Deborah Cater

Umbrian plateau with lentil bloom https://www.flickr.com/photos/andolfato/29656325828/in/photostream/ Under Creative Commons BY_NC 2.0

Umbrian plateau becomes a living rainbow

July 19, 2026July 19, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Every summer, the high plains beneath the Sibillini Mountains erupt into a sweep of red, purple, blue and yellow. The plant responsible for the Umbrian spectacle isn’t a flower at all, but the humble lentil.

On this day: The mysterious death of Caravaggio

July 18, 2026July 18, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Fleeing a death sentence, chasing a papal pardon, and having seen the boat carrying his precious paintings sail away, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio died alone and feverish on a Tuscan beach on 18th July 1610.

Mario Roggero - jeweller who killed two robbers, seeks pardon

Meloni wades into Roggero row

July 18, 2026July 18, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

As the jeweller, Mario Roggero, heads to prison and his wife files a pardon request, Nordio opens a formal probe into potential clemency. Meanwhile Roggero himself compares his case to two pardons already granted by Mattarella.

Defamation law needs to be looked at says EU

EU tells Italy to reform defamation laws

July 18, 2026July 18, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Brussels finds no progress on stalled reforms to protect journalists from frivolous libel suits. The government is being told to take action to reform defamation laws in Italy.

Image shows childrens feet and legs at edge of swimming pool. Pool safety in Italy is urgently being addressed

Italy to fast-track pool safety law

July 18, 2026July 18, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Five children have died in Italian swimming pools in the past three months, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said, as he vowed to push through new pool safety legislation within weeks.

Laura Pausini to perform at World Cup closing ceremony

July 18, 2026July 18, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Laura Pausini, the Grammy-winning Italian singer, joins Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger for the FIFA anthem “Desire” ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain. The star-studded send-off also features Tom Cruise, Jennifer Hudson and a Coldplay-curated half-time show.

The italian President whose New Year address soke about the need for peace. Clarifies lines over pardons

Mattarella reasserts presidential authority over pardons

July 17, 2026July 17, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

President clarifies constitutional limits on the justice minister’s powers, specifically pardons, a day after the Supreme Court finalised the 14-year, nine-month sentence for jeweller Mario Roggero. The jeweller shot dead two fleeing robbers during a 2021 heist.