a board member of the Italian Judo Federation received a call to plan a celebration for Alice BELLANDI and her remarkable Olympic gold medal from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games they devised with the idea of the Golden Tour a seven-stage program organised across Italy allowing Alice to visit and inspire judoka across Italy Due to participant limits for safety reasons yet came to catch a glimpse of Alice outside of the respected venue These trips include workshops and demonstrations where Alice interacts with judoka of all ages sharing her journey and inspiring the next generation of competitors As she is about to take over the load at stop number four Catania – November 10Turin (Leinì) – November 17Rome (Ostia) – November 23 Bologna (Castel Maggiore)- November 30Montecchio Maggiore (VI) – December 1Naples – December 14Brescia – December 15 The first stop of the ‘Alice Bellandi Golden Tour’ was Sicily Thank you all for the warmth and for the large number of registrations I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about an episode that happened at this trip but my eye fell on this little girl with her eyes downcast who was shy to approach me even though her team was already there with me I hugged her and she replied in a shy voice: “It’s the best day of my life.” – her attitude changed; she started smiling and didn’t stop This is to tell you that in life they say that to be happy you have to have a lot of money and be successful but I assure you that what I felt seeing that little girl happy with a simple gesture was priceless Every stop on this tour gives me unique feelings is a land of great champions like Fabio Basile Giulia Quintavalle sparked something within me The athletes from Piedmont clubs truly resonate with their champions it’s as if they’re more accustomed to “him” compared to athletes from other regions They carry themselves as champions in a distinct way What struck me most in Turin was the way young athletes looked at me the pure admiration and love in their eyes for every step I took Days like these remind me of how much I’m contributing to the next generation inspiring them to dream big and believe in themselves I moved to Rome when I became a professional judoka I hope I helped them realise a “little” dream by sharing the tatami with me They are used to watching me and the national team on television so it feels almost unreal for them to be on the same mat hugging me and hearing about my experiences firsthand The second part of the tour was with older athletes which has a different but equally special dynamic These athletes are closer to achieving their dreams My time with them on the tatami has a different focus My goal is to help them see that judo offers endless possibilities tailored to each athlete’s unique characteristics There’s no “completely right” or “completely wrong” way to approach it tirelessly inspiring judoka of all ages and perhaps even future Olympic champions Alice’s victory marks her as a national icon in the sport and with that in mind in a few hours she will be sharing her experience with hundreds of others in Bologna (Castel Maggiore) In group V1 weekend of waiting for budrio second in the class, who will observe the rest day, but looking with interest at the challenge between the queen Piacenza (first at +6 from Budriesi) and the pursuer Magic Parma, third at -2 from the yellow and blues and with the direct clash in their favour. A key day also in group V2, with the See Persiceto, second behind 4 Towers Ferrara, who wants to secure his position and will receive on Tuesday at 21,30 pm Castel Maggiore, which in the first leg had won by 3 lengths on the Persiceto parquet. In relegation-pool it is instead a fight to avoid the last place, the one that condemns to Regional Division 2. In group R2, a delicate weekend for the Masi, second behind Castelfranco Emilia and coming off 3 consecutive defeats: tomorrow at 18pm the Casalecchiesi will host Castel San Pietro Terme 2010, last at -2 from the penultimate place and motivated to score a victory that would reopen the race for salvation on the last day. They also look with interest Anzola e Cesena 2005, tied for second to last place and on the pitch today at 19,45pm. Last assaults also in group R3, with theDaring Bombers hunting for points to achieve a last-gasp salvation. The Bolognese are last at -2 from Imola and today at 19pm they will be in the den of Correggio, second and on a positive streak of 5 days, to attempt the feat. Also on the field at 18,30pm Aics Forlì-Veni, with the San Pietro in Casale club wanting to try to climb to first place. Heavy rainfall has triggered severe flooding across parts of Italy and central France with red and orange weather alerts in place across Italy until Tuesday The Italian region of Emilia Romagna has been worst affected causing widespread damage and prompting more than 300 fire department interventions after their car was swept away in the floods The army has been called in to assist with rescue efforts in Castel Maggiore residents were evacuated after the Crostolo torrent overflowed emergency services have been rescuing residents from rooftops and stranded vehicles after flash flooding The Salto river in Agrigento breached its banks inundating parts of the coastal city of Licata severe flooding has caused extensive damage and power outages and rescue operations continue across affected areas Italian authorities have urged residents in hard-hit areas to avoid travel and seek shelter on higher floors as floodwaters continue to rise Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore advised people to stay indoors and refrain from using their cars emphasising the danger posed by the ongoing deluge The extreme weather follows a devastating flood in Emilia Romagna earlier this year which claimed 17 lives and caused billions of euros of damage We use cookies to ensure users are given the best experience on our website We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the various categories Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms The _cf_bm cookie is used by OneSignal to facilitate the delivery of web push notifications on this website Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors This cookie is installed by Marfeel Solutions Registers data on visitors' website-behaviour This is used for internal analysis and website optimization This cookie is installed by Facebook and identifies browsers for the purposes of providing advertising and site analytics services This cookie is installed by Google Analytics Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns The OAID cookie is set by our Adserver to deliver targeted ads on the  website It tracks user interactions with ads (e.g. impressions) to optimize ad delivery without collecting personally identifiable information This helps provide relevant ads based on browsing activity Other cookies are those that are being identified and have not been classified into any category as yet By 2023-05-11T11:35:00+01:00 ITALY: Construction work has started for the 16·5 km Red Line tram route in Bologna with events marking the occasion held at the site of the future depot in Borgo Panigale and the northern terminus at Michelino-Fiera The first of four routes in a planned 57 km network the Red Line will connect Emilio Lepido in the west to Bologna Centrale station and then turn north with two branches serving Parcheggio Michelino and Facoltà di Agraria/CAAB Most of the route will run on a segregated alignment The line is to be operated with battery powered trams to avoid the need for catenary in the historic city centre Ridership on the Red Line is projected at 80 000 passengers per weekday rising to 105 000 passengers when the entire network has been completed Plans for the four-line network were announced in March 2019 The Green Line is expected to be the second route to be developed with the first section connecting the Red Line with the municipalities of Corticella and Castel Maggiore to the north The second stage would run east to Due Madonne The Yellow Line would link Casteldebole in the west to Rastignano in the southeast while the Blue Line would run from Casalecchio Garibaldi in the southwest to San Lazzaro di Sevenna in the east the four-line network is forecast to carry around 300 000 passengers/day accounting for 21% share of all public transport journeys Bologna once had an extensive tram network developed from 1880 ITALY: CAF is the sole bidder for the tram tender in Bologna