01Parmigiano-reggiano wheels maturing at the Caseificio Val Ceno dairy
02Vines at the Regaleali estate of Sicily’s Tasca d’Almerita winemaking dynasty
03Cheesemaker Andrea Biolzi
04Preparing to remove the 80kg block of cooked cheese from the copper vat
05Slice of 24-month-aged cheese
06Giuseppe and Alberto Tasca
07Wine cellar at the Regaleali estate
08Aperol liqueur
09The bottling plant at Canale d’Alba
10Quality control inspector at Gruppo Campari, maker of Aperol
11Assembly line at Gruppo Campari
12Illy’s iconic red-striped tins move along the production line
13Entrance to the Illy factory
14Roasting machines
15Coffee sommeliers at work tasting samples
16Hanged spaghetti dries for up to 50 hours
17Collecting freshly made spaghetti
18Sorting spaghetti
19Pastificio owner Massimo Mancini
20Penne pasta passing through a dye
Italians have never really believed in hard politics. They’ve always known that the root to real power is through a person’s stomach, and have acted accordingly, building up an enviable array of world class food and drink brands.
Issue 39
Which countries get their way in the world without having to resort to military might? Who are the soft power leaders who know the value of well-placed aid or a good pop star? Over the following pages we name the top 25…
Issue 26
If you’re Germany, you have no option but to assert yourself globally with a softly, softly approach. Since the fall of the Wall, Germany’s foreign office has become master of gently promoting ‘Brand Germany’, with Berlin…
Issue 49
A new robust approach to diplomatic relations marks a break with tradition for Canada. And many believe it has damaged the nation’s soft-power credentials.
Issue 22
How can a nation get its voice heard on the world stage and encourage trade and tourism? If you don’t have resources and the weight of numbers on your side, then maybe it’s time to wield some ‘soft power’. By Tyler Brûlé…
Issue 7
It’s a short drive from the sleek corniche in Beirut to the bountiful souk in Damascus but the residents of these two great cities eye each other with a distinct lack of neighbourly affection. It doesn’t help when you…
Issue 38
Singer Nana Mouskouri is now retired but her songs remain inseparable from Greek culture. She’s a staunch nationalist, having lived through Greece’s transition to a democracy, and is determined that her proud country will…
Issue 36
Great Britain hasn’t seemed quite so great in recent years, its image damaged by unpopular wars and the banking crisis. But with the new coalition government bedded in and the Olympics on the horizon, experts from the…
Issue 29
When a flood devastates Uganda or an earthquake strikes Pakistan, Germany’s THW gets some of the first aid workers on the ground. Mostly volunteers, they are part of Germany’s soft power arsenal.
Issue 55
No matter how much money and effort is put into marketing your city, if you want tourists to visit and everyone to know its name, nothing compares to having a popular TV series being filmed in your city. Monocle looks at…
Issue 49
Germany’s economic status exceeds its place in the world power order. With a touching lack of marketing sophistication and sturdy business values, Europe’s powerhouse has achieved soft power almost by accident.
Issue 49
London has had some bad press but with the Olympics ahead, can its burgeoning design scene save the day?
Issue 49
Conceived of only 21 years ago, already most nations want a “soft power” strategy – a way of winning the world over without resorting to military-industrial might. Monocle has indexed the top 30 soft power nations, which…
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