January 21, 2013
Italian tax dodgers uncovered by the Redditometro

The Italian authorities have been accused of resorting to police state-style tactics with the introduction of a new weapon to hunt down the nation’s many tax dodgers.

The new procedure makes it possible to scrutinise any family’s spending pattern, and compare this with what it says it earns.

Tax evasion in Italy has been a chronic problem for generations.

The authorities say the equivalent of nearly 120bn euros (£100bn, $160bn) worth of revenue is lost every year.

And the nation’s army of tax inspectors desperately needs more firepower.

But some commentators have been outraged by this month’s launch of what is called the Redditometro - the Income Meter.

It has been described as unacceptably intrusive, the sort of thing that East Germany’s secret police might have dreamt up.

9:20pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxcJoHuX
Filed under: Italy Tax Tax Evasion Spending Redditometro 
January 19, 2013
Italy: Heartbroken Dog Goes to Church to Wait for Dead Owner After the death of its owner two months ago, a brokenhearted dog waits in vain in the church where her funeral was held. Many years ago, Maria Lochi of San Donaci, Italy, found a stray dog abandoned in a field near her home and adopted it. The dog followed her everywhere, including to church for weekly mass. After her funeral, Father Donato Panna let the dog come to Mass to wait patiently: ‘He’s still coming to Mass even after Maria’s funeral, he waits patiently by the side of the altar and just sits there quietly. I didn’t have the heart to throw him out - I’ve just recently lost my own dog so I leave him there until Mass finishes and then I let him out. ‘Tommy’s been adopted by everyone in the village now and he is everybody’s friend. Everyone looks out for him and leaves food for him - although it would be nice to find a proper home for him.’ (via Neatorama)

Italy: Heartbroken Dog Goes to Church to Wait for Dead Owner

After the death of its owner two months ago, a brokenhearted dog waits in vain in the church where her funeral was held.

Many years ago, Maria Lochi of San Donaci, Italy, found a stray dog abandoned in a field near her home and adopted it. The dog followed her everywhere, including to church for weekly mass. After her funeral, Father Donato Panna let the dog come to Mass to wait patiently:

‘He’s still coming to Mass even after Maria’s funeral, he waits patiently by the side of the altar and just sits there quietly. I didn’t have the heart to throw him out - I’ve just recently lost my own dog so I leave him there until Mass finishes and then I let him out.
‘Tommy’s been adopted by everyone in the village now and he is everybody’s friend. Everyone looks out for him and leaves food for him - although it would be nice to find a proper home for him.’

(via Neatorama)

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(Notes: 4)
  
Filed under: Italy San Donachi Animals Dogs Pets Church 
January 19, 2013
Rome, Italy Ancient graffiti recently discovered during restoration work is seen inside a gallery of the Colosseum. A long-delayed restoration of the Colosseum’s only intact internal passageway has yielded ancient traces of red, black and blue frescoes as well as graffiti and drawings of phallic symbols. (via guardian.co.uk)

Rome, Italy

Ancient graffiti recently discovered during restoration work is seen inside a gallery of the Colosseum. A long-delayed restoration of the Colosseum’s only intact internal passageway has yielded ancient traces of red, black and blue frescoes as well as graffiti and drawings of phallic symbols. (via guardian.co.uk)

9:14am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxc6Zd1i
Filed under: Italy Rome Colosseum Archaeology Restoration Photography 
December 9, 2012
Gladiator general’s tomb falls victim to Italy’s austerity cuts

On its discovery in 2008, it was hailed as one of the most significant Roman finds in decades. Digging down between the railway line and mechanics’ workshops where the Tiber winds its way north out of Rome, archeologists found the remains of a 45ft high structure fronted by four columns. This was what was left of the luxurious tomb of Marcus Nonius Macrinus, the swaggering Roman general whose ceaseless campaigning in the 2nd century helped inspire Russell Crowe’s film Gladiator.

But now cuts mean the tomb may be buried all over again, according to Rome’s extremely unhappy state superintendent for archaeology. “I fear we are going to take into serious consideration the idea of protecting these sensational finds by re-covering the entire site with earth,” said Mariarosaria Barbera.

Today, Macrinus’s last resting place – in an industrial wasteland in the suburbs of Rome – appears forgotten. Delicately carved white capitals which were miraculously preserved for 1,800 years under thick clay now sit, discoloured by air pollution, in pools of rainwater, while cracks caused by winter ice have appeared in the stonework.

With funding for maintenance of Italy’s archeological sites slashed by 20% since 2010 thanks to austerity cuts, the €2m-€3m (£1.6m-£2.4m) needed to preserve the tomb will not be available unless a sponsor is found soon, according to Barbera.

