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Saltwater creeps inland as Po River dries in summer heat
Heatwave-driven flow collapse threatens agriculture and wetlands across Emilia's delta region
The Po River's dramatic decline due to European heat has allowed seawater to penetrate up to 18 kilometres inland, threatening crops and protected ecosystems in the delta that feeds much of northern Italy's food production.
Giulia Benati · NATIONAL
Pope Leo takes migration message to Lampedusa as Trump marks Independence Day
The pontiff's visit to Italy's migrant gateway will create a stark contrast with American Fourth of July messaging on the same day.
Pope Leo plans to visit Lampedusa on July Fourth, positioning the Church's focus on migrants and asylum-seekers as a direct counterpoint to President Trump's Independence Day messaging.
Saverio Gallo · INTERNATIONAL
Alpine peaks face wildfire risk as heatwave grips northern Italy
Record temperatures and drought conditions threaten forests across Trentino-Alto Adige as Europe's heat crisis moves eastward
A deadly heatwave sweeping Italy and the Balkans has raised wildfire risks across the Alpine region, with authorities warning of dangerous conditions in coming days.
Klara Hofer · REGIONAL
Lamborghini shifts course with hybrid SUV as EV strategy falters
Motor Valley marque abandons pure electric bet, launches plug-in performance model
Lamborghini has abandoned its electric-only trajectory, unveiling a plug-in hybrid version of its Urus SUV and signalling a broader recalibration in how the supercar maker balances performance with emissions standards.
Giulia Benati · ECONOMY
Regional dispatches
Vatican excommunicates traditionalist sect; northern Italy's Catholic faithful face rupture
Pope Leo's first major crisis sees six bishops from ultra-conservative SSPX excommunicated, affecting up to 600,000 followers globally, including congregations across Lombardy.
The Vatican has excommunicated six bishops from the Society of Saint Pius X, a traditionalist Catholic sect, in Pope Leo's first major ecclesiastical crisis.
Beatrice Comolli
Dolomites rescue crews warn tourists blocking emergency operations
Alpine rescuers face delays as hikers sunbathe near helipads during peak summer season
Mountain rescue teams in the Dolomites have appealed to tourists to clear helipads after sunbathing hikers delayed a recent emergency operation.
Klara Hofer
Saltwater creeps inland as Po River runs dry
Heatwave shrinks Italy's longest river, threatening the delta's farms and wetlands as seawater advances 18km beyond normal limits.
The Po River's dramatic decline during Europe's heatwave has allowed saltwater to penetrate far inland, threatening agriculture and protected ecosystems across the northeastern delta.
Tommaso Veronese
Sunbathers block mountain rescue in the Dolomites
Alpine rescue teams report hikers obstructing helipads, delaying emergency operations in Veneto's busiest summer season.
The Veneto Alpine Rescue service has appealed to tourists to clear helipads after sunbathing hikers delayed a recent rescue mission in the Dolomites.
Tommaso Veronese
Record heat grips Italy and Balkans as wildfire fears mount
Twenty-two Italian cities under red alert; older people face critical risk as temperatures approach 40°C
A record-breaking heatwave has killed hundreds across Italy and the Balkans, placing 22 Italian cities under red heat warnings and fuelling wildfire fears across the region.
Sergio Madrussan
Vatican excommunicates ultraconservative bishops in first crisis for Pope Leo
Society of Saint Pius X defies papal authority; around 600,000 followers warned of same fate
The Vatican has excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of Saint Pius X after the breakaway group consecrated new bishops without papal consent, marking the first major schism under Pope Leo.
Sergio Madrussan
PSA expands Italian intermodal footprint with Padua terminal
Singapore port operator launches joint venture to modernise northeast logistics hub as supply chains shift inland
PSA, the Singapore-based port operator, has partnered with Italian logistics firms to develop Padua's intermodal terminal, marking a push to integrate container handling deeper into Italy's supply chain.
Marina Doria
Italy displays François Tomb frescoes in latest $17m heritage acquisition
The Culture Ministry's buying spree of major artworks continues with prized Etruscan panels from Vulci now on public view
Italy has put on display newly acquired fresco panels from an ancient Etruscan tomb, part of an accelerating pattern of state purchases of major cultural heritage pieces.
Costanza Bardi
Vatican excommunicates ultraconservative bishops in first major crisis for Pope Leo
Society of St. Pius X defied papal authority by consecrating bishops without consent, triggering formal schism
The Vatican has excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X after the breakaway group openly defied Pope Leo's direct plea and consecrated new bishops without papal approval.
Niccolò Mariani
Vatican's excommunication of SSPX splits the faithful in central Italy
Pope Leo's first major crisis tests parish unity as ultraconservative bishops defy Rome
The Vatican excommunicated six bishops from the Society of Saint Pius X on Thursday, marking Pope Leo's first decisive break with a breakaway Catholic movement that claims around 600,000 followers worldwide.
Elena Marcheggiani
Cold front brings violent storms to central Italy as heatwave fractures
Marche braces for flooding and wind damage as weather system sweeps north from Mediterranean
Violent storms struck northern and central Italy on Wednesday and Thursday as a cold front ended the deadly European heatwave, bringing heavy rain and wind to the Adriatic coast and inland districts.
Elena Marcheggiani
Rome's monuments struggle as extreme heat tests tourism infrastructure
Civil protection teams deploy water cannons at Colosseum as temperatures near 40°C; authorities warn of mounting pressure on ancient sites
Civil protection teams at Rome's Colosseum have resorted to cooling tourists with water spray as the capital endures record heat, exposing the vulnerability of the city's tourism model to climate stress.
