Latest news with #Filippo
Telegraph
7 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
The rugged region that's home to Italy's wild side
Day one of our wildlife and walking adventure in Abruzzo, and already we'd seen a bear. Or that's what our group of amateur wildlife-spotters hoped we'd seen: a large, dark-brown creature with a humpy back shuffling along a ridge some distance across the valley. Passing the binoculars around, our guide Filippo let us down gently. 'It is very like a bear,' he said – from a distance – but it was a wild boar. 'The bear is much faster. It does not stop. It moves very quickly through the landscape until it finds food.' The Marsican brown bear is the icon of Italy's National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. Everywhere there are murals and peep boards to poke your head through, depicting cuddlier versions of this elusive, endangered creature. There are bear-themed road signs, too, warning you to watch your speed. In 2023, a beloved three-year-old bear nicknamed Juan Carrito, who became famous for a bakery break-in at a ski resort, was hit by a car and killed in a village just outside of the park – a tragedy not only for Carrito and his fans, but for the species itself. It's estimated there are only 50-60 Marsican brown bears left in the world, all of them living within or just beyond the Abruzzo National Park. The wild heart of Italy The chance to spot a bear was not the only thing that drew me to what local conservation group Rewilding Apennines calls the 'wild heart' of Italy, at once remote but only a couple of hours' drive east from the mayhem of Rome. There are hiking trails through spectacular mountain scenery – in May amidst a profusion of spring flowers including wild pansies, iris and orchids, or if you go in September, through mushroom-scented woods rivalling New England for autumn colour. This region also harbours wolves, and has done for more than 400,000 years. After the Second World War, they were almost driven to extinction, but since the 1970s, the Apennine wolf has been strictly protected, and there are now at least eight packs within the Abruzzo park. Wolves I did get to see. On our second day, we rose at 5am for a dawn wildlife-watching session at an abandoned village with panoramic views across a steep wooded valley. Before we even got there, we spied two of these charismatic creatures, just metres away from our vehicle, trotting purposefully parallel to the road on the low, scrubby hillside. They stared directly at us, then picked up their pace, loping further up the hill, camouflaged against the rocks and bushes. It was rare to see wolves so close to the town, Filippo told us. The town was Pescasseroli, where we stayed at a comfortable, art nouveau-style hotel for four nights of our trip. In springtime, Pescasseroli is sleepy and sedate, waking up from its winter hibernation just like the bears. Come August, Filippo told us, the streets will be thronged with Italians on their summer holidays. The tour I was on, with Exodus Adventure Travels, is part of a wider collaborative effort in the region to educate people about the benefits of coexisting with bears and wolves. Despite misconceptions, the Marsican brown bear is rather shy and not at all aggressive (reassuring when you're sitting on a lonely mountainside armed only with a pair of walking poles). There have never been any bear attacks on humans here, and wolves prefer to steer clear. Exodus donates all profits from the sale of the trips to Rewilding Apennines, who are maintaining what they call 'bear-smart corridors,' which link the Abruzzo with nature reserves and other national and regional parks in the Apennines. By minimising human-bear conflict in these more densely populated and unprotected areas, they hope to encourage the bears to roam more widely and find new areas where they feel safe. A night in the wild Our overnight stay at the Rifugio Terraegna, a mountain lodge 1,780m above sea level, was a high point of the trip in both senses of the word. We trekked through ancient beech forests, admiring the lichens cloaking the live trees and marvelling at the life that still teemed in the dead ones – holes made by beetles and woodpeckers, and hoof fungus up the trunks like stepping stones. Our group of six, strangers when we set off but by now bonded (Exodus limits group sizes to eight), spent a magical early evening looking for wildlife across a wide valley with grazing horses and foals. We saw only a roe deer (and heard a tawny owl), but even a sudden downpour couldn't dampen our enthusiasm. As the clouds rolled on over the mountains and the sun broke through, a double rainbow appeared. Returning to the lodge, chilly but elated, our chef-host Debora welcomed us with a blazing fire on which to warm our toes, and a feast that included local aged pecorino, soft sheep's cheese rolled in 16 mountain herbs, and ' Marzolina' – the first goat's milk cheese of spring. Garlicky fennel sausages with grilled aubergines followed. Snuggled up with the rest of the pack in a dormitory, stuffed