for life.

WORLDWIDE PARTICIPATION In addition to the exhibitor nations, the Expo also involves international organisations, Ngos and private companies. During the Expo, approximately 13.000 B2B encounters have been organized by the Milan Chamber of Commerce, Fiera Milano and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Several Danish companies and associations, among which Arla and the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, have participated in some of the numerous thematic seminars. According to estimates, over 20 million visitors – including 86 heads of State and government – will have visited the exhibition area by the end of October.

with sustainability in mind, focusing on respect for the environment and the local communities.

ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE OF EXPO MILANO 2015 Open every day from 10:00 to 23:00 and Saturdays and Sundays until 24:00. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.expo2015.org/ .

Source: http://www.expo2015.org/en;

ROMAN TOWN INSPIRED EXHIBITION SITE The area extending across approximately one million square meters has been designed by internationally renowned architects, including, Stefano Boeri, Ricky Burdett and Jacques Herzog. It is built on the Cardo and the Decumano perpendicular shape of a typical roman town and enriched by a breath-taking green space that is evocative of an island surrounded by water. Along the two main axes, visitors will find country self-built pavilions as well as clusters, group pavilions based on common food productions or landscapes, and many thematic areas.

Expo 2015 gives everyone the opportunity to find out about, and taste, the world’s best dishes, while discovering the best of the agri-food and gastronomic traditions of each of the exhibitor countries. This is done 23

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MODERN ITALIAN COOKING

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Attempting a return to its traditional, raw roots. By Achille Melis, Italian Chef

It is difficult to define the Italian cuisine of today. People have an altered perception of it, and the reasons probably lie in the misinformation and globalisation of the cuisine, although this latter is not so deeply rooted in Italy.

The Italian culinary tradition is born in regional tradition especially when it comes to the natural produce and the regional climate. In northern Italy, for example - especially in the past - home cooking was characterised by lengthy cooking times and a very sweet taste. In the south however, Italians still prefer the spicy and savoury flavours of everyday cooking. Furthermore, among the standard ingredients of the most celebrated regional dishes, you will often find influences from the New World such as corn, potatoes, and tomatoes. These came in to our country around the nineteenth century, contaminating somehow the tradition of our local cuisine.

It is not possible to understand the true concept of Italian cuisine without knowing all the culture and the traditions that lie behind the preparation of each course. Our cuisine is constantly evolving, but still taking great respect for all the regional, and raw produce. In fact, regional, raw produce is the key element, the source of inspiration and at the very heart of Italian cuisine. A good cook, in my opinion, is the one who is a master in using local raw, produce, respecting its nutritional values, and in enhancing the taste without changing the essence. A return to simplicity, but with an evolution of technique.

The idea of the Italian cuisine, at least for what concerns restaurants, has always been associated to the idea of wealth and health. In restaurants, nowadays, there is a tendency to prefer dishes full of sophisticated ingredients. But, on the contrary, Italian cuisine is a very poor one and it was based - at least until the First World War - on cereals and legumes. An example is the bread made with chickpea flour: This type of bread took over the traditional bread during the period of a severe famine, when wheat lacked.

In the oldest tradition of Italian cuisine, there was a tendency to slow cooking. For example, just think about the game of the north, or the braised, or the famous Neapolitan tomato sauce.

This lengthy cooking style altered dramatically the taste of the raw food and, moreover, it altered irretrievably the nutritional value of the food.

A CHANGE IN DIET The Mediterranean Diet - born in central and southern Italy - in its original version, is a very balanced diet. It is well-stocked of cereals, pulses and vegetables, and it is a diet that contains few proteins and saturated fats. Red meat was not among the most commonly used foods, in fact its introduction into everyday cooking is a consequence of the post-war wealth.

The local history has also greatly influenced the traditional cuisine, creating a strong regionalism.

The Bourbons in Naples, the Gonzagas in Mantua, for example, have certainly brought their culinary culture to Italy, so that this latter was

melted with the traditional local culinary culture.

