Culture news
Colosseum after dark? Italy extends opening hours at cultural sites
Italy is extending the opening hours of some of its most famous monuments during August in a pilot programme aimed at improving visitor access and easing summer crowds. The Colosseum, the Pantheon and Milan's Castello Sforzesco will remain open at night.
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Europe News
Italian Navy boards tanker from Russian shadow fleet
The Italian navy has boarded a Russian tanker in international waters off Pantelleria, an island located between Sicily and Tunisia. The operation was carried out as part of an arms and oil trafficking monitoring mission with the support of a Greek vessel and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft.
Culture news
Frustrated by Rome's graffiti, one man is scrubbing the city by hand
Tired of seeing random tags and graffiti all over Rome, 28-year-old architectural restorer Valerio Tuveri has decided to take matters into his own hands. Armed with a sand blaster and a growing social media following, he's restoring the Italian capital's historic walls one surface at a time.
Food and Drink
Italy: recipe for ancient elixir, possible Coca-Cola precursor, found in convent
In the archive of Florence's historic San Marco Pharmacy, a recipe for an "Elixir vinoso ricostituente" has been found, using the same ingredients as "French Wine Cola", the medicinal precursor of today's Coca-Cola.
Europe News
EU grows impatient over Italy's hesitancy on €14.9bn defence loan
Italy hasn't decided how much of its €14.9bn SAFE defence loan it will use, as several domestic considerations affect the calculus. But Brussels and other member states are growing impatient to reallocate any unspent funds within the legal deadlines.