On this day: birth of actor Gaetano Casanova
Gaetano Casanova, the Italian actor and ballet dancer best remembered as the father of Europe’s most celebrated seducer, was born on 2 April 1697 in Parma.
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Orient Express Venezia: 15th century Palazzo reopens
The legendary travel brand’s latest Italian jewel has just opened its doors in Venice’s Cannaregio. Orient Express Venezia debuted on March 30, 2026, bringing new life to a building that has stood at the meeting of two Venetian canals for nearly 600 years.
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‘Food poisoning’ deaths in Molise actually ricin murders
What appeared to be a tragic case of food poisoning that killed a mother and teenage daughter in southern Italy at Christmas has been dramatically recast as a premeditated double murder. It was carried out using ricin, one of the most lethal naturally occurring toxins known to science.
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Osento river floods halting rail traffic on Adriatic coast
Italy’s Adriatic coast has been effectively severed after the Osento river in Abruzzo overflowed following severe weather, flooding the Adriatic railway line. Both tracks on the Pescara–Foggia line, specifically the Porto di Vasto–Fossacesia section, are out of service, causing cascading delays and cancellations across long-distance services.
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Pesce d’Aprile: How Italy does April Fool’s Day
Today, Italians of all ages will attempt to stick a paper fish on someone’s back without being noticed. The pesce d’Aprile tradition is older than anyone can quite agree on, and considerably more cultured than its name suggests.
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Italy miss World Cup for third consecutive time
The four-time world champions have now gone 12 years without appearing at football’s biggest tournament, and face at least another four. The team lost a painful penalty shootout against Bosnia-Herzegovina and miss the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
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Italy’s birthrate continues to fall while population remains stable
New figures from national statistics agency Istat show Italy’s demographic crisis deepening, with barely half the number of babies born compared to 2008. It is only immigration keeping the population stable.
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Italian astronaut to walk on the moon
A landmark agreement signed in Washington between Italy and NASA guarantees an Italian astronaut a place on a future lunar mission. It also hands Italy the job of building humanity’s first permanent home on the Moon.
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Italy clarifies position over US use of air bases
Italy denied the United States permission for bombers to land at the Naval Air Station Sigonella, according to informed sources. The decision followed the government’s stated policy on the use of US air bases during the Iran conflict.
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Mafia steakhouse affair claims another political scalp
Elena Chiorino’s full resignation from regional politics deepens the fallout from a steakhouse partnership that has already cost a government undersecretary his post. And the scandal is not over yet.
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