ITALY: TWO VILLAGES IN TUSCANY SWOP THEIR LIRES FOR EUROS IN SINGLE EUROPEAN CURRENCY EXPERIMENT

Record ID: 646395

  • Title: ITALY: TWO VILLAGES IN TUSCANY SWOP THEIR LIRES FOR EUROS IN SINGLE EUROPEAN CURRENCY EXPERIMENT
  • Date: 1st October 1997
  • Summary: PONTASSIEVE, TUSCANY, ITALY (OCTOBER 1, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/GV: TUSCANY/ ENTRANCE TO MARKET/ BANK (4 SHOTS) 0.25 2. MV: MONEY BEING EXCHANGED IN BANK/ EURONOTES PINNED TO GLASS (5 SHOTS) 0.45 3. CU/TILT: EXCHANGE RATE BOARD (2 SHOTS) 0.55 4. GV/MCU: VARIOUS OF MARKET/ EURO COINS AND BANKNOTES (3 SHOTS) 1.15 5. SV: PEOPLE PAYING FOR VEGETABLES WITH EUROS/ VARIOUS MARKET (3 SHOTS) 1.31 6. CU: SALVATORE (FRUIT STALL) SAYING "NO, ITALIAN LIRE IS MUCH BETTER (ITALIAN) 1.34 7. CU: MARIO GIANOTTE (FRUIT STALL) SAYING "THE EURO IS GOOD, I THINK ITS A GREAT INITIATIVE BECAUSE THE WORLD NOW IS BEING ORGANISED ON A GLOBAL BASIS, IN THAT CASE THIS SYSTEM IS GREAT." (ITALIAN) 1.45 8. SV/CU: VARIOUS MARKET/ MONEY (2 SHOTS) 1.51 9. CU: JOHN DOUGLAS (CLOTHES STALL) SAYING "I AM VERY SATISFIED, BECAUSE THERE IS A FUTURE FOR EUROPE, THE STERLING 50 YEARS AGO WAS THE GODFATHER OF THE WORLD AND THEN THE DOLLAR, NOW FOR OUR FUTURE, IN OUR EUROPE IT WILL BE THE EURO." (ITALIAN) 2.08 FIESOLE, TUSCANY, ITALY (OCTOBER 1, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 10. GV; EXTERIOR CAFE 2.12 11. CU: VARIOUS PRICE TICKETS ON PRODUCE IN BAR (2 SHOTS) 2.21 12. MV/CU: PEOPLE PAY FOR COFFEE WITH EURO (3 SHOTS) 2.33 13. MV/GV: EXTERIOR OF BAR/ TABLES IN STREET (2 SHOTS) 2.40 Initials s.3 - p.3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 16th October 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PONTASSIEVE AND FIESOLE, TUSCANY, ITALY
  • City:
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA4M4VGFGF8U1Q6NH7O3MIYQGXL
  • Story Text: INTRO: In Italy two villages in Tuscany have swapped their Lires for Euros in the first experiment of its kind to see how Europe will react to a single European currency.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------- The money exchange launched on Wednesday (October 1) is for a limited six month period in the villages of Pontassieve and Fiesole.

    Posters proudly proclaim "Ecco l'Euro" (Here is the Euro) while bemused shoppers compare the prices in Lire with those in Euros.

    Reactions were mixed. John Douglas runs a stall in the local market and is delighted with the change. Fifty years ago, he says, sterling was the godfather of the financial world, then it was the dollar. Now he hopes in the future it will be the Euro.

    Others were more sceptical. Salvatore and his brother Piero who operate a fruit stall believe no-one will use the Euro as the Italian lire is better.

    Souvenir packs of the new coins and notes have howeverproved popular.

    The present crisis facing the Italian government over its budget deficit has meant hopes that Italy would have become one of the founding members of the single European currency have been severely dented.


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