The municipality is currently evaluating the offer and it still hopes to sign a contract by the end of the summer Bologna municipality has called tenders worth .. ITALY: Regional operator Trenitalia Tper has introduced cross-city suburban services in the Bologna area with effect from June 9 Route SFM1 linking Porretta in the southwest with Pianoro to the southeast has been established by the extension of the existing Porretta – Bologna Centrale service to .. ITALY: Bologna municipality has called tenders worth €246m for a framework contract covering the supply of up to 60 trams for which civil works contracts are now in place Site powered by Webvision Cloud It may seem like we're starting at the end talking about Chef Agostino Iacobucci's babà just past the threshold of Villa Zarri in Castel Maggiore and we immerse ourselves in the enchanting universe of his babà where a sweet that has undoubtedly entered myth is brought to life where butter is slowly incorporated before being transferred into molds following a manual process executed with such grace and delicacy that it's hard to believe it came from this powerful young man A grace that has always pervaded the essence of this forty-three-year-old chef from Castellammare di Stabia since he opened the restaurant bearing his name in this charming sixteenth-century villa keeping pace with an ever-evolving culinary journey Because Iacobucci's most outstanding characteristic having earned his first MICHELIN star in 2010 at La Cantinella in Naples and later reaffirm it at I Portici in Bologna and then confirmed it at Villa Zarri just a few months after its opening is never resting on his laurels but always springs towards new goals One of these goals is now the Plastic Free Certification: "We have started the transition," says the chef "with the ultimate goal of completely eliminating single-use plastic following the standards and operational procedures of Plastic Free Certification Benefit Corporation which has certified other esteemed colleagues." The garden project is progressing smoothly occupying a portion of the three hectares of parkland surrounding the villa Chef Iacobucci always happily accompanies guests who wish to see where a significant percentage of what they just tasted at the table grows "Even though I don't have the time to personally take care of it," Agostino explains That's how I deepen my knowledge of the raw ingredients which then leads me to ideas and inspiration for creating the dishes." many culinary creations revolve around vegetables One of the tasting menus is entirely vegetarian continuously and unfailingly displaying the unmistakable finesse that marks the chef's work– a mastery of taste that is clean and pure expressed at the exact intersection of elegance and delight With an aesthetic approach displayed with natural ease it is a continuation of the charm of the place that hosts it – a former stately home with fascinating historical appeal Adorned with priceless frescoes in the hall date back to the 1700s when the villa it houses nine tables that form the restaurant's dining area leading a service that moves effortlessly and wisely avoids the rigidity that is often characteristic of historical places and stunning settings like this The cellar boasts about seven hundred labels and biodynamic wines. While in what was once the villa's stable has opened a distillery that has been producing several tens of thousands of bottles of spirits since the 1990s including a brandy that still ranks among the world's finest cognacs Chef Iacobucci's welcome gesture is entirely playful to be eaten with hands – a black sphere that acts as a treasure chest for an eggplant parmigiana A croquette covered in crispy panko breadcrumbs its sweetness contrasting with a creamy bitter herb sauce The cannolo is filled with buffalo cream and adorned on the outside with tomatoes and basil followed by fermented radish in rice vinegar and raspberry The meal concludes with a pistachio macaron filled with a mortadella foam As a flagbearer of his devoted work on vegetables here's a glimpse from the vegetarian menu – a gelato made from pea extract Fresh shelled peas cover the buffalo ricotta tartlet complemented by a spoonful of Asetra caviar for a sweet-savory interplay offering a sip of refreshing light pungency first cooked in a salt crust to intensify its flavor then thinly sliced but with a firm texture smoked salmon trout eggs for a hint of iodine in addition to the semi-whole grain loaf with ancient grains and sourdough poppy seeds crackers and black and white sesame the legendary Neapolitan tarallo with chopped almonds To be garnished with demi-sel Normandy butter The asparagus takes the spotlight as another vegetable star on the plate both as whole spears and thinly sliced lengthwise its astringency and sulfurous notes balanced by the roundness of a pecorino foam and heightened by the citrusy acidity of oranges and yuzu presented in gel and small spheres contributing a delightful tanginess to its natural sweetness complemented by a savory bitter herbs sauce and caviar creating a delightful interplay of flavors The shrimp mayonnaise blends the flavors into a delightful embrace further intensified by the bisque vivified by the pungency of curry and the freshness of a citrusy gel Iacobucci's finesse lies in handling the Comacchio's eel expertly managing its fatty component with the infusion of soy and citrus the dish is enriched with almond and pine nut cream A mist of greens infused with gin brings out the vegetable's freshness complemented by a tableside drizzle of vinaigrette infused with different soy vinegars with their kaleidoscopic range of herbaceous and sweet flavors elevated by the addition of sea urchin mayonnaise intensifying its marine flavors and making its delicate taste even more enticing one of the dishes that best represents the chef's aesthetic flair The marine essence is elevated with great finesse by hints of acidity and gentle spiciness Even the veal sweetbread achieves a state of absolute grace harmoniously paired with the tosazu gel with its slightly acidic umami and the aromatic spectrum of annurca apple here in a creamy versions; with tarragon bursting in with its slightly bitter notes of anise and licorice the ravioli stuffed with Genovese rabbit is glazed with three types of onions complemented by the smoky note of smoked provola to balance the sweetness and add roundness The truffle contributes with its unique aroma "Naples meets Emilia" is the geographical migration of the chef encapsulated in a thin layer of pasta These tortelli have quickly become his signature dish representing one of the most successful fusions of regional Italian recipes The classic Neapolitan ragù becomes the filling for the tortelli served with a 36-month-aged Parmesan foam and basil gelatine.  and raspberry – adding various aromas and different flavor notes accompanied by pistachio and raspberry sauce The pre-dessert is a buffalo milk gelato served on a chocolate crumble resting on a refined emulsion of raspberry and bell pepper The pairing with the Irpinian Cerri Merry by Cavalier Pepe an Aglianico that macerates with cherries and sour cherries has reached a point where further elaboration becomes unnecessary It is expertly moistened with a citrus-infused bagna and infused with a myriad of captivating essences almost otherworldly experience that seems to dissolve upon contact with the palate leaving diners in awe of its sublime craftsmanship the only definition left to provide is that it exists in its own ontological dimension finds its foundation in a double milk foam and a red fruit sauce creating a culinary experience that transcends the ordinary and enters the realm of the extraordinary Refinement and indulgence are also present in the small petits fours Tel: 051 459 9887 Website Do you want to discover the latest news and recipes of the most renowned chefs and restaurants in the world La nostra società utilizza inoltre cookie funzionali per registrare informazioni sulle scelte dell’utente e per consentire una personalizzazione del Sito; ad esempio Questi cookie possono essere installati dalla nostra società o da Terze parti In caso di disabilitazione di questi cookie la qualità e l’esperienza di navigazione potrebbe non essere soddisfacente Questi cookie sono installati da social media per consentire la condivisione dei contenuti del presente Sito Essi sono in grado di monitorare la navigazione compiuta anche in altri siti e creano un profilo dell’utente