italia! - february 2016

8/18/2019 Italia! - February 2016

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ITALIA

THE UK’S AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE ABOUT ITALY

NEW WEBSITE! www.italytravelandlifessue 135 February 2016 £4.60

0 2

9 771744 796061

HOLIDAYS PROPERTY FOOD WINE CULTURE PEOPL

Join us for 48 hours in the stunning city of Perugia,

famed for its back streets and its chocolate!

UMBRIA’S HEART

THE HIGH LIFE

Where to buy an apartment

RETURN TO SARDINIA

The perfect family holidayn the south of the island

MEALS INMINUTESWinter warmers

Rome in the snow Enjoying the Eternal Cityunder a blanket of white

Benetton after 50 years


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SUBSCRIBE T O ITALIA!Su b sc r ib e to Italia! f or ou r ex c l u si v e N ew Y ea r ’s o ff er * a n d

g e t th e m a g a z i ne d e li v e red d i r ec tly to y o u r d o or e v er y m on th

Tu r n t o p a g e 3 2 f or m or e i nf or ma t ion.

W E L C O M E T O I T A L I A !

February 2016 ITALIA!3

Welcome!

T H IS MO N T H ’S CO N T R IBU T O RS

A DR I A N M O U RB Y h a s

w r i tt e n e x te n si v e ly

f o r Italia! a n d m a n y

o th e r fo o d a n d t ra v e l

m a g a z i n e s . I n t hi s

i ss u e h e e n j o y s a

d i f f er e nt t a k e o n

R o m e , d i sc o v e r i n g

t h e E te r n a l Ci t y w h e n

i t wa s c o v e r e d i n sn o w . B e a u t if u l a l l y e a r

r o u n d , Ro m e ta k e s o n a d i f f er e n t d e g r e e o f

m a j es ty d u r i ng t h e w i nt er . J u s t m i n d y o u r

f o ot in g Se e p a g e 4 4 .

J O N B I CK L EY t a k e s

h is f a m i l y b a c k t o

o n e o f t h e m o s t

e x c l u s i v e h o t e l

c o m p l ex e s i n

s o u t h e r n S a r d i n i a ,

r e t u r n i n g t o t h e F o r t e

V i ll a g e n e a r Ch i a

L a g u n a , w h er e th e

B i c k l ey c l a n e n jo y fi ne d i n i ng a n d p l en ty

o f sp o r t t o w o r k o f f t he ex c e s se s Y o u c a n

r ea d a b o u t t h ei r a c t iv i t i es a n d e sc a p a d e s

f ro m p a g e 6 2 .

F L E U R K I N S O N i s o n e

o f t h e b e s t - k n o w n

f a c e s of Italia!,

h a v i n g w r i t t en j u s t

a b o u t e v e r y H o m e s

I n . .. f e a t u r e s in c e t h e

m a g a z i n e la u n c he d

i n 2 0 0 4 . In th is

i ss u e s h e s u g g e s ts

c o n si d e r i n g a n a p a r t m e n t r a t h e r th a n a f u l l

h o u s e . Ch e a p e r to b u y a n d r u n , t h ey o f f e r

c i t y a n d t o w n l iv i n g t h a t i s b o t h c o n v e n i e nt

a n d a f f o r d a b le . J o i n h er on p a g e 2 2 .

AWARD WINNER!The Italian TouristBoard voted Italia! the ‘Best OverallPublication 2011’

I’m a little embarrassed that,

although I ’v e been lucky enough to

trav el ex tensiv ely through Umbria,

I’v e nev er (y et!) made it to the

region’s cap ital, Perugia. I’v e come

close: I v ery nearly w ent to the city ’s

w orld-famous chocolate festiv al one

year, but all the hotels w ere full...

So I read w ith interest our cov er

feature this month, w here Lorenza Bacino discovers there

a lot more to the city than sw eet things to p op into your

mouth. It’s a city of art and intr igue, as you’ll d iscov er

from p age 3 6 .

R ome features again in this issue, in tw o features, in

fact. F irst off, from p age 44, regular w riter Adrian Mourby

sp ends time in the city w hen it’s cov ered in snow . I am

p articularly p roud of some of the stunning images he came

back w ith. And then, from p age 82 K atie and G iancarlo

Caldesi treat us to a selection of recip es for w hich theEternal City is w ell know n.

A nd, as ev er, there’s p lenty more to enjoy in the fi rst

issue of Italia! to be p ublished in 2 0 1 6 . Anthem’s MDtakes his family back to a fav oured sp ot in southern

Sardinia; F leur K inson ex amines the market for buy ing

ap artment p rop erties in the country ; w e hav e homes

for sale in the ever-p op ular Le Marche region; there are

more recip es, ev ents to attend and new s from around the

p eninsula. Please do let me know w hat you think of the

issue – you’ll fi nd my email address on p age 1 8.

or

PS Italia!’s brand new guide to R ome the South is on salenow (£7.99). Visit w w w .italytrav elandlife.com/italiaguidesfor details.

Perugia is a w alker’s city, but

you w ill need strong calves to

clim b all those steps


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IN THIPROPERTY 22 HOMES IN APARTMENTS

Whether you’re looking for somewhere urban,

coastal or rural, Fleur Kinson guides youthrough some of the practicalities.

50 PROPERTY FOCUS: LE MARCHEInsiders know that Le Marche has the best

property value for money in Italy.

HOLIDAYS36 48 HOURS IN PERUGIA

The capital city of Umbria had more than

enough to keep Lorenza Bacino busy for along weekend.

44 ROME IN THE SNOWAdrian Mourby was lucky enough to arrive just as the locals were working out how to

cope with the white stuff.

57 SPA ATTRACTIONPatricia Cleveland-Peck took a relaxingbreak on the island of Giudecca at the Bauer

Palladio Hotel & Spa.

62 RETURN TO FORTE VILLAGEThree years after their first visit, Jon Bickleytook his family back to Sardinia for a week of

relaxation, fine dining and sport.

February2016CULTURE20 GAZZETTA

Tom Alberto Bull considers the importance ofthe town square to Italian life.

34 FAST CULTURE Joe Gartman describes the treasures foundon the Antikythera shipwreck.

42 FAST ARTFreya Middleton discusses the nature andimportance of cathedrals.

74 UNITED COLORSGilly Turney looks back over 50 years ofItalian fashion brand Benetton.

FOOD & DRINK79 FOUR TAKES ON GNOCCHI

Variations on the soft dumping theme.

82 ROME: CENTURIES IN AN ITALIAN KITCHENKatie and Giancarlo Caldesi are back.

88 PRONTOFive quick-and-easy Italian winter favourites.

90 BUY ITALIA!The best readily available pestos.

92 DRINK ITALIA!Paul Pettengale samples some grappas.

22

4 ITALIA! February 2016

57

44

42

82 92


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MORE ITALIA!6 READERS’ PHOTO COMPETITION

ThebesteachissuewinsabottleofNino

FrancoProseccoandcooler!

8 ITALIAN NEWSYourround-upofthebiggestand

bestnewsstoriesfrom

aroundItaly.

12 TOP PICKSOurchoiceofthebestnew

Italianproducts.

14 EVENTS IN FEBRUARYWhat’sinthediaryfor

travellerstoItaly.

16 VIEWPOINTAsummernight’sduskfalls

ontheGrandCanalinMilan,

andthecafésthatlinethe

watersidepreparethemselvesforanother

evening’sbrisktrade–butitwasn’t

alwayssopeaceful…

I N T H I S I SSU E

19 LETTERSReaderssharetheirstoriesandpictures

fromtheirexperiencesinItaly,andtell

uswhereweshouldbegoingnext.

32 SUBSCRIBE TO ITALIA!NevermissanissueofItalia!–

andsaveontheshopprice.

68 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSOurexpertsareheretohelp.

72 PAST ITALIA!“Hewhocontrolsthehigh

groundcontrolsthebattle,”

–anditdoesn’tgetmuch

higherthantheRocca

Calascio.

98 ITALIA! ICONSBerettaistheoldestactive

firearmsmanufacturerinthe

world,andisfamedforits

handcraftedshotguns.

ON T HE COVER

p

p74

February2016 ITALIA!5

p36

p44

p62

p22

ROME p44

LE MARCHEp50

GIUDECCAp57

PERUGIA p36

MILAN p16

SANTA MARGHERITA DI PULAp62

p82


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Send us your fav ourite p hotos from your Italian trav els, and each month the

best p hoto w ill w in a bottle of NinoFrancoRusticoProsecco and cooler!*

READERS’ PHOTO

COMPETITION!

Y O U R I T A L IA !

TH ISMONTH ’SW INNER

Judy Reynolds, Fowlmere, near Cambridge“Photoofbeautiful Portofinowhen we stayed there for a coupleof days in Junethisyear.”

SEE MOR E OFYOUR PHOTOS ON

OUR W EBSITE :

italytravelandlife.com

6ITALIA! February 20 1 6


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Feb r u a r y 2 0 1 6 ITALIA! 7

HOW TO ENTER Ema i l h i gh - r eso l u t i on ( 3 0 0 d p i ) jp e g s o f y o u r p hotos o f I ta l y toitalia@ anthem-p ublishing.com or send p r ints to ‘Rea d er P hoto Comp eti tion’ a t the

a d d r ess g i v e n o n p a g e 1 8 . P l e a se in c l u d e a b r ie f e x p l a n a t io n of y o u r p h o t o,

p l u s y o u r n a m e , d e li v e ry a d d r ess a n d a p h o ne n u m b e r ( fo r ou r c o u r ie rs) .