full of cheese and mountain air, I had the best sleep of the trip, my dreams inhabited by shadowy wild animals. In the end, I never saw a bear, but it didn't matter. I had seen their claw marks on posts, and their hair caught on fences and trees as they left their scent for others along the trail. I knew that somewhere in the forest, or high in a mountain cave, they were there, and that was enough. Essentials Anna was a guest of Exodus Adventure Travels. A six-day tour, Italian Apennines: Walks and Wildlife, costs from £1,449 per person, B&B, including one night in the Mountain Refuge, listed meals, transport and activities. Excluding flights. Departures include September 21 2025, May 17 and September 20 2026. Vueling flies from London Gatwick to Rome Fiumicino from £70 return. You also have the option to travel by train to Rome with Byway (arrange through Exodus); route via Paris with overnight stay in Turin, £714 return journey per person.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Inzaghi Eyes Champions League Glory With Inter Milan
SIMONE INZAGHI is on the verge of becoming a true Inter Milan great as he leads his team to the Champions League final with another chance for an era-defining triumph to make up for the pain of conceding the Serie A title to Napoli. Inter have become one of Europe's top teams under Inzaghi and reaching the final of the continent's leading club competition for the second time in three seasons is a testament to the impressive job he has done since taking charge in 2021. The 48-year-old has had to navigate off-field turbulence and serious financial problems which have left Inter with a transfer budget which is a fraction of the what nouveau riche clubs like Saturday's opponents Paris Saint-Germain have at their disposal. But he will contest this weekend's showdown with Qatari-backed PSG with potentially a better chance of winning the Champions League than he did in Istanbul in 2023, when Inter were narrowly beaten by possibly Pep Guardiola's best-ever Manchester City team. Last season's league title, the first of Inzaghi's coaching career, was immediately followed by an enforced takeover by US investment firm Oaktree after previous owners, China's Suning, failed to repay a debt worth around 395 million euros ($448 million). And there was little in the way of summer investment for an ageing team which features veterans like 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is one year Acerbi's junior. Piotr Zielinski and Mehdi Taremi were both free transfers, second-choice goalkeeper Josep Martinez cost around 13 million euros, and January signing Nicola Zalewski came on loan from Roma. None of those four have become first picks for Inzaghi with Taremi netting twice all season, both goals being late penalties in 4-0 wins over Red Star Belgrade and Lecce. The lack of quality beyond the first XI, particularly in attack, and a gruelling Champions League campaign has taken its toll on Inter. The biggest prize in club football would sit pride of place among the honours already won by Inzaghi at Inter -- one Serie A title, three Italian Cups and three Italian Super Cups. Humble beginnings Inzaghi had a lower-key playing career than his elder sibling Filippo, who was a prolific goalscorer for AC Milan and Juventus, a two-time European champion and World Cup winner. The younger Inzaghi, also a striker, played most of his career for Lazio, where he is loved by fans despite a modest goal record and a single league title, won in 2000. However in the managerial game it is Simone who is leading the way, at the helm of one of Europe's traditional powerhouses while Filippo will lead Pisa in their first Serie A campaign since the 1990-91 season after getting the Tuscan club promoted this term. Simone Inzaghi began his senior coaching career at Lazio nine years ago after working his way up through the youth ranks and immediately made an impact, taking the Roman club back into Europe and losing the Italian Cup final to all-conquering Juventus. Lazio are frequently overshadowed by crosstown rivals Roma and hampered by a budget which is dwarfed by Italy's big three of Juve, Inter and Milan, who themselves are relative paupers on the continent. The 2019 Italian Cup, two Super Cups -- both won against Juve -- and Champions League qualification in 2020 might not sound like much but it was enough to attract cash-strapped Inter following the departure of Serie A title winner Antonio Conte. Inzaghi arrived at Inter with the club about to go into full-blown crisis mode following Conte's exit and the sales of the two stars of that Scudetto-winning campaign -- Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, the latter of whom will line up against Inter for PSG. However, used to doing more with less at Lazio and in stark contrast to Conte, he folded in cheap replacements for the departing stars rather than complain about having them sold out from under him. It is something Inzaghi has made a habit of at Inter where he has created a team spirit which could yet give him the biggest prize of all.
