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Italy's thread 15 June 2019

umbertino
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umbertino Grand Master

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Long road to freedom for farmworker accused of being notorious trafficker

 

Judge acquits Medhanie Tesfamariam Berhe after one of Italy’s most embarrassing cases of mistaken identity

 

Lorenzo Tondo

Fri 12 Jul 2019 15.01 BST Last modified on Fri 12 Jul 2019 19.45 BST

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

'Look for the rubles. Good Luck': Salvini fends off Russia claims

 

Matteo Salvini is fighting tooth and nail against suggestions that his far-right League party tried to get covert Russian payments during talks in Moscow last year

 

 

The Local
14 July 2019
08:01 CEST+02:00
 
 
But the revelation by news website Buzzfeed of a conversation recorded in a Moscow hotel between one of Salvini's top lieutenants and three Russians discussing covert payments has put him on the back foot.
 
   
The first reports of these meetings surfaced in the Italian press in February. But the scoop by online news website Buzzfeed -- based on an audio recording of the talks -- pushed it back centre stage and was widely reported in Italy.
 
   
The deal under discussion was to covertly divert $65 million (58 million euros) to the League by means of discounted Russian oil transactions through intermediaries.
 
   
Buzzfeed identified Gianluca Savoini of the League as one of three Italians talking to three Russians. It said the talks took place in October.
 
   
Former journalist Savoini, 56, is married to a Russian and is president of the Lombardy-Russia association. He is considered one of the League's main contacts with Russia.
 
   
"A hoax, a fraud, a piece of dirt," Savoini told Italian daily La Repubblicca, describing the Buzzfeed story.
 
 
When the story broke on Wednesday, Salvini denied it. "Never taken a ruble, a euro, a dollar or a litre of vodka in financing from Russia," he said in a statement.
 
 
But he has never hidden his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who visited Italy only last week. And during his visit, Putin referred to a cooperation agreement between his United Russia party and Salvini's League.
 
 
Salvini's says his support for Putin, his fight to overturn European sanctions imposed against Russia for their 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, comes "free". His position is a matter of conviction, he insists.
 
 
 Ongoing investigation
 
According to reports in the Italian press, prosecutors are already investigating Savoini, put on the trail by earlier accounts of the Moscow meetings published in the Italian press.
   
 
Under the terms of a deal it reached last September, the League is already paying back 49 million euros of fraudulently obtained election expenses claimed between 2008 and 2010, before Salvini took over as leader in 2013.
 
   
The agreement the party reached with Genoa prosecutors to pay the money back over a period of decades went down very badly with opposition parties, and Salvini has had to take the heat from that agreement.
 
   
In parliament, opposition deputies held up signs reading "65 million" and "49 million" to link the two affairs. Former prime minister Matteo Renzi of the centre-left Democratic Party described Savoini's talks in Russia as "high treason".
 
   
This latest affair bears some resemblance to the scandal that brought down Austrian nationalist Heinz-Christian Strache in May.
 
   
Leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), Strache resigned on May 18 after a hidden-camera sting filmed in a luxury villa on the island of Ibiza, in which he appeared to offer public contracts in exchange for campaign help from a fake Russian backer.
 
   
But Buzzfeed is convinced that its recording is not of a sting but of talks between genuine players on both sides -- even if Savoini is not as senior a figure as Strache was.
 
   
"I've never met him personally," said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Savoini. The latter, however, was among the guests to a formal dinner given in Putin's honour in Rome last week.
 
   
He appears in a photo of the event, standing in the background as a smiling Putin and Conte exchange toasts.
 
   
"He wasn't invited by the interior ministry," said Salvini at a press conference Friday.
 
   
With an exasperated air he said: "Guys, let me do my job seriously. Look for the rubles -- good luck. And me: I'll do my job. I think this investigation is ridiculous."
 
   
But the story was still making headlines Saturday. "Salvini couldn't not know" said one in La Repubblica.
 
   
International lawyer Gianluca Meranda wrote to the paper to identify himself as one of the other people recorded at the October meeting in Moscow.
 
 
He confirmed negotiations, but said that the talks about an oil deal had not in the end led to anything. He denied any question that this was about getting funding for the party. But he was happy to talk to prosecutors, he added.

 

 

https://www.thelocal.it/20190714/look-for-the-rubles-good-luck-salvini-fends-off-russia-claims

 

 

That's the way he has chosen in order to deal with this very delicate matter...By being sarcastic ( toward the judicial system and others) and arrogant (as usual)

 

Worth noting/remembering he is Italy’s deputy PM, leader of the League party and minister of Interiors....And that his party Lega got already condemned to reimburse 49M Euros which had disappeared ( but party has the great advantage to have the permission by judge to give money back during 88 years)......Nuff said

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umbertino Grand Master

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Italian neo-fascist ex-candidate arrested over weapons cache

 

Police find guns, Nazi plaques and air-to-air missile during operation targeting Italians who took part in eastern Ukraine insurgency

 

 

Angela Giuffrida in Rome

Mon 15 Jul 2019 15.29 BST

 

 

 

2436.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f131027e5e569c8d783cab37f959233d
Police stand by a missile seized at an airport hangar after an investigation into the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine
Photograph: Tino Romano/AP
 
