Giotto as in G-8

The name of the early Renaissance painter Giotto is pronounced in Italian like G-8 and today the meeting of the 8 industrialize countries forming this group opened in the devastated town of L'Aquila where 25,000 people still live in tents amid the ruins of their old city. The leaders are housed in the army barracks of L'Aquila spared by the earthquake of this winter which destroyed a good part of this city.

So the running joke in Italian has been the question; Are you going to the G-8 ? Pronounced as Giotto as if you meant are you going to the exhibit of paintings by Giotto which was on show here in Rome until a few days ago.

Giotto di Bondone was born in Romignano, 1267 and died in Florence, 8 January 1337. He was a painter, sculptor and architect whose work were at the origin of the renewal in western art which led to the Renaissance movement in Italy.

An interesting photo also today in the newspaper La Repubblica which showed the Via Veneto in Rome being blocked by police.
The caption says: Protesters blocked by Police. If you look at the picture what you see are people with big cameras, tripods, big lens and other photographic equipment, now what kind of protester would have all that to carry around with them? As for the protesters none seen so far in Rome.