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 Summer is around the corner, and that means Italian regions are announcing their summer beach seasons. From Liguria to Sicily, here's when you can start taking a dip in Italy's waters. https://www.thelocal.it/20260504/calendar-when-beaches-open-in-each-italian-region-in-2026 Mon, 04 May 2026 17:11:59 +0200 calendar-when-beaches-open-in-each-italian-region-in-2026 Rome residents can still visit for free, but tourists will pay €2 more from July under a new agreement. https://www.thelocal.it/20260413/rome-to-increase-pantheon-entry-fee-to-e7-this-summer Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:48:42 +0200 rome-to-increase-pantheon-entry-fee-to-e7-this-summer For this weekend only, a total of 780 lesser-known artistic and architectural sites across Italy will be open to the public. https://www.thelocal.it/20260310/italy-opens-780-cultural-treasures-to-the-public-next-weekend Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:53:04 +0100 italy-opens-780-cultural-treasures-to-the-public-next-weekend Getting stung by unexpected roaming fees is one of the fastest ways to take the air out of your Italy trip – but with a little advance planning, you can keep your internet access without racking up hefty charges. https://www.thelocal.it/20260209/what-are-the-best-phone-plans-for-travel-to-italy-in-2026 Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:49:30 +0100 what-are-the-best-phone-plans-for-travel-to-italy-in-2026 From Pompeii to the Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy is home to a host of famous UNESCO World Heritage sites – but there are some lesser-known attractions that you may not have heard of yet. https://www.thelocal.it/20240222/seven-secret-unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-italy-you-need-to-visit Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:43:35 +0100 seven-secret-unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-italy-you-need-to-visit Italian towns and cities could start imposing new restrictions on Airbnbs and other tourist rentals following a key ruling from Italy's Supreme Court on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20251217/why-more-italian-cities-could-start-clamping-down-on-short-term-lets Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:39 +0100 why-more-italian-cities-could-start-clamping-down-on-short-term-lets The Arco di Sant’Andrea, a beloved feature of Italy’s southern Salento coastline, crumbled over the weekend following heavy rain and storm surges. https://www.thelocal.it/20260216/salentos-iconic-lovers-arch-collapses-after-valentines-day-storm Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:41:16 +0100 salentos-iconic-lovers-arch-collapses-after-valentines-day-storm The Italian island of Capri will this summer ban tourist groups of more than 40 people as it seeks to manage hordes of day-trippers, Italian news agency Ansa reported Saturday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260209/italys-capri-limits-tour-group-sizes-to-tackle-overtourism Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:13:46 +0100 italys-capri-limits-tour-group-sizes-to-tackle-overtourism Three decades after its last restoration, a deep cleaning has begun of Michelangelo's "The Last Judgement", the Italian master's spectacular fresco in the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican said on Monday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260203/sistine-chapel-to-remain-open-as-michelangelos-last-judgement-is-cleaned Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:25 +0100 sistine-chapel-to-remain-open-as-michelangelos-last-judgement-is-cleaned Italy's Trevi Fountain launched a new ticketing system Monday, making the famous Rome landmark the latest tourist site to charge entry in a bid to raise funds and battle overcrowding. https://www.thelocal.it/20260202/tell-me-its-not-worth-two-euros-rome-starts-charging-for-trevi-fountain Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:40:21 +0100 tell-me-its-not-worth-two-euros-rome-starts-charging-for-trevi-fountain Faced with surging visitor numbers and declining snow cover, some small Italian ski towns are imposing limits on day-trippers. https://www.thelocal.it/20260202/italian-ski-resorts-grapple-with-crowds-and-climate-pressure Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:38:45 +0100 italian-ski-resorts-grapple-with-crowds-and-climate-pressure The Vatican has revealed it is working to expand the cafe area on the roof terrace of St Peter's basilica, with a new dining area potentially opening this year. https://www.thelocal.it/20260130/vatican-to-open-rooftop-bistro-at-st-peters-basilica Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:13:45 +0100 vatican-to-open-rooftop-bistro-at-st-peters-basilica Italian regions have their own rules on running a tourism rental business on top of the ever-changing national requirements. Here's what applies in each area. https://www.thelocal.it/20260115/running-a-short-term-rental-in-italy-the-rules-in-every-region Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:05:17 +0100 running-a-short-term-rental-in-italy-the-rules-in-every-region The 2025 Jubilee year of Catholic celebrations drew over 33 million pilgrims to Rome, the Vatican said on Monday, as the last of the faithful passed through the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica. https://www.thelocal.it/20260106/two-pope-catholic-jubilee-draws-33-million-pilgrims-to-rome Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:11:07 +0100 two-pope-catholic-jubilee-draws-33-million-pilgrims-to-rome Rome, Milan, Venice and Verona are all set to bring in or raise fees at their famous sites and monuments next year. https://www.thelocal.it/20251222/explained-how-italys-tourist-fees-are-rising-in-2026 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:24:16 +0100 explained-how-italys-tourist-fees-are-rising-in-2026 Tourists will have to pay a €2 entrance fee from February to get close to Rome's Trevi Fountain, officials said on Friday, in a bid to tackle overtourism. https://www.thelocal.it/20251220/rome-to-charge-visitors-for-access-to-trevi-fountain Sat, 20 Dec 2025 10:37:24 +0100 rome-to-charge-visitors-for-access-to-trevi-fountain The Eternal City is a popular year-round travel destination rightly renowned for its history, culture, and world-class dining options – but there are a few tips that can make your trip even better. https://www.thelocal.it/20251202/tourism-in-italy-xx-rome-travel-hacks-for-an-unforgettable-trip Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:13:23 +0100 tourism-in-italy-xx-rome-travel-hacks-for-an-unforgettable-trip Rome may introduce a €2 entry fee for tourists visiting the Trevi Fountain as early as January 7th, according to reports - though city hall stressed that nothing is confirmed. https://www.thelocal.it/20251217/rome-moves-closer-to-introducing-trevi-fountain-entry-fee Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:45:03 +0100 rome-moves-closer-to-introducing-trevi-fountain-entry-fee Venice authorities are set to ramp up the city's controversial entry fee system once again next year, with day-visitors required to pay a charge to enter on the busiest days. https://www.thelocal.it/20251209/calendar-when-will-you-need-to-pay-a-fee-to-visit-venice-in-2026 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:24:25 +0100 calendar-when-will-you-need-to-pay-a-fee-to-visit-venice-in-2026 An ordinance banning all tuk tuks, rickshaws, golf buggies and other “atypical” vehicles from Florence's UNESCO-listed historic centre is set to come into force on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20251013/florence-to-ban-rickshaws-in-city-centre Mon, 13 Oct 2025 18:22:43 +0200 florence-to-ban-rickshaws-in-city-centre