Y o u m u s t b e o v e r 1 8 t o en te r.

READER OF F ER Italia! r e a d e rs g e t a 1 0 p e r c e nt d i sc o u n t of f Ni noFr anc o wines from w w w .sommelierschoice.com u n t il 2 9 Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 6

b y ente ri n g the c o d e ‘i ta l ia 1 0 ’ a t the che c k o u t .

P l ea s e n ot e: A n y p h o to s y o u s u b m i t m u s t b e y o u r o w n wo r k a n d y o u m u s t ha v e

the r i gh t to sen d them fo r inc l u s ion on th is p a g e . B y sen d in g y o u r entr y , y o u a r e

con fi rm ing th a t Italia!’s u se of you r photo( s) will not constit ute infr ing ement of a ny

r i g h t s, a n d c o n fi rm ing t ha t y o u a r e ov e r 1 8 .

Rowland Hogg,Wallingford, Oxfordshire“Thetortuousroadfrom

CapritowntoAnacapriwith

hairpinbendsandbarelyroom

fortwominibusestopassis

awesome,butclimbingthe

992PhoenicianStepsseenin

theforegroundwillreallytake

yourbreathaway.”

Goretti O’Dea, Co. Offaly, Ireland“W hatamajesticsightIwasgreetedwithuponmyarrivalin

AmalfiinJuly2015.Thismagnificentshipwasjustsetting

sail.Iwatchedasitssailsunfolded,dumbfounded!”

Paul Norgard, Michigan, USA“TookthisphotoOctober2013onaroadcyclingride

toVolpaia,ProvinceofSiena,Tuscany.Quintessential

Tuscany,rollinghills,vineyardsandcypresses.”

W I N

N I N O F R A N C O R U S

P R O S E C C O C H I L L E

Ian Hughes,Wallasey, Merseyside“W eweretravellingback

toBariairportafterour

holidaynearLeccewhen

wepoppedintothis

beautifullittleharbour

atSanVito.Mycamera

wasalreadypackedso

Isnappedthispicture

withmymobilephone.”

Rick Carlotti, Pennsylvania, USA“ThisphotoisoftheSicilyRomeAmericanCemeteryinAnziohonoringthose

nearly11,000AmericanmenandwomenwhogavetheirlivestofreeItaly

fromthegripoftheAxisforcesinW W II,helpingtoturnthetideinfavor

oftheAllies.ForAmericanssuchasme,thebeautyandserenityofthisplace

andtheoverwhelmingnumberofperfectlyplacedtombstonesisapowerful

reminderofthepriceoffreedom!”


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InItalian newsthismonth,someancientfishsauceturnsupinashipwreck,a‘second’MonaLisaturnsupinRussia,Rome’sOlympic

bidturnsuptheheat,andtheGhettogetssetforamakeover…

N E W S

F ebruary 2 16

HARRY POTTER AND THE TOLERANT SCHOOLKIDS

Hey presto! Not only is Harry Potter a damn good wizard,he also makes students more tolerant human beings. Two

studies have been carried out among Italian schoolkids

– one with 34 fifth-graders and the second with 117

high-school pupils – where the children were encouraged

to read passages from JK Rowling’s books over a course of

six weeks, then asked to fill out questionnaires. The result

suggested that those students who identified emotionally

with the young wizard, and his magical mates Ron W easley

and Hermione Granger, showed “improved attitudes towar

immigrants” and a greater affinity with LGBT (lesbian, gay

bisexual and transgender) people.

ODO

l ian ‘fast food’ chain has opened in London.preneurs Amin Bouafsoun and Simone Sajeva,

elin-starred chef Tommaso Arrigoni on board,

es to bring the “authentic, passionate flavours

estaurants in the City, Mayfair and Canary

f, and all at competitive prices. But the Italian

eme doesn’t stop with the dishes themselves –

brilliantly, home deliveries will be carried out

by staff driving either a Fiat 500 or a Vespa,

and wearing Italian fashions supplied by

Dainese and Conte of Florence. Orders will be

taken via a simple two-step app process.

IPPET S SNIPPET S SNIPPET S...SNIPPET S...SNIPPET S...SNIP

SOMETH ING SMELLS FISH Y…Tomato ketchup may not have been invented when the Ancient Romans were around, but its precursor was– and thousands of jars of the stuff have been discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Alassio, Liguria. T he

seasoning, a pungent fish-based sauce known as garum, was found piled up high inside a sunken vesseldating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD . And while it’s not exactly gold bullion, it still represents an

important discovery for archaeologists – especially as the ship is one of only five Ancient Roman boats tohave been located in the deep waters of the Mediterranean. Enthused Vincenzo Tine, Liguria’sSuperintendent of Archaeology, “Locating [the ship] at such depth has been a very importantachievement.” Garum was made by fermenting fish in saltwater, much like modern Asian fish

sauces, and accompanied almost every meal in Ancient Roman times.

8 ITALIA!February2016


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PININFARINA’SPASSAGETOINDIA

LegendaryItalianauto-designcompanyPininfarinaS.p.A

hasbeenboughtoutbyIndia’sMahindraGroup.The

debt-riddenfirm,basedinCambiano,hasdesignedcars

forFerrari,MaseratiandRolls-Royce,butafailureto

turnaroundaprofitintenofthelast11yearstookits

toll.Theacquisitionmeansthat,thoughPininfarinawill

remainanindependentcompany,withPaoloPininfarina

continuingaschairmanoftheboard,itsdesign expertise

willbedistributedacrosstheentireMahindraGroup.

SaidtheIndianbrand’schairman,AnandMahindra,“The

legendaryhigh-enddesigningcredentialsofPininfarina

willsignificantlyenhance[our]designcapabilities.”

WECERTAINLYWEREN’TEXPECTING TWINS

LeonardodaVinci’sMona Lisa isaone-offworkofgenius,right?Well,itturnsoutitmightnotbe.A

secondpainting,looking virtuallyidenticaltotheRenaissanceartist’spricelessmasterpiece,hasbeen

discoveredinaprivatecollectioninStPetersburg,Russia.Theduplicatehasdumbfounded DaVinci

experts,withtheonlyrealdifferencetotheversionhangingintheLouvreinParisappearingtobetwo

columnsframingthepicture.They’rehopingthatnewlydevelopedcomputersoftwarewillhelpthem

todetermineifthe‘second’MonaLisawasactuallypaintedbytheRenaissancemasterorismerelyan

inspiredfake.“TherearemanyindicatorspointingtotheTuscanartisticgenius,”saidItalianartexpert

SilvanoVinceti.“But,ofcourse,it’sonlyahypothesis.”TheoriginalMonaLisaisbelievedtohavebeen

paintedbetween1503 and1506,andhasbeenonpermanentdisplayattheLouvresince1797.

THEBARDHITSTHEBIGSCREEN

Rom eo and Julietistobeturnedintoawarfilm –

butitwillbeMarvelgeniusStanLee’sgraphic-novel

versionthat’sadaptedforthesilverscreen,rather

thanWilliam Shakespeare’soriginal16th-centuryplay.

“ThestoryofRomeoAndJulietisoneofm yabsolute

favourites,and Ican’twaittobringourrendition

ofthisclassictolife,”beamedLee.Shakespeare’s

tragedycentredaroundtwoyoungloversfrom Verona,

whoserelationshipwasultimatelydoomedbecauseof

thefiercerivalrybetweentheirtwofamilies.Whether

thenew versionisalsosetintheItaliancityremains

tobeseen.

SN IPPETS...SN IPPET S...SN IPPET S...SN IPPETS...SN IPPETS...SN

February 20 1 6 ITALIA! 9

Experts are hoping that computer software will helpthem to determine if the ‘second’ Mona Lisa was painted

by Leonardo da Vinci or is merely an inspired fake

THERE’SNOPLACELIKEROME

Rome w ill host the Ryder Cup in 2 0 2 2 – the fi rst time the p restigious men’s

golf comp etition w ill hav e been held in Italy, and only the third time it w ill

have taken p lace in continental Europ e (follow ing Sp ain in 1 9 9 7 and F rance

in 2 0 1 8). Austria, Germany and Sp ain also bid for the right to host the 2 0 2 2

edition of the biennial tournament, w hich p its the best Europ ean p layers

against their American counterp arts, but I taly – and sp ecifi cally Rome’s

Marco Simone Golf Country Club, w as deemed the most suitable. One of

the aw arding judges, K eith Pelley, said, “History has show n time and again

that the Ryder Cup is p ure theatre, w ith the p layers being the stars, and

there’s no q uestion that the Eternal City of Rome w ill p rov ide a w onderful

backdrop for one of the great occasions in w orld golf.” T he most recent

Ryder Cup w as held in Scotland in 2 0 1 4, and w on by Europ e – the team’s

third consecutiv e triump h.

M o n a L i s a b y L e o n a r d o d a V i n c i

[ P u b l i c d o m

a i n ] , v i a W i k i m

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N E W S

STOP PRESS STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STO

GOINGFORGOLD

Rome has unv eiled the logo for its 2 0 2 4

Summer Olymp ics bid – it dep icts the

Colosseum, in the colours of the I talian fl ag,

blending into a running track. The Italian

cap ital faces stiff comp etition from Paris, Los

Angeles and Budap est, but the Chairman of

Rome’s bid, Luca Cordero di Montez emolo,

is confi dent that the logo giv es them a

headstart. “Today, w e’re sending a strong

message to the IOC [I nternational Olymp ic

Committee] and our comp etitors,” he

declared. “The city of Rome w ants to

realise the most beautiful Olymp ics of the

century. We have ev erything w e need todo it – culture, beauty, technology and the

enthusiasm of our young p eop le.” Sp eaking

of young p eop le, the logo w as rev ealed in

front of around 2 ,5 0 0 Roman schoolchildren,

along w ith p ast Italian Olymp ic medallists, at

the city’s Palaz z etto dello Sp ort. The IOC w ill

make a fi nal decision on w hich city w ill host

the Games in Sep tember 2 0 1 7 .

