April 19, 2012
Milan, Italy A sculpture goes on show at the Temporary Museum For New Design during 2012 Milan Design Week. (via BBC News)

Milan, Italy

A sculpture goes on show at the Temporary Museum For New Design during 2012 Milan Design Week. (via BBC News)

1:03pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxJwDeN5
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Filed under: Italy Milan Temporary Museum Temporary Museum For New Design Milan Design Week Sculpture Art Photography 
December 13, 2011
Italy: Silvio Berlusconi ‘believed Ruby the Heart Stealer’s Mubarak claim’ Silvio Berlusconi believed Karima el Mahroug, a nightclub dancer dubbed Ruby The Heart Stealer when she told him she was the granddaughter of the then Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, a court in Milan was told on Monday. His lawyers insisted he was convinced by the improbable story and intervened to have the young woman released from a theft charge in May 2010 because he feared her detention could cause a diplomatic incident between Rome and Cairo. Mr Berlusconi, 75, put pressure on police in Milan to have the teenager, Karima El Mahroug, who is of Moroccan rather than Egyptian origin, released from custody during telephone calls made from his offices in Rome. The defence said that as soon as he realised that Miss El Mahroug’s claim to being related to the former Egyptian leader was false, he broke off all contact with her. He chose not to intervene on her behalf when she became involved with the police on three subsequent occasions, in June 2010. But defence lawyers strongly contested that version of events, saying the only reason the former premier did not intercede was because by that time she was in the care of one of his close associates, whose role was to allegedly prevent her from making any embarrassing revelations. (via Telegraph)

Italy: Silvio Berlusconi ‘believed Ruby the Heart Stealer’s Mubarak claim’

Silvio Berlusconi believed Karima el Mahroug, a nightclub dancer dubbed Ruby The Heart Stealer when she told him she was the granddaughter of the then Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, a court in Milan was told on Monday.

His lawyers insisted he was convinced by the improbable story and intervened to have the young woman released from a theft charge in May 2010 because he feared her detention could cause a diplomatic incident between Rome and Cairo.

Mr Berlusconi, 75, put pressure on police in Milan to have the teenager, Karima El Mahroug, who is of Moroccan rather than Egyptian origin, released from custody during telephone calls made from his offices in Rome.

The defence said that as soon as he realised that Miss El Mahroug’s claim to being related to the former Egyptian leader was false, he broke off all contact with her.

He chose not to intervene on her behalf when she became involved with the police on three subsequent occasions, in June 2010.

But defence lawyers strongly contested that version of events, saying the only reason the former premier did not intercede was because by that time she was in the care of one of his close associates, whose role was to allegedly prevent her from making any embarrassing revelations. (via Telegraph)

1:39pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxDCJ_bZ
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Filed under: Italy Milan Silvio Berlusconi Karima el Mahroug Ruby the Heart Stealer Ruby the Heartstealer Ruby the Heart Thief Ruby Heart Thief Hosni Mubarakk Diplomacy Bunga Bunga 
December 12, 2011
Stolen corpse of Italian TV legend is found in a ditch The gothic saga regarding the fate of Italy’s best-loved television personality is to have a happy ending after all. Eleven months after thieves stole the corpse of Mike Bongiorno, the Italian “TV Quiz King”, from his tomb by Lake Maggiore, police have found the coffin containing his remains, and his family is now preparing a cremation to prevent further ghoulish activities. “We want to cremate his body to protect it,” said his widow, Daniela Zuccoli. Police were called on Thursday when a passer-by saw the coffin in a ditch on the outskirts of Milan. It is thought the coffin had been dumped there overnight. Ms Zuccoli discounted the chances of one last wish for Bongiorno, who died in September 2009. “I imagine that Mike would have liked to have his ashes scattered on the Matterhorn. But I fear that religion and the law won’t permit that.” (via The Independent)

Stolen corpse of Italian TV legend is found in a ditch

The gothic saga regarding the fate of Italy’s best-loved television personality is to have a happy ending after all.

Eleven months after thieves stole the corpse of Mike Bongiorno, the Italian “TV Quiz King”, from his tomb by Lake Maggiore, police have found the coffin containing his remains, and his family is now preparing a cremation to prevent further ghoulish activities.

