Alfa Romeo, founded in Milan in 1910, is now part of the Netherlands-based Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA. The Valentino fashion house has been sold to Qatar’s Mayhoola for Investments. Acqua di Parma, in business since 1916, now belongs to the French luxury group LVMH, as does Loro Piana. Poltrona Frau, established in Turin in 1912 by Renzo Frau, was sold last February to Haworth, an American furniture company. Guccio Gucci set up shop in Florence back in 1921, but today his company is part of the French Kering group. Pasta Buitoni, which has been going since 1827 and is named after its founder, Giovanni Battista Buitoni, is the property of the Swiss conglomerate Nestlé, which also owns San Pellegrino. And so on down the list.

Many more iconic Italian brands have been sold to foreign companies recently. Ducati, which has been making motorcycles since 1926, is now owned by Germany’s Audi. Peroni (beer, 1846), was bought by the South African beverage giant SABMiller in 2003. Pernigotti (chocolate, 1868) currently belongs to the Turkish Toksoz group. Fendi (fashion, 1925) went to the French luxury group LVMH in 1999.

Even many brands that don’t get much recognition outside the country are Italian no more — Plasmon, which has been providing Italian mothers with baby food since 1902, is now owned by Heinz; Algida ice cream is part of the Anglo-Dutch Unilever group; and Star, a pasta sauce found in almost every Italian kitchen for decades, is now owned by Spanish food group Gallina Blanca.

Globalization is hardly unique to Italy. And yet the gobbling up of so many of our beloved and time-tested consumer brands is noteworthy, and a bit unsettling. Part of it is, of course, Brand Italy itself: Foreigners have been quick to spot the potential of anything associated with Italy and market it around the world. Italy reminds people of life’s pleasant things — art, music, good food, great wine, chic design and an enviable lifestyle.

There’s a less obvious, but still clear, linguistic appeal as well. Many Italian words are stressed on the penultimate syllable, which gives them a reassuring rhythm. One of the reasons for the universal success of Italian-style frothy coffee is that people everywhere simply love to say “ca-poo-CHI-no.”