The Banality of Corruption
Plus, a Dolce&Gabbana mega-show and new fiction from Nicolás Jaar
If you’re a regular reader of international media about Italy then you’ll have noticed that one phrase in particular keeps coming up vis-a-vis the country. “Italy,” we’re told, is “one of the most corrupt nations in Europe.” All too often, I’m afraid, this statement is exaggerated and/or decontextualised. After all, all countries, all governments, are corrupt. Indeed, by some metrics Italy is no worse than, say, the UK or USA (which so erroneously and arrogantly present themselves as great bastions of democracy, law and order). Other times, however, Italy’s corruption problem undeniably reveals itself as being particularly grave. This week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) published updates regarding a police operation against a criminal organization that has, apparently, been stealing from the €194bn post-Covid recovery fund. How much of the total allocation has “vanished” is a mystery for now, but preliminary investigations are not encouraging. Just last week the EPPO confiscated €600m worth of luxury boats, sports cars and jewellery that the accused purchased, illicitly, using National Recovery Funds in Venice. In total the authorities have so far made 22 arrests in Italy, Austria, Romania and Slovakia. This latest scandal comes on top of other, more structural concerns: Matteo Salvini, the infrastructure minister, is being accused of allocating funds to close associates; local administrations are under investigation for diverting payments to the mafia for building sports facilities and entertainment venues. This is, in a sense, a story as old as time. Nevertheless, I think it’s worth flagging these specific developments here, not only as a gentle rebuff to all those journalists who continue to suggest that Georgia Meloni’s administration is somehow addressing such issues but also because the fact of corruption casts real doubt on the government’s own superlative claims about economic growth. For more information on the current investigations, check out the EU’s official statement here.
Sticking with dodgy finances for a moment: I want to draw some attention to a local news story which Paolo Biondani and Gloria Riva published in L’Espresso last week. The duo’s investigation specifically concerns new revelations about a “loophole” that rich Russians are exploiting in order to continue investing in hotels and short-term tourist lets in Florence. The (full) details are too complex to go into here, but the bottom line is this: since 2020 two oligarchs, Alexander Grigorievich Abramov and Alexander Vladimorovich Frolov, have been using a company based in Cyprus to purchase Florentine properties. The trick goes like this: a few years ago their EU company purchased two buildings which were listed as “student accommodation” (‘Il Santo’ and ‘S4 Stays’ in Piazza Indipendenza to be precise). Since then, despite planning restrictions, they have turned both structures into luxury hotels. Dario Nardella, the outgoing mayor, has repeatedly dodged the question of “how” this was able to happen; and he’s also negated to respond to the 11,000 residents who have signed a petition calling for a ban on this kind of investment (note: in local Florentine legislation this number should, in theory, be able to trigger a referendum). This is serious stuff. Not only does it suggest the incumbent PD administration was complicit in some way in the Russians’ operation, it also gives the opposition candidate — former Uffizi Director Eike Schmidt — serious and legitimate ammunition for his right-wing campaign in the upcoming local elections.
Back in September 2023 the photographer Jim Fenwick took a trip to Palermo, the Sicilian capital, which, at the time, was battling against savage and hard-to-tame wildfires. Intrigued and disturbed by the phenomenon he ventured out on a series of evening walks to capture the eerie spectacle of the flames lighting-up the sky. Six of his shots, in particular, have gone (semi)viral this week on account of their rather peculiar, oneiric beauty. Fenwick captures the island’s distinctive palm trees lit up in an almost-neon glow, as if photoshopped specifically for a surrealist exhibition. The reality of course is that these images are entirely untreated; that the blazes were out of control and brought havoc and existential threat to the surrounding wildlife, not to mention the city’s population. As Fenwick himself has put it: “It’s a strange one really, so hypnotic, there’s a beauty in this that belies the devastating impact of these fires.” Click here to view more shots in the series.
Arts and Culture: Islands
On 7 April Milan’s Palazzo Reale inaugurated a first-of-its-kind “mega exhibition” dedicated to the fashion brand Dolce&Gabbana. The exhibit, which was financed largely by D&G, and which apparently cost over one million euros to put together, is a kaleidoscopic journey through the architecture, art, cinema and fashion that have inspired the designer(s) over the years. The show itself is a mix of digital and installation art, riffing on four decades’ worth of design experimentation. Some major artists have been involved too: Felice Limosani, Obvious Art, Alberto Maria Colombo, Quayola, Vittorio Bonapace and Catelloo to name just a few. Now. I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t this just a big, high-budget advert? The answer, of course, is yes. In a sense. The fact remains, however, that whatever you think of D&G, or this mode of funding art, the brand has played a major role in shaping the aesthetics and imaginary of contemporary Italy - for better and for worse. And that alone makes it worth a trip in my book. The show runs until 31 July if you’re interested. Tickets cost 17 euros and you can purchase them online here.
The Chilean-American composer, DJ and electronic music producer Nicolás Jaar has just released his first short story collection: a nifty little anthology inspired by Italy and published with the title Isole (islands). Jaar is an interesting figure. Best known for his work with the band ‘Darkside’ he’s also created soundscapes for film and TV, for documentaries, art exhibits and so on. When I met him in person, a few years ago, before the pandemic, he was setting up a grassroots research collective to explore the ghostly resonances of an abandoned colonial munitions factory on the outskirts of Amsterdam. Since 2018 he has been living in Turin and, based on recent interviews, the city has made quite an impression on him. The result, he claims, is this book: a mix of philosophical fragments, vignettes, poetry and theatre and fable; all of which are, in some way, inspired by his move to Italy. Jaar’s writing, like his music, is likely to be divisive, but you can’t deny that he offers an original take on the world. If you’re a fan of his music, or just looking for an unorthodox look at Italy-inspired philosophy-fiction-art etc, you may want to check this out, then. Here’s some more info in ENG.
Recipe: charred sugar snaps with broad bean pesto and mozzarella
The temperature in Florence will hit the 29 degree-celsius mark this weekend, apparently — an appealing prospect I must admit, if rather alarming so early in April. Anyway, anthropocene-anxieties aside, I’ve spent the past couple of days looking for something light and refreshing to cook-up to see in the warmer season and I’ve finally settled upon an Italian-inspired dish by the UK based food blogger ‘borough chef’: ‘charred sugar snaps with broad bean pesto and mozzarella’. Leaving aside the name, this is a classic Italian spring combo: greens with mozzarella. The pesto even has its own traditional nomenclature — Maro’ — so it’s also a little more authentic than you might imagine in terms of flavour combinations. Forget the food history lesson, though. My purpose this week is simply to share something fresh, tasty, and above all healthy that’s quick to put together for a mid-week meal. Click on the video below for full instructions, and make sure to follow the ‘borough chef’ account for more vegetable-heavy meal-prep suggestions.
I’m Jamie Mackay, a UK-born, Italy-based writer, working at the interfaces of journalism, criticism, poetry, fiction, philosophy, travelogue and cultural-history. I set up ‘The Week in Italy’ to make a space to share a regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds, to explore politics, current affairs, books, arts and food. If you’re a regular reader, and you enjoy these updates, I hope you’ll consider becoming a supporter for EUR 5.00 per month. Think of it as a weekly catch-up chat over an espresso. Alternatively, if you’d like to send a one-off something, you can do so via PayPal using this link. Grazie!