As a Neapolitan guidebook declared at the dawn of the 18th century, “Herculaneum was lost to the vomit of Vesuvius”. Indeed, in 79 AD the city had been buried beneath a...

It’s 07.15 at the train station in Colleferro, a town of 22,000 inhabitants on the Via Cassino railway line south of Rome. A hundred or more commuters are milling about on...

When thinking of Rome’s islands, one immediately comes to mind: the boat-shaped Isola Tiberina in the middle of the Tiber. The other may be a puzzle until we remember that there...

When it comes to selecting an olive oil, Italians are in the enviable position of having too much choice. Entire supermarket aisles are dedicated to this product and a drive out...

Assuming all goes smoothly, the United States and the world should wake up on 5 November knowing the name of the 44th president of the United States. Either Barack Hussein Obama,...

The 2007 Italian wine harvest was one of the most unusual of the last few decades, both because it was one of the smallest and because it came so early. This...

It was 09.05 and the commentator on the BBC World News gave a gasp. She was reading out the falling figures on the European stock exchanges, only minutes after they had...

Halloween The Brits and the Irish seem to take to Halloween like no one else. And we’re not just talking about the kids. If you need an excuse to join the...

The following is a roundup of some of the best exhibitions showing in Rome at present. The choice ranges from the ancient to the contemporary and as all the exhibitions last...