Covering up precious discoveries to protect them is getting more common in Italy as funding shrinks, she added. “Until now it has usually happened when remains are not that significant or monumental. In this case they clearly are.” (via The Observer)

7:23am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxYzamKZ
Filed under: Italy Rome Tomb Mausoleum Marcus Nonius Macrinus Ancient Rome Discoveries Archaeology Austerity Eurozone Eurozone Financial Crisis 
November 30, 2012
Italy: Who Are These Eurotrippers Swimming Around in the Open Sewer That Is Venice? There are so many reasons not to go swimming in the open sewer that is St. Mark’s Square in Venice right now. The first is that the weather in Venice was 57°F and overcast – not great swimming weather. The second is that the water currently flooding Venice is so dirty we don’t even have time here to describe all the ways in which it is dirty. Venice’s sewage flows right into its lagoon, which has now flowed right back into Venice. St. Mark’s square is famous for the hoards of pigeons that make their homes and bathrooms there. Even if the water flooding Venice had come straight from a giant bottle of Evian, you probably still wouldn’t want to swim in it, because, unlike a swimming pool, Venice is not a swimming pool. Like many streets, these are coated with traces of old food, dog urine, and drunk Eurotrippers’ vomit. There are so many unidentifiable nouns floating in it. The water is not, as we say on Jeopardy, a potent potable. The third is that, rather than go for a swim in the open sewer that is Venice, locals have been trudging around in rubber boots, with garbage bags strapped all the way up to their thighs, so that they do not come into contact with the water. (via Gawker)

Italy: Who Are These Eurotrippers Swimming Around in the Open Sewer That Is Venice?

There are so many reasons not to go swimming in the open sewer that is St. Mark’s Square in Venice right now.

The first is that the weather in Venice was 57°F and overcast – not great swimming weather.

The second is that the water currently flooding Venice is so dirty we don’t even have time here to describe all the ways in which it is dirty. Venice’s sewage flows right into its lagoon, which has now flowed right back into Venice. St. Mark’s square is famous for the hoards of pigeons that make their homes and bathrooms there. Even if the water flooding Venice had come straight from a giant bottle of Evian, you probably still wouldn’t want to swim in it, because, unlike a swimming pool, Venice is not a swimming pool. Like many streets, these are coated with traces of old food, dog urine, and drunk Eurotrippers’ vomit. There are so many unidentifiable nouns floating in it. The water is not, as we say on Jeopardy, a potent potable.

The third is that, rather than go for a swim in the open sewer that is Venice, locals have been trudging around in rubber boots, with garbage bags strapped all the way up to their thighs, so that they do not come into contact with the water. (via Gawker)

8:18pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxYN9xBL
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Filed under: Italy Venice St Mark's Square Flooding Swimming Swimmers 
November 26, 2012
Italy: Beppe Grillo: a comedian to be taken seriously Nobody quite knows what to make of the “Five Star movement” in Italy which is emerging as the surprise winner of this week’s Sicilian elections. But one thing is for sure: all the traditional parties are terrified of what might happen in the general elections, which will probably be held in spring 2013. This political movement, led by Beppe Grillo – a volcanic comedian with a huge mop of shaggy greying hair – is threatening to tear Italy’s political establishment apart. The rise of the movement has been sudden. In local elections in May 2012, a Five Star representative was elected mayor of Parma, one of Italy’s richest cities, which until the late 1990s was a centre-left stronghold, and was then governed (badly and dishonestly) by Silvio Berlusconi’s party for more than a decade. And in Sicily, the Five Star movement gained more votes than any other party and had 15 regional councillors elected. In typical exuberant fashion, Grillo had swum across the Straits of Messina (3km) to launch his campaign. So, who is Grillo and what is the Five Star movement? The first part is easier to answer. Grillo is 64 years old and from Genoa. He was a popular and clever comedian who starred on Italian TV in the 1970s and 1980s. Then he did something unthinkable: he called Bettino Craxi’s Socialist party “thieves” on national television. This led to his banishment for a number of years, and in the meantime Grillo built up a huge audience with a series of ferocious shows across Italy. For a long time, Grillo was anti-technology: his show would end with him smashing up a computer. But then he embraced the internet. He understood, before almost anyone else in Italy, the political potential of the web and its ability to undercut the country’s stifling and boring media monopolies and party-controlled news outlets. Thus, via his incredibly popular blog, and latterly through Twitter, he began to spread a potent anti-political message. This linked up with both a long-running hatred and distrust of politicians among many Italian voters, and the exacerbation of these deeply rooted tendencies during the Berlusconian era (1994-12), a time of almost obscene levels of corruption, patronage, clientelism and cronyism at all levels. (via guardian.co.uk)

Italy: Beppe Grillo: a comedian to be taken seriously

Nobody quite knows what to make of the “Five Star movement” in Italy which is emerging as the surprise winner of this week’s Sicilian elections. But one thing is for sure: all the traditional parties are terrified of what might happen in the general elections, which will probably be held in spring 2013. This political movement, led by Beppe Grillo – a volcanic comedian with a huge mop of shaggy greying hair – is threatening to tear Italy’s political establishment apart.