sulla base dei suoi interessi Ciò potrebbe avere un impatto sul contenuto e messaggi visualizzati sugli altri siti visitati non sarà possibile utilizzare o visualizzare questi strumenti di condivisione per l’installazione e l’uso di tali cookie occorre il consenso dell’utente Per maggiori informazioni consulta la pagna cookies policy The tourist card to discover what’s best in the city easily and cost effectively Home / Events / Food & Wine The PlainsFree entry< 20 Km from Bologna For over two-hundred years celebrates a festival dedicated to the ''Raviola'' a traditional biscuit filled with ''mostarda bolognese" (a local jam) that used to prepare and eat this sweet dough on St This 209th edition of the festival includes starts the classic allegorical floats parade the religious celebration called "Solenni Quarantore" (the Solemn Forty-hours) the procession and the blessing of the town In past times it was also one of the moment of the year in which the Trebbo's emigrants used to come back and visit the relatives acrobats and sellers of any kind that attracted people also from the near villages Email: proloco.c@virgilio.it Site/minisite/other: https://www.prolococastelmaggiore.com/ Piazza della Pace 40013 Castel Maggiore proloco.c@virgilio.it https://www.prolococastelmaggiore.com/ Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology GERMANY: GEA has signed an agreement to sell its refrigeration contracting operations in Spain and Italy to French company Clauger The deal involves GEA Refrigeration Italy SpA Both companies provide customised  refrigeration solutions for industrial customers and Clauger is a family-owned company based near Lyon and operates in more than 90 countries The company  has approximately 1,600 employees with sales of around €350m.  GEA says the two companies were not sustainably reaching margin targets set by the company for this type of business GEA emphasises that the transaction does not affect its compressor sales businesses in the two countries “We are convinced that the companies can further develop in the hands of Clauger GEA will now focus its efforts on  selling compressors and related equipment to packagers and contractors in Spain and Italy,” commented GEA Group CEO Stefan Klebert “Signing the agreement with GEA to acquire its refrigeration contracting business in Italy and Spain is aligned with  where we are today but also where we are going tomorrow,” said Clauger CEO Frédéric Minssieux “It illustrates our desire to continue our development and internationalisation Clauger will be able to  count on experienced teams to jointly develop the group’s future in Spain and Italy.”  Clauger has grown continually from its inception by Paul Minssieux in 1971 to a company that now has over 1,600 employees and more than 15 subsidiaries worldwide Cooling Post is the leading online resource covering latest news and developments in the cooling industry air conditioning news and the latest heat pump developments Privacy & Cookie Policy © Copyright 2025, Cooling Post Ltd - All Rights Reserved | Website by Capital Web Bonfiglioli, a global leader in drives for process and industrial material handling machines, wind generators and mobile machinery for construction, earthmoving and intra-logistics, has announced its agreement to acquire Selcom Group S.p.A. Selcom Group S.p.A. specialises in the design, production and sale of electronic boards, electronic products, as well as software and solutions for customers in the industrial, biomedical, automotive, intra-logistics and home-appliance automation sectors. Headquartered in Castel Maggiore (BO), the company had 2022 turnover of approximately €150 million (of which 60% from Italian production), generating +15% growth over the previous year despite the market shortages of electronic material. Saul Wordsworth is the editor and producer of the Off-Highway Podcast from iVT as well as being video reporter, writer and editor at large for ivtinternational.com. He is a keen cyclist and lives in north London. Home / Blog / Updated on 29 August 2023 From Bologna Welcome Bologna's extracultural scene is undoubtedly dominated by an unparalleled gastronomic tradition you are surely familiar with the local dishes and may have appreciated their preparation raw materials and authenticity more than once where cuisine meets the experience of tradition creativity blends with regional and international influences and the ingenuity of skilled hands combines with the quality of local gastronomic excellence in a journey among the starred restaurants in and around Bologna.  Five restaurants can boast one or more Michelin stars for 2025 in the Bologna area: Ristorante I Portici (Bologna) Casa Mazzucchelli (Sasso Marconi) with 1 star and Ristorante San Domenico (Imola) with 2 stars 1. Ristorante I Portici A former residence in the Bolognese lowlands Villa Zarri offers visitors a princely setting rich in frescoes The contemporary cuisine of Michelin-starred chef Agostino Iacobucci proposes three tasting menus for an incredible journey into the flavours of the future The vegetable ingredients are the restaurant's pride and joy from the garden surrounding the late 16th-century mansion The sheltering mountain peaks of the Emilian Apennines are home to the Trattoria Amerigo Here the atmosphere is definitely more familiar and typical of old country inns a meeting place to spend time after work as well as the village's first TV room The cuisine still retains the authentic and genuine unmistakable hallmarks of the Emilian tradition your taste buds will be singing with delight until you come back the restaurant recently awarded a star by Chef Aurora Mazzucchelli who has managed to intrigue the strictest culinary critics of the Michelin Guide The experience offered by the restaurant is that of reliving familiar flavours and the enveloping warmth of home with a menu that also looks to the contemporary and innovative Casa Mazzucchelli ©Benedetta Bassanelli and Laura Frasca Ristorante San Domenico is located at Via G Sacchi 1 in Imola boasting two Michelin stars the gourmet delights begin in their dining room of just 20 tables where you can breathe in a fairytale atmosphere with its decorated linen ceilings silver underplates and fine Imola ceramics The jewel in the crown is Saletta 22 where you can indulge in a blind menu of the chef's choice with a strong and clear message: cuisine and hospitality are pure culture Not new to pirate exploits, Forlì comes from the defeat (2-3) against Lasersoft Riccione, the third force in the championship, which interrupted a three-day winning streak, but confirmed, to avoid any misunderstanding, that coach Marone's sextet is able to compete on equal terms even with teams equipped to aspire to a place on the higher floor. To dispel the doubts that have been hovering over the gastronomic community for some time the name of Agostino Iacobucci's new restaurant in Cesenatico is read with the accent on the “ó,” as specified in the logo and means exactly “again,” and not "Àncora" which in Italian is the tool with which a boat is moored It is probably the immediacy effect of the brain as in the case when it can read words correctly with the inner letters in bulk when “anchor” is in a maritime context it is immediately associated with the mooring implement we meet the chef from Castellammare di Stabia and immediately ask him how he arrived at the choice of this name for the new restaurant that opened a few months ago He explains that it is basically the Italian I Did It Again.” “Exactly five years after the opening of Villa Zarri in Bologna,” Agostino explains ” the opportunity happened to take this new place and one evening while chatting they made me the proposal and I thought of launching myself again in a new restaurant adventure The space is the one that for almost twenty years hosted Magnolia Alberto Faccani's two-star Michelin restaurant Celestia's flash project.Approximately twenty-four covers and with a few spurts of refined eccentricity such as the highly polished resin counter shaded in different blues and turquoises Agostino Iacobucci, forty-four, is chef and patron of the Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name inside the majestic Villa Zarri in Castel Maggiore, Bologna (menu story here) He took up cooking at the age of fifteen in his aunt's restaurant in Lettere after several internships in France and the United Kingdom Confirmed two years later at I Portici in Bologna which became starred within months of opening in 2019 “I think this is the time to evolve in my role as a chef and become a trainer and supporter of young people,” says Iacobucci “I think it is necessary to do something tangible to support talented young people who may have a project but lack resources and therefore sufficient motivation to start it: this is also why they are leaving the industry My feeling is that at this rate the Italian restaurant industry will dissolve." For the Stabiese chef the opening of this new restaurant in the Leonardesco Canal Harbor town also represents a family reunion of sorts after six years in the brigade at Osteria Francescana along with others in their early twenties are joining resident chef Marco Garattoni he began his journey at the Berton restaurant in Milan starting as an intern until becoming sous chef Thanks to Berton he flew to Barcelona and for more than two years worked at Disfrutar With Alberto Faccani there had already been brief periods of sporadic work so back in Italy he joined the brigade of the Magnolia restaurant to fill the role of sous chef “I always went to eat at Alberto's,” Iacobucci says we already knew each other obviously on social media Then a colleague told me he was about to leave Magnolia and he married the project."