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Mother and baby. Motherhood aspiration controversy continues births at lowest number since WW2

Births at post-war low in 2025

July 30, 2026July 30, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

ROME — Italy’s severe demographic decline has hit another historic milestone, with live births falling to just 355,000 in 2025—a record low for the post-Second World War era.

Polymarket blocked in Italy

July 30, 2026July 30, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

ROME — Italian authorities have issued a fresh order blocking public access to Polymarket, placing the high-profile prediction market platform back on the national blacklist of unauthorised gambling websites.

one of Tripadvisor's Best of the Best cities - Naples tremor felt across Naples 1626 earthquake and tsunami killed around 70,000 in Naples area

On this day: Devastating earthquake and tsunami strike Naples

July 30, 2026July 30, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

On 30 July 1626, one of the most violent seismic events in European history struck the region surrounding Naples. Estimated to have measured approximately 7.0 on the Richter scale, the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated the bustling maritime hub and wiped out dozens of nearby settlements, claiming an estimated 70,000 lives.

Mountain tourism Trentino Alto Adige Image by Enrico Pighetti via Flickr shared under Creative Commons License

Italian mountain tourism booms

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A new report seen by ANSA forecasts 7.8 million arrivals and €6.6 billion in revenue for Italy’s mountain resorts this summer, as the country enters its fourth major heatwave of the year.

Italy golds at fencing World Championships

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Guillaume Bianchi’s dramatic final-strip comeback secures foil gold against hosts Hong Kong, before the women’s épée team holds off Estonia an hour later. The golds extend Italy’s lead at the top of the fencing medal table.

Sicilian Mafia seeking drone weapons prosecutor warns

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Palermo Chief Prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia tells parliament’s anti-mafia commission that organised crime groups are looking to rebuild a “high-quality arsenal”. These include drone weapons Italy is unprepared to defend against.

On this day: San Marino liberated from Fascism

July 28, 2026July 28, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

San Marino residents celebrate the anniversary of their liberation from Fascism on 28th July, marking the moment a clandestine socialist resistance finally forced the ruling Fascist party from power.

Forests are spreading across Italy. Gubbio in Umbria

Italy’s forests have quietly overtaken its farmland

July 27, 2026July 27, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A first-of-its-kind survey has found that forests now cover more of Italy than agriculture does, a shift not seen since medieval times. But the story behind the numbers is less a triumph for nature than a portrait of rural Italy slowly emptying.

Detail of the restored ceiling fresco Credit: Courtesy of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Pompeii restorers piece together painted ceiling

July 27, 2026July 27, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

More than a quarter of a vaulted dining room ceiling from the House with Bakery has been rebuilt from fragments found where it collapsed nearly 2,000 years ago. It reveals a richly decorated scene of Dionysus and Ariadne.

Teatro dell'Aquila, Fermo. One of the condominium theatres recognised by UNESCO. By Alberto Luccaroni (personal page) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2805397

Ten small-town theatres added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List

July 27, 2026July 27, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A network of historic theatres across Marche, Umbria and Emilia-Romagna has been recognised for entire towns that pooled their money to build, own and run a theatre together.