The Local

Pope Leo XIV called on the Italian Church to develop a "culture of prevention" on clerical child sex abuse, after critics said nothing had changed in 30 years. ...

As the Italian govement moves to hike a contested flat tax on foreign income for wealthy new residents, here’s how the scheme works – and who can take advantage of it. ...

The cheap homes hotspot of Sambuca di Sicilia has launched its latest property offer, selling off 12 abandoned properties - this time for the symbolic price of €3. ...

The year 2024 is a bumper one for elections, among them the European elections in June. Italy is of course a member of the EU - so can foreign residents vote in the elections that will almost certainly affect their daily lives? ...

As Venice prepares to trial a charge for day trippers aimed at tackling overcrowding, residents of the floating city are questioning how helpful the measure will be. ...

Whether you're moving to Rome for the first time or are looking for a new neighbourhood to live in, here are five of the best 'quartieri' for foreign nationals. ...

Every year the town of Ivrea, in Italy’s Piedmont region, holds one of the most peculiar caival festivals in the country as thousands of people take part in a ferocious three-day ‘orange battle’ – but why do they do this? ...

Italy's govement has confirmed that a charge of €2,000 will apply to some foreign residents wanting to register with Italy's national health service from 2024. But who exactly stands to be affected by the change? ...

As Italy introduces a new minimum €2,000 charge for some inteational residents to access its health service, British readers covered by post-Brexit rules have asked where they stand. ...

Italy has introduced an aual €2,000 registration fee for some foreign residents to be able to access its national health service, as one of the cost-saving measures included in the country's 2024 budget law. ...

After the news on Monday that Italy's govement wants inteational residents to pay €2,000 euros a year to keep using the health service, here's what we know so far about the proposal. ...

Italy's govement wants to charge a €2,000 aual fee for some foreign nationals to register with the Italian national health service - but many already pay this much, or more. What are the rules and what would change under the plans? ...

"Our work has made us realise once again that the gravity of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors is, and historically has been, a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies," he ...

Pope Francis celebrates a mass on Christmas eve on December 24, 2018 at St Peter's basilica in the Vatican. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP. Pope Francis on Monday assailed the "insatiable greed" of today's c...

Pope Francis delivering the "Urbi et Orbi" message from the balcony of St Peter's basilica on December 25, 2018. Photo: VATICAN MEDIA / AFP. Pope Francis used his Christmas message Tuesday to appeal f...

The Church will never seek to hush up or not take seriously any case," thepope said in his aual address to the Church's goveing Curia at the Vatican. "Let it be clear that before these abominatio...

People take part in an anti-racism demonstration in the central Italian town of Macerata on February 10th, 2018 Photo: AFP Thousands of anti-fascist demonstrators rallied in the central Italian town of Macerata on Saturday a week after a far-right gunmen shot and wounded six Africans in a racially-motivated attack. Gathered in the town centre on a freezing but suy afteoon, the protesters tued out following a call by NGOs, anti-fascist organisations, unions and several leftwing political groups. "If there's unemployment, blame the govement, not the migrants," they chanted. With tensions high in this normally sleepy town of 43,000 people, shops were shuttered early and schools c...

Former pope Benedict XVI celebrating his 90th birthday in 2017. Photo: Osservatore Romano/AFP Pope emeritus Benedict XVI hinted on Wednesday that he is nearing death and ready for his final "pilgrimage" at the age of 90. "In the slow decline of my physical strength, inteally, I am on a pilgrimage to the House [of the Lord]", Joseph Ratzinger wrote in a letter published in the Corriere della Sera daily, which had told him many readers were conceed about his health. The former pope, who will tu 91 in April, said he was moved that "so many readers want to know how this last period of his life is going". "It is a great grace for me to be surrounded, in this last point of a sometim...

Pope Francis pictured during his weekly general audience. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP Pope Francis waed on Wednesday against the temptation of fake news, drawing a parallel between ethically compromised joualism and the biblical tale of Adam, Eve, the snake and the forbidden fruit. In his aual World Communication Day message held on the feast day of Francis de Sales, the patron saint of joualists, the Pope referred to Eve being fooled by the snake as "the first fake news"."We need to unmask what could be called the 'snake-tactics' used by those who disguise themselves in order to strike," he said. Fake news" was popularised as a phrase by Donald Trump during his victorious 2016 US ...

Pope Francis has been given a two-wheeled Popemobile. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP The answer is Pope Francis on a bike, a prospect made tantalizingly possible by the pontiff's latest gift. Francis was presented with a customized racing bike on Wednesday by three-time world cycling champion Peter Sagan, who dropped off the bicycle during a visit to the Vatican. The speedy-looking two-wheeler came in the papal colours, gold and white, and was emblazoned with "Francesco". Peter Sagan (centre) with the Pope's bike.Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP The Slovakian cyclist, who attended the Pope's weekly audience in St Peter's Square, also offered the signed jersey he wore as world champion. This is the ponti...