HOTELMAKESITSKIINAROW

TheCristalloHotelSpa&GolfinCortinad’Ampezzo

hasbeen namedItaly’sBestSkiHotel–forthethird

yearrunning.Thefive-starresort,whichisnestled

in thespectacularDolomitesregioninthenorth-

eastofthecountry,secureditshat-trickofWorld

SkiAwardsgongsduringaglitteringceremonyin

theAustriantownofKitzbühel.Ownedbythesame

familysinceitopenedin1901,theCristallohouses

74 individuallydecoratedbedrooms,fouron-site

restaurants,aluxuryspaandafitnessclub.But

mostimportantly,it’srightonthedoorstepofsome

ofItaly’smostmajesticslopes.

DON’T I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE?Everyone remembers the three M ini C oopers from classic 1969 film T heItalian Job, but what about theLamborghini M iura? T hat’s right, theglorious orange sports car was famously shunted over the side of a

cliff, prompting fans of the legendary Italian marque to covertheir eyes in horror. W ell, it turns out the car used in thatscene was actually a ‘stunt double’ and already a wreck, leavingthe beautiful M iura LP400 seen driving around at the start ofthe film intact. And even better, asItalia!went to press withthis issue, it was up for sale. No price was given by the seller,Cheshire C lassic Cars (meaning it was probably eye-wateringlyexpensive), but we do know that the car has had five differentowners since it was built and, while it’s been given a new engineblock and a lick of paint, it’s still one magnificent set of wheels.Takea look atwww.cheshireclassiccars.co.uk

Theglorioussportscar was famously shunted over a cliff

GHETTOSUPERSTARS

The V enetian Heritage Council is aiming to restore the city’s historic Ghetto area, and it’s ap p ealing to w ealthy

celebrities to help fund the p roject. It w as 5 0 0 years ago this year – 2 9 March, to be ex act – that the V enetian

Rep ublic ordered its Jew ish p op ulation to liv e in the Ghetto, an area w ell aw ay from the heart of V enice and

surrounded by w ater. Now the Council, a non- p rofi t-making organisation headed by fashion designer Diane von

F urstenberg, is asking luminaries from the w orlds of fashion and show business to stump up cash to renovate the

district’s fi ve synagogues and Jew ish museum, the Museo Ebrico. So far, around € 2 million has been raised, but

at least another € 6 million is needed to comp lete the p roject. Barbra Streisand and Donna K aran are among the

famous names w ho are believ ed to have show n an interest.

SEXIESTEVERITALIANSREVEALED

TrendyNewYorklifestylemagazinePaperhasdeclaredits‘seven

sexiestItaliansofalltime’(andthengoneontonamenine… ).

Unsurprisingly,moviestarsmakeupthebulkofthelist,with

screensirensSophiaLoren,MonicaBellucci,MonicaVitti,Silvana

ManganoandOrnellaMutibeingjoinedbybushy-eyebrowed

spaghetti-westernstarFabioTesti.Elsewhere,there’sformerskier

AlbertoTomba,entrepreneurandgrandsonofFiatmogulGianni

Agnelli,LapoElkann,and,ratherunexpectedly,“theyoungmanin

Bronzino’sPortrait of a Young Man”.RobertDeNirodoesn’t

getalookin.Butwhatreallystrikesusasoddisthe

ideaofsomeonegoinguptoBronzino’spaintingand

thinking… “Phoar!”

B r o n z i n o , P o r t r a i t o f a Y o u n

g M a n

[ P u b l i c d o m

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i k i m

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FRATELLI CAMISA H AVE BEEN BRING ING TO TH E

U K ONE OF TH E BEST SELECTIONS OF AU TH ENTIC

ITALIAN FOODS FOR OVER 85 YEARS

Allavailable from our

easy-to-use w ebsite

w w w .cam isa.co.uk

W ITH

NEXT DAY

DELIVERY


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F O O D & P R O D U C T S

12ITALIA! February 20 1 6

P 3...TH IS MON TH ’S TOP 3...TH IS MON TH ’S TOP 3...THISM

sGetting the family back to the dining table, v isiting thePuglian coast to stayinacavehoteland making coffee frombed are three things w e’d like to do this year…

V alentine w as a 3 rd-century Roman saint

w ho has cometobeassociated w ith

lov e. He is also know n to guard against

fainting, ep ilep sy and p lague…

T op 3 id ea s forVALENTINES

G ET TH E FAMILY COOK INGIn this day and age,it’s com m on for yourkidsto eat

their dinner in their bedroom w hile you eatyourson a tray in front of the TV.A new book,Let’s Cook

Italian,aim s to restore som e fam ily unityto yourdining.

Com piled by chef Anna Prandoni,it’s packed w ith starters,

m ains and desserts,and encourages jointpreparation by

parents and children by w ay of fun activities.It’sw ritten in

both English and Italian,too,so you can brush up on your

language skills as you go.£12.99,w w w .am azon.co.uk

W E A R T H IS!

1DOAROMANTICJIGSAW

Completingajigsawtogethercan

beafunandromanticwaytospend

arainyafternooninwinter,especiallyif

thatafternoonhappenstofallonoraround

the14thofFebruary.Thisdelightfuljigsaw

puzzlecapturesanidyllicsettinginVerona,

thecitywheretheworld’smostfamous

couple,RomeoandJuliet,fellinlove.And

withnofewerthanathousandpiecesto

compile,it’llgiveyoutheperfectexcuseto

cuddleupandputyourheadstogether.£9,

www.amazon.co.uk

KEEPWARMINITALIANSTYLE

Oneofthebestthingsaboutthe

wintermonthsisbeingableto

layerupwithgorgeousknitwear,an

outlandishscarfandabig,chunky

overcoat.PartoftheAutograph

collectionformenatM&S,this

buttonedcoatwascreatedbyBalli,

afamily-ownedwoolmanufacturerthat’sbeen

operatingoutofTuscanysince1948.Itsluxury

woolandcashmerefabric,andremovablefaux-

furcollar,combinetomakeajacketthathas

boththewarmandthewowfactor.

£179,www.marksandspencer.com

SUMMERFIGTREATThenexttimeyou’rebeinglashedbytheslee

andsnow,imaginehowmuchmorebearable

wouldbeifyoucouldliftyourwristtoyou

faceandsmellthesummeryscentofPugliao

yourskin.That’sthetantalisingtreatonoffe

withthisItalianSummerFigTreatsgiftse

from TheBodyShop.Itcontainsashowerge

abodylotion(both60ml)andaminicrinkl

bathlily–butmostimportantly,itcontain

adoseofinstantwarmth

£6,www.thebodyshop.co.u

U SE T H IS!


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3SEEK M I N IM A LI SM I N L O V E

Th is p o st e r m a y b e m in im a l ist ,

b u t t h e m essa g e i s lo u d a n d

c l e a r : ’ Veni Vidi Amavi ’ is Latin for

’ I Came, I Saw, I Loved ’, making this

artwork the perfect gift for a couple

who’ve just moved into a new home

– or the ideal add it ion to your own

love nest. It’s handmade, too, which

gives it a certain added charm.

Various sizes are available. From

£7.37 ( frame is not included in the

price), www.etsy.com

H ’ST OP 3 ... T H IS MON T H ’ST OP 3 ... T H IS MON T H ’ST OP 3 ... T

February 2016 ITALIA! 13

2A BOTTLE OF WINE, OR TWO?

Two’s company, so the sayinggoes – and we reckon this duo of

Italian wines from Zonin’s vineyards in

Vicenza go rather well together. Presented

in a stylish gift box, there’s a light and

refreshing 2014 Pinot Grigio, as well as

an intense, fruity 2013 Montepulciano.

We’ve heard it said that you should never

mix white and red grapes, but Valentine's

Day falls on a Sunday this year, so you've

got all weekend to get through them…

£49.99, www.24studio.co.uk

LIVING IN A CAVEEver wanted to live like

Fred Flintstone? Well, book

a few nights at the Grotta

Palazzese Hotel and you’ll

get your wish – large parts of

it are housed inside a cave.

These limestone caverns,

beneath the ancient clifftop

town of Polignano a Mare,

have enchanted travellers

to the region for centuries.

Nowadays, they provide the

perfect backdrop for enjoying

a seafood lunch while looking

out to the Adriatic Sea. Rooms

from €120 per night, www.

grottapalazzese.it

SMART COFFEE IN BED?Making the p erfect cup of coffee has nev er been easier, thanksto aclev er

new bean-to-cup machine from those kitchen geniuses at D e’Longhi. T he

PrimaD onna Elite p airs w ith your smartp hone or tablet (iO S or Android),

enabling you to p ersonalise your drink, create a p rofi le and ev en create new

recip es from your handset. If you’re not q uite ready to be so dow n w ith the

kids just yet, you can also op erate the machine v ia its touchscreen. Either

w ay, a delicious brew is guaranteed. £ 1 ,49 9 .9 9 , w w w .johnlew is.com

B U Y THIS!

