Articles by: Kayla Pantano

According to the “Italians in the World” report conducted by the the Italian Catholic Bishops Conference's Migrantes Foundation, more than 100,000 Italians emigrated in 2015—a 6% increase from 2014. Released on October 6, the report tracked the number of people on the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad (AIRE), and also revealed a shift in the age, marital status, and gender among the expats.

Out of the total 107,529 Italians who left their homeland, 36.7% (39,410) were aged 18-34, 60.2% were unmarried, and 56.1% (over 60,000) were men. While millennials have the highest average level of education, in response to high unemployment levels and low salaries they are relocating in hopes of more opportunities overseas.

Adults ranging from 35-49 accounted for 25.8% with minors placing in a close third at 20.7%, including 13,807 of which not yet 10. Only 6.2% were over 65, totaling close to 2,000 aged 75-84 and only 637 aged over 85. There was a rise in departures across all aged groups, except the latter, which dropped from 7,205 to 6,572.

The regions people emigrated from the most were Lombardy (20,088) and Veneto (10,374) of Italy's prosperous north, followed by Sicily (9,823), Lazio (8,436), Piedmont (8,199), and Emilia Romagna (7,644). Typically, southern Italians account for the majority of those moving abroad, which makes this shift even more surprising. While Lombardy continues to report a high GDP per capita, a high rate of growth, and low unemployment, this report shows that even Italians from wealthier regions believe they will find a higher quality of life elsewhere.

Of the expats, 69.2% moved throughout Europe. Records show that Germany (16,568) was the preferred destination, with Britain (16,503) not far behind. Switzerland (11,441) and France (10,728) were the next most popular countries. However, emigration to South America dropped 14.9%, while that to Central and North America were stable. Only 352 Italians moved somewhere outside of Europe and the Americas.

The report also revealed that as of January 1, 2016, more than 4.6 million Italians currently reside abroad, up 3.7% from the previous year. Of these, 50.8% hail from the south and 48.1% are women, with more than 50% living in Europe and 40.6% in the Americas. Since the study began running in 2005, this outbound trend has swelled by almost 50% percent.

"Mobility is a resource," the report noted. "But it becomes harmful if it is one-way, in other words when it is a hemorrhage of talent and skills from one place, with no corresponding return." 

Italian President Sergio Mattarella echoed similar concerns saying in a statement that the study "forces us to look for solutions to benefit from migration, eliminating the risks". In fact, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi believes that these figures provide momentum for his reform policies.

However, the report has sparked controversy regarding the root causes of the exodus. According to the New York Times, many opposing politicians blame the government for failing to create economic opportunities, others, including Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, have suggested that migrants from Libya are driving Italians away. Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Benedetto Della Vedova, among others, disagree with that accusation and maintain that the reason is the long and ongoing economic crisis and its subsequent problems of unemployment.

Fred Plotkin is one of the world’s foremost opera experts best known not only for his depth of knowledge, but also for the joy with which he shares it. It is with open arms that he returns to Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at New York University for another season of his hugely popular series, Adventures in Italian Opera. 

Plotkin discovered the concept of the “Renaissance man” as a small child growing up one block from David Geffen Hall, and has since devoted his life to pursuing that ideal. His knowledge and expertise extend to opera, film, literature, classical music, food, and wine. In fact, The New York Times once described him as "a New Yorker with the soul of an Italian."

Since 1972, Plotkin has worked in opera doing everything but singing, including management, production, design, coaching, and broadcasting. He has lectured, taught, consulted and held managerial and artistic roles at some of the top opera companies, including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Extremely passionate about all that he does, Plotkin is also a distinguished writer. His book, Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera, is the best-selling standard text in America on the art form. He has also written six renowned books on Italian cuisine, including Italy for the Gourmet Traveler. His articles appear regularly in The New York Times, Time, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Opera News, Bon Appétit, and other leading publications.

Through Adventures in Italian Opera, Plotkin will host a sequence of captivating interviews and discussions with an impressive range of guests at Casa Italiana once a month from October – May. All events begin at 6:30pm and are free and open to the general public. The events will also be streamed live on the website.

Last year, Plotkin welcomed Ambrogio Maestri, an Italian baritone best-known for his portrayal of the title character in Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff. He also invited American tenor Matthew Polenzani, who has distinguished himself as a leading man in many important romantic roles, mostly in Italian, in the lyric and bel canto repertory.