“We want to cremate his body to protect it,” said his widow, Daniela Zuccoli. Police were called on Thursday when a passer-by saw the coffin in a ditch on the outskirts of Milan. It is thought the coffin had been dumped there overnight.

Ms Zuccoli discounted the chances of one last wish for Bongiorno, who died in September 2009. “I imagine that Mike would have liked to have his ashes scattered on the Matterhorn. But I fear that religion and the law won’t permit that.” (via The Independent)

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Filed under: Italy Lake Maggiore Milan Corpse Grave-Robbing Mike Bongiorno 
December 7, 2011
Italy: one in five ballerinas at La Scala is anorexic, leading dancer claims On the eve of the new season at Milan’s La Scala, one of the ballet company’s leading lights has dramatically revealed the extent of bulimia and anorexia among ballerinas. Breaking an unspoken rule never to discuss eating disorders among Italy’s elite dance corps, Mariafrancesca Garritano told the Observer that one in five ballerinas that she knew was anorexic and, as a result, many were now unable to have children. “The chance of getting fired has crossed my mind, but I love La Scala, I care about it, and that’s why I really hope things can change,” said Garritano, 33, who won a fiercely contested place at the company’s academy when she was 16. One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious theatres, La Scala opens its new season on Wednesday with Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. The event traditionally draws the cream of Italian politics and industry as well as foreign royalty. To launch its 2012 season, the company will take up an invitation to perform at the newly restored Bolshoi in Moscow before returning to Milan in January for Manzotti’s ballet Excelsior, which was first premiered at the theatre in 1881 and will star Roberto Bolle in the new season. But behind the glittering globe-trotting profile of the company, all is not well with the dancers, said Garritano, who has previously told all in a book, The Truth, Please, About Ballet. (via The Observer)

Italy: one in five ballerinas at La Scala is anorexic, leading dancer claims

On the eve of the new season at Milan’s La Scala, one of the ballet company’s leading lights has dramatically revealed the extent of bulimia and anorexia among ballerinas.

Breaking an unspoken rule never to discuss eating disorders among Italy’s elite dance corps, Mariafrancesca Garritano told the Observer that one in five ballerinas that she knew was anorexic and, as a result, many were now unable to have children. “The chance of getting fired has crossed my mind, but I love La Scala, I care about it, and that’s why I really hope things can change,” said Garritano, 33, who won a fiercely contested place at the company’s academy when she was 16.

One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious theatres, La Scala opens its new season on Wednesday with Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. The event traditionally draws the cream of Italian politics and industry as well as foreign royalty. To launch its 2012 season, the company will take up an invitation to perform at the newly restored Bolshoi in Moscow before returning to Milan in January for Manzotti’s ballet Excelsior, which was first premiered at the theatre in 1881 and will star Roberto Bolle in the new season.

But behind the glittering globe-trotting profile of the company, all is not well with the dancers, said Garritano, who has previously told all in a book, The Truth, Please, About Ballet. (via The Observer)

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Filed under: Italy Milan La Scala Ballet Ballet Comany Ballerinas Mariafrancesca Garritano Anorexia Bulimia Eating Disorders Infertility Dance Dancing Dancers 
November 19, 2011
Milan, Italy Carabinieri paramilitary police clash with demonstrators during a protest (via Reuters.com)

Milan, Italy

Carabinieri paramilitary police clash with demonstrators during a protest (via Reuters.com)

4:37am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxC6o3gk
Filed under: Milan Italy Protest Demonstration Protesters Police Carabinieri Photography 
October 27, 2011
Milan, Italy A concept picture of the world’s first forest in the sky, the Bosco Verticale green twin towers currently under construction. The world’s first forest in the sky will have trees tree equal to one hectare of forest spanning 27 floors. These 365 and 260 foot emerald twin towers will be home to 730 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 ground cover plants. The towers, which are still under construction, are the brainchild of architect Stefano Boeri. (via Telegraph)