The rise of the movement has been sudden. In local elections in May 2012, a Five Star representative was elected mayor of Parma, one of Italy’s richest cities, which until the late 1990s was a centre-left stronghold, and was then governed (badly and dishonestly) by Silvio Berlusconi’s party for more than a decade. And in Sicily, the Five Star movement gained more votes than any other party and had 15 regional councillors elected. In typical exuberant fashion, Grillo had swum across the Straits of Messina (3km) to launch his campaign.

So, who is Grillo and what is the Five Star movement? The first part is easier to answer. Grillo is 64 years old and from Genoa. He was a popular and clever comedian who starred on Italian TV in the 1970s and 1980s. Then he did something unthinkable: he called Bettino Craxi’s Socialist party “thieves” on national television. This led to his banishment for a number of years, and in the meantime Grillo built up a huge audience with a series of ferocious shows across Italy.

For a long time, Grillo was anti-technology: his show would end with him smashing up a computer. But then he embraced the internet. He understood, before almost anyone else in Italy, the political potential of the web and its ability to undercut the country’s stifling and boring media monopolies and party-controlled news outlets. Thus, via his incredibly popular blog, and latterly through Twitter, he began to spread a potent anti-political message. This linked up with both a long-running hatred and distrust of politicians among many Italian voters, and the exacerbation of these deeply rooted tendencies during the Berlusconian era (1994-12), a time of almost obscene levels of corruption, patronage, clientelism and cronyism at all levels. (via guardian.co.uk)

5:32am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxY43WrM
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: Italy Sicily Five Star Movement Politics Beppe Grillo Elections Internet Populism 
November 4, 2012
Venice, Italy A man walks on the flooded Saint Mark’s square during an acqua alta (high waters) flooding (via Telegraph)

Venice, Italy

A man walks on the flooded Saint Mark’s square during an acqua alta (high waters) flooding (via Telegraph)

7:23am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxWa1Jjq
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Filed under: Italy Venice Rain Flooding St. Mark's Square Acqua Alta High Waters Photography 
November 2, 2012
Venice, Italy People walk in through St. Mark’s Square, where flooding has left the landmark under 24 inches of water (via guardian.co.uk)

Venice, Italy

People walk in through St. Mark’s Square, where flooding has left the landmark under 24 inches of water (via guardian.co.uk)

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Filed under: Flooding Italy Photography Rain St Mark's Square Venice St. Mark's Square 
October 30, 2012
Italy: Venice cruise liner row escalates A row in Venice over the cruise liners that clog the city’s canals has intensified, with supporters planning a rally to defend tourism and opponents saying the ships are turning the area into Disneyland. Two cruise ships a day currently sail down Venice’s narrow Giudecca canal, offering passengers spectacular views as they tower over St Marks Square but, according to protesters, polluting the delicate eco system of the lagoon and shaking the fragile foundations of the city. Local demonstrators who took to the Giudecca canal in small boats in September were confronted by a heavy police presence and buzzed by a police helicopter. In response to their protest, port workers will meet at Venice’s cruise ship port on Tuesday in solidarity with the two million tourists who arrive on 650 ships annually. (via guardian.co.uk)

Italy: Venice cruise liner row escalates

A row in Venice over the cruise liners that clog the city’s canals has intensified, with supporters planning a rally to defend tourism and opponents saying the ships are turning the area into Disneyland.

Two cruise ships a day currently sail down Venice’s narrow Giudecca canal, offering passengers spectacular views as they tower over St Marks Square but, according to protesters, polluting the delicate eco system of the lagoon and shaking the fragile foundations of the city.

Local demonstrators who took to the Giudecca canal in small boats in September were confronted by a heavy police presence and buzzed by a police helicopter.

In response to their protest, port workers will meet at Venice’s cruise ship port on Tuesday in solidarity with the two million tourists who arrive on 650 ships annually. (via guardian.co.uk)

3:42am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxWFO0wU
(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: Italy Venice Travel Tourism Cruises Cruise Ships Cruise Liners Protest Demonstration Giudecca Canal 
October 28, 2012

Italy: Silvio Berlusconi says tax fraud verdict is politically motivated

The former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, responds on one of his own TV channels to his conviction for tax fraud related to his Mediaset TV company. Political opponents celebrate the four-year prison sentence. Italians on the street in Rome on Saturday are divided in their opinion on the conviction (via guardian.co.uk)

10:04am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxW6-Y1g
Filed under: Italy Silvio Berlusconi Politics Fraud Tax Fraud Mediaset Rome Video 
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