Sequel to Losey/Mozart

One of the best (perhaps the best!) film versions of any opera is Don Giovanni by Joseph Losey. Made in 1979, this film was shot in the many buildings of Vicenza which were designed by the great architect Palladio. Thomas Jefferson was greatly influenced by Palladio, especially for his home Monticello, which is paterned after the rotunda design which Palladio pioneered in Vicenza. This historic Italian city is now the target for US base expansion. The 173 Airborne already has a huge installation in Vicenza called Caserma Ederle. As the the US military puts it:
"VICENZA...OFFERS THE USUAL AMENITIES..."
from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/setaf.htm
Caserma Ederle (Camp Ederle) in Vicenza, about 25 miles west of Venice, offers the usual amenities -- post exchange, commissary, theater, clubs, and extensive morale, welfare and recreation opportunities.... The US Army Health Clinic-Vicenza is a large clinic that serves a population of approximately 8,000 personnel. Caserma Ederle is located on the east side of Vicenza, not far from the Vicenza East (EST) exit off Autostrada (A4) which runs from Venice to Milan...

THE SITE GOES ON TO BRAG ABOUT 80,000 SQUARE FEET OF MALL IN PALLADIO'S TOWN
The Vicenza Exchange is the largest Mall Complex (over 80,000 square feet) south of the Alps. The complex offers a large assortment of facilities to include: One Hour Photo, Amusement Center, Optical Shop, Specialty Vendors, Power Zone, Food Court, Car Rental, Beauty/Barber Shop, Flower Mobile, Italian/German Gift Shops, German Clocks/Shrunks, and Full Service Main Store....Burger King, Military Clothing Sales/Tailor Shop, Launderette/Dry Cleaners, Shoppette, Theater, Auto Parts/Garage.

NOW THE US WANTS MORE SPACE IN THE CITY!
The US wants to build more installations in Vicenza. Today, February 17, 2007, there was a huge protest against this expansion.FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE:
"I don't want any more Americans here and I don't want a new base. They should just leave us alone," said Pucci Mori, a resident of Vicenza, who lives near the proposed base expansion.
"Wherever they go in the world, Americans cause trouble."
The new barracks would be on the other side of the city from the existing one. That has raised worries about new roads to handle military traffic linking the two parts, loss of green space and strains on public services.
Residents fear it could even put Vicenza in danger.
"The people of Vicenza are concerned. The base would be in the heart of the city and in the case of a military conflict it could become a target," said Nobel literature laureate Dario Fo.The plan for expansion from an Italian newspaper.

AND FROM THE SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER:
The move is part of the U.S. Army's overall transformation into a lighter, more mobile force...Under the plans, elements of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade, a rapid reaction unit now spread between Italy and Germany, would be united.

"I think it is a done deal. I don't think there is any turning back. This is what Prodi has said and what the local authorities have said," said David Bustamente, a spokesman at the U.S. Consulate in Milan. "This demonstration is about process."

Construction is scheduled to begin later this year and to be completed by 2011 at a total cost of $576 million. Before construction begins, a task force run by Italians has been set up to hear community concerns and make adjustments to the plans where possible.Tens of thousands marched this weekend to protest the expansion and Prodi's complicity.
There is a good discussion at http://istanbul.indymedia.org/news/2007/02/170313.php
THERE IS A SHORT REUTERS VIDEO AT
http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=10004