Milan, Italy

A concept picture of the world’s first forest in the sky, the Bosco Verticale green twin towers currently under construction. The world’s first forest in the sky will have trees tree equal to one hectare of forest spanning 27 floors. These 365 and 260 foot emerald twin towers will be home to 730 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 ground cover plants. The towers, which are still under construction, are the brainchild of architect Stefano Boeri. (via Telegraph)

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Filed under: Italy Milan Architecture Towers Forestry Green Buildings Trees Shrubs Construction Green Construction 
October 20, 2011
Italy’s black widow refuses day release as she does not want to work Italy’s “black widow”, the wealthy socialite who paid a hit man to murder her husband, the multi-millionaire heir to Gucci, has refused to leave jail on day release because she will not lower herself to do a menial job. Patrizia Reggiani has been in jail ever since being convicted of the killing in 1998. More than a decade later, she was the prospect of day release from Milan’s San Vittore prison, if she will accept a menial job such as working as a waitress. But the 63-year-old, whose extravagant tastes included spending 10,000 euros a month on orchids, told a court in Milan: “I’ve never worked in my life and I’m certainly not going to start now.” Her peremptory refusal of the day release deal echoed one of her more famous quotes: “I would rather weep in a Rolls-Royce than be happy on a bicycle.” Instead she intends to serve the rest of her 26-year sentence in her jail cell, where she reportedly lavishes affection on a collection of pot plants and a pet ferret. She will continue to be allowed to make twice-monthly visits to her ageing mother, who lives in a lavish palazzo in central Milan – a reminder of the cosseted lifestyle Mrs Reggiani used to enjoy. (via Telegraph)

Italy’s black widow refuses day release as she does not want to work

Italy’s “black widow”, the wealthy socialite who paid a hit man to murder her husband, the multi-millionaire heir to Gucci, has refused to leave jail on day release because she will not lower herself to do a menial job.

Patrizia Reggiani has been in jail ever since being convicted of the killing in 1998. More than a decade later, she was the prospect of day release from Milan’s San Vittore prison, if she will accept a menial job such as working as a waitress.

But the 63-year-old, whose extravagant tastes included spending 10,000 euros a month on orchids, told a court in Milan: “I’ve never worked in my life and I’m certainly not going to start now.”

Her peremptory refusal of the day release deal echoed one of her more famous quotes: “I would rather weep in a Rolls-Royce than be happy on a bicycle.”

Instead she intends to serve the rest of her 26-year sentence in her jail cell, where she reportedly lavishes affection on a collection of pot plants and a pet ferret.

She will continue to be allowed to make twice-monthly visits to her ageing mother, who lives in a lavish palazzo in central Milan – a reminder of the cosseted lifestyle Mrs Reggiani used to enjoy. (via Telegraph)

3:39pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxAv02yI
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Filed under: Gucci Italy Milan Murder Patrizia Reggiani San Vittore Prison Prison Criminals 
October 10, 2011
Italy: Milan bans cars for 10 hours to reduce smog Milan on Sunday banned all traffic from its streets for 10 hours in an attempt to reduce smog. The measure, which was first imposed on a trial basis four years ago, is triggered whenever pollution exceeds the statutory limit for 12 consecutive days. The last time the ban was enforced was in February. Public transport will be increased during the day. Milan, in the north of Italy, is one of the most polluted cities in Europe. In 2008 it was crowned the Continent’s most polluted city. An estimated 120,000 vehicles were expected to be affected by the move, which came into effect between 8am and 6pm local time. (via The Telegraph)

Italy: Milan bans cars for 10 hours to reduce smog

Milan on Sunday banned all traffic from its streets for 10 hours in an attempt to reduce smog.

The measure, which was first imposed on a trial basis four years ago, is triggered whenever pollution exceeds the statutory limit for 12 consecutive days.

The last time the ban was enforced was in February. Public transport will be increased during the day.

Milan, in the north of Italy, is one of the most polluted cities in Europe. In 2008 it was crowned the Continent’s most polluted city.

An estimated 120,000 vehicles were expected to be affected by the move, which came into effect between 8am and 6pm local time. (via The Telegraph)

9:58pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxAWjoJZ
(Notes: 11)
  
Filed under: Italy Milan Pollution Smog Motoring Cars Vehicles Driving Bans Driving Bans 
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