ItalyUpdate

The city of Genoa is having to cope with an invasion of some two hundred wild boars that trot into the outskirts in the evenings looking for food.

The editor and staff of Italyupdate wish to offer all their sympathy and support to the people of the beautiful region of Abruzzo, who have been so badly hit by the earthquake around L'Aquila.

Normally, our website is dedicated to basically good news from Italy of cultural events, food and wine, new tourist attractions and exhibitions. However, an event of these tragic proportions cannot be passed over in silence. We can only bow our heads.

Signed: Julie Davidson, Harry Reid, Margaret Stenhouse, Antonio Rigillo

A terracotta bust, on show for the first time in an exhibition at the town of Impruneta, near Florence, is thought by experts to be a hitherto unknown work by Leonardo da Vinci.

ITALY TOPS FOR GOURMET TOURISM

Italy has confirmed its role as leader in the field of gastronomic tourism in Europe, according to a survey carried out by the BitLab observatory of incoming tourism to Italy, commissioned by Fiera Milano (Milan Expo). The survey, based on an analysis of 3,492 articles published in 100 newspapers and magazines in 20 European, American and Asian countries, made Italy a first choice destination for food and wine-loving travellers, ahead of Greece, Spain and France.

Veronas city council has come up with a sure-win idea to help fill the town coffers. Romantically minded couples can now get married inside the house of the Capulet family and have their wedding photos shot on the balcony where Shakespeares ill-starred heroine Juliet conversed with Romeo......

SCILLA: CORAL TREASURE

A forest of rare black coral, calculated to be composed of 300,000 colonies, has been discovered near the coast of Scilla, Calabria, during explorations of the sea floor by environmental scientists. The coral is located at a depth that varies from 50 to 110 metres and is considered to be the most extensive known colony in the world.

The worlds most famous doll, Barbie, who celebrates her 50 th birthday this year, has chosen one of Italys most famous cars - the Fiat 500  to be her official conveyance during the year-long anniversary celebrations.

The 3 rd World Slow Day, invented by a stressed Italian manager, has now spread outside Italys borders and was celebrated last week in various countries.

LAZIO REOPENS WWF RESERVE

Il Monumento Naturale di Piano SantAngelo, a nature reserve run by the World Wildlife Fund, has now reopened, thanks to funding received from the Lazio regional government. The reserve, which lies between the towns of Corchiano and Gallese, near Viterbo in northern Lazio, is noted for its unusual and dramatic landscape, with deep canyons  refuge for a wide variety of wildlife - and for its archaeological remains dating back to the ancient race of Falisci, that include an aqueduct and a series of rock tombs.

Coriandoline, a little town designed entirely by children near Correggio (Reggio Emilia), has now been officially inaugurated.