 
 
 
Tragic alliance
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Shabibilicious Mentor

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Umbertino, I want you to know I've thought long and hard about this and I'd rather not give out my email (and no, I don't belong to any covert 3 letter agencies, contrary to the children's opinions).  I'd we'd discuss this anywhere else but in this forum, however that's not possible without me providing my address.  Know this, I respect who you are and what you stand for with regards to your fellow human beings and inclusion of others.  I will always have your back here and consider you a valued friend and asset to the discussion.  I hope you understand and we can continue to carry on as DVet allies.  Shabs

 

GO RV, then BV

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umbertino Grand Master

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11 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

Umbertino, I want you to know I've thought long and hard about this and I'd rather not give out my email (and no, I don't belong to any covert 3 letter agencies, contrary to the children's opinions).  I'd we'd discuss this anywhere else but in this forum, however that's not possible without me providing my address.  Know this, I respect who you are and what you stand for with regards to your fellow human beings and inclusion of others.  I will always have your back here and consider you a valued friend and asset to the discussion.  I hope you understand and we can continue to carry on as DVet allies.  Shabs

 

GO RV, then BV

 

 

Of course I do understand, Shabs....Don't worry about it.....Same holds for me...I'll always have your back as well....

 

I just wanted to ask you a question ( and I know you have the answer for that) but I do not want to ask it here.....

 

 

I again can try and give you here ( leaving it up just a minute or so) my minor / un-official email addy ..( I did 2 days ago and then took it off , thinking you had somehow written it down) in order to give my official one later on.....

 

But if for you that' doesn't sound doable....No problem at all

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umbertino Grand Master

umbertino

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Salvini irks Conte with budget talks

PM says he decides timetable, ministers must be involved

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
15 July 201916:59 News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Prosecutors huddle over Savoini case

Salvini dismissive, Conte says League leader shd brief parl'mt

Redazione ANSA Milan
15 July 201918:27 News
 
 
 
Last news states that this Savoini guy  this afternoon chose not to respond to the inquiring judge questions ...Salvini stated he doesn't know him  (Savoini.....which is a  blatant lie)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Where are Italy's active volcanoes?

 

The Local
4 July 2019
17:21 CEST+02:00
 
 
 
Where are Italy's active volcanoes?
Life in the shadow of an active volcano: Mount Vesuvius in the Bay of Naples. Photo: Carlo Hermann/AFP

 

 

More pics

 

https://www.thelocal.it/20190704/where-are-active-volcanoes-in-italy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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umbertino Grand Master

umbertino

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Italian forest rangers on the hunt of 'escape genius' bear

 

Animal climbed over three electric fences and four-metre high barrier to escape

 

Angela Giuffrida

Tue 16 Jul 2019 15.23 BST Last modified on Tue 16 Jul 2019 15.45 BST

 

 

3000.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b245e26669ed28da3ea364556d38c181
Authorities have been criticised for give permission to shoot down the animal after efforts by conservationists to reintroduce species to Trentino
Photograph: Marco Secchi/Getty Images

 

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umbertino Grand Master

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Salvini to answer Lega-Russia allegations in parliament

 

16 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8323

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captured bear re-escapes in Trentino, arguments ensue

 

16 July 2019

 

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8321

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PM Conte to report to Senate on League-Russia case

Meranda, Vannucci homes searched

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
17 July 201918:10 News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Prosecutors appeal against Rackete arrest decision

Judge refused to keep Sea-Watch3 captain under house arrest

 

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umbertino Grand Master

umbertino

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Govt crisis talk swirls, Di Maio says stabbed in back

'Window always open' for elections says Salvini

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
18 July 201915:55 News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

60 clock-in cheats caught at Naples hospital

Swept badges then went about business sted of working

 

Redazione ANSA Naples
18 July 201911:49 News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sea Watch captain Rackete ‘explains all’ to prosecutors

 

18 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8331

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bologna named 'Italy's best' university in new ranking

 

The Local
18 July 2019
11:18 CEST+02:00
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Italy's Nigerian mafia hit by major police raid

 

 
 
 
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umbertino Grand Master

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I rule out crisis, let's talk and go forward - Di Maio

If I suspected Salvini of Russian funding I wdn't be in govt

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
19 July 201911:04 News
 
 
 
Just yesterday it looked like Gov't was entering a crisis ...Only a matter of time as they  ( League and Five Star Movement) keep argung on everything and anything.....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Italy now gets more tourism than France: new study

 

The Local
19 July 2019
10:07 CEST+02:00
 
 
 
Italy now gets more tourism than France: new study
Tourists queuing at the Vatican City. Photo: Depositphotos
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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umbertino Grand Master

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Trying to collect money desperately.......Fining whatever as if there's no tomorrow.....