On October 13, he will open this year with opera singer, Marianna Pizzolato, who regularly performs Baroque and eighteenth-century repertoire and has a number of recordings to her credit. From faculty at the Juilliard School to valued conductors, visit Casa Italiana for a complete list of this year's guests.

During an investigation into a group linked to the Camorra, Naples’ notorious mafia family, police discovered two Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) paintings that were taken in a heist from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2002. An art curator inspected the two canvases at the request of Italian authorities and concluded that they are real.

The works, "Seascape at Scheveningen” and "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuene," were found wrapped in cloth in the basement of an apartment belonging to Raffaele Imperiale, a rich and powerful drug dealer. While the paint has flaked away in the bottom left corner of the Scheveningen scene, and the latter suffered minor damage and lacks its frame, both appear to be in relatively good condition.

A specialized team within the Italian Public Prosecutions Department was investigating the Amato Pagano clan, an international drug smuggling group affiliated with the Camorra, when they made this discovery in the village of Castellammare di Stabia near Naples. It remains unknown how the clan got a hold of the paintings, or whether its members had intentions of selling the works on the international black market. Apartments, villas, and a plane worth an estimated total of 20 million euros have also been seized as part of this crackdown targeting cocaine trafficking.

Octave Durham, a Dutch art thief nicknamed "The Monkey," and an accomplice used a ladder to reach the attraction’s roof and smashed a reinforced glass window in order to break in during the early morning of December 7, 2002. The thieves were able to snag the paintings and escape down a rope before security could reach them. They were jailed two years later in 2004, despite maintaining their innocence.

Axel Rüger, director of the Van Gogh Museum, expresses his enormous relief for this recent recovery.

"The paintings have been found! That I would be able to ever pronounce these words is something I had no longer dared to hope for," he said in a statement.

Both pieces date back to the 1880s, relatively early in the artist’s career, and are of huge historical value. The seascape, painted in 1882, is only one of two from his years spent in The Hague, and serves as an important example of his early style of painting. The small canvas of Nuenen church, where the artist's father was a Dutch Reformed Church pastor, is the only painting in the museum’s collection still in its “original stretcher frame.” Van Gogh painted it in 1884 for his mother and reworked it after his father's death in 1885, adding churchgoers and women wearing shawls used for mourning.

"The strong biographical undertones make this a work of great emotional value," the museum said.

Italy's specialist financial police are currently holding the artworks as evidence for a criminal trial. The museum, which houses the world's largest body of Van Gogh works, hopes for an eventual return to fill an important gap in its 800-work collection.

Milan Fashion Week commenced with a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, which instilled a further sense of purpose into the leading Italian designers, who were already eager to reveal their cherished designs. Manifesting that same energy, the six-day event closed with a spotlight on emerging designers, whose looks emanated youth and adventure.

Overall, key collections debuted in Milan embodied heritage and zeitgeist. A blend of timelessness and trendy vibes, this season was filled with jaw-breaking innovation that drew on history and imagination. The highlights include an abundance of couture performance gear, heaps of floral, and glitter, of course.

Day 1

Gucci kicked things off with a fantasy-filled collection rich in colors, fabrics, and prints, featuring embroidery reminiscent of a fairytale and accessories just as whimsical as the clothes, from floppy hats to square and sequined eyewear. Creative director Alessandro Michele’s bohemian aesthetic shifted to favor a more punk look that veered through the eras, which included inspirations from the beloved 1970s, evident in the denim bell-bottoms and slim jackets.

Needless to say, the reference point of Peter Dundas at Roberto Cavalli was also the ‘70s. But with a pioneering spirit in mind his mélange of influences, from Buffalo Soldier to Victoriana, takes you all around the globe. An exciting mix of the brand’s go-to flared pants, fringed kimonos, concha belts, beaded purses, and Native American tribal jewelry, your eyes can’t stop moving up and down the models perched on wooden clogs and dressed in bright and varied hues.

Day 2

Max Mara’s show was infused with the modernist approach of Italian architect and designer, Lina Bo Bardi. The house’s classic tailoring coexist with the collection’s sporty twist, featuring hooded jackets, corset-topped onesies, jumpsuits, visors, and slip-on clogs. Safari greenery and exotic animal prints dominated the color palette, as well as head-to-toe monochromatic looks in black, white, blue, orange, and yellow.

