Times Are a Changing…..
Story and Photography Tony Pupatello
No matter how old The Old Country gets, in some ways it never really ages. Italy is a place where people passed through for millennia. Being the mid-size boot peninsula nation that it is, to this very day it is surprisingly still breaking its very own records. Namely in the areas of tourism, agriculture, commerce and trade, fashion, food, wine, art and sports (and no, not just in international futbol, or ‘calcio’ as it’s known there). It also boasts two premier world class educational institutions which are obtaining higher acclaim: Politecnico and Boccioni.
Italy, like many other Mediterranean countries, is highly regionalized. With 20 distinct regions within its national boundary, each having its own taste and society within it. It is also declining in population, as is with most developed countries right now. Its people are also aging; younger generations are not so young now. Legal and illegal migrants are still finding ways in; on top of annual visitors now topping over 65 million tourists per year, Italy can feel jam packed in most urban spots. Last year’s official data figures show it was the 5th most visited country on the planet (according to leading travel industry experts) with the dominating centers being Milan, Venice, Tuscany, Naples (Pompeii & Amalfi) and Rome. Now, more recently are Sicily, Sardegnia, Puglia and many other lesser-known regions like Lombardy, which are booming in growth across the board. Chronic issues still grip the country at large that remain evident such as petty crime, isolated unemployment and a highly complex government despite an overall upswing.
The re-bound that Italy is in the midst of today really is quite a breath of fresh air to see. People who are coming in for business, study and, most of all leisure, to enjoy “la dolce vita” has increased dramatically in all 3 categories. Even with the changing political landscape which is now more right-leaning today, it’s quite nice to see everything back to normal and on an uptick for both locals and visitors.
Italy had a tough go for a long time. It was also battered from the pandemic. Probably more so than most other countries. Economic and political stagnation also happened in past decades. With still an ongoing humanitarian refugee crisis from the neighboring continent of Africa and the Middle East, it’s hard to grapple. Italians and Italian society have bounced back in full force from not so easy conditions and without much NATO and EU support. A recurring theme of the ages for Italy — rising, falling, and rising again.
This past early spring, the purpose of my trip was a Honeymoon/MBA program that led me to Rome with stops in the north. Seeing family and friends is always prioritized, as well as the food and wine. So, planning had to be on point. However, this piece is centered around “selected parts of the north”. This great area at the top of the boot plays a key role in Italy and its GDP. It is the driving force of the economic boom that is moving the Northern Italy quickly forward. In fact, according to a recent data gathered from trade.gov, industrial activity in this concentrated area is one of the most industrialized and prosperous areas in the world and accounts for more than 50% of Italy’s national income.
Getting Around, Fun & Leisure …all within proximity
Frecciarossa, the go-to high-speed train system, is the best way to navigate by land.
It’s not at all vast here like Canada, so making frequent stops when transferring is super-efficient for commuters. On either coast, ferry boats can be a great alternative to enjoy scenic coastal spots if you don’t like driving too much. For example, in the northeast there is the Ligurian Sea; part of the Mediterranean and where the famous Cinqueterra seaside villages are. From La Spezia to Livorno, you have near-coastal towns of Sienna, Pisa and Lucca to visit for day trips.
For outdoor lovers the alpine village of Bormio is where there is world class hiking to enjoy. For aquatic nature lovers, the small Island gem of Elba is worth the journey. Veneto and Venice are something to experience as well for what it offers, but the jaw-dropping Dolomites in the Alps is quite the venue for more mountain-type adventure seekers. It is breathtaking.
On the northeast, the Gulf of Venice, two beach friendly spots just south with elite seafood and nice waterfronts — Ravenna and Rimini are great and get lively at night. Side note: the stunning beaches of Croatia are where most tourists tend to hit while passing through various Italian/European legs of their trips.
Lake Como
Bordering Switzerland, Lake Como is less than an hour by ground (car or train). It is like the chic lake cottage country in Canada with the added luxury of amazing Italian Cuisine. The air is so clean there that when it first hits your body you get a rush. It really is that clean and crisp. This is a spot for laid back travelers that are looking for a nice vacation rental spot to cook their own meals and chill by night and tour the lake by day. Bellagio, Verenna and Menaggio are geared to more hotel driven seekers. All in all, the entire place is booming with massive hotel development on waterfront land in prime spots. One in particular is happening directly across from the lake’s favourite resident, Mr. George Clooney.
Sports
The Monza track, the historical track on the Formula One global circuit, recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and got a track lift. In 2026, Milan and Cortina, along with several smaller towns in the north, will collectively co-host the Winter Olympics (again for Cortina).
Associazione Calcio Milan and Internationale Milan. Otherwise better known simply as — AC Milan and Inter. These two incredible powerhouse soccer clubs actually both met in this year’s UEFA Champions League Cup semi-final derby matches. Something that almost never happens.
Milan
The fashion capital of the world has two official fashion weeks and over 6,000 retail stores. Plus, it has the longest street for retail shopping in the world. The Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Rectangle), includes the Via Monte Napoleone and a group of side streets containing variously sized high fashion boutiques.
Last year, the “Made in Italy” fashion brand achieved revenues greater than pre-pandemic levels, as it was officially recorded from the Studies Center of Confindustria Moda. In spending terms, this translates to industry revenues exceeding 8 billion EUR in 2022 alone which is an increase of 32.4% compared to the previous year.
Design & Architecture
Milan is becoming more important on the global stage with art, technology and design. Chinese direct commerce is becoming more collaborative. Buyers from the mainland, are doing business in Milan in the areas of sustainability, infrastructure, real estate and many artistic and digital spaces
as well. Lush green garden tops and real trees now cover a lot of residential and
commercial building spaces.
Food & Wine
Tagiatelli pasta with wild boar. For lovers of a rich and heavy red sauce pasta with pork meat, this dish is a local staple. “Chingiale” is the wild boar that remains abundant and makes for one of the best pastas this side of Italia. “Carciofi”, the artichoke, the real big globe ones that make authentic Romani recipes amazing, one of my all-time favorites.
Almost all restaurants in bigger cities now adopt vegan and gluten friendly menus. I’m told, not only for tourists, but for younger generations of today.
Wine artificial intelligence is now being used to predict the best times for harvesting grapes. Picking at these peak ripe times does two key things: increases probability of better quality of wine and streamlines the wine-making process thereby reducing waste and expenses.
Biodynamic and organic farming that uses solar energy and water conservation techniques now accounts for about 350 official grape varieties today. In recent years, there has been a surge in lesser-known varieties. They are called “the new kids on the block”, like Pecorino in Tuscany, Timorasso in Piedmont and Susumaniello in Puglia. For classic old-world wines, Vermentino and almost anything Piedmont are a definite “go-to”!
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