I propose that the next saga game should cover the Italian Wars spanning from 1494 to 1559 involving the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, the Duchy of Milan, the Republics of Venice, Florence, and Genoa and the Papal States. Like Thrones, it would cover about the same amount of land but would have more naval combat, a different technological era, and could have plenty of political options from elections to dynasties to even manipulating the papacy. There's a lot of interesting events and historical figures involved in those conflicts with a lot of competing factions with various shifting loyalties and grudges. It'd also be the first real total war game to cover the Renaissance.
France is planning to use its presidency to raise the issue with Union ambassadors. The saga was also discussed last month with close advisers to European Commission President Romano Prodi. The lecturers have accused the Italian authorities of providing the Commission with false information in the current case before the ECJ and are demanding that Italy be brought to court.
Hofstra University gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Long Island Regional Chapter of the Italian American Studies Association (www.italianamerican studies.net) and the Association of Italian American Educators, Cav. Josephine Maietta, President.
FLORENCE, Italy - Police vowed "maximum attention" Sunday to find the killer of an American found dead in her Florence apartment as Italy's expat community expressed hope that the case won't turn into another Amanda Knox-style, drawn-out, headline-grabbing legal saga.
La convivenza con i parenti italiani si dimostra da subito molto difficile: Giacomo Fontamara, il cognato, è un arrogante fascista, che ha sposato la moglie Ottavia solo per mettere le mani sul biscottificio di proprietà della famiglia di lei, la Forneria Principi. Per colpa della sua gestione disastrosa, l'azienda naviga in cattive acque, così come il rapporto con la moglie e con i suoi tre figli, tra cui la piccola Viola, nata da una relazione clandestina, che Ottavia ha voluto accogliere in casa nella speranza di ricucire il rapporto col marito.
Cuba, anni Trenta. Dopo la morte dell'amato marito Fernando Fontamara, Eva Morris è costretta a scappare a Roma dalla famiglia del cognato, con i suoi quattro figli. La convivenza con i parenti italiani si dimostra da subito molto difficile: Giacomo Fontamara, il cognato, è un arrogante fascista, che ha sposato la moglie Ottavia solo per mettere le mani sul biscottificio di proprietà della famiglia di lei, la Forneria Principi.
A group of business leaders set up to take over stricken flag carrier Alitalia will make a final offer for the airline despite union opposition, Italian media reported Friday.
The announcement contradicts reports earlier Friday that the Italian Air Company (CAI) had withdrawn its offer because unions representing pilots and cabin crew at Alitalia had refused to agree to the deal.
The development came just a few hours before a deadline for a deal was due to expire.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Friday evening he remained "optimistic" that an agreement between all parties could be reached before the midnight (2300 GMT) deadline.
Earlier this month, CAI extended its offer by two weeks to the end of October in the hope that a deal could be agreed to resolve the long running saga of Alitalia's future.
In late September, after much wrangling, CAI won union backing for a restructuring plan after making concessions on pay and contractual issues.
The airline, which is 49.9 percent state-owned, is losing about three million euros (4.3 million dollars) a day and has debts totalling some 1.2 billion euros, which will now be shouldered by the Italian taxpayer.
Under the terms of its offer, worth about one billion euros (1.25 billion dollars), CAI would taken on 12,500 Alitalia workers while laying off 3,000.
Air France-KLM, Lufthansa and British Airways have indicated interest in taking part in the new venture, either as stakeholders or, in BA's case, as a partner.
One of the best-known names in global commercial aviation, Alitalia has been in business since 1946-47.
The company symbolised Italy's economic recovery after World War II, becoming the world's seventh largest airline in the 1970s before beginning a long decline, which has grown steeper in recent years.
Although the government sank 4.58 billion euros (6.6 billion dollars) into the company between 1998 and 2005 it continued to haemorrhage money.
Its current fleet of 173 planes flies to 84 destinations, 25 in Italy and 59 abroad, 14 of these on other continents.
The company has practically given up its Milan-Malpensa hub despite its interest for business travellers from Italy's financial and fashion capital. It now mainly operating from Rome's Fiumicino airport.
On domestic flights Alitalia has been feeling the heat from Air One, with which it will merge if the rescue deal on the table is accepted by the unions. The new Alitalia would then hold 56 percent of the Italian market.
It appears as if the Italian people have been conditioned to await the periodic rise of a new Caesar who momentarily excites the masses. That saga has indeed been going on in the city of Rome since the year 44 BCE, when Brutus killed Caesar, for fear of him accumulating too much power.