Latest news with #RoyalPalace
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Italy uninvites controversial pro-Putin conductor from Caserta classical concert
An Italian classical music concert has uninvited a famous Russian conductor who's known to be a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Valery Gergiev was meant to participate in A King's Summer festival (Un'Estate da Re) on 27 July that's organised by the Royal Palace of Caserta and held in the courtyard of the Vanvitellian Complex, close to Naples in southern Italy. However, his inclusion in the event had been fiercely criticised by Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died in a Russian Arctic penal colony in 2021. "This is good news. No artist who supports the current dictatorship in Russia should be welcome in Europe. It is precisely thanks to regime supporters like Gergiev that Putin tries to promote his image as a 'decent person' in the West," Navalnaya wrote on X commenting on the cancellation of the concert."The free and unquestionable choice taken by the Directorate of the Reggia di Caserta has my full and convinced support," commented Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, who had already intervened on the issue, distancing himself from the decision to invite Gergiev to the festival and siding with those who described the concert as a boost to Russian propaganda. 'While respect is due to the exceptional artistic quality of the event, the cancellation of the concert conducted by Maestro Gergiev obeys a logic of common sense and moral tension aimed at protecting the values of the free world,' the ministry's note reads. Euro Chamber vice-president Pina Picierno, among the first voices to rise against Gergiev's hosting in Italy, expressed satisfaction on X: 'We explained, we fought, we believed and we won! Thanks to all of you, Campania will not host an ambassador of Putin. For those who want to, we will see you on Sunday evening with the flags of Europe, in front of the Reggia, to celebrate the strength and beauty of democracy'. The Christian Association of Ukrainians in Italy also rejoiced. "This is a victory of common sense and human and Christian values over the Kremlin's criminal policy. It is a small victory, but it is another step towards the common victory of good over evil,' wrote association president Oles Horodetskyy. The association was ready to organise protest initiatives and had already bought tickets for the first rows of the concert to make its dissent felt by Gergiev. There has been no comment from Campania's governor Vincenzo De Luca, who had described the affair as 'disconcerting', wondering where 'the limit between freedom of expression of one's opinion and propaganda' was and emphasising his desire to confirm the concert despite international appeals. Several Nobel Prize winners had even spoken out against the Russian maestro's participation, with letters sent to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Italian authorities and de Luca himself. An online petition had garnered more than 16,000 signatures. Romanovsky's case in Bologna Meanwhile, media attention is rapidly shifting to a similar case involving authorities in Bologna.** The city is preparing to host the Ukrainian pianist and naturalised Italian Alexander Romanovsky as part of the CUBO summer festival,* that's financed by Unipol. Romanovsky became famous for having played for the (Russian) cameras on the rubble of the Mariupol theatre, which Moscow forces had bombed in the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, killing hundreds of civilians who had taken refuge journalist Marco Setaccioli has led much of the criticism demanding the cancellation of the 5 August event, citing Romanovsky's appearances on pro-government Russian channels as evidence of his 'willingness to lend himself to the Kremlin's propaganda machine.' In January 2024, La Sapienza University in Rome called off one of Romanovsky's concerts in response to anger from pro-Ukraine activists and their supporters.
Washington Post
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
A concert in Italy by Russian conductor Gergiev is canceled after protests
ROME — A concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been canceled, organizers in Italy announced Monday, following protests against giving the stage to the conductor who has been largely barred from European venues for failing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine . Gergiev had been invited to conduct during a summer festival at the Royal Palace of Caserta near Naples next Sunday. The regional governor, Vincenzo de Luca, had defended the invitation, saying that 'the logic of preclusion … does not help peace.''