 

Hanging about: Italian city demands right to nap in a hammock

 

Residents of Trieste angry after Austrian tourist fined €300 for sleeping near seafront

 

Angela Giuffrida

Fri 19 Jul 2019 13.12 BST Last modified on Fri 19 Jul 2019 15.11 BST

 
 
4288.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=cb273a3dd50376ac4fa783a75bc07cdd
Trieste residents are to hang their hammocks in protest on Saturday
Photograph: andreusK/Getty Images/iStockphoto
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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umbertino Grand Master

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Di Maio, Salvini say will talk to ease tensions

But M5S 'No' policy still a problem says League leader

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
19 July 201912:32 News

 

 

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/07/19/di-maio-salvini-say-will-talk-to-ease-tensions_1d7c4e18-81d1-4ef1-875c-de219abdf075.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mattarella, Conte, Gabrielli remember Borsellino

President, premier mark 27th anniversary of assassination

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
19 July 201913:34 News

 

 

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/07/19/mattarella-conte-gabrielli-remember-borsellino_34a8db84-427f-442e-8a4c-9b13392a8e92.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Borsellino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italy shd clear up 'League Russian funding' - Merkel

'Think parliament or others will ask for clarification'

 

Redazione ANSA Berlin
19 July 201913:30 News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

North tops suspect mafia operation rankings

'External subjects handle offshore operations

 

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umbertino Grand Master

umbertino

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How to get married in Italy

 

Getting married in Italy, one of the most romantic countries in the world, is a popular choice. But the planning process is not always straightforward. Whether you’re living in Italy or have your heart set on a destination wedding, here’s everything I learned from planning my own Italian wedding

 

 

Clare Speak
20 July 2019
10:28 CEST+02:00
 
 

The first time I started questioning our decision to get married in the south of Italy was when the manager of a potential wedding venue told me: "Twelve courses for lunch is standard. No, we can’t do any less. But we can do more if you like."

 

We'd chosen Puglia – the heel of the Italian ‘boot’, famous for its abundant food and over-the-top wedding celebrations – simply because that’s where my now-husband is from and where his family lives.

 

The region has great weather, incredible food and fairytale wedding venues. It's also surprisingly good value for money. Our other option - gettimg married in the UK - just couldn't compete. So for us the location was an easy decision to make.

 

But as I soon found out, planning a wedding in Italy as a non-Italian comes with plenty of surprises and challenges; from old-school traditions to a confusing bureaucratic process.

 

I was months into the planning process before I fully understood just how very different weddings in Italy - particularly the south - are from what we're used to back home.

 

In fact, I was still learning these things the hard way right up until the days before the wedding. Stressful? Just a bit.

 

So to help you avoid the same stress, here’s a practical guide to organising your own wedding in Italy.

 

 

Location, location

There are all kinds of stunning wedding venues up and down the country, from castles to vineyards or beachfront hotels. The most popular destination wedding spots in Italy are Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, where plenty of venues have experience of catering for non-Italian couples.

 

The simplest and cheapest option is to get married at the town hall. It's not a bad option. A lot of Italian town halls are incredibly grand and beautiful buildings that resemble museums or palaces, even those in small towns.

 

The other options are the church or a civil ceremony at a licensed venue - where the town hall's official, perhaps even the mayor, will come out to for a hefty fee (normally up to 500 Euros.)

 

Wherever you choose to get married in Italy, the logistics can be tricky for non-Italians.

Don't get married hundreds of miles away from an airport, and don't underestimate the amount of time you'll need to spend helping your guests book flights, hotels, car hire and answering random questions about all sorts of other things, especially if they've never been to Italy before.

 

And sadly, the fact is that if you’re getting married abroad, a lot of people just aren’t going to be able to make it.

 

My family made it into a week-long holiday. Some friends scrimped and saved for months to pay for the trip. Others just chose not to come, for various reasons, and that stung more than I expected it to. Especially when my now-husband's family were intent on inviting every last neighbour and long-lost third cousin, as southern Italian weddings tend to be very big celebrations.

 

 

The language barrier

If you don’t speak Italian, you’ll need a wedding planner (or bilingual local friend) to help. There are lots of local English-speaking planners who’ll be able to translate not only the language but the cultural differences.

 

If you can't afford to hire someone to plan the whole thing, some offer individual services like translations or help with paperwork.

 

Even if you speak Italian and live in Italy, a planner is always helpful. But if the budget doesn’t allow for it, you can get by without - as we did - as long as at least one of you speaks the language fluently.

 

 

Bureaucracy

No one wants to think about wedding paperwork when there are cakes to be tasted. But if you get the right help and information, you can manage it.

 

The paperwork needed depends on where you come from, where you live now, and various other factors.

 

 

If you both live outside Italy, you’ll need to go and give notice at your local town hall and then get a couple of documents officially translated. Your local town hall should have all the information you need.

 

If you live in Italy and one or both of you has Italian residency, you’ll need to make an appointment with your country’s embassy in Rome to give notice and get a certificate of no impediment, called a nulla osta, which costs about 100 euros. Requirements vary for different nationalities.

 

You’ll then give notice at the comune of the town where you have residency - and for civil ceremonies, also at the town where you’re getting married, if it’s different.

 

We ended up having to give notice three times - once at the British embassy in Rome, once in the town we live in, and then again at the town we got married in.

 

For us, Italian bureaucracy fully lived up to its reputation. The amount of things that were miscommunicated between these three points was incredible, so make sure you follow up on everything and make sure paperwork has been sent and received - and actually has your wedding date written on it. (They forgot to do that on ours, and we found out two weeks before the wedding that our officiant was double-booked.)