Globally, restaurants, only offer a small part of the original Italian recipes on their menus. This is because the old dishes have been progressively replaced by the meat-based substitutes, and we all know the bad consequences resulting from a regular consumption of this kind of food. Grains, vegetables, and legumes - instead - tend to disappear as main courses in restaurants.

The importance of local, raw produce, and the preparation of these ingredients are the elements on which we should focus our attention today, as far as Italian cuisine is concerned. Today, however, our society is a hectic one, and it imposes a system of life certainly more superficial and less careful for what is concerned of the nutritional values, and the quality of food we eat. We tend to prefer fast food to homemade cooking.

However, even fast food can be designed in a healthy way; so that it can provide rapid but also nutritionally balanced solutions. One can start from the attention paid to the choice of raw materials - such as bread - to its preparation, and at the same time one should care of the hygienic situation.

I say that we should return to worshiping our raw materials, and local produce, as our forefathers did. We should recover our past, take back its values, the honesty in serving balanced and healthy dishes that do not contribute to the constant poisoning of our body, but that tends to preserve our health and longevity.

FROM SIMPLE FOOD TO NOUVELLE CUISINE Nouvelle cuisine was not born in the 70’s in France, but rather has much older roots. It is the idea of creating a blend of culinary art and culture: i.e. to insert the scientific and technical knowledge into a daily practice, in order to improve the level of the quality of the final product. This concept has been lost a bit in the course of time, and Nouvelle cuisine is transforming itself in a real gastronomic fashion, forgetting its true meaning.

The “balance”, as conceived both in its stricter and broader sense, should be the primary goal, or at least one of the fundamental objectives of the Italian cuisine: “balance” concerns not only flavours and colours, but also nutritional values.

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RIGATONI PUTTANESCA 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons capers, drained 4 anchovy fillets, chopped 1 small red chilli 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon caster sugar 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano ½ cup pitted kalamata olives /4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1

375g dried rigatoni

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Method: Step 1: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion has softened. Add capers, anchovies, chilli and garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Step 2: Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato, ½ cup cold water and sugar.

Step 3: Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until sauce has slightly thickened. Add oregano, olives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Meanwhile, cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions until tender. Drain. Serve sauce tossed through pasta.

Note: Chunky sauces suit heavy pasta shapes such as these, to allow the pieces to be trapped.

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MINESTRONE SOUP 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 80g (½ cup) chopped deli meat (such as pancetta, prosciutto or bacon) 8 cups mixed vegetables, such as carrot, garlic, green beans, onion, silverbeet and zucchini, chopped 400g can crushed tomatoes 400g can borlotti or kidney beans, rinsed, drained 2 cups cooked pasta (such as small shells, macaroni or rice) 875ml (3½ cups) water Grated cheese, to serve (such as parmesan or mozzarella) Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method: Step 1: Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Cook the deli meat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until golden. Add the mixed vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until just tender. Season.

Step 2: Add the canned tomatoes, beans, pasta and water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp. Sprinkle with the cheese and drizzle with oil.

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THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE IN DENMARK A strong attraction to the history and culture of the language. By Professor Erling Studsholm

The interest in Italian language and culture in Denmark has its roots in history. For Danish artists, the classic Grand Tour of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries had Italy as its preferred destination, only think of the sculptor Bertil Thorvaldsen and the fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen. In the 19th century two prominent Danish linguists, Rasmus Rask (1789-1832) and Kristoffer Nyrop (1858-1931) wrote Italian grammar in Danish, and during language history development, Danish vocabulary has been enriched by several Italian loan words in different areas, including; music, architecture, war, politics, and culinary. Kristoffer Nyrop’s book, Italienske ord i Dansk (“Italian words in Danish”) from 1922, is a good example of this.

