10 February

Andrea Silenzi - footballer

Forward was the first Italian to play in the English Premier League

The footballer Andrea Silenzi, who made history in 1995 when he became the first Italian to be signed by an English Premier League club, was born on this day in 1966 in Rome. A 6ft 3ins centre forward, Silenzi joined Nottingham Forest for £1.8 million - the equivalent of about £3.5 million (€4 million) today - and although he was not a success in England, he paved the way for stars such as Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Paolo Di Canio to make their mark in the Premier League. Read more…

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Ernesto Teodoro Moneta – Nobel Prize winner

Supporter of Garibaldi was also an ‘apostle for peace’

Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, who was at times both a soldier and a pacifist, died on this day in 1918.  Moneta was only 15 when he was involved in the Five Days of Milan uprising against the Austrians in 1848 and supported Garibaldi’s unification battle, but in later life he became a peace activist. Even after he won the Nobel Peace prize in 1907, he publicly supported Italy’s entry into the First World War. On the Nobel Prize official website, however, he is described as ‘a militant pacifist’. Read more…

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ENI – oil and gas multinational

Italian energy company 66 years old today

The Rome-based multinational oil and gas company ENI, one of the world’s largest industrial concerns, was founded on this day in 1953. The company, which operates in 79 countries, is currently valued at $52.2 billion (€47.6 billion) and employs almost 34,000 people.  It is the 11th largest oil company in the world.  Its operations include exploration for and production of oil and natural gas, the storage and distribution of petroleum products and the production of base chemicals and plastics. Read more…

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Raffaele Lauro – author and politician

Sorrentine's talents include writing, film directing and song

Italian Senator and journalist Raffaele Lauro was born on this day in 1944 in the resort of Sorrento in Campania.  A prolific writer, Lauro has also been an important political figure for more than 30 years.  A prominent figure in local government in Sorrento, Lauro was appointed a Senator for Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party in 2008, representing Campania, but still had time to pursue his interests in a diverse range of subjects, including writing three books about the singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla. Read more…

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