Italian

In this 2011 file photo taken Domenico Lucano poses in his office with a young girl from Ethiopia. Photo: MARIO LAPORTA / AFP Saturday saw protesters gather in Riace -- a small hamlet in Italy's deep south which has earned praise for its integration of migrants -- demanding the release of their leftist mayor. Domenico "Mimmo" Lucano was placed under house arrest on Tuesday under suspicion of arranging "marriages of convenience" for immigrants and for allegedly skipping a tender process while awarding a garbage management contract to co-operatives with ties to migrants.   In office since 2004, Lucano has made headlines around the world for welcoming migrants to the sparsely-populated village in Calabria in a bid to boost jobs and development.   "Keep strong, continue fighting," his supporters chanted Saturday as they gathered outside his window from where he raised a fist in support.   In addition to the charges of aiding and abetting illegal … [Read more...] about Protesters rally around migrant-supporting Italian mayor

Today's word is one that several readers have asked us to feature, probably because they've heard it so often: magari. This common expression derives from a Greek word meaning blessed or happy, which is a clue to its first meaning: 'I hope so!' You can use magari to talk about things that are desired, wished or hoped for. Magari andrà tutto bene. You can also use it to stress just how much you want something, usually if someone's offering it to you: it's like answering their question with 'you bet!' – Ti piacerebbe andare in Italia? – Prendo un bicchiere di vino, ne vuoi uno? Of course, some wishes are less likely to come true than others. When you're talking about something you want but that isn't really attainable, magari takes on the tone of 'if only!' – Sei miliardario? – Hai vissuto sei mesi a Firenze, parli bene l'italiano? Be warned: when it's used in this sense, because you're describing something hypothetical any verb that follows should … [Read more...] about Italian word of the day: ‘Magari’

"The #MareJonio is on its way!" Sea-Watch tweeted. "In cooperation with #Mediterranea we are back at sea, to keep a sharp lookout and to challenge the European policy of letting people drown." The announcement came on the same day that the Aquarius rescue ship sailed into Marseille harbour and an uncertain fate after Panama pulled its flag, meaning it cannot leave port without a new flag. The Mare Jonio is a tug flying the Italian flag that left Augusta in Sicily on Wednesday evening, headed south, maritime tracking websites said. The 37-metre vessel – around half the length of the Aquarius – is not intended to rescue migrants and bring them to a safe port, but to spot and secure migrant-carrying boats that are in distress. It will also provide a civilian presence in an area where they say the Libyan coastguard and international military vessels are failing to rescue people, despite several shipwrecks in September. Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms sent the Astral sailboat … [Read more...] about New Italian-flagged migrant rescue ship heads into Mediterranean

Anyone who's planning to spend much time in Italy better get furbo, and fast. The word means cunning, sly or wily. Sei furbo come una volpe. So far, so simple. But it's Italians' relationship with la furbizia (cunningness) that gets really interesting. While cunning usually carries negative connotations in English, being furbo is often admired in Italy – like calling someone smart or canny. Classic examples would be getting creative on your tax returns or making an imaginative insurance claim, which fans of le furberie (schemes, tricks or scams) call sticking it to the man. Un commerciante furbo È abbastanza furbo da aggirare il sistema. Si crede più furba degli altri. "L'Italia è il paese dei più furbi."Five Star Movement. You can even advise someone to be more furbo... Fatti furbo! ... though sometimes it's smarter not to. Non fare il furbo con me, capito? After all, there is such a thing as too furbo: un furbone is a smart arse or wise … [Read more...] about Italian word of the day: ‘Furbo’