For the first time since 2000, Italy is not nominating any new sites or intangibles during UNESCO’s World Heritage annual call for submissions, begging off by saying the nation with the most treasures ought to take off a year and perhaps give the rest of the world a chance—though I am sure that they would not welcome being edged out by China or Spain (ranked seconds by different counts).
Not to fret, however, as Italy is already slated to present the picturesque town of Ivrea (near Turin) next year—not for its medieval sites, five lakes or its historic and epic food fight, the Battle of the Oranges (la battaglia delle arance), that dates back to the thirteenth century—worthy candidates all, but rather for its industrial heritage as the seat of Olivetti business machines since 1908 to the modern day.
