Italy looks back on the 45th anniversary of a tragedy whose doomed rescue attempts unfolded on live television.
On this day 45 years ago, a small boy fell deep into a well in a village near Frascati, about 20 km south-east of Rome.
Alfredo Rampi, known as Alfredino, was six years old.
On the evening of 10 June 1981, the boy had asked his father if he could walk back across the field to the…
Italian transport ministry hails "common sense" as major trade unions suspend eight-hour strike, however independent grassroots unions plan to go ahead with their 23-hour walkout.
Italy's national eight-hour rail strike on Thursday 11 June has been suspended after several of the country's major trade unions called off their planned action following last-minute talks with the government.
However,…
Parmitano will be the first European astronaut to hold a primary operational role on an Artemis mission.
Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano has been selected as pilot for the Artemis III spaceflight mission, joining three US astronauts on the crew, NASA announced on Tuesday.
Parmitano, 49, will become the first European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to join an Artemis mission and the second non-US…
Psychiatric Transfer Does Not Mean Release: Kaufmann Remains Under Judicial Custody in Lazio Mental Health FacilityThe Rome Court of Assizes has suspended the trial of Francis Kaufmann, the American accused of the double homicide at Villa Pamphili, following acceptance of psychiatric evaluation diagnosing an acute mental health condition incompatible with trial participation. According to reports…
Probe relates to alleged corruption linked to Sicily bridge project.
The Rome prosecutor's office is investigating three people for alleged corruption and alleged disclosure of official secrets linked to the contentious plan to build a suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina, connecting Sicily to Reggio Calabria on mainland Italy.
The inquiry, announced on Tuesday in a statement signed by…
Where to watch the World Cup in Rome: A quick guide.
Despite the massive disappointment of Italy failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, millions of Italians will still be tuning in to watch the 2026 edition of the global football tournament.
Rome's pubs are set to be packed for the World Cup games, which take place from 11 June until 19 July.
Most venues operate on…
No Panic Gallery aims to become cultural focal point in Molise village.
The international CVTà street art festival celebrates a decade of regenerating a remote village in Italy's central Molise region every summer with the launch of a gallery on the weekend of 27-28 June.
Over the past 10 years, this collaborative initiative - conceived by Rome street artist Alice Pasquini and organised by the…
Greg Morgan, Head of Art and DT, Director of UAL Foundation Diploma at St George's British International School, talks to Wanted in Rome.
WiR: You have been at St George's British International School for more than 20 years. Rome is a city most people pass through rather than stay in. What made you stay?
GM: I have actually been here for nearly three decades. It is a uniquely vibrant and…
Italy follows France in investigating Israeli minister over alleged torture of flotilla activists.
Rome's public prosecutor has registered Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir as a suspect in a criminal investigation into the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists detained during Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla last month.
Prosecutors are reportedly…
Bear Country to have world premiere at Italian film festival where Crowe will receive award.
The Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe is set to attend the 72nd Taormina Film Festival in Sicily for the world premiere of his latest film, Bear Country (released in Italy under the title La vendetta perfetta).
Directed by Derrick Borte - who previously collaborated with Crowe on the 2020…
Rome hosts global celebrations and unveils new Vespa mural.
Italy's iconic scooter is marking its 80th anniversary this month with a major international gathering in Rome, alongside the unveiling of a large new mural in the capital's Pigneto district.
The four-day anniversary event, titled Vespa Roma 2026 - 80 Years of an Icon, will take place at the Foro Italico from 25-28 June, with "Vespisti"…
The unusual story of a lottery winner who risked losing his fortune due to red tape.
A Nigerian man who had been living without documents in Italy won half a million euros on a scratch card bought with money he had begged - but could not collect his prize because he lacked a valid identity document.
After a lengthy legal battle, a court has now granted him residency rights, and the story has a…
What's new in Rome this summer: higher fees, new spaces, and a city in transformation.
Tourists arriving in Rome this summer will find that the Eternal City looks – and costs – slightly different from what they may remember. Meanwhile several ambitious long-term projects are also well underway, quietly reshaping how Rome will be experienced in summers still to come.
The Pantheon: a higher price…
Sazan Island Reveals NATO's Strategic Vulnerability: How a US President's Family Member Is Reshaping Control of a Critical Mediterranean Chokepoint.
On the surface, the story is straightforward. Jared Kushner's investment firm wants to build a luxury resort on an island and protected coastal area in Albania. The Albanian government approved it. Locals protested. Prosecutors opened an…
Organized Groups Launch Total Boycott Against Lotito: No Season Tickets, Merchandise, or Pay-TV
The fracture between Lazio's organized fan base and President Claudio Lotito's management has reached a point of no return. According to reports from Italian sports media, the Curva Nord groups have officially announced a decision unprecedented in the club's recent history: they will not renew season…
US tourist's gelato bill makes national news in Italy.
A receipt from a gelateria in central Rome has sparked outrage on social media after an American tourist was charged €44 for what she had expected to be two small ice creams.