 

In the UK you generally would book your civil ceremony official as soon as you book your venue, which could be up to two years before the big day.

 

But here in Italy, you can't give notice until six months before the wedding - meaning you can’t book the officiant until then either.

 

I dread to think how much the paperwork cost for our wedding in total. But the embassy fees, numerous stamps, and registar fees added up to at least 700 euros - that's without factoring in the cost of several trips to Rome, and the time we had to take off work.

 

 

Witnesses (best man/woman)

Like elsewhere, you'll need two witnesses. They can be friends, relatives, or pretty much anyone really, but you will need to give their details and copies of their passports to the town hall a few weeks before the wedding.

 

As a side note: if you ask an Italian friend to be a witness, they might turn white and start stammering about previous commitments. It's not because they don't love you, but Italian tradition (at least in the south) says witnesses are expected to give large sums of money - at least a thousand euros - as a wedding gift!

 

 

Church weddings

In Italy, both of you will usually need to be Catholic, and if you're not Italian residents you may need a letter from your church back home. The rules can vary though so it's always worth checking with the church itself.

 

 

Finding suppliers

I wasn't looking forward to shopping around for suppliers in Italian.

 

But I was surprised and relieved to learn that a lot of reception venues in Italy include your cake, flowers, and various other ‘extras’ in the price of your meal. It’s rare to find venues where you’ll need to decorate or set up anything yourself.

 

However, if your tastes are anything but ultra-traditional you may struggle with finding some suppliers locally.

 

Wedding dress shopping was very tricky. I found bridal boutiques here more expensive than those in the UK, customer service was always lacking, and styles tend to be a little outdated - and very traditional.

 

Most dresses are designed with church weddings in mind, and dress shop assistants balked at my request for something a little more unusual.

 

For me, dress shopping in Italy was not an enjoyable experience and I wished I'd done it in the UK. I did eventually figure out that you can have a dress custom made here for the same price as the off-the-rack styles, and that's what I did.

 

One thing I did source in the UK was our photographer. I met dozens of Italian wedding photographers, but all of them went for a very formal, soft-focus style and all of them were very expensive. Not only was it easier to find a more creative photographer in the UK, I found that incredibly it even worked out cheaper for them to fly over.

 

 

Timing

Italians have a well-earned reputation for being laid back, and nothing about that changes when you’re planning a wedding.

 

The most stressful thing for me was dealing with suppliers who took their time. Just make lots of notes and be prepared to chase them up instead of having them contact you about fittings or appointments. Because they won't.

 

If you're getting married in August or September, make sure you have everything organised before the August holidays start. Everything will be closed. For weeks.

To avoid stress on the actual day, my advice is to leave a lot of time in your schedule for things to overrun. 

 

The organisers at our venue insisted they'd keep to a tight schedule, but I wasn't convinced. After all, I didn't arrive in Italy yesterday. So I put my own, more realistic timings on the programmes (much to the organisers' irritation) and these turned out to be accurate.

 

And if you're a punctual bride, try not to be. No one will be expecting the ceremony to actually start at the time you’ve put on your invitation. Our guests were surprised, and a bit put out, when I arrived a mere ten minutes late.

 

 

Understanding local customs

Weddings in Italy are usually traditional, often Catholic affairs, without the added extras common in other countries. For example, Italian couples will usually just have two witnesses, instead of a wedding party of best man, maid of honour, bridesmaids and groomsmen.

 

While there's no reason foreign couples shouldn't bring their own traditions with them, it's still useful to understand how weddings tend to work in Italy. This way, you'll avoid crossed wires with suppliers and venues.

 

If either of you is Italian, be prepared to compromise often when trying to navigate the wedding traditions of two different cultures.

 

In our case, that meant me getting used to the idea that his family would be very involved in the planning, and them getting used to the idea that we wouldn't be following all the usual traditions.

 

And instead of choosing between a three-course dinner and that blowout 12-course Puglian banquet, we found a different venue that was happy to create a six-course tasting menu that kept everyone happy.

 

Planning a wedding abroad can be a little trickier than at home. But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have the day you really want, wherever you decide to get married.

 

 

https://www.thelocal.it/20190720/how-to-get-married-wedding-in-italy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The must-try foods from every region of Italy

 

Italy is synonymous with good food, and yet Italian cuisine is often thought of abroad as little more than pizza and pasta. If you’ve spent any amount of time in the country, though, you’ll know every region has its own distinct cuisine.

 

 

Clare Speak
19 July 2019
16:33 CEST+02:00
 
 

So in case you need an excuse to eat yet more delicious Italian food, here’s our guide to the best local dishes in every single one of the country’s 20 regions. What are you waiting for?

 

 

Aosta Valley

A long way from the famously light Mediterranean diet, kitchens in the mountainous Valle d'Aosta region are full of red meat, cheese, butter and carbs. A favourite dish is Carbonada; beef is sliced thinly and browned in butter before being slowly stewed for hours in red wine flavoured with thyme, cinnamon and cloves.