VERDI VS SHAKESPEARETwo of the most iconic names in th

arts sphere are brought together in

new DVD/Blu-ray compilation, Verd

The Shakespeare Operas. The Italian

composer was a big fan of the Bard

and created musical versions of tw

of his plays, Macbeth and Othello, a

another following one of his recurrcharacters, Falstaff. Productions of

all three are presented here, from

(respectively) London, Barcelona a

Glyndebourne. If you’ve struggled

decipher the works of Shakespeare

these rousing operas paint them

in a whole new light. £29.99

(DVD)/£34.99 (Blu-ray),

www.amazon.co.uk

HANG ON LADS, NHow cool ar e these red , white and blue, Mini-shaped

chopping boards! Inspired by the classic Michael Caine film

T he Italian Job, the set of three boards ar e smooth on one side

to allow for easy chopping and s licing, and feature detailing of

the windscreen, grille, headlights etc of these legendary 1960s

cars on the other. With these in your kitchen armoury, you

can’t fail to be inspired. Just don’t go blowing the bloody oven

door off. £11.99, www.findmeagift.co.uk


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Oneofthefi rst signs of springisthealmondblossominAgrigento,whichisasgoodacauseforcelebrationasany.InNaplestheywillbefightingthecommon

coldwithwine,whileinCataniatheywillrememberthemartyrSant’Agata…

EVENTS IN FEBRUARY 2016

SAINT BIAGIO DAY3 February

Mugnano diNapoli

We bet you didn’t know

there was a patron

saint of the throat! His

name is Saint Biagio,

and on this day many

towns and villages

across Italy ask for his

blessing to protect

their throats against

ailments. Brilliantly,

they do this by eating

leftover panettone and

drinking wine. Which,

to our mind, i sa much

more favourable way

of fendingoff sore

throats than sucking

on a menthol lozenge.

Visit Mugnano di Napoli,

near Naples, to witness

a spectacular fireworks

display.

SI NATIONSRUGBY: FRANCEVS ITALY6 February

Paris, France

Here we go again – it’s

the opening fixture

of this year’s big six-

country dust-up, and

the Italians travel to the

Stade de France, hoping

to improve on last year’s

displays against Le

Bleus when they were

thrashed 29-0 at home

in this tournament,

before losing 32-10 in

the World Cup. If you

can’t get tickets to the

match, why not kick

back in front of thetelevision with a nice

bottle of Peroni and a

handful of bread sticks.

Kick-off 3.25pm.

www.rbs6nations.com

CARNIVAL OFIVREA6-9 February

Ivrea

In the Middle Ages, thestunning Piedmont town

of Ivrea was persecuted

by an evil baron who

starved the population.

Thankfully, it was

eventually liberated

and, to celebrate that

fact, the town holds an

annual carnival with

a colourful parade,

pipe and drum music,

and food stalls. But by

far the best bit is the

Battle of the Oranges, a

symbolic reconstruction

of the town’s fightagainst tyranny, where

costumed protagonists

attack each other with

the juicy fruit.

You’re guaranteed a

citrus-ly good time!

www.storico

carnevaleivrea.it

CARNIVAL OFVIAREGGIO7, 14, 21 & 28 February

Viareggio

Venice isn’t the only

city that hosts a grand

carnival at this time

of year. Since 1873,

the Tuscan coastal

town of Viareggio

has been hosting an

annual shindig (with

the exception of a

few years), and it’s

now recognised as

Italy’s greatest folk

event. National TV

crews broadcast the

action live, whichmeans it’s not just

major politicians and

other celebrities who

get to witness the

spectacular floats,

music and merriment,

but the people sitting

at home, too.

viareggio.ilcarnevale

.com

SAINT AGATHA’SFEAST3-5 February

Catania

Italy is no stranger to

spectacular religious

festivals, but this

one probably tops

the lot – indeed, it’s

considered one of the

most important religious

events in the world.

Agatha of Sicily was a

3rd-century Christian

saint who was tortured

for refusing to give

up her faith, and the

Sicilian city of Catania

– believed by many

to be her birthplace –

celebrates her annually

with a vast procession

and other festivities.

To mark the fact that

Agatha’s breasts were

removed during her

ordeal, there are evenboob-shaped cakes!

ALMOND BLOSSOMFESTIVAL1-8 February

Agrigento

While the basis of this

week-long festival in

Agrigento, Sicily, is

the spring awakening

and, specifically, the

blossoming of the

almond trees (believe

us, it’s a sight to

behold), there’s so much

more to see and do.

You’ll be treated to an

international f olklore

festival packed with

song and storytelling,

a parade of traditional

Sicilian carriages,

a food expo and a

programme of evening

theatre performances.

No wonder the event

has been running

successfully for more

than 70 years!



15/100

Please note that the dates of all events are subject to change. If you plan to attend, check events are going ahead before you travel. All attempts are made to present the correctdetails.

SANREMO MUSICFESTIVAL9-13 February

Sanrem o

Eurovision is theworld’s most famous

song contest, and it

wouldn’t exist withoutthe Sanremo Music

Festival. This glamorouscompetition, first

staged in 1951, was the

inspiration for the eventthat brought us Gigliola

Cinquetti, Abba and,erm, Conchita Wurst.

Traditionally, the winner

of Sanremo has goneon to represent Italy at

Eurovision – as Cinquettidid in 1964 with Non ho

l’età. So it’s not just the

notes that soar at thiscompetition, the stakes

are pretty high, too.

The alm ond blossom arrives in Agrigento

VERONA IN LOVE14-16 February

Verona

Another option for

lovebirds on Valentine’sweekend is this

delightful annualfestival, which sees

Verona – home of Romeo

and Juliet, of course– transformed into a

hotbed of romance. Allacross the city, there are

gestures intended to set

hearts aflutter, from redlanterns to thousands

of love letters pinnedon walls and buildings,

themed restaurant

menus to a programmeof free concerts. If you’re

looking for the perfectplace to ask a certainquestion, you’ve just

found it.www.veronainlove.it

OLIVE ANDBRUSCHETTAFESTIVAL21 FebruarySpello

If you’re passionate

about Italy, chancesare you love olives

and bruschetta – two

of the country’s mostcelebrated foods. In

which case, you shouldn’t

miss this annual shindigin the medieval walled

town of Spello in Umbria.So proud are the local

farmers of their produce

that they parade throughthe streets on decorated

tractors; and there’s alsomusic and dancing. But

make no mistake, the

star of the showwill bethe food – we guarantee

you’ll have never tasted

olives and bruschettathis good!

SAINT FAUSTINO’SDAY15 FebruaryBrescia

Put away those roses

and chocolates: Saint

Valentine’s Day is over now,and it’s the turn of

the world’s singletonsto celebrate. They’ve

adopted Saint Faustino

as their patron, so if yousee any signs for a party

bearing that name, you’ll

know that romance isstrictly off the menu.

Faustino is also thepatron saint of Brescia,

and the northern Italian

town celebrates hisday with fun, food and

fireworks. We’re guessingyou don’t have to be

single to attend this one.

MILAN FASHIONWEEK 11-18 FebruaryMilan

Nothing divides opinionlike high fashion: you

either think it’s fabulous

or ridiculous. Whicheverside of the fence you sit

on, you can’t deny it’s anentertaining spectacle

watching supermodels

traversing a catwalkclothed in the latest

weird and wonderful

garments. Milan is, ofcourse, the centre of the

sartorial universe, sotickets for this week’s

events will sell like hot

cakes. If you’re unlucky,you could always do

some celeb spotting onthe streets around the

venues – or wait until

the next event in thesummer.

www.milanfashionweeklive.com


CIOCCOLENTINO11-14 FebruaryTerni

What better way to show

your Valentine how muchyou love her (or him)

than by whisking her (or

him) off to this fabulousfestival of chocolate? As

you’d expect, tastings,talks and tips are the

order of the day. (Just

don’t go overboard –remember that chocolate

is an aphrodisiac!) But

the best part is that theevent takes place in the

city of Terni, Umbria,whose patron saint is…

yep, you guessed it, Saint

Valentine.www.cioccolentino.com


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VIEW POINT Asummernight’sduskfallson the Grand Canal in Milanandthecafésthatlinethewaterside

preparethemselvesforanotherevening’sbrisktrade,butitwasn’talwayssopeaceful…

Today, this is just a beautiful place to be, but these waterways wereonce the very arteries of Milan, carrying the city’s lifeblood aroundits body. Today, Milanese will walk, drive, or take the bus to theNaviglio Grande for an aperitivo after work; in times gone by, manyof them would have been spending their days on boats on the canal,transporting goods around the city – and there wouldn’t have been anynice cafés for them to stop at for a sundowner either…

Unusually for a large European city, Milan has no river. It isconnected to the Po Valley river system by a series of canals, of whichthe Naviglio Grande (you will not be surprised to hear) is the mostimportant. This canal connects the city to the River Ticino, which skirtsthe west of the city as it descends from Lake Maggiore to the Po. Andit was along this route that the building materials for the Duomo,notably marble from Lake Maggiore, were brought into the city.

P h o

t o g r a p

h©

i S t o c

k


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ON THE ROAD AGAINI hav e just returned from a driv ing holiday

through Tuscany. T he w eather w as v ariable,

but the driv ing w as great fun and myself

and my p artner stayed at many fantastic

hotels along the w ay using the Italia!GuidetoTuscanyas a source of insp iration.H ow ev er, someof theentries are now

somew hat out of date (I think I p urchased

it in 2 0 1 4). W i ll Italia! beup dating theGuidein the future? I ’d liketo takemy girlfriend back to T uscany for another road

trip in thesum mer of 2 0 1 6 .

