Italy’s Airbnb crackdown
Plus, slavery in ancient Pompeii and Sicily’s "Black Jesus"
How many of you readers here are regular users of Airbnb? Quite a few I’d imagine. And how many of you feel low-level guilty, or at the very least frustrated about the ethics of this seemingly untameable global company? A similar number, in all probability. Well, as a reluctant customer of Airbnb myself I was pleased to read in the FT this week that the global property rental service has finally backed down in its disputes with the Italian authorities and has agreed to pay EUR 576 million in evaded taxes. This is real progress, and one of the few areas where I can say I agree with the government’s stance (if not with their larger spending plan). Since coming to office Meloni’s administration has announced a new national identification code on short-term rentals which will come into force in 2024 to ensure landlords pay their correct tax. The government is also raising tax to 26% on platform listings in an effort to regulate the current Wild West business model. While Airbnb’s management remains sanguine, and the company’s directors insist this is all part of a pre-planned totally uncontroversial strategy to defuse ongoing tensions with Rome, it’s clear the company is facing a serious backlash. Earlier this year the centre-left local government in Florence banned all new listings on the site, and the municipality of Venice is currently considering a similar move. Meanwhile, the Agenzia delle Entrate is investigating three Airbnb managers on charges that, for now, remain unclear. Coming shortly on the back of similar procedures against Booking Holdings the direction of travel is clear: from right to left, from national to local level, Italy’s politicians are running out of patience with the U.S rental platforms, and they’re finally taking some decisive measures for their own interests (and, one can hope, the interests of local residents too). Read more on the story here.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past week you’re probably aware that global leaders have been gathering in Dubai over the past few days at the COP28 Climate Conference, to agree on an international strategy to limit global warming and slow down environmental collapse. Experts have offered mixed reactions to the agreement to “phase out” fossil fuels by 2050. The rhetoric at worldwide level is caught between those who are hailing “a historic agreement” and those who insist “it’s not enough to prevent catastrophic 1.5 degree warming.” Italy, for its part, has actually been pushing for more decisive action. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the Energy Minister, declared the talks were “balanced and acceptable for this historical phase” but called for “a more ambitious convergence on fossil fuels.” Yes, one has to take these words with a pinch of salt (especially given Italy is right now pursuing measures to transform the country into a natural gas hub). But it’s still worth noting that Meloni’s climate change denying far-right administration has - on paper - agreed to triple renewable output and double energy efficiency; and the opposition now has a strong basis to hold the administration to its promises. In times like these, that surely counts for something. Right?
A recent discovery at the ancient Roman site of Pompeii has cast new light on the treatment of slaves in the 1st century AD. The excavations, which have been ongoing for weeks in the Regio IX area of the site, have uncovered a room in a bakery with no natural light, barred iron windows and markings on the floor believed to have been used to coordinate the movement of enslaved workers. The only entrance is to the main serving hall. In a sense you might find this unsurprising. Most of us “know” (or think we know) about slavery in the ancient world. Still, when you consider that the vast majority of the city’s population was living in enslaved conditions - and that these individuals’ personal experiences remains criminally understudied in academic research - the findings could yet have a significant impact on how we collectively image Italy’s often idealised Mediterranean society. Gabriel Zuchtriege, the Director of the archaeological site, has called this room “the most shocking side of ancient slavery… [a place where humans] were reduced to brute violence.” Tomorrow morning Pompeii museum will inaugurate a new exhibition to contextualise the findings and draw greater attention to the exploitation that was rife in the everyday running of the ancient city. For more information on the excavations check out the official press release here.
Arts and culture: shades of black
Wikimedia Italia has just announced the winners of its “best monument pictures of 2023” and the entries, this year, are particularly fine. The theme of this edition was “religious buildings” with a secondary category dedicated to “forgotten villages.” Judges - a mix of professional photographers and interested members of the public - worked together to sift through 54,000 images, all of which were uploaded to the Wikimedia platform over the last twelve months. This crowdsourced dimension is more important than it might first seem. Unlike “professional” photos, Wikimedia images are all published via Creative Commons License meaning they can be used for free in tourism materials, publicity, academic research and even - hurrah - newsletters such as this one. FrancescoSchiraldi85’s majestic photo of Florence’s Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore - snapped under moody clouds (below) - is a personal favourite and really captures the scale and harmony of Brunelleschi's Dome against the surrounding hills. Other, more modest, contributions, such as Maurizio Moro5153’s snap of Premana, are equally stunning though, and provide an important and much-needed valorization of Italy’s lesser-known treasures. For a full list of the winning entries check out this piece from ArtTribune.
A documentary to add to your ‘to watch’ list over the festive period: starting tomorrow evening Luca Lucchesi’s documentary ‘Black Jesus’ will be available on streaming (via True Story) for international audiences. I caught this film on its Italian release many many months ago during a press preview and I strongly recommend you check it out. The documentary tells the - rather bleak - story of how a group of new migrant arrivals from Africa have struggled to live with dignity in the stern and, frankly, xenophobically conditioned community of Siculiana in Sicily. The film’s metaphorical and visual hook revolves, as the title suggests, around a historic Crusade-era icon of a Black Jesus (Il Cristo Nero) which local residents hoist through the town during an annual festival. Based on the footage, few members of this particular village feel rooted in Sicily’s multicultural past. On the contrary: far from acknowledging the island’s close ties to Africa - something the statue itself attests to - most of the interviewees seem to have internalized racist media soundbites and (white) Catholic superstition to protect themselves from “outside invaders.” One exception is Pietro, a language teacher, our main protagonist, who is seeking to spearhead Siculiana to become a centre for progressive integration - and the results of his efforts are not necessarily what you might expect. Black Jesus is a low budget film with modest ambitions, but it powerfully communicates the contradictions, and confused anxieties, of contemporary Italy as lived beyond the headlines.
Beef short ribs with polenta and salsa verde
Instagram has been pushing this on me for weeks and, finally, I’ve relented. This is going to take the top slot on my Xmas menu. Because “Dinner by Ben’s” recipe for beef short ribs with polenta and salsa verde really does look phenomenal. This is basically a modern take on the good old fashioned bollito misto (i.e. boiled meats that are traditionally eaten across Northern Italy during the winter period) only more refined and with less of a cucina povera vibe. I mean, who really wants to eat greyish slabs of dead cattle when you could have a braised short rib in a caramelised glaze? This dish is all about balance. Meat and polenta is a big, hearty meal: delicious - for those of us that eat meat - but also heavy, cloying, and even, at times, a little off-putting. Here “Ben” takes a maximalist approach to calories, adding cheese to the polenta alongside the fatty beef. He compensates, however, with some lightly pickled onions and a fresh, aromatic, sour, vinegary sauce; even adding a non-traditional dash of horseradish for a modern touch. I don’t each much beef these days - for anyone who’s interested - but I’m making an exception over the Christmas period. And while I haven’t sampled this recipe yet it is, based on his video instructions below, a certified bomba.
About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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