Italian Person of the Year - Roberto Benigni

Italian Person of the Year - Roberto Benigni · Dec 31, 09:45 AM by James Martin

What is it with fervent Dante readings? First a butcher is thrust into the tourist spotlight as the “Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany” then Italians vote Roberto Benigni as their person of the year for the same reason, evidently:

Benigni, who is currently wowing TV audiences with a show combining wicked satire with fervent Dante readings, got almost 11% of the votes from 1,000 respondents around the country polled by the Ekma agency. ~ Benigni wins ‘Person of the Year’ poll

Of course, wicked satire is in, especially if it’s political, as evidenced by second place Beppe Grillo.

Sixth is Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, whose name is derived from the family’s former title Marchese di Montezemolo. He is president of Ferrari and chairman of FIAT, according to Wikipedia. He’s what drives Ferrari to win these days.

What’s interesting is that there is a fabulous winery in Piemonte you can visit and picnic at called Cordero di Montezemolo. Right smack on top of a conical hill in their vineyards is an old Cedar of Lebonon, planted in 1857. You can see it in my Piemonte picture gallery, and get some contact info as well. I highly recommend a visit to Cordero di Montezemolo on your Piemonte vacation.