Fresco cycle discovered in Giacomo Leopardi’s library
A major fresco cycle concealed for centuries has been uncovered during restoration work at Casa Leopardi in Recanati.
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Tag: culture
Venezi formally contests La Fenice dismissal
The conductor Beatrice Venezi has declared her sacking null and discriminatory, launching a legal challenge against the opera house that fired her before she ever raised a baton as its musical director.
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On this day: death of composer Arrigo Boito
On 10 June 1918, Milan lost one of the most singular figures in Italian cultural life — Arrigo Boito. He was a composer who nearly destroyed his relationship with the country’s greatest opera composer, then went on to make him immortal.
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On this day: Death of Beatrice Portinari, Dante’s muse
On 8 June 1290, Beatrice Portinari, a young woman whose brief life would shape one of the greatest works in the history of literature, died.
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Ancient Roman domus discovered beneath Rome school
A second-century AD domus (townhouse) has been unearthed beneath the boys’ gymnasium of the Liceo Scientifico Cavour in central Rome. The dig reveals frescoes, mosaics and stucco decoration of exceptional quality.
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Siena cathedral unveils magnificent marble floor for 2026
One of Italy’s most celebrated hidden treasures is once again on display at the Siena cathedral. The extraordinary inlaid marble mosaic floor is uncovered for visitors for a limited period each year.
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Italy acquires the François Tomb for €15 million
One of the greatest masterpieces of Etruscan painting returns to public ownership after more than 160 years in private hands. The François Tomb goes on display at Rome’s Villa Giulia from 25 June.
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Time Out places Florence ninth best city for culture
The Tuscan capital, Florence, is the only Italian city in the global top 20 in a Time Out survey. It is recognised for a cultural offering that extends well beyond its Renaissance monuments.
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On this day: death of artist Sandro Botticelli
On 17th May 1510, Florence lost the painter who gave the Renaissance its most enduring face. Sandro Botticelli was a man whose genius was forgotten almost as soon as he died, and whose rediscovery centuries later would reshape how the world understood Italian art.
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Turin Book Fair opens with Zadie Smith
The 38th Salone Internazionale del Libro opens in Turin on Thursday with Zadie Smith delivering the inaugural lecture and Alessandro Baricco staging a night of words and music. The programme spans Greek crime fiction to football legend Roberto Baggio. The whole event is around the theme of children as the world’s last hope.
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