EDITORIAL
T
he news of Nelson Mandela’s death arrived not long ago. Hero of the anti-apartheid struggle, a man whose ideals and strength remained unscathed both by 26 years in detention and by forced labor. Invictus, appropriately, like the title of William Ernest Henley’s poem, which Mandela read in prison and which could be the manifesto of his life. Nobel prize winner in ’93 and President of South Africa from ’94 to ’99, the only politician of our time capable of also being a spiritual leader, he invited us “to bridge the chasms that divide us, never to lower our guard against discrimination and to fight to build a lasting peace”. The whole world mourns him and commemorates him but if he could still send a message he would call for this great wave of sadness to be transformed into the capacity to struggle and to hope.
And it is in the name of great hope, anything but utopian, that this year draws to a close in Puglia, with the news that Lecce could become “European Capital of Culture” in 2019. On November 15, in fact, among the 21 candidates, the international jury picked the six finalists: Cagliari, Lecce, Matera, Perugia-Assisi, Ravenna and Siena, which make up the short list from which the winning city will be chosen. The unchallenged “Baroque capital” has got what it takes to aim at a victory but also has many issues, the solution of which might be spurred on by this extraordinary opportunity.
The other encouraging news is that yet again Puglia appears in the top places of the lists drawn up by National Geographic and Lonely Planet, of the world’s best-value travel destinations for 2014. The fact that such an authoritative magazine as the prestigious National Geographic, and the legendary Lonely Planet, the world’s leading tourist guide, include Puglia among the top destinations on the planet should be interpreted as an inescapable sign of the region’s future. By defending the natural, artistic and cultural heritage, supporting the agro-food and tourism industries, and by pursuing sustainable development, our region could soon be transformed into a real land of plenty.
Lastly, a curiosity about place names. Recently Seat PG Italia, working with the Rivista Italiana di Onomastica and the International Onomastics Workshop of the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, published the results of research using data supplied by “TuttoCittà” and “PagineGialle”. Puglia is the second region in Italy and the first in the South for the number of places named after John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his brother, Robert: 302 in total. There are 151 streets and squares dedicated to a Kennedy in 132 municipalities in Puglia. And the province of Lecce, with 59 streets and squares, tops the list among the Italian provinces, along with Brescia. This record for Puglia is another little wedge supporting the cornerstone of our editorial mission: the “bridge” between Italy and the USA, and specifically between Puglia and the USA. The affinity exists, it’s mutual, and it’s strong.
Happy Holidays to you all! And best wishes for a 2014 of light, peace and progress in the wake of that giant of our time who has just left us.
365 days a year Between America and Puglia
A time of foreboding, taking stock and making plans Puglia “best value travel destination in the world”
Besieged by kings and stars The railroad disaster in Puglia
that has shaken our summer The other Puglia.
The harsh reality of the gangmaster system a world away from the glossy magazine covers If spring starts with the tragedy in Brussels 2016: a year in the sign of Puglia, also in the US TEDx Lecce
The extraordinary lives and the “revolutionary” choices of ordinary people Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci
Icons of Puglia on the world scene Puglia
A hot summer of culture Lecce in The New York Times again
The love affair of the American press with Puglia and the South continues… Ben Hur in Matera
Italy’s revival may start from the South In memory of Mario Cuomo, pride of Italian Americans TEDex
From a conference comes inspiration for designing the future Puglia taken by storm by the stars
A train not to be missed Web
Vieste and Gallipoli the most-clicked by Italians Blue flags
In Puglia ten beaches with top marks Buried waste dumps, searches for oil, and a gas pipeline in the crystal-clear waters.
Let there be a stop to the misdeeds in Puglia Renata Fonte
30 years since her murder.
She was defending Porto Selvaggio Pugliamania Nebraska
An unsettling story of the other America Otranto’s tree of life
symbol of Italy at Expo 2015 TEDx
From California to Lecce the courage of ideas Bill de Blasio.
The most likely candidate in the running for New York mayor is an Italian American If Lecce appears in the New York Times,
if the “Notte della Taranta” attracts 130,000 people… Pianos in the streets of New York The Great Gatsby...
If, by way of the silver screen, the American dream breaks into our lives “If you see something, say something”
Considerations after the Boston attack Salento “Territory of the year 2013” 2013, the Year of Italian Culture in the United States Good resolutions at the end of the year Obama re-elected
“Dreams and pragmatism”
America’s lesson for Europe The Passing of Cristanziano Serricchio, poet of the light Ten reasons to come on holiday to Puglia “Extremely loud and incredibly close” Zeppole in California Those tears on the death of Dalla “Totally awesome” 9/11
ten years later The first time on the web