Italy

Italy: Abruzzo Earthquake Takes Its Toll

Date: April 8th, 2009 |

The earthquake that hit L’Aquila, capital of the Abruzzo region, killing more than 200 and rendering at least 50,000 homeless will set back tourism in the area that has recently been emerging as a tourist destination. The mountainous region with hilltop medieval villages and large stretches of National Park land lies just a 90-minute drive [read more]

Italy: Alitalia Faces Strikes

Date: September 25th, 2008 |

No Comments

Bankrupt Alitalia canceled 40 flights Sept. 17 when a small union called a four-hour strike against a rescue plan at the Rome airport. The incident highlighted the difficulty facing the airline, which had been on the verge of bankruptcy for months: its operations are vulnerable to strikes by several unions, adding more uncertainty to flying [read more]

Italy: 3,000 Troops Now Patrolling Italy’s Major Cities

Date: August 7th, 2008 |

No Comments

Some 3,000 troops have been deployed to Italy’s major cities to combat street crime. The soldiers were sent to Rome, Milan, Naples, Bologna, Turin and Palermo Aug. 4 to help police patrol the cities’ most frequented public places. In Rome they were stationed at subway and railway stations and an immigrant center but were to [read more]

Italy: Berlusconi to Solve Naples’s Garbage Crisis

Date: July 2nd, 2008 |

No Comments

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would have the garbage crisis in Naples and the surrounding area cleaned up by the end of July, citing new deals about to be signed with private companies to store and process garbage outside Campania. The recurring problem got worse in December when collectors stopped picking up garbage because [read more]

Italy: Thieves Use Drugs to Rob Tourists

Date: May 28th, 2008 |

1 comment

Thieves on Italian trains are increasingly using drugs to sedate victims before making off with their possessions. One method they use is to board sleeper trains and spray a narcotic into cabins before helping themselves to luggage. In a related incident, an elderly American tourist on his way to Hungary after a Mediterranean cruise with [read more]

Italy: Venice Tides Highest in 20 Years

Date: December 3rd, 2008 |

No Comments

The fourth highest tide in Venice’s recorded history caused the city’s worst flooding in 20 years Dec. 1. St. Mark’s Square was knee high in seawater and authorities asked tourists to stay away. Hotel owners, however, tried to reassure guests who called in to cancel, saying this has happened before and the crisis has passed [read more]

Italy: Government Considers More Troops to Assist Police

Date: September 3rd, 2008 |

No Comments

With 3,000 troops already patrolling Italy’s cities along with police, the Italian government is considering adding more after two brutal attacks on tourists near Rome and Naples and an equally vicious attack on monks in a monastery near Turin. In the first incident, police arrested two Romanian shepherds for an attack on a Dutch couple [read more]

Italy: Snacking Banned at Rome’s Historic Sites

Date: July 23rd, 2008 |

No Comments

Between now and the end of October, snacking near Rome’s historical sites is prohibited, to the tune of fines up to $80. The new law is an attempt to preserve the city’s treasures and crack down not just on picnickers but also on litterbugs and drunks. Precisely where and how strictly the law will be [read more]

Italy: Venice Promotes Refilling Water Bottles at Fountains

Date: June 11th, 2008 |

No Comments

With some 19 million visitors a year and the majority of them wandering the city during the hot summer months, Venice is left with millions of plastic water bottles to dispose of when the tourists leave. Authorities are combating the scourge with a campaign to persuade visitors to refill their bottles at the city’s 122 [read more]

Italy: Naples Garbage Still Rots, Raises Health Concerns

Date: May 21st, 2008 |

2 comments

For months Naples has been living in a garbage heap because all dumps are full and there has been no place to haul away debris. Now the U.S. military is sampling tap water and soil for pesticides and other pollutants to gauge the health risks to its personnel of living in and around the city. [read more]