ItalyUpdate

The 2008 Globo dOro (Golden Globe), the annual prize awarded to Italian cinema by the association of Foreign Correspondents in Italy, went to Paolo Virzi Tutta la Vita Davanti (trans. All their Life Ahead of Them), a bitterly ironic depiction of conditions of life and work in a call centre.

ENEL, Italys largest electrical company and the second largest in Europe is set to launch the second edition of ENEL CONTEMPORANEA, a major exhibition of  contemporary works of art on the theme of energy.  

Over a hundred Italian seaside towns can hoist the coveted Blue Flag this summer. The Blue Flag , assigned by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education).....

 WHEN IN ROME...

or 10 ways to pass for an Italian

(when eating or drinking)

              Never drink cappuccino after 11am; from then on its a tiny hit of espresso, which you must call simply caffè˝

  Never eat  or order  pizza for lunch; the pizza ovens arent fired up until the evening

  If youve had good service leave a little change over and above the service charge

 If youre hungry but cant afford a meal settle for an aperitivo; it usually comes with plentiful nuts and olives. At Happy Hour

 in the posher caffès you will often get a selection of snacks with your drink for no extra charge

  Off alcohol? Order a crodino,  a herbal drink which makes a refreshing, non-alcoholic aperitivo

  Dont expect English soup if you ask for zuppa inglese. It is dessert  and a rich trifle

  Breakfast inside, standing at the bar, on caffè and cornetto (croissant and sweet pastry with different fillings). In the morning pavement seats and

 tables are for tourists

  Learn a few of the names of the lesser known pasta shapes. There are about 656 of them. Most non-Italians know spaghetti, tagliatelle,

 fettuccin linguine or fusilli. But what about orecchiette, which means little ears, vermicelli (little worms) or strozzapreti  (literally: priest stranglers)

  Never ask for a sprinkling of parmigiano on a seafood pasta dish

  Celebrate spring with a traditional plate of fave con pecorino with raw fresh broad beans eaten with hard cheese made from ewe mil.

 (Julia Davidson)

A week-end package at a bargain price offering visitors a special opportunity to tour the palace of Caserta near Naples (considered one of Europe most magnificent royal residences) in floodlit splendour, is available up till October.

The 51st edition of the Festival of Two Worlds at Spoleto, Umbria now re.named the Spoleto Festival International  kicks off with a lavish production of the ballet-opera Padmavati by S.L. Bhansali on the 27^th June and closes on the 13 th July with the traditional concert in the Piazza del Duomo.

STATE ARCHIVES OPEN FOR MUSICARTE

 On the 20 th and 21 st June, the Italian Ministry of Culture opens its State Archives in various regions for a series of concerts and exhibitions of rare music scores, documents, photographs and historic instruments, as part of the European Festival of Music 2008.

For details: www.beniculturali.it/sala/dettaglio-comunicato  

VILLA DRAGONETTI, ABRUZZO

A former residence of the noble Dragonetti family, this country house hotel near L'Aquila, Abruzzo, and the Gran Sasso National Park......

Every Saturday until the 26^th July, the sailing boat Tortuga takes visitors on a fascinating historical day trip along the coast of the Bay of Naples.

The week-long annual Infiorata (Flower Festival) is in full swing at Genzano, one of the Castelli Romani hill towns near Rome.