News from the Consulate
News from Italy
Consulate of Italy in Detroit
NEWS
from Italy
Cuban president Raul Castro has praised
Pope Francis for brokering the restoration
of relations between Cuba and the United
States. Secret negotiations to put an end
to more than five decades of hostilities
were carried out inside the Vatican. In
a visit to the United States this fall, the
pope will stopover in Cuba in September.
“I’m very happy to thank the pontiff for
what he has done to begin solving the
problems of the U.S. and Cuba,” said
Castro. The Communist leader visited
the pope at the Vatican after a visit to
Moscow. Very popular in Latin America,
Pope Francis has repeatedly called
for the U.S. trade embargo to be lifted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - The Pope is scheduled to deliver 22 speeches
during his 8-day visit to South America
in July. His visits include Ecuador, Bolivia
and Paraguay. The pontiff has no plans to
visit his homeland of Argentina. At his
first stop, in Ecuador, he will celebrate a
Mass. He will also meet with President
Rafael Correa. On July 8, the Pope will
meet with Evo Morales, the President of
Italian translation on page 17
Bolivia. The next day, he will meet with
President Horacio Cortez of Paraguay.
The pontiff returns to Rome on July 13.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - “A British exit from the European
Union would be a disaster for the United
Kingdom,” said Italian Foreign Minister
Paolo Gentiloni. The British Conservative
party leader, David Cameron, has promised
a national vote on the issue. An election
would likely be held in 2017. Gentiloni
is confident a withdrawal will not happen.
Calendar of Events in Ohio
If the UK votes to leave, many British
citizens will lose jobs in the Euro zone.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - Italy is looking for UN support to
prosecute those people smuggling migrants.
The smuggling gangs are believed to be
in Libya. The Italian navy has located an
80 ft. boat which sank with up to 750
migrants on board. It was found at a depth
of 1,230 ft. off the Libyan coast. Only
28 people survived the disaster. The boat
is said to be the one that sank this past
April. Sicilian prosecutors have opened an
investigation into the tragedy, the worst loss
of life in the Mediterranean in recent years.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - Palermo, Sicily has a new police station.
It was formerly the hideout of a former
organized crime boss. Italy’s carabineers
hosted a major event at the new station, one
at which the Interior Minister, Angelino
Alfano, attended. The new police facility
had been the safehouse of “The Beast”
(nicknamed because of his cruelty), who
had holed up on the property for nearly
20 years while evading the police. He is
now serving a life term for his crimes.
The new station has been named after
two carabineers that were slain in 1983.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - The European Commission in Brussels,
Belgium is investigating complaints that
visitors to Venice are being overcharged.
They claim tourists are charged for services
more than the Venetians pay, such as
transport (vaportetti/water buses) and
museum tickets (Doges Palace). Locals can
access Venice’s Wi-Fi service for free, while
overseas visitors and the rest of Italy have to
pay. The inflated prices paid by tourists in
Venice have long been a source of irritation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - How about an espresso in space? It’s
been done and the “brew-master” is
Samantha
Cristoforetti,
Italy’s
first
female astronaut. Her specially designed
coffee machine, designed for use in zerogravity, produced a cup. Cristoforetti
is a captain in the Italian Air Force.
Her coffee maker was made by Lavazza,
Italy’s 120-year-old coffee company and
Arotec, a Turin-based engineering firm.
Espresso coffee is part of a planning
program to boost the spirits of astronauts
who endure long missions in orbit.
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Phyllis Seltzer: The Italian Works, Paintings and Heat Transfer Prints
Thursday, May 14 Saturday June, 20, 2015
The Galleries at Cleveland State
University, 1307 Euclid Avenue,
Cleveland
Free opening reception on
Friday, May 29, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
“Phyllis
Seltzer:
The
Italian
Works,
Paintings
and Heat Transfer Prints”
The celebrated Cleveland
artist,
Phyllis
Seltzer,
primarily known for her
iconic paintings of Cleveland,
is also a part-time resident of
Venice, Italy. Her lesser-known
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July-November 2015
Western Reserve Historical Society
“Next Stop: Italy” – A journey
to discover Italy: its brilliance,
innovation,
and
excellence,
anchored in the present and
driven by an unparalleled past.
This exhibition encourages
reading and art appreciation
through the pairing of the
works by 12 celebrated Italian
photographers:
Gabriele
Basilico,
Gianni
Berengo
Gardin, Mario Cresci, Renato
D’Agostin, Andrea Galvani,
Luigi Ghirri, Mimmo Jodice,
and never-before seen in
Cleveland “Italian Works” will
be the focus of this exhibition.
Seltzer’s works are part of
numerous public coll X