Monthly Archives: November 2001

Italy by Numbers: citizen?s arrest– don?t steal art!

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2,333 art objects stolen in 10 months*
755 objects recovered
12 people arrested
1 deal for citizen patrol

4,000 members of environmentalist group ?Italia Nostra? have been enlisted by the Carabinieri as watchdogs to prevent art thefts. The agreement also includes an unusual ?theft-awareness training? program?to educate clergy against selling art objects to save church coffers.
“It constitutes theft, but often they don?t realize it. These artworks belong to everyone, not just the church,” Marshal Sergio Banchellini told reporters.
The deal was struck last week in Lombardy, a province with a growing number of disappearing masterpieces, but is expected include volunteers Italy-wide by the end of May 2000.
*(2000,Lombardy)
www.italianostra.org/eroe.htm
The ‘hero’s page’ spotlights citizen-guardians…

Restoring Michelangelo’s Moses: Finally Online

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Michelangelo was fond enough of his Moses statue to take it off the tomb of Julius II so people could admire it properly. Now you can take a close look at the monumental statue thanks to web cams. Web cams documenting the restoration of the marble statue, completed in the early 1500s, announced with much fanfare in November 2000, were just fired up a few days ago. Never mind. Enter the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, in Rome where the statue is housed and click on the photos to get in even closer…Extras: A manoverable web cam on Michelangelo’s prisoners in the Accademia in Florence, calendar by Helmut Newton, maxi puzzle quiz, e-cards (in the press section)
In English & Italian. www.progettomose.it

Italy by Numbers: Embarassing State of the Arts

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60% Percentage of world’s artistic patrimony owned by Italy
35 million art & artifacts housed in Italian museums
13 million art works cataloged
1 million (circa) Percentage of art works photographed
35% Percentage of art works on display

One less Roman vase or Baroque masterpiece in a crowded basement won’t make much difference: or so seems the philosophy of the Italian government when it comes to caring for the country’s vast reserves of art. The lion’s share of these art treasures remain in a sort of limbo, neither properly catalogued nor accessible to the public. Interestingly enough, these 2000 findings are taken from a report by the Bologna-based research firm about Italy’s burgeoning art market, where sales at auctions were up 84% in 1998.

Getting the Vespa Vote

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“Our goal is to let scooters roam free in the city center,” announced Florentine politician Federico Tondi. The creator of the newly-founded “Scooter Party,” Tondi drummed up 450 members against recent changes in traffic planning in a week.

As of March 2001, the city center will be off limits to scooters– and the battle over the traffic-restricted zone (called ZTL for short) is heating up.
Florence is considered a testing ground for traffic limits in historic centers. Until the 1980s, tourist busses and cars still used Piazza Signoria, when the open-air gallery Loggia dei Lanzi contained priceless original sculptures by Giambologna and Cellini, as a parking lot. Currently only taxis and ambulances are allowed to circulate in the historic center, which runs from the Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio.
While getting cars out of the center is generally regarded as good for pollution levels and tourism, opponents maintain severe measures will eventually strangle the life out of these zones for locals. According to the local department of motor vehicles, there are 250,000 scooter owners–66% of Florentine residents have one.
Even in a country known for colorful political movements, the Scooter Party idea raised a few eyebrows. Political opponent Antongiulio Barbaro, of the DS party, commented: “People who ride scooters, park them and become pedestrians like everyone else… It’s a silly and shortsighted idea for city planning.” Tondi hopes to double adherents to the party before December and begin the campaign push in January.

Film on British Writer in France gets Italian Twist

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The Langhe just may rival Tuscany as the new Provence. The film version of “BlackBerry Wine,” originally set in France, will switch to where Barolo wine reigns in Piedmont. Author Joanne Harris, of “Chocolat” fame, recently sold the silver screen rights to Italian producer Giampaolo Sodano. The change of scenery has the author’s blessing–after a visit with friend and vineyard owner Mariuccia Borio, Harris said she’d go back and change the book if she could. Tentative cast members include Hugh Grant, picked to star as the author suffering from writer’s block, Juliette Binoche and Sean Connery.
Shooting begins with next fall’s harvest; the film will be in theaters Spring 2003.