Davide Ruspoli
Americans buying Italian mountain homes spark talk of repopulation
A New York couple's $13,000 purchase in Abruzzo reflects wider foreign interest in the region's emptying villages.
An American family's decision to abandon New York City for a renovated home in rural Abruzzo has drawn international attention to Italy's struggling mountain interior.
Marco Di Sante
American families discover Molise's €13,000 houses as villages seek new life
Depopulation crisis meets diaspora reversal as remote southern region attracts foreign buyers fleeing costly cities
An American couple who abandoned New York City for a house in Italy for $13,000 has drawn international attention to Molise's decades-long struggle with rural abandonment.
Antonio Petrella
AI unlocks Herculaneum's complete text as volcano's secrets yield to science
Researchers read an entire ancient scroll without opening it, marking a watershed moment for Campania's buried Roman treasures
Scientists have for the first time fully deciphered a carbonized scroll from Herculaneum using artificial intelligence, reading nearly five feet of continuous philosophical text without ever unrolling the fragile papyrus.
Rosaria Esposito
Vatican splits with traditionalists as Pope Leo moves against breakaway sect
Excommunication of six bishops marks first major crisis for pontiff and deepens Catholic schism
The Vatican excommunicated six ultraconservative bishops from the Society of St. Pius X on Thursday, warning that lay followers who formally adhere to the breakaway group face the same fate.
Francesca Lazzari
Vatican's schism ripples through southern parishes
Six bishops excommunicated as ultraconservative sect defies Pope Leo; Basilicata's traditionalist communities face rupture
The Vatican excommunicated six bishops from the Society of St. Pius X on Thursday, warning that lay followers who formally adhere to the breakaway group will suffer the same fate—a move that fractures Catholic unity in regions where traditionalist practice runs deep.
Pietro Lasorsa
Vatican excommunicates traditionalist bishops in first major crisis for Pope Leo
The Society of St. Pius X defied papal authority to consecrate new bishops, triggering automatic excommunication of around 600,000 followers.
The Vatican has excommunicated bishops from the ultra-conservative Society of St. Pius X after they consecrated new clergy against Pope Leo XIV's direct wishes, marking the pontiff's first major institutional challenge.
Saverio Gallo
Vatican's schism widens as traditionalist bishops face excommunication
Pope Leo's first major crisis splits Catholic Church as ultraconservative society defies Rome
The Vatican excommunicated six bishops from the Society of St. Pius X on Thursday after the breakaway group consecrated new bishops against papal orders, marking the Pope's opening confrontation with a traditionalist faction.
Gavino Sanna
Meloni's defiance reshapes Europe's Trump strategy
Italy's premier, once isolated, now anchors European coordination against U.S. pressure as NATO summit approaches
Giorgia Meloni's public rupture with Donald Trump is paradoxically strengthening her standing in Berlin and Paris, as European leaders close ranks ahead of next week's NATO summit.
Adriana Sole
Sinner opens Wimbledon defence with five-set win over Kecmanovic
World No. 1 advances after revamped training regime following French Open illness; faces tougher tests ahead
Jannik Sinner defeated Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets in the opening round at Wimbledon, beginning his title defence as the tournament's top seed.
Tobia Marenghi
Berrettini's savvy edges out rising French star Fils at Wimbledon
Former finalist's experience proves decisive as France's grand slam drought extends beyond four decades
Matteo Berrettini defeated France's Arthur Fils in four sets at Wimbledon on Thursday, halting the 20-year-old's bid to claim a grand slam victory after 43 years without a French men's major winner.
Tobia Marenghi
Jennifer Nettles brings 'Poison Queen' to Palermo stages
American singer's pop-operetta draws on Sicilian history as international theatre turns to Italian subjects
The Sugarland frontwoman Jennifer Nettles has written and is starring in a pop-operetta titled 'Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo,' marking a crossover moment for American popular music into operatic form.
Eleonora Vanzetti
Stellantis extends Turin Fiat 500 shutdown as supplier shortages bite
Parts delays force extra week of downtime at Mirafiori plant, signalling supply-chain stress across European automotive
Stellantis has added a week to summer downtime at its Turin Fiat 500 factory due to parts shortages from suppliers, according to Reuters.
Lorenzo Ferraris
Alps draw Nordic summer travelers as European itineraries expand
International travel portals market Italian mountain villages and hiking routes to Scandinavian visitors seeking Alpine alternatives to city trips.
The Italian Alps are gaining visibility among Nordic travelers planning summer vacations, with international platforms highlighting mountain huts, lakes and lift-assisted viewpoints as additions to broader European journeys.
Camille Bréan
Sunbathing hikers delay mountain rescue in Dolomites as summer tourism peaks
Alpine rescue services appeal for visitors to clear helipads after emergency response hampered by tourists on high-altitude hiking routes.
The Veneto Alpine Rescue service has issued a public appeal after a recent mountain rescue mission was delayed by hikers sunbathing near helipads, highlighting tensions between summer tourism and emergency operations in the Dolomites.
Camille Bréan
Milan fashion grapples with extreme heat's supply chain toll
Design houses face production delays and material costs as European temperatures disrupt manufacturing across northern Italy.
Fashion industry insiders in Milan are debating whether this summer's record heat will force a reckoning with supply chain vulnerability and production timelines.
Beatrice Comolli
Opinion
The Vatican's first schism test: what the excommunications mean
Pope Leo's break with the Society of St. Pius X marks his opening crisis. The world is watching how Rome handles defiance from within.
Editorial Board
Pope on Lampedusa, Trump in America: the split screen of July Fourth
As the U.S. celebrates independence, the Pope visits Italy's migrant frontier. Two visions of the West collide.
Editorial Board