Ga v i n T ho rp e , v i a e m a i l

Gavin, you’re in luck. We are starting work on the new

and updated I t al ia ! G u i de t o T u sc an y in the New Year

and it will be on sale in April.

WEBSITE WOESLast year I p urchased some panettonefromPugliaShop Onlineand w anted to do so

again thisyear. H ow ev er w hen I tried to

make a p urchase using the UR L given

(w w w .p ugliashop online.com) I had the

message that this w as not recognised. D o

you, therefore, hav e an up -to-date address?

Y our assistance w ould be v ery muchap p reciated.

P e t er B e llo ni , v i a e m a il

We’ve just checked the www.pugliashoponline.com website

and all seems tobe working fine now. We’re sure it was

just a temporary aberration.

KEEPING ON COOKINGMy w ife isa fantasticcook, and I’m

looking forw ard to another Christmas

roast lov ingly p rep ared. T his year w e’re

taking insp iration from Italia! magaz ineand cooking p heasant. T hank you for

FEA ST OF TH EI M M A CU LA TECO N CE P T I O NI a m a l on g - t im e su bs cr ib er

o f Italia! m a g az i n e . I r ea d

e ac h i ss ue c ov e r t o c ov e r w i t h

d el i gh t an d af t er I am fi n ish ed

I g i v e t h e i ssu e t o m y 8 7 - y ear- o ld m ot h er t o r ead ,

w h o se p ar en t s w e re f r om L a k e C om o .

I n t h e D e ce mb er 2 015 i ssu e o n p ag e 14 y o u

h av e a v e r y a cc ur at e d es cr ip t io n o f t h e D ec em b er

8 t h F ea st o f t h e I m m ac ul at e C on ce pt i on a s

i t i s c el eb ra te d i n I t al y, e x c ep t f or o n e v e ry

i m po r t an t p o in t . Y o u d e sc ri be t h e f e as t d ay a s

t h e “ c on ce pt i on o f t h e b ab y J e s u s” . T h e F ea st

o f t h e I m m a cu l at e C o nc e pt i o n c e le b ra t e s t h es ol em n b e li ef i n t h e I m m ac ul at e C on ce pt i on o f t h e

B l es se d V i rg i n M a ry . I t i s u n iv e r sa ll y c el eb ra t ed o n

D ec em be r 8 t h, n in e m o nt h s b e fo re t h e f e as t o f t h e

N at i v i t y o f M a ry , w h ich i s c e le br at ed o n S e p te mb er

8 t h . I t i s o n e o f t h e m o s t i mp or t an t M a ri an f ea st s

i n t h e l it u rg i ca l c al en d ar o f t h e R o m an C at h o li c

C h ur ch a n d i s c e le b ra t e d w o r l dw i d e .

K e ep u p t he g re at w o rk t ha t y o ur m ag az i ne

d oe s o n p ro v i d in g a ll o f u s w i t h c om p re h en si v e

ar t ic le s o n al l o f t he r eg io ns o f I t aly ! A l l o f y o ur

c o nt r i bu t i n g w r i t e rs a re f a n t as t ic !

J o h n L u c i a n i , F lo r i d a

S hare yo ur I ta l ian e x per iences w i th us, and te l l us what y ou wo uld like

to see in the mag az in e , by sending y our photographs and le t te rs to

i t a li a @ a n th em - p u b lish in g .c o m…

LET T ERS T O ITA LIA!

Do you have a road trip to Italy planned for 2016?

Do w rite and tell us of your plans!

February 2016 ITALIA!1 9

Y OU T ELL US!W e love receiving your letters, photos,

questions and recom m endations!

W rite to us today...

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Italia! maga z i ne, A n t hem P ub li sh i n g , S u i t e 6 ,

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EM A I L Write to us at

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F A CE B O O K K e ep up w i t h Italia! on Facebook. G o

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TWITTER G o to w w w .i ta ly tr a v e la n d li f e .c om

and fo l low the Tw i t t e r l ink to keep up w i th

tweets f rom ‘ I ta liamag’ S ee you there!

your monthly sup p ly of Italian recip es – I

consider them to be p art of the ‘backbone’

of the magaz ine as it giv es those of us w ho

can only afford to Italy once or tw ice a year

a taste (no p un intended!) of the country

here in the heart of England.

A li st a i r H o r to n , W o r c e st e r

We do hope you enjoyed your Christmas pheasant, and

that you will enjoy another year of recipes from I tal ia!

magazine in 2016.

IT’S AN ART LIFEIt ’s been great to see that ov er the p ast

year or so you’v e increased the amount of

coverage of art and culture in Italia!. T hep rincip al reason for trav elling to Italy for

my husband and I is to v isit galleries and

museums. W e p articularly enjoy y our F ast

A rt and F ast Culture features and intend

to base a touring holiday around them nex t

year. My husband has just retired so w e’re

going to ‘blow the budget’ and go for six

w eeks. Italia! really i s an insp iration for us

and w e look forw ard to ev ery i ssue.J e n n if e r M u l ho ll a n d , v i a e m a i l

We do appreciate that we are lucky to have in Joe

Gartman and Freya Middleton two writers who know their

subjects inside out and love their work with I tal ia!

T h e I m m

a

t e C o n

e

t i o n

G i o

n n i

t t i s t

T i e

o o

i

o m

a i n

i

W i

i m e

i

C o m m o n s

The Im m aculate

Conception

L E T T E R

O

T H

E M O N

T

H

FEB2 0 1 6

Pheasant is an underrated m eat that is tasty,

sustainable and very good value for m oney.


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S P E A K I T A L IA !

In the third instalment of our rep rised bilingual column, Anglo- Italian TomAlbertoBull

considers the imp ortance of the tow n sq uare to Italian life…

GAZ Z ET TA ITALIA!

Life in the SquareW hen one thinks about Italian piazzas certain famoussquares come to mind – San Marco in Venice, PiazzaD uomo in M ilan, Piazza del Popolo in Rome. Allsteeped in history and homes to major landmarks.But this doesn’t tell the full story. All over Italy townsquares have become central to social life, providingthe core for the local population to thrive in.

H ere in the UK it’s commonplace run to thenearest park for a picnic as soon as the summer sunemerges. But in Italy, especially in the south wherethey are aided by a warmer climate, the place to be iswithout doubt the town square.

In times gone by, Sunday’s were the best time tosee this in action. W hile the women congregated inchurch for their weekly mass, the men would take theopportunity to head to the piazza for a game of cardsand a drink with the locals. T his phenomenon canstill be found in small towns which have maintainedthe traditions that stretch back for generations. It issignificant that a 1975 novel by Antonio Tabucchi,which charted the history of three generations ofa Tuscan family, revolved around a piazza. Its verytitle, Piazza d’Italia, was inspired by a real square in

M ontecatini Terme.W ith often the most popular bars and eateries

situated in the corners of a town piazza, they providethe perfect vantage point to see people coming andgoing and keep an eye out for acquaintances. Thiswould have been the norm before the days of mobilephones when you were better off finding your friendsthan trying to contact them.

N owadays squares have become a hub for nighttimeactivity. Allowing young people to have a cheap nightoutdoors with a bottle of wine, away from the loud musicof the discos, is an attractive proposition for a culturethat is renowned for enjoying a natter. In a small squarein N aples I even found people who had set up makeshift

stalls selling nuts and sweets to the crowd. One can’t helpbut think what would happen in the UK . I predict thatyou would be moved on before too long for loitering in apublic space and the vendors would be certainly expectedto produce a licence on request from the authorities.

T he Italian piazza is so much more than just atown square. T he community looks after it and inreturn they have a space that very much feels like itbelongs to the people. The culture and the squarehave become intertwined to the point where you cantake the Italian out of the piazza, but you can’t takethe piazza out of the Italian!

La vita in PiazzaQ uando si pensa alle piazze in Italia, saltano in mentequelle più famose – Piazza San Marco a Venezia, PiazzaD uomo a Milano, Piazza del Popolo a Roma. Sono tutteintrise di storia, e vi si trovano monumenti importanti.M a questo non è tutto. In tutta Italia le piazze sonodiventate centri di vita sociale, un punto di ritrovoessenziale per gli abitanti del posto.

Q ui nel Regno Unito, appena il sole estivo si faintravvedere, la gente corre al parco più vicino per fareun picnic. In Italia, invece, soprattutto nel sud dovehanno la fortuna di un clima ben più caldo, tutti vannosenz’altro alla piazza principale del posto.

In passato si notava questa tendenza soprattutto ladomenica. Mentre le donne si riunivano in chiesa per lamessa, gli uomini approfittavano dell’occasione per andarein piazza per una partita di carte e per bersi un aperitivo congli amici. Q uesto fenomeno si ripete ancora nelle piccolecittadine dove si conservano le tradizioni tramandate digenerazione in generazione. E’ significativo che un romanzodi Antonio Tabucchi del 1975, che ripercorre la storia di tregenerazioni di una famiglia toscana, ruoti attorno ad unapiazza. Il titolo stesso,Piazza d’Italia, si ispira ad una piazzaomonima a Montecatini Terme.

I bar e i ristoranti più frequentati in ogni angolo dellapiazza sono il punto migliore per osservare la gente che va eviene o per vedere un conoscente che incontri. Certo, questoera del tutto normale prima dell’avvento del cellularequando era meglio andare incontro agli amici invece dicercare di contattarli.

