Web-wise July 22- 29

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Italian practice: verb conjugator tool • Finding Events/Food Fairs • Rome’s Fashion Event • Italy’s Immigration Law: consequences & debate

Verb conjugator tool
If you can’t remember the difference in spelling between the conditional and the future or get stuck on the historic past tense, this free tool will become one of your favorite bookmarks…
www.univ.trieste.it/~nirital/texel/coni/coni.htm

Finding Events/Food Fairs/Markets
Looking for a food fest, market, or palio — some 6,000 events listed in this searchable data base…
www.bari.vivacity.it/speciali/generico/Intro/0,4346,27|156,00.html

Rome’s Fashion Event
Woman Under the Stars (Donna sotto le stelle) caps off Rome’s summer fashion shows, with some of the world’s most beautiful women tripping down the Spanish Steps in high heels. This year: Naomi Campbell, Laetitia Casta,Eva Herzigova and Italian beauties Claudia Koll and Martina Colombari…
http://valeoggi.tiscali.it/immagini/200207/18/3d367405020fa/

Italy’s Immigration Law: consequences & debate
The recently-passed law on immigrants has caused much debate — making it harder for non-EU citizens to come to Italy while increasing permits for household help and companions to the elderly as well as starting the practice of fingerprinting newcomers who apply for a stay permit…

http://canali.giallo.virgilio.it/canali/risumform/8843.cgi
The debate (In Italian)

http://story.news.yahoo.com
News background (in English)

www.governo.it/sez_dossier_nuovi/immigrazione/index.html
The text of the law & government documents..(In Italian)

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Anti-Mafia Pasta

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A plate of the national dish will take on a new significance when ‘anti-Mafia pasta’ arrives on Italian store shelves in the fall. A courageous anti-Mafia group is reaping the fruits of a protracted battle with local organized crime: they’re harvesting the first grain from confiscated fields of Mafia boss Tot? Riina and his relatives the Grizzafi family near Corleone, in Sicily.

This is the second time a small cooperative led by local priest Don Ciotti, has re-appropriated Mafia land for a symbolic harvest. In April 2001, the olive oil made from groves of fugitive Sicilian Mafia baron Bernardo Provenzano was transformed into holy oil used to baptize babies, in confirmation ceremonies and to administer last rites in Turin.

The ‘anti-Mafia pasta,’ expected to be available in the COOP supermarket chain in the fall, may have to crowd in with local products emblazoned with the Corleone brand, which the city government decided to use on local milk and cheese products capitalizing on the notorious town name. Notable residents of the town of 11,000 in the province of Palermo include fugitive boss Bernardo Provenzano and clan head Totò Riina, currently serving several life sentences. Corleone will also ring a bell with consumers because of "the Godfather" films, thanks to the fictional family called of the same name.?1999-2004 zoomata.com

Zoomata is the brainchild of a bilingualjournalist based in Italy who thinks out of the box. This brain is for hire.

Related resources:
Midnight in Sicily
Essential reading for an understanding of Mafia in contemporary Italian life

Italy by Numbers: Monumental Mistake

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178 circa, combined films Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida
16 bit parts/tv shows Manuela Arcuri
2 Academy Awards, Sophia Loren
0 monuments: Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida
1 monument: Manuela Arcuri

Italians have short memories for native beauties: last week the town of Porto Cesareo (Lecce) erected a statue to curvy starlet of dubious talent Manuela Arcuri. This can’t go down well with the country’s best-known international bombshells, Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida both approaching monumental age (La Lollo turns 75 this week, Loren is 67), without so much as a plaque in their honor.

The town spent 3,000 euro to create a life-size stone statue of Manuela, better known for her nearly-naked calendars than for her acting abilities. Then again, those who commissioned the statues weren’t looking to commemorate her talent.

"It’s just a publicity find," said Umberto del Prete, president of tourist operators in Porto Cesareo who paid for the opera. "It simply attests to her beauty and that’s it."

Loren and La Lollo can console themselves.

http://valeoggi.tiscali.it/immagini/200207/03/3d216dd505786
Take our word for it — Arcuri is best when she’s standing still in photos…

Pay-Per-View Churches

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Another one of Florence’s must-see monuments, the church of Santa Croce, has turned into a museum with a 3 euro ticket price for visitors. Often called the Florentine Pantheon, around 1 million visitors per year crowd in to see the tombs of the city’s most famous sons: Galileo, Michelangelo and Dante (though his bones are buried elsewhere) and the frescoes of Giotto in the Bardi chapel.

This is the latest of four major religious monuments (the Duomo and baptistery, Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo) in the city to charge an admission price for visitors. Those wishing to pray or attend mass are still let in, without charge, from separate entrances. Critics say this is just one more step into turning one of the most famous cities in Italy definitively into an amusement park.

"Basically places of worship are becoming places of entertainment," said Antonio Paolucci the official responsible for Florence’s artistic heritage. "Unfortunately, museums have also lost their primary function — as places of education. I think about 98% of visitors today, foreign and Italian, enter without understanding the value of what they see."

