ItalyUpdate

Against stiff competition from five other Italian cities, Matera (Basilicata) has won the bid to become European Capital of Culture for 2019. The jury, composed of thirteen members (six Italians and 7 of other nationalities) selected the City of Stones by seven votes to six.

Cerveteri (Lazio), famed for its unique Etruscan burial ground, received a special gift to mark its tenth anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site when Italy's special cultural heritage police  recovered the statue of a winged sphinx that had been stolen from the town museum in May 2014. The 160 kg sculpture, dating from the fourth century BC was hidden in a field, awaiting transportation abroad where it would have been sold on the illegal antiquities market.

 Culture vultures will be heading for the city of Vicenza (Veneto) this Christmas and after for an exciting series of exhibitions the city will be holding from the 24^th December 2014 on until the 2^nd June 2015. Christmas Eve will mark the opening of the special event: Tutankhamon Caravaggio Van Gogh  in the splendid venue of the Basilica  Palladiana, re-opened after restoration in October 2012.

Perugia (Umbria) is hoping to bring home a double win this year with its two applications to become the 2017 European Youth Capital and the 2019 European Capital of Culture. A jewel of medieval architecture, famed for its Università degli Stranieri (University for Foreigners),

Tolentino (Marche), one of  most productive Made in Italy areas, is on show between the 16^th -19^th October 2014, where visitors can admire prestigious goods made by world-famous local brands names, such as Poltrona Frau divans, Nazareno Gabrielli leather goods,

Gangi 

If you dream of a country retreat in one of Italy's tiny villages, the chance has now come up. The town councils of three minute hamlets are offering property for the nominal price of 1 (one euro) on condition that the new owners undertake to restructure the houses they purchase.

You don't necessarily have to go miles out into the country to take part in the grape harvest in Italy. Some towns have flourishing vineyards right on their doorsteps. The vineyard Villa della Regina rises on an ex summer palace of the Savoy family overlooking the city of Turin.

Ancient varieties of fruit trees that risk extinction have found salvation in the tree sanctuary at San Lorenzo di Lerchi near Città˝ di Castello (Umbria), where agriculturists Livio and Isabella Dalla Ragione have carefully gathered a collection of over 400 rare or vanishing trees.

After over thirty years of dedicated research, the orchard contains

Italy participates in the European Researchers' Night on the 26^th September 2014 with a European record of over 300 events held all over the country. Five projects of Dreams, Luna 2014, Sharper, Party don't stop and Tracks developed by Italy's most prestigious scientific institutes and financed by the European Commission, will highlight the work of the country's scientific researchers.

The National Forestry Corps of Abruzzo has officially announced that the griffon vulture has been successfully re-introduced to the Appenines. The bird, which has a wingspan of 2.5 metres, was considered to be a threatened species until some twenty years ago.