ItalyUpdate

The International Festival of art and food is on till the 27^th June 2015 in the historic centre of the town of Montegranaro, near Fermi (Marche), famous for its production of high quality shoes. This is a mega-event, involving over a hundred different street performances featuring professional artistes from Italy, Belgium, France, Finland, Holland, Slovenia, Spain, Cile, Argentine, Uruguay, Kenya, the UK and the USA, many of whom are part of the EU OPEN-STREET project.

Hot competition to construct the tallest Lego tower in the world is underway during EXPO Milano. Up till the 21^st June adults and children can collaborate in the attempt to beat the Budapest Tower that won the last world record in 2014 with a tower that soared up to 34.76 metres.

With important appointments coming up such as the Extraordinary Church Holy Year (2015-16) and the possibility of hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, Rome is awakening from a long lethargy and announces plans to complete long-overdue projects. These include the futuristic Nuvola (Cloud) conference centre by architect  Massimilian Fuksas, the Aquarium and the Ponte dei Congressi (Conference Bridge), all in the modern EUR district.

Thanks to an injection of new capital through its verger with Etihad Airways, Italy's national carrier Alitalia is relaunching itself on the long distance market with a new upgraded Business Class which offers additional comfort and facilities.

Puglia, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria and Sicily toast their traditional native vines in the Radice del Sud (Roots of the South) Festival, held this year in Bari (Puglia) until the 15^th June 2015. Over 400 wines will be judged by two panels of experts  of one international and the other Italian  in three days of blind tastings at the Hotel Rondo.

The very best of Made in Italy are to pool their brains at the 7^th Luxury Summit, organized by Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, on the 10th-11^th June 2015 at Milan. Representatives of leading fashion designers, such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Gianni Versace, Kiton, Santoni Calzatura and Louis Viutton Italia are among the participants at the event, which focusses on future business strategies and expansion in emerging markets, such as China.

Three bells commissioned by the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Sanggau, Indonesia, from the historic Marinelli Bell Foundry of Agnone (Molise) are due to be installed shortly in the Cathedral in West Borneo.

 

The Student and Youth Travel Centre (CTS) opens its Nature Camps on the Island of Linosa  (Sicily) between May and October 2015 to young people who wish to spend a working holiday looking after the sea turtles that come to lay their eggs every year on the shore.

Director Matteo Garrone did not have to resort to elaborate constructed sets for his film Racconto dei Racconti (The Tale of Tales) inspired by the poem Del Cunto de li Cunti by  17^th century poet and courtier Giambattista Basile. The castles, caverns, precipices and gardens were all to be found in Italy, ready for use.

Naples is in full preparation for Italy's biggest street party at the Napoli Pizza Village. The mega-event involves fifty of Naples celebrated pizzerias spread all along the bay on the panoramic Lungomare Caracciolo. The Pizza Village was launched in 2011, with 20 pizzerias, during which a total 55,000 pizzas were consumed by visitors.