 

It’s served over a pile of polenta or thick ribbons of pappardelle, with a glass of red wine. Just what you need after a day on the ski slopes or mountain trails.

 

 

Abruzzo

The whole region of Abruzzo is crazy for arrosticini. These small grilled lamb or mutton skewers are cooked on a special gutter-shaped brazier, called a fornacella or canala.

 

What makes them arrosticini and not just any old barbecued kebab skewer? Firstly the meat is cut into 1cm cubes, importantly including plenty of fat, and packed tightly onto the wooden skewer before being cooked surprisingly slowly over charcoal. The fat and charcoal grilling produces some serious flavour. Real arrosticini fans will want to visit the area the foot of the Voltigno mountain in the province of Pescara, where the skewers are legendary.

 

 

Basilicata

This wild and beautiful region is home to one of the oldest cities in the world, Matera, and has long been known as a poor and very rural part of Italy. This is reflected in its simple but delicious cuisine.

 

Matera itself is famous for its crusty bread, while one of the most typical dishes found across the region is a simple soup called acquasale. Every family has its own recipe, but it usually involves frying onion with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, tomato, peppers, oregano or pepperoncino and adding water to make a thin soup, which is then poured over toasted rye bread.

 

 

Calabria

Very spicy foods are scarce in Italy, but for the exception head down to Calabria where the red chilli pepper (peperoncino) sneaks its way into almost everything.

 

Some of the most common ways to use peperoncino are either with pasta in a penne all’arrabbiata (literally ‘angry’ penne pasta), which can be found across Italy, or in the Calabrese ‘nduja; a kind of spicy, spreadable sausage made with pork and plenty of chilli. Peperoncino is often dried and ground into a powder, but that doesn’t make the spice any milder. It’s then sprinkled on everything from pizza to veggies.

 

 

Campania

Everyone wants to try an authentic pizza when they come to Italy and, along with Rome, Naples is the place to do it. Neapolitan pizza bases are thicker and squidgier than their Roman counterparts – meaning you can pile more toppings on. A favourite is buffalo mozzarella, which is produced in the Campania region.

 

One of the city’s most famous pizzerias, Sorbillo, has a perpetual line out of the door for a table at its seafront location. However there are several neighbouring pizzerias where the cooking, view and atmosphere is every bit as good.

 

 

Emilia-Romagna

Those who come to Italy looking for spaghetti bolognese may be disappointed to find that technically, it doesn't exist. The closest thing Italians have to ‘spag bol’ is the Ragù alla Bolognese loved in this region; a sauce of minced beef and pork with carrots, onion and celery in tomato sugo. And it's not usually served with spaghetti, but tagliatelle or pappardelle.

 

It is however very acceptable to smother it in grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - the real stuff is made in the Emilia-Romagna region and in a small area of Lombardy.

 

 

Friuli-Venezia-Giulia

Although Parma ham is much more famous abroad, Italians know that the area of San Daniele, in the north-eastern region of Fruili Venezia Giulia, produces some of the most delicious, melt-in-the-mouth prosciutto in all of Italy. The area’s microclimate and the quality of the meat combine during the curing process to produce a soft, sweet ham with a distinctive flavour. It’s a must-try if you’re in the region and, if you can’t find it on a restaurant menu, a local deli will have plenty.

 

 

Lazio

Traditional Roman Carbonara is made with just four basic ingredients: guanciale (cured pork jowl), eggs, pecorino romano cheese and black pepper. That means no cream, ever. It’s totally unnecessary since the raw egg and cheese mixture is what gives the dish its ‘creamy’ texture.

 

The origins of Carbonara are mysterious, but since the name is thought to be derived from the Italian word for charcoal, it’s said to have been a filling meal first made for coal miners.

 

And we couldn’t leave out the now-trendy cacio e pepe, a simple spaghetti dish made with ground black pepper and pecorino cheese. Some trattorias, like Da Danilo in Rome, make a show of finishing off the pasta next to your table by swirling it inside a hollowed-out round of pecorino.

 

 

Liguria

Traditional Genoan pesto is a tribute to two of the most wonderful fresh ingredients found in the Liguria region: small leaves of fresh basil, and aromatic extra virgin olive oil. It’s ground together with garlic, parmesan, pecorino, salt, pine nuts and quite a lot of patience. This national treasure is perfect with Ligurian pastas, including trofie and trenette, and you’ll often find this is served with potatoes and green beans.

 

 

Lombardy

This northern region bordering Switzerland is home to some of Italy’s most famous dishes, such as bresaola and cottolette alla Milanese. Risottos are very popular here, as is Cassouela, a casserole made with pork meat, cabbage, and various other ingredients depending on the area. Despite the similar-sounding name it’s pretty different to a French cassoulet. It’s usually served with creamy polenta and a strong red wine.

 

 

Marche

There are lots of reasons for foodies to explore Marche, but hunting down a bowl of brodetto should be high on the list. Ancona's classic dish, brodetto all'anconetana, uses the fantastic variety of local seafood and reflects the city's seafaring heritage. It's a rich, slightly spicy, tomato-based soup, resembling bouillabaisse, made from a mix of whatever the local catch contains that day, which could be anything from cod to cuttlefish. The dish was originally made on board fishing boats for lunch but is now enjoyed in the city’s best restaurants, too.

