ItalyUpdate

After a two-year break, the International Festival of Arts in the ruins of the Roman Emperor Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, Rome, has made a welcome comeback. The month-long programme, which began on the 18^th June 2014, stars world famous dance and theatre companies who perform against the majestic backdrop of the Roman ruins under the stars.

Rosè used to be the Cinderella of the wine world, relegated to the back shelves of specialist shops and dismissed by connoisseurs as a kind of by-product, not much worthy of interest. But all that has changed fast since Hollywood star Brad Pitt launched his Chateau Miraval rosè produced by his estate in Provence, France, winning accolades from the prestigious Wine Spectator magazine. Italian rosè vintners have not been slow to pick up the gauntlet, emphasizing their long tradition and the excellence of their products.

Mauro Gabba, President of the Associazione Alberghi del Libro D'Oro, founded in 1991, has announced the chain's latest literary initiative of the creation of a Digital Library for the benefit of guests.

Working holidays on the land for international students is not a new idea. This summer, however, the Island of Ventotene in the Pontine archipelagus (Lazio) is offering young people an opportunity to sojourn gratis on one of Italy's most unspoiled islands, in return for a few hours work each day alongside local farmers.

The hilly Langhe-Roero and Monferrato regions of Piemonte have been added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, giving Italy the grand total of fifty nominations of more than any other country. The region covers some 100 sq kms with twenty-nine historic towns and villages in six areas of the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo.

The Veny Valley and the towns of Courmayeur and Saint-Didier will welcome some 350 artistes from Italy, Scotland, Wales, Poland, France and Canada between the 3^rd -6^th July 2014 for the 18^th Great Celtic International Festival of music, art and culture.

The Aricino-Nemorense branch of the Italian Archeoclub recently organized a historic re-enactment of the ancient Festival of the Latin Peoples (Feriae Latinae) on Monte Cavo, the highest point of the extinct volcano some 20 kms south of Rome.

Summer is the time of Festivals. The Puccini Festival  the only festival entirely dedicated to the celebrated Italian composer - has been running for sixty years at the small town where the maestro created some of his best loved operas, like Tosca, Madame Butterfly, La Fanciulla del West, La Rondine and the Trittico.

The luxury hotel group Soft Living Places of Versilia has launched online a 3 minute video advising Russian tourists on how to behave when staying in Italian grand hotels.

This year's edition of the Globo d'Oro (Golden Globe) awarded to Italian cinema by the Foreign Press association in Italy had famous actress Claudia Cardinale as the star of the evening. Cardinale was assigned the prestigious prize for her career. The prize-giving ceremony was held in the seat of the French Ambassador to Rome, Palazzo Farnese, and was attended by a great number of Italian film producers, directors, scenographers and music composers, as well as actors and actresses and journalists.