https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed In a workshop in Turin -- the historic home of Italian carmaker Fiat -- vintage 500 models are getting a makeover with electric engines. https://www.thelocal.it/20260502/second-life-vintage-fiat-500s-get-electric-makeover Sat, 02 May 2026 08:48:00 +0200 second-life-vintage-fiat-500s-get-electric-makeover A marble head of Alexander the Great dating from the 1st century AD was among hundreds of cultural artefacts returned to Italy from the United States in recent months, police said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260430/us-returns-hundreds-of-cultural-assets-to-italy Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:44:55 +0200 us-returns-hundreds-of-cultural-assets-to-italy The Eurovision Song Contest is famous for celebrating everything from cross-dressing ballad singers to heavy metal bands in monster masks, but geopolitics is threatening its 70th anniversary edition. https://www.thelocal.it/20260426/geopolitics-threatens-70th-anniversary-of-eurovision Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:03:11 +0200 geopolitics-threatens-70th-anniversary-of-eurovision Whether you’re looking to freshen up your wardrobe or decorate your home, there are several options for buying used goods in Italy. https://www.thelocal.it/20260409/how-to-buy-second-hand-and-save-money-in-italy-in-2026 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:20:52 +0200 how-to-buy-second-hand-and-save-money-in-italy-in-2026 US streaming giant Netflix may have to reimburse hundreds of millions of euros to its Italian customers after a court ruling, according to a judgement published Friday by a consumer association. https://www.thelocal.it/20260404/netflix-may-have-to-reimburse-italian-subscription-increases Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:54:58 +0200 netflix-may-have-to-reimburse-italian-subscription-increases Italian singer-songwriter Gino Paoli, who wrote the much-loved hits "Il Cielo in Una Stanza" and "Sapore di Sale", has died at the age of 91, his family said in a statement quoted by Italian media on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260324/italian-singer-songwriter-gino-paoli-dies-at-91 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:38:55 +0100 italian-singer-songwriter-gino-paoli-dies-at-91 The city of Ancona on the Adriatic coast has been chosen as Italy's capital of culture for 2028, the government announced on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260318/ancona-named-italys-2028-cultural-capital Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:26:05 +0100 ancona-named-italys-2028-cultural-capital A decision by the Venice Biennale to allow Russia to participate in this year's event came under fire from the European Union on Tuesday, which warned it could cut funding. https://www.thelocal.it/20260311/eu-slams-venice-biennale-for-allowing-russia-to-participate Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:14:54 +0100 eu-slams-venice-biennale-for-allowing-russia-to-participate Italy has paid 30 million euros for a Caravaggio painting of the future pope Urban VIII, the culture ministry said on Tuesday, a work that will enter the Barberini museum collection in Rome. https://www.thelocal.it/20260310/italy-buys-rare-caravaggio-portrait-for-30-million-euros Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:11:39 +0100 italy-buys-rare-caravaggio-portrait-for-30-million-euros Criticism grew Friday over a decision by the Venice Biennale to allow Russia to take part in its prestigious global art exhibition for the first time since the Ukraine invasion. https://www.thelocal.it/20260307/critics-round-on-venice-biennale-after-russia-included Sat, 07 Mar 2026 16:32:49 +0100 critics-round-on-venice-biennale-after-russia-included Renaissance artist Michelangelo ordered many of his artworks to be hidden by his pupils in a secret room to protect them for posterity, an Italian researcher claimed on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260305/maniacal-plan-researcher-claims-michelangelo-hid-works-in-secret-room Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:03:39 +0100 maniacal-plan-researcher-claims-michelangelo-hid-works-in-secret-room Women in Italy will be able to access dozens of state-run museums and cultural sites for free on International Women's Day on Sunday, March 8th, Italy’s culture ministry announced. https://www.thelocal.it/20250306/women-to-get-free-entry-to-dozens-of-italian-museums-on-international-womens-day Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:24:46 +0100 women-to-get-free-entry-to-dozens-of-italian-museums-on-international-womens-day Animal activists have been turning up the heat on Milan Fashion Week to adopt a fully fur-free policy, with dozens of protesters demonstrating outside the Giorgio Armani show on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260302/activists-pressure-milan-fashion-week-to-go-fully-fur-free Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:46:09 +0100 activists-pressure-milan-fashion-week-to-go-fully-fur-free Michelangelo's famous The Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel is getting its biggest facelift in more than three decades to remove a light whitish residue left by sweaty visitors. https://www.thelocal.it/20260228/climate-change-forces-facelift-for-michelangelo-masterpiece Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:27:36 +0100 climate-change-forces-facelift-for-michelangelo-masterpiece A recent survey by the Pew Research Centre delved into what people feel proudest about in their country, with Europeans pointing to history, food and culture among the main reasons. https://www.thelocal.it/20260228/culture-politics-food-what-makes-europeans-proud-of-their-country Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:49:34 +0100 culture-politics-food-what-makes-europeans-proud-of-their-country A long line of pilgrims and visitors snaked outside the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Italy on Sunday as his remains went on public display for the first time. https://www.thelocal.it/20260222/st-francis-relics-go-on-public-show-for-first-time-in-italy Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:19:00 +0100 st-francis-relics-go-on-public-show-for-first-time-in-italy Everything you need to know about Italy’s musical event of the year, from who’s competing to how it works. https://www.thelocal.it/20260217/an-essential-guide-to-italys-sanremo-music-festival Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:35:49 +0100 an-essential-guide-to-italys-sanremo-music-festival Italian museums are preparing for this year’s biggest art exhibits, from Bernini in Rome to Troubetzkoy in Milan. https://www.thelocal.it/20260127/11-major-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-italy-in-2026 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:55:01 +0100 11-major-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-italy-in-2026 Cuban-American-Italian artist Anita Guerra’s new solo exhibit in Rome challenges mixed feelings around mass tourism in Venice and the capital. https://www.thelocal.it/20260130/redeeming-the-hordes-of-tourists-new-exhibition-reframes-italys-mass-tourism-debate Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:34:14 +0100 redeeming-the-hordes-of-tourists-new-exhibition-reframes-italys-mass-tourism-debate From saints’ feasts to unmissable festivals and sporting events, these are the highlights people in Italy can look forward to throughout the rest of 2026. https://www.thelocal.it/20251219/mark-your-calendar-italys-biggest-cultural-events-in-2026 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 16:56:08 +0100 mark-your-calendar-italys-biggest-cultural-events-in-2026