 

 

Molise

If you’re visiting this lesser-known region, locals will tell you to try the baccala arracanato, or cod gratin. In this unusual dish, cod is baked by putting it inside the fireplace, or inside a fire pit, covering the pan with smouldering embers and leaving it to cook slowly. The fish is coated with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and walnuts, raisins, olives and cherry tomatoes. Using an oven, apparently, will not produce the right kind of flavour, so it’s worth finding a kitchen that cooks it the traditional way.

 

 

Puglia

Surrounded on three sides by water, it’s no surprise that this region loves raw seafood, especially polipetti (baby octopus) eaten whole with just a squeeze of lemon.

 

Then there’s the egg-free durum wheat pasta, usually found as small cavatelli or orecchiette (little ears). For the most classic Pugliese primo (first course), they’re tossed with cime di rape (broccoli rabe), tomato, a little olive oil and seasoning, sometimes including chopped anchovies.

 

 

Piedmont

Piedmont is a magical region for food and drink lovers. The fertile land around Turin is home to some of Italy’s best wines (Barolo and Barbaresco), which are used here to make rich stews, sauces and even an indulgent red wine risotto.

 

Its misty valleys are known for producing excellent hazelnuts, used in the typical gianduja hazelnut cream chocolate. You can try melt-in-the-mouth giandujotti chocolates in cafes and chocolate shops anywhere in the region - except for in the heat of summer, when they’d melt on the shelf. Turin is also famously the place where Nutella spread was invented.

 

 

Sardinia

As well as its famous seafood, the island of Sardinia eats lots of seadas. These pastries are the perfect combination of sweet and savoury, and can be eaten as either anantipasto or a dessert. They’re big ravioli-shaped parcels of rustic semolina pastry, filled with lemon-infused pecorino cheese, deep-fried and drizzled with honey. You can find seadas all over the island - just make sure they’re freshly fried so you can enjoy them warm while the cheese is soft and melted.

 

 

Sicily

The famous Sicilian cannoli can be found across the world nowadays, but nothing beats the real thing. These hollow tubes of crisp pastry are filled with a sweetened ricotta cheese and decorated with candied fruit, chocolate or chopped pistachio.

Cannoli are thought to have originated in Palermo under Arab rule. They were traditionally eaten only during Carnival, but now can be found all over the island at any time of year.

 

 

Trentino-South Tyrol  (umb's note: my Region)

Italy's northernmost region has a split personality. It was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until its collapse after World War I. As with the language, cooking here comes with an Austrian accent. Unsurprisingly strudel is very popular here, with apple, pear, blackberry and all kinds of other fillings. You can find it in almost any restaurant, but El Pael serves vast and high quality portions along with local history lessons.

 

 

Tuscany

While Florence and the surrounding region is now becoming famous for the bistecca alla Fiorentina - a thick slab of steak simply grilled and seasoned to perfection - people didn’t eat beef here until relatively recently. Eating your expensive cattle would’ve once been seen as madness, especially when the nearby forests were full of game.

 

Instead cinghiale, or wild boar, was (and still is) more popular locally. Pappardelle al sugo di cinghiale might be the most characteristic Tuscan dish; a rich, slow-cooked tomato sauce with wild boar meat served over pappardelle pasta ribbons, best with a glass of Chianti Classico.

 

 

Umbria

Much like Tuscany, the forests hold the biggest culinary treasures in this hilly central region. And truffles are the star of the show. The tartufo nero (black truffle), which grows just below ground level all over the forested region, finds its way into almost everything.

 

Still more prized is the tartufo bianco (white truffle) found around Gubbio in late autumn. Restaurants like Taverna del Lupo toss fresh, handmade pasta with a little butter and grated Parmigiano, and then sprinkle the grated truffle liberally on top.

 

 

Veneto

Seafood is king here and popular dishes include deep-fried crispy crabs and all kinds of fish soups and stews. The most characteristic recipe though might be sarde in saor. This sweet-sour dish is made with fried sardine fillets marinated in vinegar, onions, raisins and pine nuts.

 

The recipe was originally a method of preserving fish used by Venetian sailors and fishermen, and though they no longer need to preserve fish in this way, the flavour is so popular that it lives on as a modern-day antipasto.

 

 

https://www.thelocal.it/20190719/the-most-delicious-foods-from-every-region-of-italy

 

You can access site through any free anon proxy in order to view the great pics of this article and the one above

 

 

 

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Pompeii row erupts between rival scientific factions

 

Volcanologists say excavations by archaeologists are destroying useful clues about lava flow

 

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Mon 22 Jul 2019 07.00 BST

 

 

3072.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=970385b100e599447a12f050aa2ca152
Archaeologists at work in Pompeii. Volcanologists complain they have been barred from accessing certain areas of the world heritage site
Photograph: Cesare Abbate/AP
 
 
More pics
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kill all gxxs says far-right politician

FdI leader Meloni distances self from Vercelli councillor

 

Redazione ANSA Vercelli
22 July 201914:51 News

 

 

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/07/22/kill-all-gays-says-far-right-pol_cbffb9a1-f346-49d8-a12f-3b18f3e0b7bd.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rail chaos in Florence after suspected arson attack on high-speed line

 

Passengers planning to travel on the high speed rail line between Florence and Rome were left stranded today as chaotic scenes unfolded at Florence's Santa Maria Novella station

 

 

The Local
22 July 2019
14:11 CEST+02:00
 
 

Some 50 high-speed trains, including Frecciarossa services, were cancelled on Monday after fire on the line near Florence early on Monday morning.

