ItalyUpdate

Since museums and galleries became off-limits with the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIBAC) and many curators of the principal collections have organised online alternative.

The Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MIBAC) has launched an online virtual tour of museums, palaces and historic sites.

Eike Schmidt, the dynamic curator of the Uffizi Museums in Florence, assured foreign press journalists in a recent meeting in streaming that the programme of events and exhibitions that have been postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis are simply on hold and will go ahead as soon as the situation permits.

Venice joins the list of Italian landmarks illuminated in green, white and red, the three colours of the national flag, as a gesture of hope and solidarity during the present coronavirus epidemic.

It may be a bit early to think of holiday plans, but a month of lockdown has started many people dreaming. Due to probable travel limitations, Italians are being advised to restrict travel to the home base. 

Despite a series of crises, including heavy rainstorms, flooding, and the current Covid-19 epidemic, the replacement bridge over the River Polcevera at Genoa, is nearing completion.

With tourism figures plummeted to an unprecedented low due to the present Covid-19 epidemic, various Italian towns are taking the opportunity to promote their image in the hope of attracting future visitors once the crisis is over and life returns to normal.

The "Caffe Sospeso" ("O caffe suspiso", in the Neapolitan dialect) is a long tradition in the Naples area, where anyone who wishes can leave money for an extra cup of coffee at his favourite cafe, which will subsequently to be offered to someone who can't afford to pay for his own.

The prestigious Touring Club of Italy, founded in 1896, has launched a new online initiative entitled "Passione Italia", which takes viewers on virtual tours of the multiple natural and artistic beauties of Italy. 

The Radicepura Garden Festival is holding an international contest to design the Garden of the Future which will mark its 3rd edition, due to be held between April and October 2021 at the Radicepura Botanical Gardens, Giarra, ear Catania, Sicily.