O ggi le piazze rappresentano il fulcro delle attivitàserali. E sse permettono ai giovani di godersi una seratanon troppo costosa all’aria aperta con una bottiglia divino, lontani dalla musica assordante delle discoteche, equindi offrono una proposta interessante per le personecon una cultura basata, come si sa, sulla necessità di fareuna bella chiacchierata. In una piazzetta di N apoli hoperfino visto persone che avevano delle bancarelle dove

vendevano castagne e caramelle alla folla. N on si puòimmaginare una scena simile nel R egno Unito. C redoche questi venditori sarebbero accusati di bighellonarein un luogo pubblico e costretti ad andarsene subito.C ertamente ci vuole una licenza dalle autoritàcompetenti per un’attività di questo genere.

La piazza in Italia non è solo il punto centrale diuna città. La popolazione si prende cura della piazza, ein compenso trova uno spazio che è tutto per loro. Lacultura e la piazza si intrecciano al punto che si puòtogliere un italiano alla piazza, ma non si può togliere lapiazza ad un italiano!

20ITALIA! F ebruary 20 1 6


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22IT ALIA! F ebruary 20 1 6

Well-built, comfortable and great v alue for money, an Italian ap artment can

make a w ise buy. Whether you’re looking for somew here urban, coastal or rural,

FleurKinson guides you through some of the p racticalities…ApartmentsI

taly’s property prices are lower now than theywere eight years ago, and current exchangeratesallow non-euro buyers like yourself to get evenmoreproperty for your money, so you mightwell ask: why should I think about buying

an apartment? Surely with the market conditionsso favourable, I should benabbing myself a luxury

farmhouseor a big townhouse somewhere? W ell, of course you could, and if that’s what you’d like, go for it.But for many would-bebuyers at our tentatively post-recession moment, financial cautionremains a guiding principle. Spendingless and buying smaller have becomea bit of a habit. Soa large propertyin Italy, even while prices are sogood, might still feel likea big scarysplurge. A nice little apartment,however, can feel like a modest,prudent buy.

And indeed, a prudent buy itwould be. Italian apartments have

lots to recommend them. Pricesare low, value-for-money is high.C onstruction is usually excellent,comfort is assured. And location canbe just about anywhere. Apartmentsaren’t restricted to cities and theseaside. M any largeold buildings insmall towns and villages have beendivided intogenerously-sized andwell-restored apartments. And insome places with a very long traditionof attracting foreign visitors (the

northern lakes, for example), many stately old periodvillas have been tastefully re-vamped for the modern ageand split into separate living accommodation.

W e privacy-loving Brits often wrinkle our nosesat the word ‘apartment’, prizing ‘splendid isolation’and suspecting that any form of ‘shared’ property will be somehow second-rate. But this is not thedominant

attitude across continental Europe, where apartment-living is a stylish norm. R est assured that Italianapartments arewell-built, comfortable and quiet.

C ity-central buildings are oftencenturies-old, with thick stone wallsthat guard against neighbourly noise.Small-town and village homes thathave been divided intoapartmentstend tobe similarly solid. In suburbs,modern apartment buildings inconcretemight be less beautiful on the outside, but they’re usuallynot less sound-proof on the inside.Italians don’t consider apartments

to be a second-classproperty option,and builders plan for peaceand quietin their construction.

OUTDOOR SPACEW ith Italy’s climatebeing whatit is, the nation’s apartments arefrequently madeeven more appealingby the inclusion of an outdoor spacesuch as a balcony, patio, terraceorprivatecourtyard. T hat might notbe the same as having a whole

H omes in

L IV IN G I T A L I A !

P h o t o g r a p h y © i S t o c k , u n l e s s s t a t e d

Prices in Venice rem ain high


23/100

Desirable locations like San Rem o

have becom e m ore affordable



24/100

T R E M E Z Z O

Type of property A p ar t m en t

Number of bedrooms 2

Price € 2 3 0 ,0 00

Location T r em e z z o

Contact C as a T ra v e ll a L t d. 0 1 3 2 2 6 6 0 9 8 8

ww w .casa t r a ve l l a . com

This lovely 2-bedroom apartment forms part of period villa of

only 4 apar tments andi s lo cated jus t a f ew st rides f rom the lake at Tremezzo , with lovely lake views and o nly jus t o ver the ho ur fro m M ilan airpo rts . The apartm ent pro vides abo ut 80s q m o f acc o mmo datio n which inc ludes a living ro o m , kitche n, 2 be dro o m s , bathro o m , and has 2 balco nie s . The pro pe rty, which s its in a q uiet area o f Tremezzo also be ne fi ts fro m a ce llar and co mmunal garde n and is be ing s o ld fully furnis hed. Although you canno t reach the pro pe rty by car, there is parking abo ut 80 metres away which can be rented to have a dedic ated spac e . This is a be autiful apartm ent,

jus t a sho rt distance fro m bo th the lake and all amenitie s and with supe rb lake view s , ideal fo r bo th pe rs o nal us e o r to pro vide rental incom e. Ref 3839 .

T H E D O L O M I T E S , V I L L A N O V A

Type of property A p ar t m e n t s

Number of bedrooms 2

Price € 2 9 0 ,0 00 – £ 3 0 0, 00 0

Location T h e D ol o m i t e s , V i l l an o v aContact Ca sa T r a ve l l a L t d . 0 13 2 2 6 6 0 9 8 8

w w w . c a sa t r av e l l a. co m

These magnifi cent 2-bedro om, 2-bathro om apartments , o f whichonly 2 remain for sale, are being built to the highest s tandards they

will be ce rtifi ed to an “A+ ” s tandard of energy effi cienc y) in the sm all town o f Villanova, Borca di Cadore , about 8km s o uth o f Co rtina d’Ampezzo in northe rn Vene to . The wo oden building use s the lates t metho ds to pro vide the highe st c omfo rt standards, inc luding triple glazing, under fl o o r heating, ceram ic tiles and a centralised pe llet-fi red boiler to achieve a maximum heating co st o f € 350 per annum.The pro perties have just be en co mp leted and are ready for o ccupatio n.Ref 34 4 8.

2 4 I T A L I A ! Feb ruary 201 6

g a r d en o r a f i el d o f o li v e t rees to c a l ly o u r o w n , b u t it w i ll r eq u i r e f a r l essl oo k i n g a f t er

A s w el l a s u su a ll y b ein g a lo tc h ea p er to b u y th a n a d eta c h edp ro p e r ty i n the sa m e loc a t i on , a na p a r t m e nt c a n a l so sa v e y ou q u i te ab i t o f mo n ey i n t h e l on g r u n . M o stB r i ti sh b u y er s i n I ta l y a r e look i ngf or a n o ld c o u n tr y h ou se to c a l l th ei rown , b u t these t y p es o f home c a nr eq u i r e q u i te a l ot of m a i n ten an c e.I f th e r o of g et s d am a g ed o r th e

elec t r i c s g o won k y , the owne r h a s toc o v er the whole cost o f thei r re p a i r .T h en th er e’s t he u p k eep o f l a n d a n d

so on . I t a l l a d d s u p . A n a p a r t m e nt ,m eanw hi le, a lm ost a lwa y s c osts lessto m a inta in. T o sta rt w ith, it ’s lessl ik el y t o h a v e st ood em p t y f or a n ysi g n i f ic a n t len g th of time , a n d m o re

l ik el y t o b e i n a g o od st a t e o f r e p a i r w hen y ou b u y it .

MAINTENANCE COSTST hen there’s the f a c t th at a l lm a intena n c e costs fo r the wholeb u i l d i n g a r e sp l i t b et w een a l l t heowners of i t s v a r i o u s a p a r tments.T h i s m ea ns th a t ex p ensi v ep r o b l ems su c h a s f i x i n g t her oof or l a n d sc a p i ng t he g r ou n d sa r e n ev er g o in g t o b e w h o ll y

y o u r r e sp o nsi b i l it y . T h e spese delcondominio or a p a r tment ex p ensesf ee, is a p r e- set a n n u a l c h a r g e p a i db y a l l a p a r t ment - ow n er s i n th esa m e b u i ld i ng t o c o v er a l l m a n n erof th in g s. T h e c l ea n i ng a n d u p k eepo f sh a r e d sp a c es su c h a s c o r r i d o r s,l i f ts a n d g a r d ens, the m a in ten an c ea n d r ep a i r o f d r a i n s, th e b o il er r o om ,the roo f an d so on – a l l these a r ec o v e red b y th e spese del condominio T h e b u r d en of c o st is sh a r e d , a n dsp re a d o v er t im e, so there’s nev er a

su d d en h u g e b i ll to fa c e a l o n e i n th e w a k e o f som ethin g g oi n g w r on g . B esu r e t o a sk y ou est a te a g en t a b ou t a n

a p a r tment ’s spese del condominiob eforey o u b u y i t.

