Deborah Cater

Italian wolf population increasing. Image credit: https://animalia.bio/

Growing wolf population sparks urban safety fears

January 25, 2026January 25, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Italy’s wolf population has risen to an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 animals, a dramatic recovery from the early 1970s when the species was close to extinction.

Gentileschi self-portrait as St Catherine of Siena, up for auction at Christies

Rare Gentileschi self-portrait up for auction

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A rare Artemisia Gentileschi self-portrait will go under the hammer at Christie’s New York on 4 February 2026, as part of its Old Masters sale during Classic Week. The painting, Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, will be on public view at Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries from 29 January. The sale estimate is between $2.5 […]

Tourists in the Piazza San Marco. Tour group sizes are now reduced to 25 or under. Photo by Efrem Efre : https://www.pexels.com/photo/venice-18715865/ Tourist arrivals increased to record numbers in 2025.

Italy records 185million tourist arrivals in 2025

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Italy’s tourism sector posted its strongest year on record in 2025, with total tourist arrivals reaching 185 million, according to data from the Interior Ministry’s Alloggiati Web platform.

Merz and Meloni after signing Italy-Germany defence pact

Italy-Germany defence pact not aimed at Trump

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that the new agreement between Italy and Germany to strengthen defence and security cooperation is not a response to the increasingly assertive stance of US President Donald Trump towards Europe.

Meloni asks Trump to change format of Peace Board so Italy can join.

Meloni asks Trump to reconfigure ‘Peace Board’

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that she has asked US President Donald Trump to change the structure of his proposed “Peace Board”, in order to make it compatible with the Italian Constitution.

Tour Guide outside the Colosseum in Rome. Image credit: Istock

Fewer than 1% pass Italy’s first National Tour Guide exam

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Italy’s first national tour guide qualification exam has produced just 230 successful candidates out of nearly 30,000 applicants. It reopens a heated debate over access to the profession and the future of tourism training.

Naples Court jails VAT Fraud Ring

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A court in Naples has convicted and sentenced several members of a criminal organisation involved in large-scale VAT fraud, following an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

sexual consent bill radically altered by ruling coalition as it goes before the Senate.

Opposition outrage as sexual consent bill is rewritten

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Opposition parties in Italy voiced strong criticism this week after the ruling coalition substantially altered a bill intended to tighten the legal definition of rape. The changes, introduced in the Senate by Senator Giulia Bongiorno (Lega), have reignited a bitter political debate over sexual consent law reform.

Cyclone Harry storms damage tops €1bn in Sicily

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Mediterranean cyclone Harry storms caused extensive damage across southern Italy, with Sicily alone suffering more than €1 billion in economic losses, ANSA and regional sources report.

ENIT at FITUR 2026. Image credit: Instagram

Italy’s sustainable tourism drive at FITUR Madrid

January 22, 2026January 22, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Italy is using one of the world’s biggest tourism stages – FITUR 2026 – to highlight not just its destinations, but a broader strategy built around sustainability, social inclusion and high-value international markets.