“You could say I went back to my roots a little bit ,” Marco adds “ the first years of my work at Magnolia I was in this very place and last but not least I am close to home.” The restaurant's clientele is predominantly local are Bolognese with second homes in Cesenatico former customers of Iacobucci's at Villa Zarri The dining room is expertly run by Apulian maître Antonio Lo Basso “Manju,” who has been following Iacobucci since I Portici with significant experience at Enoteca Pinchiorri The concepts that materialize in the dishes take off from cues from Marco and Agostino in most cases starting with the ingredient and still in the embryonic stage are shared with the whole brigade so that there is a collective thought behind the creative phase What comes out reveals a clear and limpid sense of taste that emerges at the precise meeting point between elegance and enjoyment along with an aesthetic approach exhibited with extreme naturalness respectively; in addition to the chef's free-hand menu a la carte offerings and the lunch special The welcoming amuse bouche set includes a flan of chard and lightly smoked sardines; a cube of watermelon horseradish mayonnaise; a bao with tuna sauce trout roe; a tartlet with crabmeat and beet A kaleidoscope of hints of sauces mimicking the tones of Russian salad accompanies the raw purple shrimp which can be dressed in a variety of hints including even the savory aromatics of caviar and a froth of giardiniera basil leaves are infused into the mozzarella's water a burst of freshness with cantaloupe melon ice cream Hazelnut miso emphasizes the sweetness of freshly seared scallop a raw scallop is covered with a crispy pasta shell to be broken up and mixed with the shellfish and certainly could not be missed in Cesenatico The transposition of the homemade "seppia e piselli" into haute cuisine takes place with the cuttlefish offered in four preparations After the legendary "tortello Napoli incontra l'Emilia" here the pasta filling is the main condiment of the most popular pasta dish in Romagna namely spaghetto alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) Inside the unmissable bottoni are "poverazze" “Being originally from the sea ,” says Iacobucci,” once I moved to Bologna I found in Cesenatico my favorite seaside location the beautiful movement of people that reminds me of the Villa Comunale in Castellammare Thirteen years ago when I first came with my wife all I could see from the highway was greenery and hills I could not get my bearings or figure out which side was the sea so we thought of covering our risotto alla pescatora with green powder." The bitterness of the escarole gracefully contrasts the sweetness of the crispy mullet a buffalo milk ice cream topped with a mousse of red fruits; dessert that can only be the unique and inimitable triple-rise baba Maldon salt; a meringue with oil ganache; salted peanut; blueberry raspberry Ancòra Restaurant CesenaticoViale Trento 31 | 47042 Cesenatico (FC)tel. +39 0547 397207 | ristorante@ancoracesenatico.it Website “When I saw the original plaque in person two weeks ago, I immediately video-called my brother and said: tomorrow, when I enter the pitch, I will touch that writing for you too”. In Liverpool Federico Ravaglia he walked through the tunnel of history wearing the Bologna shirt, under the proud eyes of his brother Alessandro and his father Leonardo in the stands. From Anfield to the 'Foresti' stadium in Vado where last Sunday Ale, a defender with a penchant for goals, decided the match between his Valsetta Lagaro and Trebbo with a penalty. Promotion group C. "I was in the stands with dad obviously", says Federico. This is Ravaglia: a boy who has remained attached to his roots, a son of Bologna. “I have always had clear ideas: at the first training session with Progresso at 5 years old I showed up with gloves and long padded trousers. It was the fault of two people: my dad who played in goal and Gigi Buffon, my idol as a child, I wanted to become like him. I challenged him twice, when I was on loan at Frosinone (2021-22, ed) and he had returned to Parma. I jealously guard his shirts: they remind me where I started from and where I have arrived”. From Castel Maggiore to the Champions League, which he also has a hand in: does he sometimes think about the penalty saved from Politano? “Yes, I think about it often, because I want those emotions to stay alive, imprinted. I go back in my mind to Naples, to us singing 'L'anno che verrà' by Lucio on the plane. The return to a Casteldebole full of fans. Then, okay: the party in Piazza Maggiore, with my family and my friends in the middle of the crowd. It was a daydream, something magical”. The fear is that the magic around Bologna has faded a bit… “I don’t feel like saying it’s gone. There have been some big changes, yes, but the basis of the group is the same. Another coach and many new players have arrived, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t repeat last season. Of course, it’s increasingly difficult to confirm yourself. But today I tell you: why not?! It’s something in our nature. We need a spark, maybe even a bit of luck”. And perhaps a pinch of malice. Some thought the 'celebration' of Liverpool's defeat was excessive. As if, after all, the important thing was to be there. “The way we played at Anfield, the intensity, the courage, it seemed to me anything but a trip. If I analyse that 2-0, I'm not satisfied because I come back empty-handed, but I leave with my head held high and chest out: for what we showed against one of the strongest teams in Europe, one of the three in the best form. It was a great game, ours: it gave us the awareness that now at this level we can compete”. But then comes the draw with Parma. How do you explain it? It was less easy for Italiano to inherit a group so shaped by Motta. “From day one, the coach transmitted his hunger to us, but above all the great emotion of leading a club like Bologna, of coaching us: he made us feel important. He reminded us that what we had done was historic, but now we had to start from scratch. And where can you get to in this “year zero”? “The group is there, we are hungry: we can go hunting for Europe again this year”. As long as we don't make any more missteps in Genoa. “After Parma, the coach was angry, we all were. But then we immediately started to prepare for Genoa with great desire, to work on our difficulties. We are preparing in the right way. We are ready to face this cycle of close matches”. How much did it cost you to switch to another type of football? “As with all changes, there is a settling-in phase to go through, but the good things are there and you can see them: the direction is right, we have to follow it. I hear people say that we play riskier football: that's not true. What we do is all well calculated. Of course, we play a more vertical game, focused on finishing, more aggressive when not in possession. But we have defenders with the right characteristics to do it”. The problem, if anything, is in attack. Dallinga can't be this... “Thijs arrived in a new world, with a lot of pressure on him because he was replacing Joshua who was one of the best in Europe. But be careful: I remember Zirkzee in Parma and the one from his first season with