N o te t ha t m a n y I t a l i a na p a r t men ts a r e so ld r ea d y - f u r n i sh ed .T h i s c a n sa v e y o u t he ex p en se

( a n d t ime ) of f u r n i sh i ng t h e p l a c ey o u rsel f – not to ment ion thel og i st ic a l d i ff i c u l ti es o f h a u l in gh ea v y f u r n itu r e u p to a n a p a r t m en ton a h i g her f loor . O f co u r se, i t c a na l so d en y y o u a l l t h e f u n of c h o osi n gt h e f u r n i tu r e y o u w a n t, a n d i f t hi sm a t t er s t o y o u t hen y o u sh ou l dob v i ou sl y seek a n u n fu r n ish edp ro p er t y . D o b e a w a re th a t there ’sa d i f feren ce b etween the B r i t i shc o n c e p t io n o f ‘u n f u r n i sh ed ’ a n d

Expensive problems such as fixing the roof arenever going to be wholly your responsibility

L I V I N G I T A L I A

Apartm ents can be m uch cheaper and

easier to m aintain than standalone houses


25/100

C a sa r a ve l l a L t d

w i t h 2 5 y ea r s ex pe r i en ce

F O R E X PE RT P R O F E S S I O N A L A N D I N D E P EN D E N T A D V I C E

0VER 700 PROPERTIES IN M O ST AREAS O F ITALY

Email us at [email protected] call us on +44 (0 )1322 66 0988visit us at www.casatravella.com

Founded in 1987 on Lake C omoSpecialists in many areas of Italy

VillaLupo,ContradaM .M ontanari,LeM arche

BEA U T IF U L LY R EST O R ED A U T H E N T IC I T A L IA N V IL LA ,

W IT H PR IV A T E SW IM MIN G PO O L , L O V EL Y G A RD EN ,

W A T ER W EL L A N D BR EA T H T A K IN G 3 6 0 ° PA N O RA MA

T his former farmhouse is situated in a sp ectacular hill y landscap e 3 0 0 meters abov e sealev el) and only 2 0 minutes from the beautiful beaches of the A driatic C oast. T his gated,secluded, p rivate 2 .5 0 0 m2 p rop erty is set amongst oliv e, fruit and p ine trees and offers auniq ue and breathtaking p anorama of sw eep ing countryside and mediev al v illages.

T his lux ury 4 bedroom v illa has been comp letely and tastefully restored and comp rises4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 liv ing areas and a w ell-eq uip p ed kitchen, w ith all moderncomforts. T he p rop erty also has a w ood fired stone p izza ov en and a sep arate studio ap artment.

[email protected]

L E P L a w p r o v i d es c o m p r eh en si v e leg a l a d v i c e to

U K b a sed c l ien ts w i th in ter ests in I t a l y

ur legal ser ices• Real Estate acq uisitions in Italy • UK and Italian

inheritance rules, Italian and International wills,inheritance disputes in Italy • Contractual law and

legal assis tance with co ntractual disputes • Credit r eco very • Translatio n o f legal do cum ents

L E P L a w a r e ex p er t s i n n a v i g a ti n g th e

c o m p lex it ies b etw een th e I t a l i a n

a n d E n g lish l eg a l sy stem s a n d g u i d i n g y o u

th r o u g h it sea m lessly

Victo ry House, 9 9 -1 01 Regent Street, London W1 B 4 EZ

+ 4 4 0 )20 7 1 9 3 029 0en q u ir ies@ lep la w c o u k

w w w lep la w c o u k


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2 6 ITALIA!February 2016

the Italian notion of that w ord.

In gastro-m inded Italy, w here the

kitchen is a semi- sacred p lace,

v acating ow ners are likely to take

not just all their furniture w hen

they mov e out, but also their fridge,

cooker and kitchen cup boards.

D on’t ex p ect all ‘w hite goods’ to

be in p lace w hen you mov e into an

unfurnished p rop erty! Clarify w ith

your estate agent p recisely w hat w il l

and w on’t be in your new kitchen

w hen you mov e in.

CITY SLICKER

A p artm ent hom es are av ailable allov er Italy, but as you m ight ex p ect,

they are p articularly common in the

nation’s most p op ulous or desirable

sp ots – the seaside, the lakeside,

ski resorts and city centres. In all

four settings, ap artm ents offer good

v alue-for-money and generally

great holiday rental p rosp ects too.

But city -centre ap artm ents hav e

an additional clutch of adv antages.

F irstly, they can sav e you masses

of time. If w hat you w ant is a

holiday home in Italy, you can

much more q uickly get to and froma city ap artm ent than a house out

in the country. Y ou can p robably

fly directly to the city and sw iftly

reach your flat by p ublic transp ort,

rather than facing a ninety -m inute

dri v e out to a farmhouse after

you land. F req uent short v isits,

w eekends aw ay, are generally much

more feasible.

If it’s not a holiday home that

you’re after but a full- tim e new life

in I taly, a city ap artm ent makes a

w ise first mov e. It’s harder to feel

isolated, bored or lonely in a city;

there’s too much going on and too

many p eop le around. Y our Italian

language skil ls w ill get lots of

p ractice, but at the same time you’re

more likely in a city to be able to

find fellow sp eakers of Eng lish

during those tim es w hen you just

w ant to sp eak the language of home.

W hat’s more, w ith all shop s and

serv ices on your doorstep , you’ll

more q uickly get to grip s w ith the

Italian w ay of doing things than you

might out in the w ilds.

L I V I N G I T A L I A !

City life gives you the benefi ts of

having shops on your doorstep

CU P R A M A RI TT I M A

Type of property A p a r t m en tsNumber of bedrooms 1 - 2Price € 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 – € 3 5 0 , 0 0 0Location Cu p r a M a r i tt i maContact Ca s a Tr a v e ll a L td . 0 1 3 2 2 6 6 0 9 8 8 w w w .c a sa tr a v e ll a .c o m

Th ese ne w bu il d apa rt men ts are lo cat ed in an ex clu siv e be ach fr on t

locat ion in Cupra M ar i t t ima, direct ly facing and just 10 metres f rom

the beach, some 50 metres f rom both the stat ion and al l ser vices

and less than an hour f rom either P escara or A ncona airports. The

propert ies, which is in the fi nal stages of complet ion, are being

fi n ished to a v ery h igh standard and include underfl oor heat ing and

cool ing, solar panels for heated water , double g lazed w indows, and

securi ty entry phone. A partment A is on the fi rst fl oor with i ts own

independent entrance provides about 4 3 s q m of accommodation,

consist ing of a l i v ing room w ith corner k i tchen, double bedroom with

small terrace of about 11sqm facing the sea, bathroom and storage

room: € 250 ,000 . A pa rtment B i s on the g round fl oo r and p ro v ides

about 6 3 s q m of accommodation, consist ing of an entrance hal l , l i v in g

room with corner ki tchen, double bedroom, further bedroom/ study,

bathroom and storage room and garden of about 6 9 s q m part ly to lawn

and ready for automatic i r r igat ion and light ing , with a further pav ed

a rea of some 3 7 s qm fo r B B Q a rea : € 3 25 ,000 . G a rages a re a va i lab le

separately in the underground car park i f required. R ef 3 8 3 1.

V EN I CE

Type of property A p a r t m en tNumber of bedrooms 3 + 1Price € 2 ,6 0 0 , 0 0 0Location V e ni c eContact Ca s a i ta l ia I nte r na t io na l + 3 9 0 7 4 3 2 2 0 1 2 2i nf o @ c a sa i t. it w w w .c a sa i t. it

P rest ig ious apartment with elev ator located on the main fl oor of an

histor ic palazz o in the centre of V enice with a 100sq m grand salon, a

l i v ing room, s i t t ing room, kitchen, dining room, three bedrooms and

two bathrooms. Ful ly renov ated, i t is st i l l graced with or ig inal f rescoes

and fi n i sh ings . S to rage a rea o f 4 7 s q m.

A balcony will help you m ake

the m ost of the fi ne w eather


27/100

Marnie and Cynthia

enjoying life in Rim ini

Manchester-based sisters Marnie and C ynthia W ells co-own atwo-bedroom apartment in Italy’s perennially popular A driaticseaside resort of R imini. T hey enjoy frequent visits to theapartment, together or separately with friends, and offer

holiday rentals when they’re not there.W hat drew them to Italy, and to R imini in particular? “I first came

to R imini on a friend’s crazy hen-party weekend about eight years ago,”M arnie recalls. “I hadn’t been to Italy much before then. A week in R ome,a weekend in V enice – not much beyond that, really. I had no idea what toexpect from R imini, but I loved the place immediately. It had two sides toit. T here was the hedonistic fun of the beach and the bars, but then therewas the quiet old town centre full of pretty buildings, and even some ancient

R oman bits scattered about. I loved the two different worlds existing side byside. And, of course, the weather was fantastic!

“C ynthia and I are both widows now, and I thought, ‘It’s time we hadsome fun, and did something crazy.’ So I suggested we buy a flat in R imini.To my amazement, Cynthia went for the idea straight away. W e looked intowhat holiday rentals were like in the town, and we discovered that theywere really great. W e target mainly Italian clients, as they’re the ones whomost come to R imini, and we use a locally-based agent to sort all that out,as neither of us speaks good-enough Italian. It works out well. W e tell theagent when we’re going to be visiting, so that they don’t rent out thoseweeks, and they take care of everything else.

“T he shortest visit that either of us would ever make would be aboutthree nights, I think. Yes, the journey from the airport to the apartmentis pretty short and quick, but even so, you want some proper time in

R imini to unwind and enjoy yourself. A week is better. Then there’s timeto explore other nearby places, too. W e love going inland to a little villagecalled M ontescudo where there’s one of our favourite restaurants, and wesometimes go up the coast to C esenatico or R avenna, or pop over into SanM arino for the novelty of the place.