Related resources:
Northwest Italy Wine Guide
An excellent guide for wine touring in the region–before the hordes arrive…

Italy by Numbers: Bad Cooking=Road to Divorce

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43% couples separate due to woman’s career
30% couples separate due to bad cooking
23% couples separate for cheating
4% couples separate for "irreconcilable differences"

Forget about extramarital affairs, lack of affection or fighting over money: separations for modern Italian couples are often linked to the fork and spoon.The poll, conducted by the center for family studies, examined reasons for the end of marital bliss in 500 Italian couples. Cooking was cited by men as a top reason, though researchers point out it’s closely linked to the rise in women’s interest in careers outside the home.
"These days, people get married less for exclusively emotional reasons, especially since generally marriages happen after 25," commented divorce lawyer Marianna De Cinque. "At that age, partners tend to view a marriage like a small business but the kitchen is still considered largely women’s work."
The findings represent a marked change in the reasons for divorce–ten years ago, 70% of Italian marriages broke up over cheating,

Related resources:
www.duepiu.net/coppia/veronesi_2.htm
Real-life story of a young Italian couple on the rocks.

Web wise: Nov. 25-Dec. 3

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Roberto Baggio: the career anthology• Fashion: who’s who & dictionary •Host of non-chaste calendars• Job announcements: Zanichelli seeks EMT editorial consultants

Roberto Baggio: a Question of Karma
Recurring rumors about the Buddhist, ponytailed soccer star’s impending retirement make this a good time to take a look back at the highlights and haircuts of this Italian icon
www.clarence.com/contents/sport/speciali/011116baggio


Fashion: who’s who & dictionary
New site gives insight and info on today’s fashion stars and the latest trends as well as a helpful vocab section. In Italian.
www.dellamoda.it

Host of non-chaste calendars
Plenty of bare-all calendars featuring Italian starlets to make up for the chaste Pirelli offering…
http://notizie.virgilio.it/notizie/primopiano/0,1256,3022,00.html?cst=3022&at=13001

Job announcements:

Looking for work in Italy? Sign up for our new service italy job finder –a free weekly newsletter of current job openings for English speakers…

To subscribe send a blank mail to: italyjobfinder-subscribe@topica.com

Zanichelli seeks EMT editorial staff

Zanichelli editore cerca per le Redazioni lessicografiche giovani di madrelingua inglese, anche senza precedente esperienza redazionale, ma con buona cultura e ottima conoscenza della lingua inglese (meglio se anche con buona o discreta conoscenza dell’italiano). Si richiede una preparazione a livello universitario. Un’esperienza nell’insegnamento dell’inglese a studenti italiani e’ titolo preferenziale. E’ prevista una regolare assunzione con contratto a termine da subito fino a tutto il giugno 2002. La retribuzione sara’ commisurata alla preparazione del candidato.
La sede di lavoro e’ Bologna. E’ possibile fruire della mensa aziendale per i pasti di mezzogiorno nei giorni da lunedi’ a venerdi’.
l’invio del curriculum ne autorizza l’immisione in banca dati e la trasmissione all’interno della casa editrice ai sensi della legge sulla ‘privacy’. Contatteremo per un colloquio i candidati con le caratteristiche piu’ interessanti: a tal fine e’ utile indicare un recapito telefonico e/o e-mail.
Lorenzo Enriques
Redazioni lessicografiche
Zanichelli editore
via Irnerio 34, 40126 Bologna, Italy

www.zanichelli.it

Italy by Numbers: Stretching the Language

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29 letters: longest Italian word
52% Italian words contain between 7-12 letters
20% increase in length, from 19th century

A statistical analysis of 114,000 Italian words from several dictionaries revealed a new record for length–the 29-letter tongue twister is "esofagodermatodigiunoplastica."
Sounds as bad as it looks, referring to the complex surgery required after a patient’s esophagus and stomach have been removed. Probably won’t crop up in everyday conversation, but the 22-letter "internazionalizzazione" just might.
Egidio del Boca, from the Center for Lexicographic Studies in Vercelli, noted an increase in common word length compared to the 1800s, mostly due to new inventions. Among these are everyday items like the vacuum cleaner (aspirapolvere) the hair dryer (asciugacapelli) and farm equipment like the combine harvester (mietitrebbiatrice).
Superlatives were left out of the study, which is why the famous "precipitevolissimevolmente" (very hurriedly) doesn’t crop up.

