A mountainous region in Italy is offering €100,000 to move there. But there’s a catch
Ever dreamed of a house next door to a ski resort, vineyard or thermal springs? The northern Italian region known as Trentino, or officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, will pay residents of Italy or Italians living abroad to renovate one of the many abandoned houses in the region where the Dolomites meet the Alps. The grant consists of €80,...
Italy’s Constitutional Court allows singles to adopt foreign minors, ending a 40-year ban
Italy’s Constitutional Court ruled Friday that unmarried people can adopt foreign minors, ending a 40-year-ban on the practice and setting a precedent that could pave the way to allowing Italian singles to adopt from within the country. Friday’s court ruling declared unconstitutional the exclusion of singles from international adoptions under a 198...
A possible $70,000 tariff bill has America’s largest limoncello maker on edge
Thousands of liters of Italian sparkling wine, ordered before President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, are on a boat headed to the United States. Before the wine is unloaded and handed to its recipients, they may need to pay a tariff bill big enough to put a kid through college. Small business owners say they’re paralyzed with indecision because of...
Spaghetti science: What pasta reveals about the universe
You might think physicists only ask the big questions. We mostly hear about the physics of the cosmic and the miniscule, the shape of our universe and the nature of the particles that fill it. But physicists, of course, have ordinary lives outside of the laboratory, and sometimes their way of questioning the universe spills over to their daily hab...
The quieter alternative to Tuscany is perfect for avoiding the crowds
If you want to live out your dolce vita dreams minus the crowds of tourists, you might want to look beyond Italy's big cities and popular beach resorts to a destination that's a little more off the beaten track. Luckily, the country is full of hidden gems that offer all the culture, beautiful scenery, fabulous food and laid-back way of life of thei...
Ancient Rome's "Atlantis" Was An Exclusive Place Where Rich & Famous Romans Vacationed Before Sinking Beneath The Sea
Sex and violence in Ancient Roman culture have continued to fascinate for thousands of years. For instance, the gladiator fights at the Roman Colosseum have proven so enduring that Airbnb is reviving them for a one-time event (without the killing, naturally) in 2025. Hedonism was another Ancient Roman specialty that continues to captivate—whether i...
Scacciapensieri: the enchanting Sicilian jaw harp with a hypnotic sound
Chances are that, if you watched a movie set in Sicily, you unknowingly heard the unmistakable, twangy sound of the scacciapensieri. Small and unassuming, it is known as “jaw harp” or “Jew’s harp” in English, and produces a metallic vibration that is both rhythmic and quite hypnotic. Scacciapensieri has been a staple of Sicilian folk music for cen...
The underrated Italian islands with smouldering good looks
Anita Motta takes a sip of her ginger margarita and considers the kind of people who visit the Aeolian Islands. “They’ve changed,” she says, as we sit on the veranda of Il Principe di Salina, the elegant boutique hotel she co-owns on Salina, the second largest of the islands. “When I was little my parents brought me on the overnight ferry from Napo...
Italian Wine Exports Hit Record High in 2024
Italy’s wine exports reached a record €8bn in 2024, with nearly 22 million hectoliters shipped abroad, buoyed by strong international demand and stockpiling in the U.S. ahead of potential new tariffs on EU goods, reaffirmed by Donald Trump in recent weeks. Exports grew 5.5% in value, while volumes rebounded 3.2% after last year’s decline. Sparkling...
Rome villa with rare Caravaggio mural opens to visitors of blockbuster show
A historic Rome villa with the world's only known ceiling painting by Caravaggio will open its doors exclusively to visitors of the blockbuster show dedicated to the Baroque genius. The Casino di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi, better known as Villa Aurora, is home to the 25th work in Caravaggio 2025 - the Rome exhibition that everyone is talking about...
Immigrant entrepreneurs and the growth of businesses in Italy
In the last ten years, while the total number of Italian businesses has decreased by 1.7%, companies led by entrepreneurs born abroad have increased by 32.7%, surpassing 659,000 in 2023 and representing over 11% of the total. Sole proprietorships remain the majority (482,918, accounting for 73% of the total), but the real change lies in the expone...
Albergo diffuso e slow tourism, two extraordinary Italian excellences in the world of tourism
These days marks the twentieth anniversary of the Associazione Nazionale degli Alberghi Diffusi, which embraces and protects these hotels integrated with the landscape, offering many options for all types of travelers, for all budgets: a truly Italian invention. Farmhouses, refuges, trulli, masserie, and cabins. In the countryside, high altitudes,...