ITALIAN AT DANISH LEARNING INSTITUTIONS Nowadays, Italian language is taught and studied in Denmark at various levels. Unlike English, German, and French, Italian isn’t offered as a regular 28

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subject in primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskolen), but children of Italian residents in Denmark are offered the possibility to follow courses in their native language free of charge. At upper secondary school level (gymnasium) Italian has been taught as a facultative subject since 1982, actually it is offered by about 25 Danish upper secondary schools as an alternative to French, Spanish, and German. At university level, since late 1960s, at the Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Italian language and culture has be studied as an independent subject, at both BA- and MA-level, as well as it is possible to carry out a Ph.D. program in Italian studies.

Generally, Danes are attracted by Italian culture. They feel well in Italy, and in more recent times’ mass tourism, Italy is one of the preferred countries. Many Danes study the Italian language con amore to get on better in Italy. In this context a large number of evening classes in Italian language is of great importance. They are very popular and in some schools probably more accessible than French, German, and Spanish courses. Furthermore, Italian language courses are offered at the Italian Culture Institute in Copenhagen. These courses are frequented not only for leisure, but often with professional purposes as Italy is an important trading partner to Denmark, and many Danish companies have subsidiary companies in Italy.

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3.750,- PR. MÅNED - BESKATNING 0,DEL-LEASING UDEN FIRMABILBESKATNING. 20 % PRIVAT: 3.750,- INKL. MOMS. 80 % ERHVERV: 15.000,- INKL. MOMS. 1. GANGSYDELSE 100.000,- INKL. MOMS. INGEN RISIKO, VI INDESTÅR FOR RESTVÆRDIEN. MASERATI GHIBLI 330 HK BENZIN ELLER GHIBLI 275 HK DIESEL - VALGET ER DIT.

DEN NYE MASERATI GHIBLI ER DREVET AF EN RÆKKE AVANCEREDE 3,0L V6-MOTORER MED 8-TRINS ZF AUTOMATISK TRANSMISSION, HERUNDER FOR FØRSTE GANG EN V6 TURBODIESEL MOTOR. Maserati Ghibli kontantpris fra kr. 1.390.000,- ekskl. leveringsomkostninger. Traditionel leasing med skattegrundlag fra Kr. 990.300,-. Del-leasing baseret på 80 % erhvervskørsel og 20 % privatkørsel.

Førstegangsbetaling til fordeling kr. 100.000,- inkl. moms. Prisen er baseret på 36 mdr. og 60.000 km i perioden, inkl. service, forsikring, grøn ejerafgift og moms. ekskl. dæk og brændstof. Priserne er baseret F på endelig kreditgodkendelse. Bilen er vist med ekstraudstyr. Energiklasse C Forbrug 16,7 til 11,2 km/l, CO2-udledning 158-207 g/km, 275-330 hk. www.maserati.com

FORMULA AUTOMOBILE AS BJARKESVEJ 3, DK-3450 ALLERØD Tlf: 70 23 09 01 / www.formulaauto.dk

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Direct Container and RoRo Service

to/from the Mediterranean via Esbjerg

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RoRo Project Cargo Containers Door-to-Door Solutions

Please contact us for further information: Copenhagen:

Aarhus:

Esbjerg:

Richard Poulsen Sales Manager

Carsten Rasmussen Sales Manager

Simon Helsing Sales Manager

+45 76 12 23 56 rp@nielswinther.dk

+45 25 23 70 75 cr@nielswinther.dk

+45 76 12 23 51 sh@nielswinther.dk

Agent to Grimaldi Lines

www.nielswinther.dk

Scandinavia’s Leading Provider of Finished Vehicle Logistics Solutions

SAL offers fully integrated, multimodal logistics solutions From the Port of Esbjerg to dealerships in all of Scandinavia, Central Europe and the UK, we secure a speedy and safe delivery of finished vehicles.

Working in close partnership with our clients, we tailor our solutions to match individual

needs and reduce costs and transit time.

Our value-added services include: storage, PDI/PPO, IT integration and tracking, quality and claims management, customs and tax representation, and much more.

DK-6700 Esbjerg · Vestkraftgade 8 Tlf. 75 45 25 28 www.autologistics.dk

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