Fees are unlikely to bother tourists on package tours — who often pay entrance fees in the tour price and have group reservations — but deter single visitors who will have to shell out money at every monument after waiting in long lines. Proponents of the fees say that the income will help preserve monuments for future generations and keep out the uninterested. On the first day the ticket office opened in Santa Croce, some 6,000 tickets were sold for profits of 18,000 euro or roughly $16,000 USD.

Related resources:
City Secrets: Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy
Tired of lines? Try off the beaten path sights….

Web-wise July 8- 16

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Italian practice: what kind of traveler are you? • Summer Sales Calendar• Gianni Morandi: the eternal boy’s new album • Scholarships to study in Italy

Italian practice: what kind of traveler are you?
This simple test will develop your profile — adventure-seeking, traditional, better stay at home — a good way to practice & when your mind is on the beach!
http://club.virgilio.it/community/test/001/001r.html

Gianni Morandi: the eternal boy’s new album
Hear the first single ‘l’amore ci cambia la vita’ from this happy dinosaur of Italian pop..The album of the same name will be released in September, but hear a sample now…
www.sonymusic.it/sonymusic/speciale_gianni_morandi.php

Scholarships to study in Italy
Offered by icon, a consortium of Italian universities, these scholarships are for those of Italian origin (specifically from Calabria) to study at Italian universities. Deadline Aug. 10; for details: www.italicon.it/index.asp?SECTION=MNUINFO_HRN&SECTIONID=02&P=hrn/patronato_cont

Sales Calendar
Twice-yearly sales are upon us — but to get the latest in summer fashion keep in mind each region starts & ends the "saldi" at different times and this year in fashion capital Milan (Lombardy) they’re also quite short…

Lombardy 14-28 July

Lazio 13 July — 31 August

Veneto 15 July — 31 August

Tuscany 15 July –21 September

Sardinia 8 -July – 8 September

Sicily 13 -July – 23 September

Umbria 10 -July – 10 September

Can’t make it in July? Try this discount outlet database: www.corriere.it/speciali/outlet.shtml

The Return of Olive Oil Cosmetics

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A new campaign promotes what grandma already knew — olive oil has many uses outside the kitchen. The Italian agricultural association, Coldiretti, felt it was time to remind inhabitants of the Bel Paese that extra virgin olive oil can be used to soften skin, obtain shiny hair and even remove stubborn ear wax.

Use of olive oil as a cosmetic stretches back to the Egyptians, who used this ‘gift from the Gods’ as an anti-wrinkle cream, while Greeks favored it as a massage oil for athletes and Romans as an after-spa treatment. Archeologists have deduced from the silver oil vessels that olive oil was only for the most wealthy of citizens, but today the staple of every kitchen makes for an inexpensive beauty boost.
Some recipes for do-it-yourself treatments promoted in the public awareness campaign: mix with neutral henna and egg yolks for a regenerating hair mask, combine it with a few drops of lemon to reinforce nails, let it steep with chamomile tea for a month to produce a balm for sore muscles or reddened skin and last but not least, 20 drops of tepid oil will melt even the toughest earwax. ?1999-2004 zoomata.com

Zoomata is the brainchild of a bilingualjournalist based in Italy who thinks out of the box. This brain is for hire.

Related resources:
Olive Oil: From Tree to Table
More on ‘liquid gold’ and how to best use it in your kitchen…

Italy by Numbers: Hassle-Free Vacations?

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+9% more Italians vacation in July
12 million Italians on holiday first week in July
+685.2% increase in strikes, first half of 2002
5 strikes planned in July

Just when Italians warmed up to the idea of not taking off en masse in August for vacation, a series of strikes threatens to make going on holiday in July just as difficult. The media has long proposed staggered vacations (partenze intelligenti) to avoid endless traffic jams and numerous accidents — but this is the first year a noteworthy number of vacationers actually heeded the warning. Among the strikes to watch out for this month — train strike July 9, gas station strike on the autostrada July 11, airport strike July 12.
Current vacation hotspots for Italians include beach standbys Rimini and Riccone and the Calabrian coast as well as mountain areas such as Trentino and Val d’Aosta. The worst times to be on the road: between 4 and 8 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays, 6-11 a.m. on Saturdays.

www.fit.cisl.it/ScioTA.htm
Updated strike info, check the online calendar for last-minute changes. (Italian only)

Web-wise July 2- 8

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Italian practice: the Leopard revisited • Ferrari — view the Enzo model • The Dandy is Back: Men’s Fashion

Ferrari — the Enzo model
Named after founder Enzo Ferrari, there’s no doubt this car stands out even among the best. A limited production, even for the Maranello house –only 349 will be made — the fortunate few to own it will be set back a cool 600-750,000 euro. Take a look, from the official unveiling…
www.ferrari.it

The Dandy is Back: Men’s Fashion
Definitely dandy, albeit a bit disheveled — that’s one of the prevailing looks in menswear from recent Pitti 2002 and Milan shows…Take a look at Italian designer Antonio Marras slightly rumpled togs…
www.pittimmagine.com/eventi/fashion_show/artI1373.html

www.classcity.it/class_city/contenuti/moda/stile/stile.jsp
Click on "uomo" for a round up of the latest from Milan

