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 When Audrey Fielding first came to Puglia, she was expecting "a barren landscape", based on what she's heard and read. Instead, she found vibrant towns, chatty locals, a rich culture and delicious food that kept her coming back year after year. https://www.thelocal.it/20170324/why-the-beauty-music-and-people-of-salento-keep-me-coming-back-for-more Fri, 24 Mar 2017 09:01:57 +0100 why-the-beauty-music-and-people-of-salento-keep-me-coming-back-for-more Italy’s best bar isn’t in Rome, Florence or Milan. You won’t find it in Turin, nor Naples, Venice or Bologna. https://www.thelocal.it/20171005/italy-best-bar-300mila Thu, 05 Oct 2017 19:03:01 +0200 italy-best-bar-300mila A 67-year-old man died of 'mad cow' disease earlier this week at his home in Lecce - the second death caused by the disease in the Puglia province this week. https://www.thelocal.it/20150806/two-die-in-a-week-from-mad-cow-disease-in-lecce Thu, 06 Aug 2015 12:36:18 +0200 two-die-in-a-week-from-mad-cow-disease-in-lecce Italy is not renowned for its lawful drivers, but what about its cyclists? One bike rider has learnt the hard way after his rule-bending left him with a whopping €482 fine. https://www.thelocal.it/20150804/cyclist-fined-482-in-city-crackdown Tue, 04 Aug 2015 13:40:51 +0200 cyclist-fined-482-in-city-crackdown Plans to build an Islamic university for 5,000 students in a small town in Italy's heel will help change attitudes towards Muslims, organizers say. But many locals are afraid that it will change the character of Lecce - and are asking who's paying for it. https://www.thelocal.it/20150304/islamic-college-plan-split-italian-town-lecce Wed, 04 Mar 2015 13:20:00 +0100 islamic-college-plan-split-italian-town-lecce The Italian businessman behind plans to create Italy's first Islamic university told The Local he is pushing ahead with the project despite authorities in Lecce rejecting a request for a building permit, a decision that was partly due to the current negative focus on Islam and opposition from residents. https://www.thelocal.it/20150205/italian-council-rejects-islamic-university-plan Thu, 05 Feb 2015 13:46:00 +0100 italian-council-rejects-islamic-university-plan A 12-year-old girl from Lecce in the southern Italian region of Puglia saved her father from suicide after reading a "desperate" text message from him. https://www.thelocal.it/20140423/year-old-girl-saves-dad-from-suicide Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:22:00 +0200 year-old-girl-saves-dad-from-suicide A 17-year-old student died after falling through a skylight at a school in Lecce, in the southern Italian region of Puglia. https://www.thelocal.it/20140109/italian-student-dies-after-falling-through-skylight Thu, 09 Jan 2014 10:40:00 +0100 italian-student-dies-after-falling-through-skylight A 53-year-old Italian woman choked to death on a banana at a psychiatric hospital in Puglia. https://www.thelocal.it/20130827/psychiatric-patient-dies-after-eating-banana Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:16:00 +0200 psychiatric-patient-dies-after-eating-banana A jogger in the town of Lecce in the southern region of Puglia has caused outrage after he was captured on camera flinging three puppies across a street. The man was arrested after the video appeared on YouTube. https://www.thelocal.it/20130821/puppy-flinging-jogger-sparks-outrage-in-italy Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:48:00 +0200 puppy-flinging-jogger-sparks-outrage-in-italy A billboard featuring a bikini-clad woman hanging outside a church in Lecce, Salento, has sparked an outcry among churchgoers. https://www.thelocal.it/20130709/churchgoers-in-lecce-outraged-by-semi-naked-woman-ad Tue, 09 Jul 2013 13:27:00 +0200 churchgoers-in-lecce-outraged-by-semi-naked-woman-ad