us. In training I thought he was a phenomenon: but it took him a year to explode. Look, Thijs needs time: he has the quality to score 15 goals”. "We all know what kind of player Ricky is, how important he is for us. Of course, every year we expect more from him. But I think that, once we've gotten over the disappointment of the Azzurri, we'll see the Bear we know again." Meanwhile, on December 7th you will see Motta again. “Me and Lukasz (Skorupski, ed) we have a close bond with his trainers, Iago and Alfred (Lozano and Dossou-Yovo, ed). We hear from them every now and then and by extension Thiago too. I owe him a lot: he gave me confidence, in crucial matches, like at San Siro with Inter in the Coppa Italia where I saved Lautaro's penalty. That victory gave us a lot of awareness to then achieve the Champions League feat”. Are you hoping to debut in Europe too? Or has Italiano been clear about the hierarchies? “We have a great team: with our coaches, Vincenzo Sicignano and Antonio Rosati, the relationship is beautiful. There was a meeting in which the coach did not set limits: he told us that we are all very important. This year I know I can find space, given the many games: I want to be ready. Then, of course: I dream of making my debut in the Champions League”. “I am very close to Sinisa. He made me debut in Serie A. He was perhaps the first to truly believe in me. I remember him as a warrior, but deep down good, very human. And I also want to mention Luca Bucci, the coach at the time: he helped me a lot”. “Amazing, full of memories. At 12 I joined the rossoblù youth sector and they often took us to the stadium. I loved being a ball boy and standing behind the goal to study the goalkeeper”. “We like it a lot, we used to play there often in the summer. Ale is a Fortitudo player and he influenced me a bit (laughs, ed). But I also like to go and see Virtus”. “My dream has always been to become Bologna's starting goalkeeper. Then of course Italy is also a dream. I hope to be able to make it come true one day. But I hope that Bologna will allow me to get to the national team: that would be the best in life”. Thiago Motta amazes everyone and launches Federico Ravaglia owner instead of the very owner Skorupski.  as the rossoblù coach himself will explain post-match who looked great in training during the week but which remains consistent with Thiago's philosophy always aimed at choosing who does best during the week for each role and without looking at anyone.  Work pays, second Motta and he paid off in this case too: Ravaglia in fact showed himself ready with two decisive interventions to save the result with the goalkeeper saving the striker's header for a corner A particular story that of Federico Ravaglia The class of '99 is a native of Castel Maggiore and he grew up in the club's youth team going through the entire process with the rossoblù youth teams Even before that Progress, when he played together with James Raspadori, another predestined from our Serie A. Then the leap with the greats, and the debut in the top flight with Sinisa MihajlovićYesterday remembered from Dall'Ara. And the debut match? Well, Bologna-Roma, on 13 December 2020. Stadiums closed and 1-5 for Roma, different atmosphere compared to yesterday, in short. Finding yourself in front of Edin Dzeko, Roma's center forward at the time, didn't make it the easiest of debuts, but life often grants a second chance. The rest is recent history, and after some unsuccessful loans in series B (Frosinone e Reggina), last night that boy from Castel Maggiore managed to get his revenge against Roma, erasing that bad debut and taking away the satisfaction of finishing in fourth place alone with his Bologna. As Thiago says, work pays.  You might also likeRobin Srl Company subject to the management and coordination of Monref Tests in Emilia-Romagna have been postponed to a future date due to the severe weather emergency in the region.(Last update September 20 regular tests will resume to improve the IT-alert public warning system as well as the Autonomous Province of Trento will be involved in testing scenarios related to major accidents at industrial facilities Even though the IT-alert system is operational for the abovementioned scenarios testing activities will continue periodically These tests are necessary to check the system and keep the population's attention on the risks they face If users receive an IT-alert message with the word "TEST," it means that a verification of the system's functionality is in progress This is necessary to ensure that messages will be sent from the phone cells and received by the devices in the target areas during a real emergency For the scenario of major accidents at industrial facilities the notification text that the affected population will receive will read as follows: TEST TEST This is an IT-alert TEST MESSAGE. There is an ongoing SIMULATION of an accident at an industrial facility in the area where you are. To learn what message you will receive in case of real danger and to fill out the survey, go to www.it-alert.gov.it/en TEST TEST  the notification test will read as follows: TEST TEST This is an IT-alert TEST MESSAGE. There is an ongoing SIMULATION of a dam collapse in the area where you are. To learn what message you will receive in case of real danger and to fill out the survey, go to www.it-alert.gov.it/en TEST TEST TEST TEST This is an IT-alert TEST MESSAGE. There is an ongoing SIMULATION of a nuclear accident at a plant located in a foreign country with potential repercussions in the area where you are. To learn what message you will receive in case of real danger and to fill out the survey, go to www.it-alert.gov.it/en TEST TEST During the testing period, a dedicated page will be accessible from the website's homepage. This page will display the message that citizens would receive in case of a real emergency and a link to a survey that people in the affected areas will be asked to complete, even if they do not receive any IT-alert notifications. Test dates may be subject to change if regional civil protection systems are involved in activities for any ongoing meteo-hydro alerts or emergencies. The notification will arrive on the switched-on and connected cell phones located in the target areas according to the following schedule:   Each industrial facility must have an External emergency plan (EEP) containing damage mitigation measures outside the facility and an Internal Emergency Plan (IEP), including damage mitigation measures inside the facility. IT-alert would be activated for possible accident scenarios affecting the facility. When a risk related to the structural strength of a large dam occurs, it is referred to as "dam risk," which entails four alert phases (pre-alert, reinforced alert, danger, and collapse).  Each dam is required to have a Civil Protection Document (DP), which defines the specific conditions for the activation of the civil protection system, communications, and technical-administrative procedures to be implemented in case of risk, and a Dam Emergency Plan (DEP), which outlines the areas potentially affected by the flood wave, operational strategies, and the intervention model to face the emergency. IT-alert would be activated in case of collapse of a large dam, that is, a retaining structure exceeding 15 meters in height or resulting in a reservoir volume exceeding 1,000,000 cubic meters. "Nuclear accident" refers to any accidental event involving significant consequences in terms of radiation protection or nuclear safety. There are no operating nuclear plants in Italy. Other countries, however, some of them neighboring Italy, have active nuclear plants for energy production. Therefore, to deal with possible accidents beyond national borders, the National Plan for the management of radiological and nuclear emergencies was adopted, which considers three accident scenarios based on how far the event occurs from national borders. The scenario considered by the IT-alert national public warning system is the one resulting from a nuclear accident within 200 kilometers from the Italian border, corresponding to the "ALARM" operational phase. In case of real danger from a nuclear accident, cell phones in the affected municipalities will receive such an IT-alert message:▪  Civil Protection Alert DD/MM/YY at 00:00 - Alert - Accident at the XYZ nuclear plant (FOREIGN COUNTRY). Possible passage of the radioactive cloud. The evolution of the situation is being closely monitored. Keep up to date and follow the instructions of the authorities. However, there may be devices present in areas affected by the emergency that will not receive the message. This is caused by one of the limits of cell-broadcast technology: the impossibility of perfectly overlaying the area potentially affected by the emergency with the area covered by the antennas of the telephone operators used to send the messages. Updated on 08 June 2023 From Bologna Welcome If you already took a peek at our tips on what do to in Bologna when it's too hot and you're into swimming pools here are some useful proposals for spending a relaxing day or afternoon away from the city dullness while taking an unwinding swim.  