World Notes Italy

It is just too much. How can a creative genius function amid the aromas of hamburgers and French fries? World-Famous Fashion Designer Valentino is so upset at the opening of Rome's first McDonald's next to his atelier that he has filed suit to have it closed.

Valentino is not the only Roman offended by the huge fast-food emporium, which is located in the heart of the Eternal City. But he is affected more than most because the flues from the kitchen exhaust are directly below the studio windows of his six-story palazzo. The complaint is scheduled to go to court this week. "The whole building smells like a fast-food joint," says Valentino's lawyer. McDonald's owner, Jacques Bahbout, is unhappy about the flap and insists that he is willing to make changes without being dragged into court. Says he: "I've no desire to be on bad terms with the neighbors."