France 24
28-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Inzaghi eyeing Champions League glory and legend status at Inter Milan
Inter have become one of Europe's top teams under Inzaghi and reaching the final of the continent's leading club competition for the second time in three seasons is a testament to the impressive job he has done since taking charge in 2021. The 48-year-old has had to navigate off-field turbulence and serious financial problems which have left Inter with a transfer budget which is a fraction of the what nouveau riche clubs like Saturday's opponents Paris Saint-Germain have at their disposal. But he will contest this weekend's showdown with Qatari-backed PSG with potentially a better chance of winning the Champions League than he did in Istanbul in 2023, when Inter were narrowly beaten by possibly Pep Guardiola's best-ever Manchester City team. Last season's league title, the first of Inzaghi's coaching career, was immediately followed by an enforced takeover by US investment firm Oaktree after previous owners, China's Suning, failed to repay a debt worth around 395 million euros ($448 million). And there was little in the way of summer investment for an ageing team which features veterans like 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is one year Acerbi's junior. Piotr Zielinski and Mehdi Taremi were both free transfers, second-choice goalkeeper Josep Martinez cost around 13 million euros, and January signing Nicola Zalewski came on loan from Roma. None of those four have become first picks for Inzaghi with Taremi netting twice all season, both goals being late penalties in 4-0 wins over Red Star Belgrade and Lecce. The lack of quality beyond the first XI, particularly in attack, and a gruelling Champions League campaign has taken its toll on Inter. The biggest prize in club football would sit pride of place among the honours already won by Inzaghi at Inter -- one Serie A title, three Italian Cups and three Italian Super Cups. Humble beginnings Inzaghi had a lower-key playing career than his elder sibling Filippo, who was a prolific goalscorer for AC Milan and Juventus, a two-time European champion and World Cup winner. The younger Inzaghi, also a striker, played most of his career for Lazio, where he is loved by fans despite a modest goal record and a single league title, won in 2000. However in the managerial game it is Simone who is leading the way, at the helm of one of Europe's traditional powerhouses while Filippo will lead Pisa in their first Serie A campaign since the 1990-91 season after getting the Tuscan club promoted this term. Simone Inzaghi began his senior coaching career at Lazio nine years ago after working his way up through the youth ranks and immediately made an impact, taking the Roman club back into Europe and losing the Italian Cup final to all-conquering Juventus. Lazio are frequently overshadowed by crosstown rivals Roma and hampered by a budget which is dwarfed by Italy's big three of Juve, Inter and Milan, who themselves are relative paupers on the continent. The 2019 Italian Cup, two Super Cups -- both won against Juve -- and Champions League qualification in 2020 might not sound like much but it was enough to attract cash-strapped Inter following the departure of Serie A title winner Antonio Conte. Inzaghi arrived at Inter with the club about to go into full-blown crisis mode following Conte's exit and the sales of the two stars of that Scudetto-winning campaign -- Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, the latter of whom will line up against Inter for PSG. However, used to doing more with less at Lazio and in stark contrast to Conte, he folded in cheap replacements for the departing stars rather than complain about having them sold out from under him. It is something Inzaghi has made a habit of at Inter where he has created a team spirit which could yet give him the biggest prize of all.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix fans obsessed with new prison drama compared to The Godfather with ‘phenomenal acting and chemistry'
Netflix fans are obsessed with a new prison drama compared to The Godfather with 'phenomenal acting and chemistry'. Italian series, The Sea Beyond, recently hit the popular streaming platform despite premiering back in 2020. The drama follows two teenagers, Carmine (Massimiliano Caiazzo) and Filippo (Nicolas Maupas), in a juvenile detention centre in Naples. The 'young Neapolitans navigate friendship, love and dreams of a better tomorrow,' according to the synopsis. Filippo hopes to one day become a musician and Carmine wants to be a hairdresser, but both have to deal with crime boss Ciro (Giacomo Giorgio) too. The Sea Byeond consists of four seasons and has been highly praised by viewers. The 'young Neapolitans navigate friendship, love and dreams of a better tomorrow', according to the synopsis Many have taken to IMDb to leave reviews and one fan posted: 'I have to say the acting is phenomenal considering the actors are newbies. It's a story about love, hate and revenge. 'Young teenagers making mistakes and learning from them, making friends and memories along the way. 'The chemistry between couples like Rosa & Carmine and Cardio & Gemma is just perfect. The first season was really sad. 'The second season was good and the third season was the best. Rosa honestly carried the third season I love her character. 'I hope Edoardo ends up with Carmela. I do have to say there is a lot of unnecessary nudity in the third season. Overall i love the soundtrack and the actors. 'You feel sympathetic towards the characters as you watch them. It's an addicting show.' While another likened the show to The Godfather and said: 'It does hold your interest in a hard to explain way. 