The territory of Bologna offers plenty of solutions located both close to the urban area and deep in the countryside Bologna is particularly appreciated for its indoor pools it counts fewer open-air spots for swimming enthusiasts.  The historic piscina Sterlino is a must-try for those not wishing to stray too far Located within easy reach in the Murri district it has been a guarantee of relax and wellness in Bologna for many years.  Another alternative within the urban area is the Piscina Vandelli, in the Arcoveggio district, equipped with an outdoor pool especially suitable for children and for cooling off without having to swim a lot. The same applies to the Piscina Cavina in the Borgo Panigale area it is in the surrounding areas that swimming lovers will find a sight for sore eyes in Budrio or San Giovanni in Persiceto you'll find large ideal for a day off with your friends or family.  In Castel Maggiore the Bologna Padel sport center features a renewed swimming pool in a very relaxing park plus the opportunity of playing sports like padel and football thanks to its several fields and courts where for a special day, you can opt for the pool and spa at Palazzo di Varignana Check here the complete list of swimming pools in Bologna and surroundings Can't find your pool? Write your recommendation here Sergio Secondion and Patrizia Corazza with Paul Tyrrell on a history walking tour of Blessington Mayor Belinda Gottarid with the Twinning Committee Liam Fay and Andra Johnston at The Avon in Blessington Mayor Belinda Gottardi of Castel Maggiore aigning the Twinning between Castel Maggiore and Blessington at the Wicklow County Council Offices Blessington Carol Walsh and Tana Matusenko at The Avon in Blessington Mayor Belinda Gottardi and Marco Monesi meeting the Angela O'Brien School of Irish Dancing at the Tramway Theatre in Blessington Andra Johnston and Marco Monesi on the steps of the Italian Embassy in Dublin Myles BuchananWicklow PeopleFri 4 Aug 2023 at 15:01A delegation from the Italian town of Castel Maggiore were recently welcomed to Blessington to sign a friendship agreement as part of the twinning process between the two communities The visit was part of an ongoing process to twin Blessington with Castel Maggiore with the cooperation of Blessington and District Forum and the Baltinglass Municipal District The delegation were welcomed by District Manager Breege Kilkenny of Wicklow County Council Cathaoirleach of Baltinglass Municipal District Cllr Edward Timmins along with local councillors Avril Cronin and Patsy Glennon as well as members of the Blessington and District Forum Chair Carmel Cashin and twinning committee Chairman Cllr Timmins said: “This is an opportunity for us to showcase all we have to offer in Blessington and indeed the wider west Wicklow area and to build up connections with our counterparts in Italy Community groups within Blessington were invited to attend a welcome for the delegation at The Avon exchange views and develop relationships with likeminded groups from Castel Maggiore Speaking at the event Cllr Avril Cronin said: “Today marks the beginning of a great friendship between our two communities It will allow our two communities to share their visions explore our cultures and create a strong relationship.” The delegation also met with Blessington Tourist office staff experienced Irish music and dance at the Tramway Theatre learned about the history of the town on a walking tour and visited the library and the Comin Centre The group also had the opportunity to visit local tourist attractions such as Russborough House After years of culinary exploration and experimentation Agostino Iacobucci opened his debut restaurant at Villa Zarri in Bologna The Italian chef discovered the joys of cooking from an early age at his aunt’s restaurant and has honed his craft since then gaining a Michelin star in 2010 as head chef at La Cantinella in Naples and then consolidating his reputation with another in Bologna Iacobucci brings a refined cuisine that the capital of Emilia Romagna is missing a cuisine that diners usually need to find in cities nearby – particularly Modena His style and ambition are those of international chefs such as his friends Mauro Colagreco and Virgilio Martinez Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -12 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -19-1 The restaurant is located within an elegant villa in Castel Maggiore featuring a spacious dining room complete with beautiful ceiling frescoes offers a cosy yet pampering fine-dining experience with both a tasting menu and a la carte options The villa itself is famous for its brandy distillery so expect the quality to reach beyond the dishes and wine list Iacobucci’s cuisine is also inspired by Spanish chefs: while style-wise it can be reminiscent of Basque legend Pedro Subijana the Neapolitan chef spent time learning cutting-edge techniques at Quique Dacosta We loved the squid and potato dumplings – served in a show-stopping clear seafood broth – as well as the pigeon with quinoa and turnips: visually impeccable and cooked as little as possible to fully appreciate the taste of the meat with little snacks ranging from raw prawns to seared tuna and a puffy meringue with yuzu powder topped with an anchovy fillet Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -31 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -25 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -23 One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the enchanting babà a dessert which is considered easy to prepare but which took the chef years to make so light an airy wine pairings are looked after by a promising sommelier Iacopo Gerussi; the young talent actually takes the time to go out and meet producers in order to understand what they do which he brilliantly communicates to the customers Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -34 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -38 For those wanting a mixture of comfort and class tradition and innovation – all within the most striking of settings – Ristorante Iacobucci should be firmly on your radar the Editor and Rosamund Kelby Photos: Filippo L’Astorina To book a table at Ristorante Iacobucci, Via Ronco 1 40013 Castel Maggiore (BO) Italy, call +39 051 4599887 or visit their website here Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -4 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -13 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -10 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -33 Ristorante Iacobucci - Filippo L'Astorina - The Upcoming -36 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker He was actually born on April 28, 1968 in Castellamonte, which would be in the province of Turin. He is Piedmontese, therefore. And he is not afraid of anyone. Wearing the Mestre jersey, his first action sees him dunk in Bryant's face. We are in the XNUMXs, few people still talk about Kobe, but everyone in Italy is in love with Joe, known as Jellybean. Because Joe's dad scores tons of points. And Pilu, who will one day become a defense specialist - perhaps one of the best in Italy - doesn't think twice. And to make it clear who he is, he dunks in his face. Their language is particularly colorful and perhaps not very respectful. But amidst the laughter (sincere) you understand from a mile away that those guys really love each other. Which are a bit like the three musketeers, all for one and one for all. Pilu is hilarious. Like when he reconstructs pieces of the past: his imitations of Professor Nikolic and the street urchin Esposito (two characters apparently at opposite ends of the spectrum, but in reality two basketball giants) are Oscar-worthy. The man for the toughest missions is always him, Claudio Pilutti. Like when, in the derby, he has