Italy

In this week's Inside Italy review, we look into why Milan’s upcoming ban on outdoor smoking may achieve little, and whether northern Italy really is the ‘best’ part of the country to live in as quality of life reports seem to suggest.

An Italian court on Friday acquitted Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of illegally blocking migrants on a rescue ship at sea in 2019, for which he had risked six years in prison.

A secret passageway built 500 years ago to allow the Medici family to pass through the Italian city of Florence unhindered reopened to the public on Saturday after a 10-million-euro restoration.

Charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty were brought against Matteo Salvini after he blocked a rescue boat in 2019Judges in Sicily have acquitted Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini of charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty after he refused to let a Spanish migrant rescue ship dock in an Italian port in 2019, keeping the people […]

Complex red tape is frequently considered the most troublesome aspect of life in Italy. From residency permits and tax declarations to healthcare and driving licences, what's the hardest part of Italian bureaucracy? We want to hear from you.

Tourists can now use 16th-century passageway over the Arno, whose windows were enlarged when Hitler visitedOver history, dukes, dictators and Europe’s illustrious elite have walked through the Vasari corridor, a narrow, 750-metre-long elevated passageway crossing the Arno River in Florence.Now visitors to the Tuscan capital can follow in their footsteps […]

From public holidays and winter sales to the enforcement of new rules for holiday rentals and changes to home renovation ‘bonuses’, here's a look at what people living in Italy can expect next month.

As parliament prepares to approve Italy’s budget law for 2025, here’s an overview of the main measures included in the bill and how they will affect residents.

US lawmakers are to consider a bill to end citizenship-based taxation – which would mean that many Americans in Italy would no longer fall under the remit of the IRS and wouldn't have to file yearly US tax returns.

A proposed reform is seeking to make it easier for foreign nationals living in Italy to apply for citizenship by residency (or naturalisation). We asked readers whether a shift from a 10-year wait to five years would make a difference for them.

A key ruling on whether Italy will hold a referendum on easing Italian citizenship rules is expected in February after the proposal was approved by the Court of Cassation.

From complex bureaucracy to the language barrier, moving to Italy is generally known to be a challenging process. But relocating with children can add another layer of difficulty.

More than 150 experts worked to save Ottavia Piana, who fell while charting Bueno Fonteno cave near Bergamo An injured woman trapped in a cave in northern Italy has been lifted to safety, ending her four-day ordeal.Ottavia Piana, a speleologist, was rescued in the early hours of Wednesday. She had been exploring an uncharted area of the Bueno Fonteno cave […]

Smoking outdoors will be almost entirely banned in Milan from January 1st, 2025 under efforts to improve air quality and clamp down on second-hand smoke, city authorities said.

Italy’s main home renovation incentives will still be available in 2025, but discounts will be far less generous in many cases.

Cities in northern Italy offer significantly higher quality of life standards than cities in the south. That's the conclusion of a new survey ranking the country's provincial capitals from best to worst.

Ottavia Piana fell during an expedition to map an uncharted branch of the Bueno Fonteno cave near BergamoA huge rescue operation was under way north-east of the Italian city of Bergamo to free a caving instructor who became trapped while exploring a cave.Ottavia Piana, 32, considered an expert spelunker, injured herself after falling 5 metres (16ft) on […]

Art defines the space in an apartment in an iconic building whose Brutalist architecture once led to protestsSome people buy their dream home for the location, others for the space it affords them; for Italian fashion designer Massimo Giorgetti, it was a love affair with Brutalism.His one-bedroom Milan apartment is housed in the former L’Istituto […]

Some angry that politician with Italian roots easily obtained citizenship while on trip to meet PM Giorgia MeloniItaly’s government has granted citizenship to Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, on account of his Italian family roots, prompting outrage among opposition politicians who contrasted his treatment with that of the children born in Italy of […]

Joint-venture hailed as a ‘pivotal moment’ for the international aerospace and defence industryPlans to develop a sixth-generation British fighter jet to rival America’s have taken a step forward with a deal to form a new company comprising defence and aerospace firms from the UK, Italy and Japan.BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft […]

Amid Italian island’s worst drought, towns such as Troina are fighting for survival as supplies run dry and tensions riseAn ancient Sicilian proverb goes like this: “When water to two fountains flows, one will stay dry – that’s how it goes.” The residents of the small town of Troina in the heart of Sicily, struck by a long and unprecedented […]

Study suggests Pliny’s 24 August AD79 more likely than autumn dates suggested in 18th centuryThe date on which Mount Vesuvius erupted, wiping out the lives of thousands in ancient Pompeii and other nearby towns, has long divided scholars.But a study by Pompeii experts suggests that the Roman author Pliny the Younger probably had it right all along: the […]

Besides being an ideal spot to get some holiday gift shopping done, Italian Christmas markets are also the perfect place to try scrumptious regional delicacies and seasonal drinks.

Girl from Sierra Leone is only person rescued after shipwreck that is feared to have killed more than 40 peopleAn 11-year-old girl, wearing a simple life vest and clinging to a pair of tyre tubes, has been rescued off the Italian island of Lampedusa, telling rescuers she had spent three days at sea after a shipwreck that is feared to have killed more than […]

The holidays can be a stressful time of year as everyone rushes to buy gifts, transport services thin out, and businesses have reduced opening hours. Here’s some practical advice to help you get through the next few weeks in Italy.

The nun is alleged to have been the conduit between the gang and its associates in prisonA nun was among 25 people arrested in Italy on suspicion of being part of a criminal gang with links to the country’s most powerful mafia network, the ’Ndrangheta.The nun is alleged to have been the conduit between the gang and its associates in prison, prosecutors […]

Trove had been preserved by warm waters and mud at the Tuscan springs near SienaBronze snakes, statues, two gold crowns, jewellery, thousands of coins and perfectly intact eggs are among the latest remarkable discoveries to emerge from the site of an ancient thermal spa in a small town in Tuscany.The trove had been preserved by the warm waters and mud at […]

Perry Kouroumblis was extradited from Italy and charged over the 1977 deaths of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan BartlettFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn accused double murderer has faced a Melbourne court close to five decades after police allege he stabbed two women to death in […]

Brutal killing of Giulia Cecchettin, 22, triggered protests across country and cast grim spotlight on femicide in ItalyFilippo Turetta has been sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Giulia Cecchettin, a university student whose brutal killing cast a grim spotlight on femicide in Italy.Cecchettin, 22, was stabbed more than 70 times before her body was […]

Company is at loggerheads with Italian government, which claims it has not invested enough in the countryBusiness live – latest updatesThe Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has said her government will try to protect jobs as political tensions mount with Fiat maker Stellantis after the abrupt resignation of its chief executive.Meloni said she would […]