ItalyUpdate

American hotel chain Marriott and the Swedish giant furniture manufacturer IKEA have announced they are going into partnership to build a series of low cost hotels in Europe.

The Alpine ski resorts of Mottolino and Livigno are preparing their popular Nine Knights Event for the fifth year running. Between the 14-20 April 2013, a gigantic snow castle constructed on the ski slopes provides the scene for some of the worlds most spectacular freestyle ski jumps.

One of italys most prestigious gastronomic products, San Daniele prosciutto, is on tour again this year 2013. With the theme Il Prosciutto per ogni Pane Italiano (prosciutto ham for every type of Italian bread) San Daniele offers tastings in various Italian regions, combined with typical local breads.

The Società Geografica Italiana has launched a new website entitled Percorsi d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo Ways) to encourage tourism to Abruzzo region. The area is well-known for its natural beauty and wildlife protection projects, but it also has much to offer as far as culture is concerned.

The Alpine tourist resort of Merano (Bolzano, Alto Adige) is staging a major event totally focused on women for the 2013 edition of International Womens Day on the 8 March 2013, which will star local women entrepreneurs.

Umbrias most prestigious gastronomic product abounds this weekend (1-3 March 2013) at Norcia during the Nero Norcia Festival 

The Spiaggia dei Conigli (Rabbits Beach) on the Island of Lampedusa has been voted the worlds most beautiful beach by the travellers website Tripadvisor.

A group of researchers from the Universities of Florence and Ferrara have discovered traces of Etruscan DNA in modern inhabitants of Volterra and the Casentino area of Tuscany.

The celebrated fashion house, Maison Fendi, has offered to finance a much needed face lift for one of Romes most famous landmarks - the Trevi fountain.