FLORENCE’S ‘GASTRO CRUSADE’
Florence is cracking down on convenience stores and
takeaways in a bid to preserve the city’s cultural
identity. In a move described by one newspaper as a
‘gastro crusade’, all new restaurants and food shops will
have to source at least 70 per cent of their produce from
Tuscany. “There’s an erosion of cultural values relating
to food,” said Mayor Dario Nardella. “A restaurant
opens every week, often serving mass-produced food
and replacing traditional restaurants and workshops.”
“We’re not attacking ethnic food but raising the quality
of what is on offer,” added Giovanni Bettarini, Florence’s
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Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon posted pictures of
herself on Snapchat, enjoying a cold drink overlooking the
magnificent Santa Maria della Salute church
Photograph © Evan Agostini/AP/Press Association ImagesA-LISTER HITS VENICE WITH GIRLY PALS
Another month, another celebrity soaking up the sights in Italy. This time it was Reese Witherspoon,
who enjoyed a short break in Venice with some of her girly pals. The Hollywood star posted pictures of
herself on Snapchat, fi rst enjoying a cold drink overlooking the magnifi cent Santa Maria della Salute
church, and then taking a boat trip in the evening sunshine. When she later posted a message asking
her friends where they were going next, one of them replied, “I don’t know... Somewhere yummy for
dinner.” It’s fair to say they wouldn’t have been short of options in Venice.November 2016 ITALIA! 9TREVI HAPPY RETURNS
The Trevi Fountain in Rome provided a suitably majestic backdrop for a special exhibition
to celebrate Fendi’s 90th birthday. The legendary fashion brand’s new fl agship store at the
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, overlooking the ancient water feature, hosted Fendi Roma –
The Artisans of Dreams, a range of multi-sensory displays recollecting its nine decades of
sartorial craftsmanship. Highlights of the prestigious event included Obsession, a psychedelic
maze of furry Bag Bugs created by Silvia Venturini Fendi; Craftsmanship, a marriage of
stunning visuals and live demonstrations; and a rarely seen collection of drawings and
sketches by current creative director Karl Lagerfeld. Since its launch as a fur and leather
shop back in 1925, Fendi has gone on to become one of the world’s most famous luxury
brands. The company is believed to have donated more than €2 million towards the
restoration of the Trevi Fountain in 2014.‘GREATEST OPERA SINGER’ PASSES AWAY
One of Italy’s most popular sopranos, Daniela Dessì,
has died following a short battle with colon cancer. The
Genoese singer performed at some of the world’s most
prestigious opera houses, including Milan’s Teatro alla
Scala, Vienna’s Staatsoper and New York’s Metropolitan
Opera, and was famous for playing the title roles in
Madama Butterfl y and Tosca. In July, however, she
was forced to cancel all her forthcoming dates due to
what she described on her Facebook page as a “health
problem”. Said her partner, the Italian tenor Fabio
Armiliato, “The greatest opera singer of the last 20
years has gone.” Dessì was 59.Photograph © Roma/IPA MilestoneMedia/PA ImagesIT144.News.sg4.indd 9 28/09/2016 14:21pm