'The plot is like The Godfather for kiddies, except these "juveniles" look anything but juvenile, perhaps young adults in their mid twenties at least. 'They are also the best dressed juvenile delinquents. Ciro and Eduardo have a permanent frown, as all of the characters have their quirks.' The Sea Byeond consists of four seasons and has been highly praised by fans, many of whom have taken to IMBd to leave reviews Others on Google reviews said: 'The storylines, the growth of characters and drama are impeccable for it is reality of life in the making of great writers and all production. 'I can relate to all these characters for it is riveting how these characters intertwine in the story lines. Must watch series.' 'Great series, it's one of the best series I've ever seen.' While someone else wasn't so impressed and penned: 'Depressing series nothing good happen at all.' Another drama, Collateral, has gripped Netflix fans too and some have ended up binge-watching every single episode in one day. The four-part TV show, created and written by David Hare, hit our screens in 2018 on BBC Two. Telly fans will be happy to know that despite it being released seven years ago on the Beeb, they are now able to watch it on streaming service Netflix. Netflix's official synopsis reads: 'Investigating the murder of a pizza delivery man, a London detective uncovers a tangled conspiracy involving drug dealers, smugglers and spies.' The drama is directed by S.J Clarkson. Collateral boasts a star-studded cast of Carey Mulligan, John Simm, Billie Piper, Nicola Walker, Kae Alexander, Nathaniel Martello-White, Ben Miles, Vineeta Rishi and Rob Jarvis.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Spell of the ball: Hancock County student wins Maine State Spelling Bee
Mar. 22—BRUNSWICK — Seventh grader Esme Filippo from The Bay School in Hancock County is headed to the nation's most prestigious spelling bee after securing a win on Saturday at the Maine State Spelling Bee with the word "domesticity." Saturday's competition, held at Bowdoin College in Brunswick and presented by the Maine Trust for Local News, lasted 22 rounds and featured 13 middle school-age students from 13 different counties. The annual Maine State Spelling Bee determines which of the state's savviest spellers will go on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, in May. Students qualified for the state bee through winning their school and county competitions. Filippo and her parents were thrilled following her win and excited to make the trip to the Scripps bee. "My friends said they'd watch me on TV," Filippo said. The contest kicked off with a few perfect rounds. Competitors slowly tapered off as they attempted to spell more and more difficult words. There were some tough misses, like "kernel" spelled "colonel" and "phishing" spelled "fishing." Former longtime Press Herald sports writer Glenn Jordan led the judging team alongside his wife, Nancy Jordan, managing editor at National Geographic Learning English Language Teaching. Jeannine Uzzi, Thomas College president, served as the word pronouncer. "I think it's great for them to stand on stage in front of a microphone, and you're pretty vulnerable out there," said Glenn Jordan, who has been judging the Maine State Spelling Bee for about a decade. "And some kids really love spelling; it's fun for them to learn words and learn about words and languages." At the round 10 break, there were just five spellers remaining in the bee. Students could ask for clarification on definitions, word origins and word use — but the spelling was all them. Kytanna Loring, an eighth grader at Central Middle School in Corinth, represented Penobscot County and was among the final few spellers. Loring won second place in her school bee, qualifying for the Penobscot County bee, which she won. "I like trying to memorize all the letters, trying to guess what the words are going to be that they're going to ask. I think it's very fun," Loring said. Nerves were high leading up to the big competition. "I'm incredibly nervous. I'm also excited," Loring said before getting on stage. "This is an amazing opportunity, but I definitely got some jitters." By the time the competition whittled away to the final two contestants — Filippo from Hancock and sixth grader Addie Rosato, representing Cape Elizabeth Middle School in Cumberland County — it was neck-and-neck. Both students made it through one round with the words "polyester" and "embryo." When Rosato slipped up on "chemise," Filippo had a chance to secure the win with "depreciate," but missed. The two continued spelling for four more rounds, reciting words like "stegosaur" and "schooner" with ease. At round 21, Rosato misspelled "cochin" and Filippo spelled "pinnate" correctly, followed by her final word, "domesticity," and was named Maine's spelling bee champion. "I did not think I was going to win; (Rosato) definitely knew what she was doing," Filippo said following the bee. Filippo said she was studying her words throughout the car ride to the Bowdoin campus on Saturday. Her parents said she's loved spelling bees from a young age. "She started participating when she was a little kid, and then COVID hit, and she didn't for a while," said her mom, Alison Rudel. "This year, at her school, she actually requested that they do the spelling bee, because they don't always." Filippo will head to the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 27-29 for a chance of taking the win — and the $50,000 prize — home to Maine. The finals will air live on the ION network. Copy the Story Link