Related resources:
Pronouce It Perfectly in Italian…
Get your stress on the right syllable & your diphthongs in order–with this book & audio pronunciation guide…

Everybody Bingo!

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Roars from the 400-strong crowd in Italy’s first bingo hall in Treviso were fit for a stadium–nothing like the indigenous version "tombola," a classic time-killer during holidays.
Bingo is the latest pastime in a country where 62% of the population gambles regularly–Italians currently place their money on three soccer-betting schemes, wagers on horses and numerous state lotteries.
The first winner, Tina Bianchin, was surrounded by fellow players jumping up and down and shouting "been-go! been-go!" as she was presented with about $400 winnings on a silver tray by the hall’s glamorous hostess. "I’m taking the family out to dinner," enthused Bianchin, a janitor. Rome’s first bingo hall opens this week while a total of 800 halls, expected to bring in $25,000 a day, will dot the country by 2003.

Related resources:
www.anib.it/storia.htm
Brief history of the game in Italy, traced back to Renaissance lotteries. From the Italian Bingo Association…

Web wise: Nov. 18-26

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Life-lesson portal for Learning Italian • Peek at Pompeii’s "Pleasure Spa" •Frances Ford Coppola: Java on the Set •Job announcements: sales manager, satellite network, English teachers, Italy wide

Italian portal teaches everyday practices
That’ll teach you! (così impari) is the cheeky slogan for Italian educational portal eudidia…The free lessons on management, computers, the home, personal life offer a heap of easy-to-read modules that are not only good for learning the language–but picking up on the customs…Where else are you going to find out what’s considered a proper Italian breakfast, how to prepare for a job interview or how to behave at a funeral?
www.eudida.it

Peek at Pompeii’s "Pleasure Spa"
Despite the quality of the photos, it’s not hard to figure out what Pompeii’s pleasure spa was all about– adornments of the unisex changing room are thought to show a sort of erotic menu. Discovered in the 1950s, the terme suburbane are not the only erotic images in the city, though the baths boast what was described by officials as Pompeii’s only "sapphic love scene." They’ll be open to the public from December on and will likely make up for two other areas (Il Lupanare and Casa dei Vettii) closed for restoration…
http://ricerca.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Cronache/11_Novembre/14/POMPEI.shtml

Italian Cinema + Espresso
What’s the connection? Boh….Frances Ford Coppola & Illy manage a cute send up on Fellini’s "White Sheik" with Valentina Cervi ("Portrait of a Lady")…Clip & backstage…
http://151.99.129.54/luxavideo/clienti/illy/back/illy.htm

Job announcements:

IT-LAZ-Rome-Sales Manager/Account Executive
————————————————————————
EXCITING Pre-IPO specializes in SATELLITE NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY that focuses on the "last mile" of network issues. Provide IT hardware and services to the "edge of the network"…Services include Corporate Data Networking, Internet Access, Content Delivery, and Event Services.
Position & Requirements:
The Sales Manager will be responsible for selling to the LARGEST customers (Global 2000) in Italy. (Virtual office)
Applicant must have:
* experience identifying and qualifying opportunities, building strong relationships, and closing prospective opportunities with both new and existing accounts.
* 5 – 15 years of either telecommunications or networking services sales in this territory.
* a strong understanding of data communications concepts, products, and services.
* ability and desire to work independently
* ability to work closely with customers
* ability to coordinate both technical and financial proposal strategies
* proven negotiation and presentation skills with Global 2000 accounts
VERY AGGRESSIVE compensation package: $80 – 90K (USD) base salary plus commissions = $180 – $200K (USD). PLUS excellent stock options and an extensive "Full" Benefits package.
Please forward "Word formatted" resumes in English to: KLB@SCNorthJersey.com

Graduate mother-language teachers of English
URGENTLY required
For innovative project starting mid-January 2002.
Teaching experience essential.
We are looking for people throughout Italy
Please, send your CV, allowing the treatment of your personal data (L.675/96 tutela della privacy) via e-mail, specifying in the RE: "Rif. 8035 English teacher", to:
SCS Selezione S.r.l.
e mail: corum@libero.it