LuminosityItalia

The world’s oldest nun celebrated her 110th birthday on Feb. 20 with members of her order, the local TV station, a birthday cake and a message from Pope Francis. Born in 1907 to a humble family in Verona as the third of 10 daughters, Sister Candida Bellotti has actually lived through 10 popes including Francis, who she met in 2014 in Rome. Read the rest of the story at our   English-language news portal for Italy .

Italy’s trade surplus hit a record 51.6 billion euros in 2016, according to figures from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) released on Feb. 16, the highest since it started tracking the figure in 1991, rising from a surplus of 41.8 billion in 2015. If energy imports are excluded, the trade surplus was 78 billion last year, driven by exports to other EU countries, which rose 3 percent. The value of imports into Italy in 2016 fell 1.4 percent from the year previous, ISTAT said. Read the rest of the story at our   English-language news portal for Italy .

The U.S. has not made a formal request for President Donald Trump to have an audience with Pope Francis when he travels to Taormina, Sicily for a G7 summit in May, but widespread reports say back-channel efforts are underway. Trump is reportedly keen to meet with the Pope, but he could have bridges rather than walls to build beforehand. Read the rest of the story at our   English-language news portal for Italy .

Ferrari has shown that status, style and superlative design can power through even stiff economic headwinds. As it approaches its 70th anniversary, the iconic brand announced record profits just a year after it was spun off from Fiat Chrysler. Ferrari posted net profit of 400 million euros in 2016, a 38 percent increase over 2015, on revenues of 3.1 billion euros. It delivered 8,014 cars last year, its most ever. By year’s end, stockholders were no doubt also thrilled with Ferrari’s acceleration. After a share price of €43 at its initial public offering to form the new Ferrari N.V., which is incorporated in the Netherlands, the stock fell 32 percent before rising back to hit €55 a share by year’s end, a 27 percent increase since its launch. Since its low point in late January 2016, the new stock almost doubled in a calendar year, according to the English-language website of Italy’s respected Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. Read the rest of the story at our   English-language news portal

It isn’t just America struggling with the spread of fake news, or in the most recent parlance, “alternative facts”. On Feb. 2 Italian newspaper publishers called for government help in stopping the spread of fake news following a meeting at the Rome headquarters of their federation. “The government should promote consultation among all professionals in the news and online content production and distribution chain to define a series of guidelines aimed at curbing fake news and placing value on quality information,” Ruben Razzante, a professor of information and communication law at Catholic University of Milan, told the conference. Read the rest of the story at our   English-language news portal for Italy .

Surrounded by some of Europe’s most breathtaking scenery in the Italian Dolomites, and steeped in history and tradition, the Hotel Tyrol in the picture postcard village of Selva di Val Gardena impresses even the most discerning couples.  The sublime, monumental landscapes of the Italian Dolomites have long attracted hosts of travelers. Formed almost 225 million years ago, they are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to their intrinsic beauty: a variety of spectacular pinnacles, spires and towers with contrasting ledges, crags and plateaus. Read the rest of the story at our   English-language news portal for Italy .