Thursday,
November 16, 2006
"TomKat"
Wedding, Upstaged or Enhanced by Castello Odescalchi, Medieval Town of Bracciano,
and Ultra Charming Mayor
The
ANNOTICO Report
Rather
Amusing: Nobody is Admitting to the fact that the "TomKat"
(Tom Cruise
and Kathie
Holmes) Wedding will be taking place this Saturday at the Castello
Odescalchi at
Set
on the shores of Lake Bracciano, the eighth-largest
body of fresh water in Italy and the result of an ancient volcano, the town of Bracciano is a jumble of cobbled and flagstone streets,
small shops and elegant homes with flower boxes in windows and on doorsteps and
good, family-run restaurants.
Most Americans,
who until the wedding have never heard of the
place. And in truth, it must be said that they have been missing something.
The
mayor, Signora Patrizia Riccioni is an elegant lady
in that casual way Italian women have, held a news conference today to talk
about the impending nuptials of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in the town's
imposing 15th-century castle.
Signora Riccioni could not, of course, confirm the
wedding would actually take place because, as she put it with a smile, "in
every wedding we must wait for the bride until the last moment." It
was a sense of humor and grace that is rarely manifested by politicians.
The
mayor also took the opportunity to thank everyone in the municipality who had
pitched in to make the occasion work. That included everyone from the local
shopkeepers, who are doing their best to turn a quick euro
without being rip-off artists, to the police, carabinieri,
firemen, civil defense, and even parking attendants.
On Saturday, the day the wedding may or may not take place, cars will be banned
from the historic center of the town. The hoards of fans and sightseers
expected to flood in will have to park at the edge and take special shuttle
buses.
The mayor apologized for having to charge the Press for space for
live camera positions and satellite trucks. But, she explained, it is expensive
to stage such an event, and she hoped we would understand that the town didn't
have a budget to cover it.
Village
Readies For Cruise-Holmes Wedding
CBS
BRACCIANO,
Thursday,
November 16, 2006
by CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey.
Weddings
are by definition joyous occasions, and one that hasn't even happened yet has
already made the mayor of this small, picturesque town happy indeed.
The mayor, a lady elegant in that casual way Italian women have,...held a news conference
today to talk about the impending nuptials of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in
the town's imposing 15th-century castle.
Signora Patrizia Riccioni told more journalists and
camera crews than the town has ever seen that she could not, of course, confirm
the wedding would actually take place because, as she put it with a smile,
"in every wedding we must wait for the bride until the last moment."
It was a sense of humor and grace that is rarely manifested by politicians.
The same couldn't be said for a photographer who, in an effort to go behind the
mayor to cross the room, caught his leather jacket on a chair, which he dragged
into her. Signora Riccioni carried on as if nothing
had happened; s! he was in such full flow that when
she finally paused for breath, she giggled and apologized to the translator for
getting too far ahead. It was, she explained, a first for this sort of thing.
The mayor also took the opportunity to thank everyone in the municipality who
had pitched in to make the occasion work. That included everyone from the local
shopkeepers, who are doing their best to turn a quick euro
without being rip-off artists, to the police, carabinieri,
firemen, civil defense, parking attendants and even the local school that has
tuned over its grounds to provide a parking lot for press vehicles.
The space is necessary because on Saturday, the day the wedding may or may not
take place, cars will be banned from the historic center of the town. The
hoards of fans and sightseers expected to flood in will have to park at the
edge and take special shuttle buses.
The press have been given hastily made passes, and the mayor apologized for
having ch a! rged
us for the space to set up live camera positions and satellite trucks. But, she
explained, it is expensive to stage such an event, and she hoped we would
understand that the town didn't have a budget to cover it.
Apparently the Cruise party did not offer to offset the cost.
At any rate, the town hopes to recoup any losses through an influx of tourists especially Americans, who until the
wedding would never have heard of the place.
And in truth, it must be said that they have been missing something.
Set on the shores of Lake Bracciano, the
eighth-largest body of fresh water in Italy and the result of an ancient
volcano, the town of Bracciano is a jumble of cobbled
and flagstone streets, small shops and elegant homes with flower boxes in
windows and on doorsteps and good, family-run restaurants.
One of them is offering a special "Tom and Katie risotto," which is
said to be a big hit with journalists on their first visit to
They, and the rest of us, have probably interviewed half the population by now,
most especially those who speak even a modicum of English.
The sentiment seems to be universal: What a great thing.
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ANNOTICO Reports
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