“W e’ve met with nothing but friendliness in R imini. Yes, there are a lotof young people who come here for a wild time, but there’s still somethinga bit innocent and wholesome about the town. It’s still a great place to beif you’re older like us. T he Italians are very respectful of older people, anddon’t seem to exclude them from anything. W e’re out late at the cafés likeeveryone else. W e have a lovely time. Buying an apartment in R imini turnedout to be not so crazy after all!”

OUR APARTMEN T LIFE

P h o t o g r a p h c o u r t e s y o f M a r n i e a n d C y n t h i a W

e l l s

February 2 0 1 6 IT ALIA ! 27

Italian city apartments, likeurban homes everywhere, areparticularly good at holding theirvalue. T hey’re usually the lastproperty type to sink in price whena recession lingers. And, of course,

they rise in price when timesare good. This is because there’salmost always more demand forurban homes than there is a supply.People never stop wanting to livein cities, particularly given thatcities generally offer the greatest

job opportunities. And you can’t just keep building more and morehomes in cities to meet demand, asspace is limited. So urban homesare always a good investment.T he first-to-rise/last-to-sink pricedynamic of city properties was borneout very clearly in Italy over recentyears. As the trickle-down effectsof the international financial crisisslowly began denting propertyprices all over the country (albeitnot dramatically), it was homes inthe most coveted cities – such asRome, Venice and Florence – thatwere among the very last to sink inprice (and even then, by not quite somuch as elsewhere).

HOLIDAY RENTALSC ity apartments, as you mightexpect, enjoy particularly strong

rental prospects. Your tenants


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5

6

28 ITALIA! February 2016

L I V I N G I T A L I A !

TOP TEN CITIES FOR APARTMENTS

1

2

3

4

7

8

9

10


29/100

Property in Naples is expensive,

but the cost of living is relatively low

February2016ITALIA!29

MILAN: population 1,300,000

•2 MilanisItaly’swealthiestandprobablybest-dressedcity.Thecapitaloffinance,

fashion,designandmedia,thisisa

business-mindedmetropolisdrivenby

cool-headedworkaholicsinrazor-sharp

suits.Sleek,fast-pacedMilanmightnotbe

physicallybeautiful(beyonditsdazzling

duomo),butitofferscomfortandquality

ateveryturn.Shopping,nightlifeand

theartssceneareworld-class,andthe

lovelynorthernlakesaren’ttoofaraway.

Milan’spropertyispricey,withone-bed

apartmentsasking€200,000,andtwo-beds

about€320,000.Lotsofoldpalazzihave

beenconvertedintostylishflats. NAPLES: population 1,000,000

•6 Magnificentlysetonabreathtakingbaybesideatotemicvolcano,Naplesisan

exuberantandthoroughlybeguilingcity.

Itscheerful,free-spiritedpopulacesmiles

inthefaceofpovertyandlaughsatthe

rulesoftheroad.Ex-patsgenerallysteer

clearofNaples,fearingitspettycrime

andtrafficchaos.Butit’sanintensely

colourfulspot,andhandilyclosetoCapri

andtheAmalfiCoast.Thefoodisglorious

andthecostoflivinglow.Lotsofpeople

wanttolivehere,andpropertyismore

expensivethanyoumightexpect.One-

bedroomapartmentsinniceareasask

around€190,000onaverage,two-beds

about€260,000.Investorsshouldconsider

long-term letstolocals.

TURIN: population 900,000

•4 EnjoyingrelativelyfreshurbanairatthefootoftheAlps,industriousTurin

haselegantboulevards,baroquepalaces,

sleekboutiquesandFrenchcuisine.It’s

anappealingandunderratedplace,with

alivelycafésceneandaccesstogreat

skiing.Theoutskirtsaredominatedby

characterlessapartmentblocks,butthe

centreisattractive.Propertypricesare

quitereasonable.One-bedapartmentsgo

for€120,000onaverage;two-bedsabout

€200,000.Long-termrentalstosouthern

Italianmigrantworkersorstudentsarea

betterbetthanshort-termletstotourists.

PALERMO: population 650,000

•5 Noisy,bustlingPalermoisSicily’scapitalandtheisland’sbiggestcity,

superblysetonawidebay.Formerlya

Mafiastronghold,it’samuchimproved

andrevitalisedplacethesedays.The

city’sarchitectureisfullofexotic

elements–testamenttoSicily’scolourful

past–andtherearelotsofattractiveold

propertiestoberestored.Government

grantscancoveryourrestorationcosts,

butapplicationscantakeyearstobe

approved.Apartmentsareinexpensive,

startingatabout€1,000persqmand

rarelygoingabove€2,500persqm.

One-bedsasklessthan€100,000.

GENOA: population 600,000

•3 Zesty,colourfulGenoahasthrivedonseabornetradefor1,500yearsand

isItaly’ssecondlargestport.Eclecticin

foodandarchitecture,thiscosmopolitan

citystretchesformilesalongitscluttered

shoreline,withthemouth-watering

resortsofcoastalLigurianevertoofar

away.Forproperty,Genoacanbeoneof

thecheapestspotsinLiguria,withlarger

propertiesofferingparticularlygood

value.One-bedroomapartmentsaskabout

€150,000onaverage;two-bedsabout

€230,000.Buyershopingtoletmight

considerlong-termtenants,aswellasthe

modestholidayrentalmarkethere.

BOLOGNA: population 380,000

•7 Inexplicablyoverlookedbyforeigntourists,Bolognaisalivelyandprosperous

citywithastrikingred-brickmedievalcentre.HometoItaly’sbestrestaurants

andEurope’soldestuniversity,Bologna

isgenial,cultured,well-pacedandeasy-

going.Itoffersaveryhighqualityof

life,butlivingcostscanbesubstantial.

Propertypriceshaverisensteadily,and

thecityisconsideredagoodinvestment.

Long-termrentalprospectsfromstudents

areverygood.One-bedroomapartments

askabout€170,000onaverage,withtwo-

bedsabout€250,000.

FLORENCE: population 370,000

•8 Stuffedfullofexquisitepaintings,sculpturesandchurches,Florenceisa

magnetforloversofRenaissanceartand

architecture.TheBritishhavelongadored

thiscapitalofTuscany,andthere’sno

shortageofthemhere,alongwithother

ex-pats.PropertypricesinFlorenceare

high,havinglongshownstable,steady

growth,butthecityisconsideredagood

investment.Touristsvisitatalltimesof

theyear,andtherearealsoinnumerable

studentstorentto.Aone-bedapartment

mightask€230,000;atwo-bed€350,000.

Forallitsloveliness,notethatFlorence

canbecrowdedandtraffic-choked.

VENICE: population 270,000

•9 Oftendeemedtheworld’smostromanticcity,Veniceisauniquelybeautifulplace

thatneverleavesyouonceyou’vevisited.

Crumbling,flood-proneanddifficultto

livein,itnonethelessdrawsthousandsof

rapturousex-patsandmillionsofdazzled

visitorseveryyear.Propertypricesaresky-

high,butholidayrentalprospectssuperb.

PricesareastronomicalontheGrand

Canal,andlowestnearthetrainandbus

stations,inCannaregio,andinother

less-touristyareas.Lovelyoldbuildingsare

generallyhigh-maintenanceand

pronetodamp.Newerdevelopmentsonthe

city’speripherycanbesleekand

well-designed.Expectmostone-bed

apartmentstoaskatleast€300,000.

PERUGIA: population 170,000

•10 Umbria’sbewitchingcapitalcityisasmallplace–befittingthisregionoftiny

settlementsfilledtothebrimwithhistoryandelegantarchitecture.Population-wise,

PerugiaisonlyItaly’s24th-biggestcity,

butitdeservesinclusionherebecause

itofferssuchgoodinvestment.It’snot

overpriced,ithaslotsoftourists,lots

ofstudents–bothgivinggoodrental

prospects–anditgiveseasyaccessto

glorioussurroundingcountryside(where

propertyismoreexpensivethaninthe

cityitself).One-bedsaveragearound

€100,000,two-beds€180,000.

ROME: population 2,750,000

•1 Italy’sbrash,loud,vibrantcapitalisaconfident,thick-skinnedplace,secure

initsachievementsandcompletely

unsurprisedtoreceive12millionvisitors

ayear.ForallRome’sexpenseand

congestion,ahighproportionofex-pats

whosettledownhere‘forawhile’never

gohomeagain.Propertypricesare,as

youwouldexpect,veryhigh.Apartments

rangefrom€2,500-€5,000persqm,

withone-bedroomplacesaskingabout

€300,000onaverage;two-bedsabout

€400,000.Holidayrentalprospectsare

excellent,asarelong-termletstostudents

orprofessionals.


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3 0 IT A LIA ! Feb r u a r y 2 0 1 6

LIV IN G ITA LIA !

couldbelong-term(localpeople),

medium -term(studentsand

visitingbusinesspeople)orshort-

term(tourists)–dependingon

whichclienteleyouwishtotarget.

Short-termletstoholidaymakers

areparticularlyusefultoforeign

ownerssuchasyourself,becauseyou

cancomeandstayatthepropertyin

between,andarrangeclientsaround

yourownvisits.

Citypropertieshaveaspecialadvantagewhenitcomestoholiday

rentalprospects,andthat’sthe

lengthoftherentalseason.W hile

hom esinthecountryside,onthe

seasideoronthelakesidecan

generallyexpecttohaverental

clientsfromMaytoOctober,and

skihomesduringthewinter,citypropertiesgetvisitorsalltheyear

round.Plentyofpeopletakecity

breaksduringthecoldermonths

italia! - february 2016

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