 

On social media, pasengers said there was "chaos" at Florence's main station, where many passengers reported delays of four hours or more.

 

The fire affected services run by both Trenitalia and Italo in both directions on the main north-south line.

 

The fire, in a transformer room at Rovezzano on the outskirts of Florence, is believed to have been started by an anarchist group, local media reported.

 

Network company RFI said the fire was "a deliberate act by person or persons unknown".

 

It said the average delay was 180 minutes and there would be repercussions for the rest of the day.

 

Regional rail services around Florence were also affected by delays, it said.

 

"Rail circulation was completely suspended from 05:00 to 08:00 this morning for checks on the part of judicial authorities", RFI said.

 

"After the first checks were carried out, traffic resumed with strong delays".

 

In Rome, delays of up to three hours were reported at the main Termini Station, Italy's biggest rail hub, whiile delays were also seen in Turin, Milan and other cities.

 

Milan Central Station, now. All trains southward 3, 4 or 5 hours late. Cause: arson in electric central near Florence. Lines closed. Police investigates ... pic.twitter.com/vOkGieWI3z

— aart heering (@aartheering) July 22, 2019
 

Police said the arson attack may have been a "demonstrative action" by an anarchist group, with an oning trial in Florence against 28 anarchists for various offences against public order, the Ansa news agency reported.

 

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini told Italian media that possible links to 'No TAV' protesters against a high-speed rail link from Turin to Lyon would be "verified".

 

https://www.thelocal.it/20190722/rail-chaos-in-florence-after-suspected-arson-attack-on-high-speed-line

 

 

 

 

 

Why moving to southern Italy with a foreign pension could cut your tax bill

 

Retirees with pensions from another country could benefit from a new flat tax that's designed to attract new residents to small villages in the south of Italy. Here's how it works

 

 

The Local
13 June 2019
09:09 CEST+02:00
 
 

We've all heard about the shrinking Italian villages offering houses for a euro. Now it's the government's turn to offer a carrot to those considering a move to the depopulated rural south – specifically, pensioners.

 

Italy's Revenue Agency has released the details of the 'Southern Flat Tax', a new scheme introduced in the government's latest budget. 

 

Whether you're a foreign national or an Italian citizen living abroad, as long as your pension is paid by another country, moving to a small community in the south of Italy could earn you a reduced flat tax rate.

 

Tempted? Here's what you need to know.

 

 

Why is Italy offering tax perks to move to the south?

Centuries of emigration, whether to northern Italy or abroad, have emptied out towns and villages across southern Italy. Historically deprived and without the opportunities that concentrate Italy's wealth in the north, the south ranks significantly worse on health, employment and poverty – thus fuelling the cycle. 

 

Successive governments have tried all kinds of incentives aimed at drawing residents, investment and spending to the south. Last year the current administration was discussing a plan to offer pensioners a ten-year tax holiday if they moved to one of its three poorest regions; this flat tax scheme appears to have replaced that idea.

 

The government says it will use the revenues generated from foreign pensioners to invest in southern universities specializing in sciences and technical subjects, with the goal of improving opportunities for younger residents.

 

 

Who is eligible?

Both Italian and non-Italian pensioners are eligible, providing they meet three criteria:

 

  • They aren't already living in Italy.
  • They draw a pension outside Italy.
  • They're currently resident in a country that has a tax cooperation agreement with Italy. 
  •  

To benefit from the scheme, you must prove you've been living outside Italy by showing tax returns for the past five years. And if you're an Italian national, you'll also need to have been enrolled on the AIRE, the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad, for the last five years at least.

 

Bear in mind that this is a tax scheme, not a visa: you must already have the right to live in Italy legally.

 

 

Where do you have to move?

You'll need to become a resident of one of Italy's Mezzogiorno regions: Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily or Sardinia.

 

But you can't settle just anywhere. Only towns with fewer than 20,000 residents are eligible, which rules out all the best-known cities.

 

In popular holiday destinations like Puglia and Sicily, you're more likely to find a town that fits the bill inland. But there are still plenty of seaside options on the Adriatic Coast or the Ionian 'sole' of Italy's boot, as well as in Sardinia.

 

Consult the latest population data from national statistics office Istat to find out which towns you can choose from.

 

 

What tax benefits do you get?

You'll pay a single flat tax of 7 percent on all your overseas income, starting with your pension.

 

Taking up the scheme also exempts you from declaring your assets outside Italy or paying the IVIE and IVAFE, taxes on the capital value of real estate and other assets held overseas.

 

 

How do you pay?