Karl Lagerfeld of Fendi also designed with sportswear and street-wear in mind. However, he combined the cultural trends with playful pinks, delicate florals, bow motifs, porcelain prints, wispy materials, cupcake sleeves, and boudoir layers, resulting in a ready-to-wear collection with a dreamlike feel. Models donned metallic lips, striped crop-tops, neon knits, and vintage football pants, and completed the look with for-the-field inspired shoes with a curved, striped heel paired with athletic socks.

Miuccia Prada debuted Prada’s collection in collaboration with Oscar-nominated director, David O. Russell, whose short film screened during the show. She fused 50’s shapes, 70’s colors, and ‘90s minimalism to create bold and print-heavy clothes in contrast to the models’ simple, uniform hairstyles and barely-there makeup. She incorporated pajama-inspired trousers, bomber jackets, box-pleated skirts, waist belts, and feathered edges, many of which in retro, clashing prints, matched with flats.

Day 3

Giorgio Armani dubbed his collection “Charmani” and subtly weaved multicultural references, from African beadwork to Indian sarong skirts, into the house’s calm and neutral style. Shots of red and lots of gray spiced up the signature blues, but fringe was the star of the show. From the straps of bags to the arms and hems of his timeless blazers and evening coats, he tweaked the classics for an extra pop of elegance and sensuality.

Donatella Versace opened the show with a sporty flair, featuring runway stars, such as Naomi Campbell, dressed in green, purple, and blue windbreakers, color-blocked leggings, parachute-like dresses, and tailored power suits. Using the same lightweight nylon, she reinvented red carpet wear with easy-to-move-in cocktail dresses and high-slit skirts. From thinly pleated creations to dynamic patterns with the brand’s fret motif, the multi-faceted collection epitomes a sexy, modern, woman.

Day 4

To celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary, Bottega Veneta shied away from grand gestures and paid homage to their craftsmanship, focusing simply on the clothes. The first time creative director Tomas Maier showed women’s and men’s wear together, he recreated 15 bags from the archives, flattering, glossy leather shirtdress and coats for the ladies, and 1950s-esque leather jackets for the guys, worn with colorful polo sweaters and pleated pants. Before his runway bow alongside his teary-eyed team, legendary model and actress, Lauren Hutton, stunned the crowd as she strutted alongside Gigi Hadid in hues that complimented their skin tone, hair, and age.

Day 5

The Dolce & Gabbana “Tropico Italiano” themed show, on the other hand, was an extravagant affair front-lined with millennial bloggers and celebrity kids alike. Break-dancers opened and closed the show, and models dazzled in sequins, studs, flowers, and pearls during all the moments in between. The collection itself was an ode to the South’s seaside cuisine, featuring items like a hessian-bag dress with a can of tomatoes painted on it. From signature wiggle dresses to light up LED heels and headpieces, closing with a finale of souvenir Dolce & Gabbana T-shirts, the collection was designed to share amongst Generation Z.

Consuelo Castiglioni at Marni utilized her idiosyncratic outlook to create an artsy aesthetic, featuring neutrals and her trademark prints and jewelry, along with large poacher-pocket bags for an added sculptural note. Unconventionally chic proportions were apparent in her ivory and khaki sleek trenches with billowing pockets, sophisticated tops with oversized sleeves, and skirts with arched hemlines. Apart from the finale of all-black paneled dresses and tops, colored pieces included a raspberry pleated plissé dress and a spearmint green military-style suit, along with an array of florals and gentle geometrics.

Currently in between designers, Salvatore Ferragamo dove into the 80s with a 21st century take on femininity and sportswear. Big shoulders and high-waisted pants in techno fabrics provided for a fun flash to the past with a modern twist. Floral dresses offered a dainty feel, balanced out with crisp, slim suits in solid colors, while the shoes, like chunky wedges with crocheted socks, played up the sporty vibe.

Day 6

Thirty-year-old Sicilian Salvatore Piccione of Piccione Piccione explored the fragile transition from adolescence to adulthood through marine motifs. Shell prints, pearled fringe, and fishnet stockings on chiffon and silk fabrics, matched with a mix of golden stilettos and flat slippers, personified the themes of change and evolution that are inherent in growing up.

Three cities down and one to go: Ciao, Milano, Bonjour, Paris!