to try to stop Sasha Danilovic. Then Gandino, Castiglione Murri. With the same verve as always. And with the rocking chair - someone might have gotten angry, Pilu who is a master of goliardic humor and knows how to joke about himself, no - that the fans give him. A knee plays up, he is forced to retire in 2008. But in basketball he is always a point of reference. Because he always says what he thinks. Because he is an inexhaustible source of anecdotes. Do you think that the dunk in Bryant's face is the only event? Let me tell you about when, in Fortitudo, a friendly with a team of Americans materializes in Casalecchio. Among them, a certain Earvin Johnson. Damiao apparently still has the Magic jersey. But the only Italian capable of scoring a hook shot, under the gaze of an incredulous Magic, is precisely him, Pilu from Castellamonte. The idol of the Fossa. And not only that. FERRARA: Bianchi 8, Dalpozzo M. 3, Caselli 3, Grazzi 11, Mujakovic 15, Pusinanti 11, Beccari 2, Ghirelli 2, Bertocco 7, Cattani 16, Ghiselli 2. Coach Dalpozzo D. PLACE: Rosetti, Cortecchia, Mazzotti 10, Baroncini L. 2, Fussi 12, Creta 16, Canzonieri 7, Caramella, Belmonte 2, Arosti 5, Ravaioli 19, Pasquali. Coach: Baroncini F. Group V2 standings: 4 Ferrara* 8; Vis Persiceto and Lugo 6; Raggisolaris Academy* 4 Castel Maggiore 2. * already rested Ranking V3: Mo.Ba. Modena 12; Massa Lombarda* 8; Baricella and Jolly 2000 Reggio Emilia* 4; Tigers Villanova 0. * already rested. Gaia and Emma Nastasi they finally saw their efforts rewarded with a well-deserved bronze in the ju no kata, with 147,5 points. Always on the third step of the podium were climbed Leonardo Benza e William Sensi since katame no kata, with 155 points, thanks to a solid and confident performance in ground fighting. In category A2, Richard Pinto e Samuel Firepicker have dominated in the kodokan goshin jutsu, winning gold with a score of 502,5 points, almost 20 points ahead of the second-placed athletes. In the A1 category, Enrico Tommaso e Yuri Ferretti they embellished the Siena medal collection with a gold in the kime no kata, thanks to an execution characterized by a perfect combination of speed, decision and control. At 16:14 pm the Under 15, who plays a friendly match with Mantova. Tomorrow the Under 14,30 plays at 2:15 pm in Vinovo against Juventus, imitated 17 hours later by the Under 15; internal appointment, instead, for the Under 9,30, who at 13:43 pm at the "Meloni" in Novellara will face Carrarese. Starting at XNUMX:XNUMX, instead, the Under XNUMX plays in Castel Maggiore in the XNUMXrd "Tassi" tournament. SIMONELLIThe presentation of the sixth edition of the Adicosp Football Grand Gala (Italian Association of Sports Directors and Collaborators), which awards the protagonists of Italian football and the values ​​that sport can transmit as a tool for growth and community. Among the awardees on May 5th in Rome will be Nicola Simonelli, recognized as Best Secretary General. The subsequent stages with Frosinone and Reggina (on loan) were interlocutory and perhaps not even Gianluca Pagliuca, who had weaned the very young player Ravaglia, he imagined that his pupil, once back in the fold, would prove to be so effective. All eyes on the Gewiss Stadium, to challenge theAtalanta: and at Easter it will be the turn of theInter at Dall'Ara. Do you think Lautaro has forgotten about the cinno that hypnotized him from the penalty spot? Marchionni, as he saw it Ravenna against Lentigione? "Not very good the first 20 minutes, then good". Are you happy with the performance? "Even though we faced a strong team, with important players, we never suffered excessively, apart from, in fact, the first minutes, in which we were too low with the defenders". Any regrets for the defeat and for the errors of the goalkeeper Fresia? "Better now than in the playoffs, in the game that counts. In football, mistakes also exist. You miss goals and you concede. And, the single mistake, if the performance was there, makes me feel calm. Without that mistake, we would have been talking about another game". Ravenna has collected 3 wins, 2 draw and 6 defeats in the last 12 matchdays (in addition to having conceded 7 goals in the last XNUMX). Is the team perhaps in decline? "I don't think so. It's the only team that runs and doesn't suffer from cramps. We must compliment our trainer. With Lentigione, for example, excluding the 2 episodes of goals conceded, he held up well on the pitch". So he's not worried? "No, because I don't see any tiredness in the players. The only disappointment is not having won against Lentigione, also because we wanted to close the 'regular season' on a high note". Many of the dangers posed by Lentigione came from corner kicks, which were 9-1 for the guests. "They have players who can kick them very well and players who are good at exploiting them." Could this be a 'sensitive' topic in view of a possible final against Lentigione? "Excluding Fresia's save and the match-winning goal, we didn't have too many problems on set pieces." "We will certainly evaluate whether to let them play or not. We will be careful to avoid risks." There is also a worrying defensive record to be erased: 12 goals conceded in the last 7 races, when, in the previous 26 races, there had been only 13. "The ones committed against Lentigione - commented the director Matteo Rossetti - are mistakes that can happen. It's a shame because, having scored a goal almost at the end, the game seemed almost over. Unfortunately, however, two unexpected goals happened. Nothing to say, we just have to look forward and think about the next games. We have a very important goal for us, for the club, for the fans and for the square. Our task is to work hard, with a positive approach". In Group V3, Massa Lombarda climbs to second place thanks to a 73-49 (21-11; 36-26; 51-42) victory in the early match against Baricella and will be on bye this weekend. The scoreboard of Faenza: Garavini 17, Merendi 10, Ndiaye 1, Dellachiesa 11, Sirri 4, Ravaioli 6, Gorgati, Naldini 3, Camparevic 5, Marras 2, Lazzari 17, Bendandi 2. Coach: Monteventi Lugo's scorecard: Rosetti 4, Cortecchia, Mazzotti 7, Baroncini L. 8, Fussi 2, Creta 12, Canzonieri, Caramella 3, Belmonte 2, Arosti 2, Ravaioli 15, Pasquali ne. Coach: Baroncini F. The Massa Lombarda scoresheet: Ravaglia, Colombo 7, Spinosa 17, Dalpozzo 3, Caroli 19, Orlando 4, Puntolini, Fabiani 22, Gorini 4, Ciadini 10. Coach: Solaroli. Group V2 standings: 4 Torri Ferrara* 6; Vis Persiceto 4; Raggisolaris Academy, Lugo* and Castel Maggiore*2. * games less Group V3 standings: Mo.Ba. Modena 8; Massa Lombarda 6; Baricella 4; Jolly 2000 Reggio Emilia 2; Tigers Villanova* 0. Pictured at the meetign to sign a friendship agreement as part of the twinning process between Blessington and the Italian town of Castel Magglore were: from left - Michael Doyle Mary's Junior School; Mayor Belinda Gottarde Austin and Dara at the Blessington GAA Inclusive Cul Camp Wicklow PeopleWed 23 Aug 2023 at 02:40Town Twinning A delegation from Castel Magglore in Italy came to Blessington recently to sign a friendship agreement as part of the twinning process between Blessington and the Italian town They stayed in Tulfarris Hotel just outside Blessington and while hear they visited a number of places in the town including the Library They did a history tour around the town and were treated to some good old Irish music and dancing Community Groups from the Blessington area were invited to attend a welcome for the delegation at the Avon The group also had the opportunity to visit Ruuborough House I am reliably informed that the Italian group enjoyed their stay in Blessington The monthly Car Boot Sale takes place once again at St Kevin’s Community Centre Blessington this coming Sunday August 27 There will be lots of stalls with plenty of bargains just waiting to be snapped up If anyone wants to book a table just contact the organiser Pat Conlon tel.086 075 2072 Those attending the Car Boot Sale are advised to park in the Car belonging to the Community Centre Weather permitting there will be stalls both inside and outside the Centre so make sure to pop along on the day Blessington Bowls Club would like to remind all its members that they will reopen this Thursday August 24 in St Kevin’s Community Centre at 7.30pm and they are always on the lookout for some new adult members It is an easy game to play and it is most enjoyable Blessington GAA Club in conjunction with the International Sheepdog Trials are running a Draw with the