Italian fashion house Fendi is donating 2.12 million euros to the restoration of the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome. Located in the historic center of the city, the beautiful Baroque fountain is badly in need of repairs.
The widow and daughter of the late Italian pop artist and poet Mimmo Rotella have established an institute in Milan which, together with the Rotella Foundation in Torino, will authenticate the Calabrese artist’s works, organize exhibitions, grant copyrights, and create an updated catalogue.
The fact that 2013 is the Verdi bicentennial makes it all the more fitting that Riccardo Muti won this year’s Premio Giustiniano, Ravenna’s top prize for arts and culture. Muti is arguably the most famous contemporary Italian conductor, and has always considered Verdi a muse and an inspiration, recently releasing a book about him.
World-renowned violin virtuoso Nicola Benedetti debuted in Rome this March. The Scottish-born daughter of Italian immigrants started playing at age four, and by the age of eight had auditioned for and made the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. By age nine, she had passed all eight grades of musical examinations. By 16, she had studied under Yehudi Menuhin, won BBC’s Young Musician of the Year and signed with a record label.
by Laura GIACALONE
Considered the Oscar of Italian design, as well as an authoritative barometer of the state of the cultural debate on industrial design itself, the Compasso d’Oro award is the major acknowledgement of Italian design and enjoys a high reputation throughout the world, so much so that London’s prestigious Phaidon Press has selected it among the top 999 design classics of all time.
Many are familiar with the dual aim of the construction of the new MetroNapoli: easing urban transportation woes while providing a small escape from “the real world” through art. Five of the city’s metro stations have been turned into “art stations” showcasing the genius of modern artists all over the world.
The Gucci loafer, one of the most iconic shoes to ever be “Made in Italy,” turns 60 this year. In 1953, Gucci transformed the concept of the loafer, or “mocassino” with the release of its own version. This did more than simply make the Gucci brand name famous–the loafer became synonymous with the brand.
compiled by Tegan GEORGE
Nobel Italians Prize Winners Throughout History: A Story Of Achievement
by Gianluca MARZIANI
The question seems simple: who are the most influential Italian artists in the American context? The answer can also be simple, if we limit the list to include only the giants that the world envies Italy for. If instead we want to test the influences on the present (at the moment that the events occur) or their influences beyond their giant status (in a context outside of their irreplaceable names), it is therefore necessary to define a suitable criterion, a measurement of incisiveness that doesn’t stop with history or the market, but touches on the figurative conscience of the work, the background and backstage of the events, the hidden inspirations, and the deepest linguistic intuitions.
by Barbara ZORZOLI
Elsa Schiaparelli, “Schiap” to friends (born in Rome on September 10, 1890), was an innovative woman and fashion designer and had a lot of “firsts” in the fashion industry. Her first collection in 1927, in fact, consisted of sweaters adorned with surrealist trompe l’oeil images – a theme that was to become Schiaparelli’s trademark (featured in American Vogue).