Malay Mail
11-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Man caught stealing water from ‘Italian Versailles' — palace fountains left high and dry
ROME, July 11 — Italian police said on Thursday they had arrested a man accused of syphoning off water from an aqueduct feeding the fountains and basins of a palace dubbed the 'Italian Versailles' near Naples. The carabinieri police said the 58-year-old had engaged in 'continued theft of public water' to the detriment of the 18th-century Royal Palace of Caserta, a Unesco heritage site built by the King of Naples, Charles of Bourbon. Police said they were alerted after the palace, now a museum, complained about water shortages in the basins and fountains of its lush landscaped gardens. The suspect allegedly tapped into the Caroline Aqueduct, funnelling the water through an illegal pipeline to transport it 145 metres (475 feet) to his agricultural property, which police said they seized. 'The pipe reached six different areas of the farmland for irrigation as well as a 1,000-litre cistern for water collection,' they said in a statement. The suspect was identified as the concessionaire of the agricultural property owned by a religious organisation. He was put under house arrest. The palace, which boasts 123 hectares (300 acres) of gardens, said in a statement it had suffered a 'serious water shortage' at its waterfall, fountains and basins. It said it had avoided using its watering systems for the lawns, causing them to turn yellow, adding that dealing with the situation had caused them 'very difficult months'. — AFP
France 24
10-07-2025
- France 24
Man arrested in Italy for syphoning water from royal palace
The carabinieri police said the 58-year-old had engaged in "continued theft of public water" to the detriment of the 18th-century Royal Palace of Caserta, a UNESCO heritage site built by the King of Naples, Charles of Bourbon. Police said they were alerted after the palace, now a museum, complained about water shortages in the basins and fountains of its lush landscaped gardens. The suspect allegedly tapped into the Caroline Aqueduct, funnelling the water through an illegal pipeline to transport it 145 metres (475 feet) to his agricultural property, which police said they seized. "The pipe reached six different areas of the farmland for irrigation as well as a 1,000-litre cistern for water collection," they said in a statement. The suspect was identified as the concessionaire of the agricultural property owned by a religious organisation. He was put under house arrest. The palace, which boasts 123 hectares (300 acres) of gardens, said in a statement it had suffered a "serious water shortage" at its waterfall, fountains and basins. It said it had avoided using its watering systems for the lawns, causing them to turn yellow, adding that dealing with the situation had caused them "very difficult months". © 2025 AFP
Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Mexican boxer, 37, found dead in hotel room hours after losing fight
Mexican super-bantamweight fighter Pedro Antonio 'Tony' Rodriguez was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday morning, just hours after losing a bout in the United States Mexican boxer Pedro Antonio 'Tony' Rodriguez has died at the age of 37 after being found in his hotel room on Sunday morning. The super-bantamweight fighter had been defeated in a bout on Saturday evening. Rodriguez, born in Durango, Mexico, fought in Phoenix, Arizona, over the weekend at the American Royal Palace. The clash, titled the 'Brawl in the Barrio,' was commissioned by the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission and organised by Del Sol Boxing Promotions. The 37-year-old was fighting Phillip Vela, nicknamed the Sin City Sicilian, who was 3-0 heading into the bout and emerged victorious via unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday. According to Marca, Rodriguez, who worked at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), returned to his hotel room after the fight and had arranged to go out to dinner with other fighters from the card. However, he never arrived at the hotel lobby. He was discovered having tragically passed away on Sunday morning when hotel staff entered his room after he wasn't present when transport arrived to take him to the airport. Police are currently investigating the reasons for his passing, which are presently unclear. Arizona authorities have not issued an official report on the cause of death as of yet, nor has it been established if there is any connection to the fight or any pre-existing medical condition. Karla Valenzuela, the fighter's wife, has bravely opened up after the tragic incident, suggesting that perhaps a blow from the fight could have caused her husband's death. "He called me when his fight ended. Even when the show was over and he left for the hotel, he talked to me, he made a video call," she stated. "He told me that he was going out to buy dinner and that he was coming back because at 3:30 in the morning, they were going to pick them up to take them to the airport, that was the only thing I talked to him about. "I don't know what really happened: some kind of blow. I don't know what happened. I am also confused. We have to wait until tomorrow to see what the report says." Vela, who fought Rodriguez just before his death, took to Instagram to post a touching tribute to the boxer, saying: "Truly heartbroken to find out this news. "Thankful to have shared the ring with Pedro for six rounds. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Rest easy, champion." Del Sol Boxing Promotions also paid their respects to Rodriguez, posting: "The Del Sol Boxing family is heartbroken at the death of Pedro Antonio Rodriguez. "Our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones. Out of respect for his family, please join us in waiting for the local authorities to complete their work and investigation."