winner getting a CF Moto Quad Bike and second prize will be JKarcher Power washer The Draw will be held at the International Sheepdog Trials at Threecastles Blessington on September 10 at around 6pm Tickets are priced at €10 each or 3 for €20 and all the proceeds from the Draw will go to Blessington GAA Club who are providing stewards for the upcoming event All support will be much appreciated by the club Blessington Youth Theatre will hold their AGM next Monday night August 28 in the Tramway Theatre Blessington at 7pm It is also a registration night for 2023/2024 and it is essential that parents/ guardians attend on the night to register their child for the coming year There is no need for the children to attend At the Agm the committee will fill you in on the exciting few months they have planned To celebrate Heritage week which took place around the country last week St Mary’s Church of Ireland Church Main Street Blessington opened its doors to the public and throughout the week there was quite a steady flow of both locals and visitors who came along Church Warden Derek Williams was on hand to explain the history of the church and the graves outside in the Graveyard Mary’s Church dates back to 1683 and this year it celebrates its 340th Anniversary so there is a lot of history for both the church and the adjoining Graveyard The clock on the tower of the church is over three hundred years old and is believed to be the oldest Turret Clock in the whole of Ireland and it is still keeping the correct time every day of the week Some of the graves in the adjoining Graveyard date back to the 1600 hundred’s Blessington AFC ‘s U/15 squad will be heading to Barcelona in October to take part in the Barcelona Cup and they have organised a Fundraiser for Saturday August 26 in Poulaphouca Pitch & Putt Club The event they are running will be a pitch & putt day There will be loads of lovely prizes and fun during the afternoon It will be a 2 ball scramble and the entry fee will be €20 per team All support will be most welcome by the team There was another Lotto Draw for the Parish/ St Mary’s National Schools on Thursday August 10 with another new jackpot which once again was not won This jackpot has now survived a lot of Lotto Draws The next Lotto Draw will have a brand new Jackpot which will be standing at €3,325 If you would like to join the Lotto or wish to find out some more information about the Lotto Draw you can contact the Parish Office which is open from Monday- Friday mornings only tel 865327 or you can log onto Blessington Parish Website Mass and blessing of the graves will take place in Baltyboys Cemetery on Sunday August 27 at 3pm Residents are asked to notify relatives and friends living outside the area in plenty of time in case they may wish to attend The organisers are looking for volunteers to carry out strimming work in the Cemetery before August 27 Valleymount Theatre Company have new dates for their Play ‘Acting can be Murder’ They will now take to the stage in Valleymount Hall on Thursday August 31 and Friday September 1 Doors will be open at 7.30 pm and tickets which cost €12 can be purchased from the Office Shop in Blessington All support will be much appreciated by the organisers Blessington Library would like to remind all those children who took in their Summer Stars Reading Challenge which took place over the summer months that there will be a Party and Magic Show this coming Saturday August 26 at 1.30pm in Blessington Library All the children will receive their medal and certificate at the event The men’s non fiction Book Club will resume on the last Tuesday of September at 6.45pm in Blessington Library New members are most welcome to come along and join The community of Valleymount have welcomed a number of families who have fled the war in the Ukraine To mark their Ukraine Independence Day there will be a social gathering in the Stables Valleymount this Thursday August 24 from 2.30pm – 4.30pm song and food prepared by the Ukrainian community and all are most welcome to come along and join in a celebration of their culture Sinead O’Brien from Blessington wants to let you know that her Dance School will be commencing shortly in both Blessington and Hollywood Hip Hop and Musical Theatre for a wide variety of age groups Full details are available on Facebook or you can telephone Sinead 087 2924559 or by email sineadobriendanceschool@hotmail.com to find out the full details Well done to the students who won the Student Bursary for 2023 This will be for those students entering First Year Kiki Ilori Isabelle Warren and Sofia Meksa The scholarship is worth €500 to each student The musical west Side story will be taking to the stage at the Tramway Theatre Blessington from November 17- to November 19 Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased from Office Shop Blessington and Hennessy’s Next Door Blessington The cost of the tickets are €20 and you are advised to get one as soon as possible and there will be a big demand for them The International Sheepdog Trials is coming to Blessington from September 8 – September 10 and it promises to be a great event It looks like being a great family event with lots to enjoy including Dog Shows Vintage Cars and Vintage Tractors and Horse and Plough Demonstrations A large attendance is expected each of the three days Blessington AFC are looking for a coach to take charge of their Men’s LSL Sat3b squad All interested should contact enquiries@blessingtonfc.com A lot of people who live now in Blessington may not be aware that the Parish Church is still Crosschapel which was built way back in 1811 and was the very first Catholic Church to be built for the Parish of Blessington The first Catholic Church to be built in the town of Blessington came about in 1946 when the old school built in 1882 was converted for use as a church and it was called the Church of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament This church which had a very small capacity closed in 1982 when the new Church of Lady opened for the very first time The old church then returned to its original use and was incorporated into the newly built school The new church as it is called was built beside the old church and visitors to the it often pass comment on how lovely a building it is When the new church was built first it did not have a main centre aisle This is unusual and may be the only church in Ireland built that way however some years ago some work was done and the church now has a main centre aisle which has gone down well with couples getting married President Emeritus Guido de Marco yesterday said he was saddened by the loss of his friend Fra Andrew Bertie the 78th Prince and Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta "We were close and ours was a friendship that went beyond the official relationship," he said when contacted de Marco first met Fra Bertie more than 20 years ago just before the latter was elected to lead the 900-year-old charitable Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem The last time the two spent time together was in September de Marco spent a week as Fra Bertie's guest at the Castel Maggiore in Umbria "The Grandmaster was a humble person who aspired to be a real gentleman and who succeeded He was saintly in his behaviour and a wonderful person to have as a friend," he said de Marco described Fra Bertie as a wise man with a humble heart; a person with great knowledge "Knowing him and having discussions with him was a pleasure Not knowing him is something many have missed and knowing him is something I treasure," he said de Marco said that under Fra Bertie's guidance especially in the aspect of serving the poor and the sick Fra Bertie was elected to lead the Order in a secret conclave in 1988 and is credited with modernising the group's humanitarian programmes increasing membership and extending its reach in troubled and far-flung regions The Order was founded with a pilgrims' hospice in 11th-century Jerusalem and has the status of an independent state.It maintains diplomatic relations with 100 nations increased from 49 at the start of Fr Bertie's tenure The Knights of Malta has 12,500 members and operates in 120 countries particularly in war zones and impoverished areas was sworn in as interim head of the group until a new grand master is elected The Embassy of the Order issued a statement informing the public that a condolence book will be open for signing at St John's Cavalier please register for free or log in to your account.