Italian practice: "The Leopard" revisited
Adopted son Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi recounts the life of his father, prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa in a revisited and expanded version of "Il Gattopardo." Read an interview with Lanza Tomasi, view the photogallery.
http://www.feltrinelli.it/SpecialiLibriInterna?id_spec=32

Anger with Style,Perfecting the ”Bad Words”

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Often the first words learned and the last mastered, le parolacce (bad words) pose numerous problems for students of Italian. Rules about using slang or dubious expressions are constantly changing, however, women who liberally use the “baddies” are still often considered sboccate (without restraint) even by the younger set. Yet the Italian chaos (lost baggage, wildcat strikes, post office lines) surely inspires expletives. Our advice? Substitute the heavy expletive with a gaffe-free euphemism. The point will be made, even by the fairer sex or in a situation requiring the formal “lei” form. Here’s a list suggested by the Treccani**, mother of all Italian dictionaries.If you’re intent on deciphering Italian slang — this is one of the more reputable guides…
Dictionary of Italian Slang and Colloquial Expressions?1999-2004 zoomata.com

Zoomata is the brainchild of a bilingualjournalist based in Italy who thinks out of the box. This brain is for hire.

Offending Expletive Kinder, Gentler Euphemism
Che cazzo! Che cavolo! or Che kaiser! These have the advantage of sounding like the orginal — but you can’t be blamed for cursing the "cabbage" or the "Kaiser" when things go wrong…
Porca puttana! Porco zio! or Porco due! (The "pig" in question is roughly like the word "damn" so you’re still getting a bit of oomph…)
Andare affanculo

andare a quel paese/ mandare qualcuno a quel paese. Es. "Ma va’ a quel paese" "Ti mando a quel paese." You’re not telling them to screw themselves, but still "sending them up."

andare a fare in bagno Es. "Ma va’ fa ‘n bagno!" This one has the advantage of sounding the most like the original, without getting so strong — no one’s going to get offended by telling them to "go have a bath."
Per dio! Per Diana! or Per Bacco! These often come up as subsitutes in kid’s comic books — and sound a bit stilted but are still effective…
Scemo! Non è una volpe. Instead of calling a person an idiot — just say politely that they’re not exactly a fox…
Deficiente! Frescone! When you want to call someone you don’t know an idiot, this will do it, without getting you into trouble.
Figlio di puttana Figlio di una buona donna. Instead of son-of-a-bitch, becomes literally son-of-a-good-woman — but the meaning comes across..
Minchia*! Mizzica! An expression of surprise, or for emphasis. "Mizzica questo forum funziona!" "Wow, this forum works!"

*Not from the illustrious Treccani, but since this Sicilian term has become widely used throughout Italy, better to have a safe version at hand.

Going Underground in Four Italian Cities

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Mummies galore, bomb shelters, Roman cisterns, waterways and haunted freezer chambers are some of what’s underfoot in the country’s main cities.
Exploring the underbelly of Italian cities brings out the Indiana Jones in even the most jaded visitor, but information on how to start “excavating” isn’t easy to come by.
Here’s what you’re likely to see Palermo, Naples, Milan Turin and Rome and how to go about it.

Naples
The city boasts one of the most extensive next work of underground passages –an estimated 279 miles. Visitors descend 30 steps through a trap door at the "Underground Association" (Associazione Sottosuolo) to behold a Greco-Roman cistern.
www.napolisotterranea.com
Site for group organizing tours. Hours: Monday-Friday noon–4 p.m., Thursday 9 p.m. Weekends 10-6 p.m.

Palermo
The underground of the island’s main city is lies the "well-populated" city of the dead where 8,000 mummies elegantly wrapped, line the corridors. The practice of burying the defunct underground continued until 1881 when it was finally declared unhygienic. The only changes made since were the metal grates–to keep stray bones from falling on visitors. The Catacombs are in piazza dei Cappuccini, directly under the convent.
They’re open daily from 9 a.m. to noon and from 3-5 p.m.

Rome
Only five of the eternal city’s 60 catacombs are open to the public and all of them keep different hours.
Staff pick: San Sebastiano.
St. Agnes, -Via Nomentana, 349 (closed Sunday momings/Monday afternoons)
Priscilla, – via Salaria, 430 -(closed on Mondays)
Domitilla, via delle Sette Chiese, 282/0 (closed on Tuesdays)
St. Sebastian – via Appia Antica, 136 (closed on Sundays)
St.Callixtus – Via Appia Antica, 126 – (closed on Wednesdays)
www.catacombe.roma.it
Info and image gallery.

Turin
Elegant palazzi from the 1800s house secret passages that allude to the city’s more tumultuous past– underground raid shelters from WWII and passage ways used in military defense in the 1700s.
The famous natural ice caverns called "little hells" (infernotti) are said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl murdered in the 1800s.
The tours, which last three hours, are offered Wednesday and Friday nights at 8:30 p.m.
www.somewhere.it
Info and reservations online.