ItalyUpdate

Visitors to Rome now have access to a large area of the Roman Forum which had been cordoned off for  over twenty years due to safety problems. The famous House of the Vestal Virgins, home of the priestesses charged with tending the sacred fire of ancient Rome, has now been restored , along with its garden .

The seaside resorts of the Adriatic Riviera kick off their summer season of non-stop holiday fun with the traditionalNotte Rosa 2011 (Pink Night) on the 1 July.

An ancient Fibula, or brooch used as a clasp to hold cloaks or robes, that was discovered in a tomb at the town of Palestrina (Lazio) in 1876, has finally been declared authentic.

Lamborghini, one of Italys most prestigious car producers, recently showed off its latest model, the super-lux hypercar,  Aventador LP900-4, to the city of Rome at the Casino Valadier in Romes Villa Borghese Park.

The former royal residence, Villa Torlonia, which Benito Mussolini made his home between 1925 till 1943, is undergoing extensive restoration to make many more of its rooms accessible to the public.

To mark the 10 th anniversary of the discovery of Otzi, the Ice Man, a mummified prehistoric huntsman found above the Niederjoch glacier in the Val Senales, the Archaeological Museum of Bolzano is holding a special exhibition dedicated entirely to what is believed to be the oldest mummy in the world, dating back 5,300 years.

Researchers believe they may have uncovered the remains of Leonardo da Vinci most celebrated model: Mona Lisa.

A series of interesting itineraries along the 13 old Roman Consular roads have been published online by the Civita Association, with the backing of Romes Provincial council and the Rome Chamber of Commerce.

San Daniele prosciutto, one of Italys most famous gastronomic products, celebrates 50 years of attaining DOP (Denomination Origin Protected) status.

The Less than Zero art exhibition, currently running at the Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio winery in Umbria, features three highly innovative artists who use only renewable or recycled materials.