The names of international and Italian celebrities make a small list in the break up of George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis. Around the story is Christian Vieri, showgirl Belen Rodriguez and Italy’s favourite gay television star and Chi magazine director, Alfonso Signorini.

The latter was working with Elisabetta Canalis on Italian television when the break-up occurred and tells his side of the story of what happened two days ago. Interviewed in the Italian press, Signorini was asked:

Was everything going well?
Yes, I’m astonished. The news is a surprise even for me.

Tell us what happened.

Continue reading: George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis break up - the details

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In news from Italy this week we get everything from the possibility of natural disasters to gossip over Italian football coaches and in the meantime you’d think Carla Bruni was Italy’s first lady for all the attention she gets in the press here. See the news below:

AC Milan coach Allegri illegally parks in Milan

We’ve seen the kind of parking that is “acceptable” in Rome, and while Milan is a busy city too, generally the northerners are slightly more disciplined. In the photo above, though, we see AC Milan coach, Massimiliano Allegri parking in a no-parking zone near a pedestrian crossing, in the opposite direction to a one-way street. And nearly risking an accident as he pulls away in his Audi A1.

A Roman Holiday for earthquake scare

After news broke that Lazio and Rome was facing a possible earthquake, the city either went into fright or went into holiday mode. With people avoiding built-up areas (and therefore office blocks), when the earthquake never really happened, a figure of 20 percent absenteeism from work in Rome was recorded. Apparently excuses displayed in closed shop windows included the following: “closed for family reasons”, “closed for wedding”, and simply “reopening tomorrow”.

More news from Italy this week after the jump.

Continue reading: AC Milan coach parks illegally and Woody Allen says Carla Bruni is pregnant

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“Semo romani” said in Roman dialect and meaning “we are Romans” was a phrase often seen on posters last weeked during the beatification of Pope John Paul II. He was perhaps the one Pope that the locals adopted as a Roman - because he considered himself to be one and adopted the city as his own.

Pope John Paul II made an effort to speak in Italian from the first speech he ever made as Pope, and in fact the Italians remember with affection the words “se sbaglierò, mi corrigerete” (which should read “corregerete”). Those words soon became more than just an effort to speak to the locals of the city hosting the Vatican state, and soon became examples where the Pope even dabbled in some Roman dialect.

The Pope first used some Roman dialect in a response to a priest who had jokingly asked him why the Pope who spoke all the languages of the world, didn’t speak a little local dialect, too. Karol Wojtyla’s was the only response to such a question. But it’s not just about language. Pope John Paul II visited all 300 of Rome’s churches during his time as Pope.

Continue reading: The Pope speaks Roman dialect: beatification of John Paul II

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Deadline has just published the news that Italian director/actor Roberto Benigni, famous throughout the world for La vita è bella, a film which landed him an Oscar in 1997, will join the cast of Woody Allen’s new film The Wrong Picture which is being filmed here in Italy. If the news is confirmed (according to the above website the announcement will be made at the upcoming Cannes film festival where Woody Allen will present Midnight in Paris) Roberto Benigni will have the opportunity to work alongside several well-established actors such as Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz and Alec Baldwin.

Source | Deadline

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Elisabetta Canalis could do Zoolander after seeing some of her facial expressions in this video in which the Italian showgirl strips for PETA animal rights association. Canalis’ career hasn’t exactly had the launch she might have been expecting after being tied up with America’s most famous actor. Clooney’s girlfriend had a role in the American TV series Leverage, and didn’t get star reviews.

Canalis then returned to Italy for the most important Italian television event of the year - the Sanremo festival. Pitted against fellow showgirl Belen Rodriguez from Argentina, Canalis was criticised for her hopeless dancing and her attempt at an English interview with Robert de Niro.

So it seems that Elisabetta Canalis is back to stripping off for photo shoots and appears in this “I would rather go naked than wear fur” campaign, doing what she does best - just being plain sexy.

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Considered one of the top 10 sexiest female politicians, Italian equal opportunities minister Mara Carfagna was snapped in skinny bikini on a beach in the Maldives. The former show girl (she sure knows how to keep herself in good shape) was enjoying a brief holiday with her fiancé Marco Mezzaroma before their wedding which will take place on June 25.

Italian minister Mara Carfagna and her future husband enjoy a sunny holiday before their wedding

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According to Novella 2000 magazine, Robbie Williams will soon buy a house in one of Milan’s most fashionable districts (Santa Babila). The British pop singer who has rejoined his former band-mates in Take That for a world tour will hold a concert in Milan next July. But apparently Robbie Williams fell in love with the Italian city just a year ago when he put in an appearance on X Factory Italy to perform one of his chart topping singles. Located just above Abercrombie & Fitch, the luxury 260 square metre flat features 5 bedrooms, a huge terrace 100 square metres in size and a state of the art security camera system. Furnished with late 19th century English antiques, the flat owned by a rich businessman will set the singer back over 8 million euros. As with all rumors, there are several variations and sometimes they turn out to be just a complete fabrication. Last year for instance the rumours that David Beckham and his wife Victoria wanted to buy house in Milan were proven false, so stay tuned for more updates.

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World famous fashion house Giorgio Armani has just launched Armani Code Sport, a new fragrance for men; created by master perfumer Jacques Cavallier, the Armani code sport is full of energy and character, successfully mixing three different varieties of mint with ginger and vetiver oil flavours. To promote this new fragrance, Giorgio Armani has enlisted the beautiful and sexy Megan Fox.

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It’s official: the love story between Italian football player Bobo Vieri and her girlfriend Melissa Satta is over. In an interview given to Vanity Fair, the Italian show girl reveals that the break-up came out of the blue:

I was in New York and when I started getting all those text messages about Bobo Vieri’s official statement I thought it was a joke. After checking it up on the Internet, I left New York for Milan, but when I arrived home, he did not say one word. He just kept his mouth shut all the time. That’s typical of him, especially when he’s going through a hard time. I know him very well and had to deal with his bouts of anger so many times in the past. But I have no regrets; I gave him all the love I had inside. Even though it was not a very happy time because his career was not going well and FC Inter Milan, his club, was in crisis, but I did not care; I was in love with him and not with his fame. No. He did not treat me right. He left me without an explanation and this can’t be love.

Italian showgirl Melissa Satta upset over her break up with Bobo Vieri

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Italian sports stars apparrently don’t get much bigger than Valentino Rossi. After his move to Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati for the 2011 MotoGP season, it turns out Rossi is also the most highly paid Italian sports star around. It’s quite an unusual honour for a motorcycle racer, with this kind of ranking usually reserved for Italian football players.

What’s more, the list of international sports star salaries by country from ESPN includes just this one entry from the world of motorcycle racing. Rossi’s national and international appeal is hard to beat, and the new deal with Ducati and the marketing clout it brings will probably see him earn more in the future, whatever his fortunes on the track might be.

Rossi took home 14.3 million euros last year (20.8 million USD) and although his 2011 season so far isn’t turning out to be the dream Ducati start many fans hoped for, he will continue to be Italy’s favourite sports star through the sheer strength of his personality; and is probably partly paid for that charisma, too.

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