Italy Magazine Issue 59 - February 2008

WHEN I had my first February in Italy, it was several days before I realised that the confetti on the ground was not from a mass wedding throughout the country but in fact the remnants of everyone enjoying the month of Carnevale. Oh what fun Italy is this time of year! Whilst other people around the world wait in fear or excitement for the celebration of Valentine’s day to arrive, the Italians take this as a month to celebrate, whether single or not.
Who better to celebrate with than the King of Carnival – Casanova, the ultimate Italian lover who had a lifetime of wooing women, particularly in Venice, and we see how his sad past might explain why he treated women in the casual way that he did. This time of year is about indulgence in every sense, so of course it’s also the time for eating more delicious food (see page 32) and Germaine Stafford shows us how to make delicacies such as struffoli and semolina cheesecake and we catch up with the next in our ‘Table Talk’ series with author Susanna Tamaro, who lets us into some secrets about her favourite dish and what keeps her in shape.

Melissa Ormiston - Italy Magazine Editor

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Read on for the contents of the February Issue.

sense of place

A cold February evening finds Milan’s Parco Sempione wreathed in fog but one brave couple take advantage of the quiet

an infinite landscape

We explore the main attractions of the southern part of Le Marche with Lucia Cattaneo

romance between the sea and the sky

Jesper Storgaard Jensen takes us for a stroll along Lovers’ Lane in the Cinque Terre

letters

what's on

Our guide to the most interesting events in Italy in midwinter

insight and news

dual language

– silken artworks of Como
In this month’s dual language feature, Martin Gani tells us how Como has become the centre of the Italian silk industry

king of the carnival

At this season of Carnevale, Rosalind Giselle looks at the life and times of Giacomo Casanova

Italian journalists’ awards ceremony

Along with the elite of Italian journalism, italy magazine’s publisher, Peter Shaw is singled out for a prestigious award

book reviews

seeing the Sistine after hours

Christine Webb lets us into the secret of avoiding the crowds at one of the world’s major attractions

Enrico Fiorentini: master of marble

Christine Webb explores one of Rome’s artistic centres and meets a master craftsman

through a rose garden

Dresses are back, glowing with floral fabrics, as Gilly Turney discovers

v i n t age furniture

Margaret Collina meets the author of a new book identifying furniture likely to be a good investment

LA DOLCE VITA with VIVA ITALIA

a Taste of Tuscany

In our SPECIAL REVIEW SECTION, John Vitale takes a look at a few of the wonderful reasons to take a trip to this beautiful region

simply illuminating

Monica Moretti questions the founders of one of Italy’s top lighting companies about their thoughts on simplicity of design

business

In our regular feature, Emma Bird looks at obtaining micro credit, working and studying with a toddler and social networking in Milan

and finally ...

sangiovese superstars

Marc Millon continues his exploration of the great grapes of Italy with wines made from Sangiovese

a Carnevale, ogni dolce vale!

One of Italy’s great creators of sweetmeats shares her secrets with Germaine Stafford

table talk: Susanna Tamaro

Germaine Stafford questions well-known Italians on their attitudes to food

what’s available in… the Cor tona area

Fabio Bartolini looks at the property market in this popular Tuscan city

project paradise

In this issue, Ian Morley turns his attention to the garden

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