Nicole Ann, a tourist from Florida, shared a photograph of the receipt in the Facebook group "Rome Travel Tips - Italy - Sistine Chapel - Colosseum - Vatican," warning…
Pride preparations overshadowed by Keshet controversy, sparking appeal for Rome mayor to intervene.
Roma Pride 2026 is scheduled for Saturday 20 June, but in the weeks leading up to the parade the event has been embroiled in a controversy over the exclusion of Keshet Italia, the association representing Jewish LGBTQ people in Italy.
Rome Pride organisers communicated their decision on social…
Dua Lipa wedding celebrations spark protests and reignite debate in Italy about celebrity weddings.
Palermo residents have taken to the streets in protest over the celebrity wedding celebrations of singer Dua Lipa and British actor Callum Turner, taking place in the Sicilian capital this weekend.
Lipa, 30, and Fantastic Beasts star Turner, 36, married in a registry office in London earlier in…
Zohran Mamdani Channels Super Mario's Philosophy to Set Tone for Hosting 2026 Tournament
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani caught everyone by surprise on 5 June when, during a press conference on logistics and transportation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he cited Mario Balotelli to explain his administration's approach to hosting the tournament. Mamdani, a self-described football fanatic who supports…
Thousands of international students travel to Italy's capital every year to deep dive into the art and language and soak up the history. Study Abroad programs provide an essential supplement to education that equips future leaders in all sectors to address urgent issues shared across cultures. If you are looking to change your perspective, develop skills outside of a classroom setting, and learn…
From Canterbury to the Vatican, the Ancient Path of Kings, Popes and Ordinary Pilgrims Remains One of Europe's Most Transformative Journeys.The Via Francigena is not the Camino de Santiago. This is the first thing to understand about it, and perhaps the most important. Both are ancient pilgrimage routes. Both wind through spectacular European landscapes. Both have experienced a renaissance in…
Mapplethorpe's Photographs Show Us What Rome Already Knows: Beauty Is Beautiful Because It Fades
By Effie Quattrociocchi
Rome is full of muscle. Statues and paintings alike are full of meaty biceps, articulated calves, and sinuous forearms. Whatever the figures are doing, they are big with life. So too are the subjects of Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs now on view at the Museo dell'Ara Pacis…
The American University of Rome Adds Psychology to Its Curriculum, Launching Fall 2026 With an International PerspectiveThe American University of Rome has announced a new Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, launching in Fall 2026. The programme combines the academic rigour of an American liberal arts education with an international perspective rooted in Rome's unique position as a crossroads…
A remarkable cultural space in Rome is rewriting the relationship between antiquity and contemporary art.
Amid the majestic setting of Trajan’s Forum in the ancient heart of Rome sits FOROF, a venue whose mission is to promote contemporary art in dialogue with the history of its unique space.
FOROF is built around a specific archaeological site rather than a conventional gallery collection, and…
Italian education minister Valditara claims new law protects children from "gender propaganda" as opposition slam parental consent proviso as "mediaeval". Italy's senate on Thursday gave final approval to a law requiring schools to obtain written parental consent before delivering any sex or relationship education to pupils, in a vote that passed with 78 votes in favour and 38 against. The…
Roman Domus Emerges Beneath Rome's Liceo Cavour After Students' Persistent Claims
Students' Whispers About Hidden Rooms Beneath the Gymnasium Led to the Discovery of a Perfectly Preserved Domus Steps From the Colosseum.
For years, students at the Liceo Scientifico Cavour claimed there were ancient rooms hidden somewhere beneath the boys' gymnasium. Nobody took them seriously. In Rome, where the…
Parliament Approves Delegation Law on Sustainable Nuclear, Targeting Production by 2035 After Decades of Rejection.
For nearly four decades, nuclear energy has been a forbidden topic in Italian politics, the victim of a 1987 referendum that closed the door on the industry after the Chernobyl disaster shook public confidence across Europe. Today, 4 June 2026, that door cracked open. The Chamber of…
LeBron James Takes a Swing at Capri, And the Mediterranean Pays the Price.
King James Hits Golf Balls From His Yacht Off the Faraglioni, But the Viral Photo Masks an Environmental Cost.
LeBron James, at 42 years old and carrying 23 NBA seasons on his shoulders, has decided that his summer oasis is called Capri. The Los Angeles Lakers star arrived on the island by yacht with his family in tow,…
The Liberation of Rome marked a turning point in the Allied campaign in Europe.
Today marks the 82nd anniversary of Rome's liberation from German occupation, with the arrival of Allied troops in the Italian capital on 4 June 1944.
American soldiers from the Fifth Army, led by General Mark Clark, moved into Rome from the south along Via Casilina and Via Appia as the Germans withdrew northwards…
Freak storm strikes northern areas of capital. No fatalities.
A tornado struck northern districts of Rome on Wednesday morning, causing widespread damage, disrupting traffic and leaving several people with minor injuries.
A violent downpour and tornado, or tromba d'aria, struck Rome, hitting particularly the Prati Fiscali and Conca d'Oro areas. The severe weather caused flooding, fallen…