Pensioners taking up the scheme should file a tax return to the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) documenting the following:

 

  • Proof of residence outside Italy for the past five fiscal years;
  • Last place of fiscal residence;
  • Source of foreign pension;
  • Amount of overseas income to be taxed at 7 percent. 
  •  

Once the Revenue Agency has accepted your return and calculated your taxes, you can pay in a single lump sum using the standard F24 payment form.

 

 

How long does the scheme last?

You can benefit from the Southern Flat Tax for a maximum of five years after you transfer your residence, so long as:

 

  • You don't move to the north of Italy or a bigger town (but you may be allowed to move between eligible southern towns).
  • You don't move overseas.
  • You pay your taxes in full and on time.
  •  

You can opt out at any time before the five years is up.

 

 

The Southern Flat Tax is effective from 2019 (i.e. starting with the tax return you file in 2020), but it's not yet clear how long it will be in place.

 

The government has indicated it will wait for 2021 to evaluate the take-up and value of the scheme, which presumably could be scrapped if it proves to be less of a boon than hoped.

 

 

https://www.thelocal.it/20190613/move-to-southern-italy-foreign-pension-flat-tax-break

 

 

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Italian PM to address claims League sought money from Russia

 

Allegations far-right party in coalition accepted funding to be discussed in parliament

 

Angela Giuffrida

Wed 24 Jul 2019 05.00 BST Last modified on Wed 24 Jul 2019 08.34 BST

 

 
 
2996.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ee177eb366da987fef0d68350068acbc
From left: Luigi Di Maio of M5S, the Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte, and Matteo Salvini of the League
Photograph: Remo Casilli/Reuters
 
 
 
All three of them inept politicians...Plus...Salvini is also a  fascist...Whch makes matters even worse.....
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Matteo Salvini avoids questions over alleged League links to Russian money

 

Absent from parliament, Italy’s deputy PM says his party did not ask for or take money

 

Angela Giuffrida in Rome

Wed 24 Jul 2019 18.13 BST

 

 

 

3072.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ef1156f3fc07d353b92a455eec7f77e8
Matteo Salvini, the Italian deputy prime minister and interior minister, at a meeting in Rome on Wednesday
Photograph: Riccardo Antimiani/EPA
 
 
 
 
As expected.....Shameful, immoral, plain obscene behavior...Un-respectful toward the judicial system and Parliament...I hope people who adore him  will start realizing all those facts ( more than just a single episode)
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Carabiniere cop stabbed to death in Rome

Manhunt underway for two suspects, Salvini says 'bastards' will be caught

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
26 July 201916:06 News

 

 

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/07/26/carabiniere-cop-stabbed-to-death-in-rome_38b3107e-d042-4a90-b4f4-6e0619930859.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salvini issues 'me or him' ultimatum over flat tax

Deputy premier warns that Tria saying 'we'll see' isn't OK

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
26 July 201913:10 News

 

 

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/07/26/salvini-issues-me-or-him-ultimatum-over-flat-tax_b333ff2c-8ec4-4cc0-aacd-f770c1e502dd.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italy risks Greek-like crisis with 'unorthodox budget' -S&P

Agency sounds alarm on 'unfunded budgetary measures'

 

Redazione ANSA Rome
26 July 201914:54 News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

No port for migrants until redistribution agreed - Salvini

140 migrants onboard Coast Guard ship after two rescues

Redazione ANSA Milan
26 July 201913:12 News

 

 

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/07/26/no-port-for-migrants-until-redistribution-agreed-salvini_aaeafe21-70aa-4e06-90d5-c998d68323b8.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EU 'change of pace' incomplete says Conte

Premier says von der Leyen aware of need for reform

 

 

 
 
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McDonald’s at Caracalla, Raggi (mayor) says ‘no’

26 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8370

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brit university rejects Salvini book presentation

 

26 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8368

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raggi tells CasaPound to remove 'illegal' inscription

25 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8362

 

 

That's just stupid and senseless.....It's an illegally occupied ( since a few years) complex ( which is a felony by our laws anyway) and its  fascist ( doesn't matter as they could be also super-communists and I'd still think this way on the matter...)occupants ( who never  paid water, electricity, gas bills) should simply be thrown out and reimburse all the monies due in all those years...Who cares about  the frickin'  inscription.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pellegrini and Paltrinieri win historic swimming golds

 

25 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8361

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American perspective: The struggle for Italian citizenship

 

25 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8360

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Migrants stoned again, 'climate of hatred'

 

24 July 2019

 

 

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8355

 

 

Thanks Matteo (Salvini)...Your RACIST APPROACH turned out to be really "fruitful"....BRAVO!!!!!!

 

 

I happen to read about episodes like that every day in this Country.....Wow....We're going backwards instead of going forward.....Fantastic!!!!

 

 

 

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Mario Cerciello Rega: Huge manhunt for killers of Italian policeman

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49133815

 

Now one of the US students has confessed murder already.....

 

Problem with minister of Interiors  Matteo Salvini is that when at first it was believed that murder was by the hand of 2 North Africans....He started tweeting and stating a lot of  things ("bastards"..."They need to rot in a jail cell" and stuff like that...)

 

After learning that at least one of the 2 is an American...He didn't utter a  single word anymore......?????? Double standard????

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