ItalyUpdate

Farm holidays in the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) region now include a special surprise for small guests.

To mark the first anniversary of the tragic  Abruzzo earthquake on the 6 April 2009, the Vatican Museums are hosting an exhibition of sacred works of art and objects that were rescued from the ruins of some of the splendid old churches and monasteries in the city of L'Aquila and the surrounding towns and villages.

The Castle of Duino, one of Trieste (Fruili-Venezia Giulia region)s most famous monuments opened its doors to visitors for the 2010 season.

On the 4 th and 5 th April 2010, Belgioioso Castle in Pavia (Lombardia) will be transfomed into a world of magic and medieval mystery for the 2nd Belgioioso Fantasy festival.

Neapolitan chef Marcello Fotia was the winner of this years European Dual Pizza  Championship held recently in Paris.

Leading  Italian scooter manufacturers  Piaggio have rivived the mythical 1960s Vespa, which became world famous  as the scooter used by the roving reporter Gregory Peck in the Hollywood classic Roman Holiday .

The new version of the Vespa is called the Lav 125. It faithfully preserves the look of the vintage two-wheeler, but  is equiped with a new sophisticated engine that makes it more powerful and at the same time more respectful of the environment  than the earlier model.

For three weekends, one of Romes most famous ancient monuments, the Ara Pacis, or Altar of Peace, dedicated by the Emperor Augustus in 9 BC, will be shown in a blaze of colour, as it appeared originally.

The 16 th edition of the Rome Marathon is programmed for Sunday, 21 st March 2010. A record number of 15,346 participants from 83 countries will set off from the Colosseum on what is universally considered “the most beautiful marathon route in the world”,

A rare medieval cycle of frescoes in the Cistercian Abbey of Chiaravalle, near Milan, have returned to the light after a seven-year restoration project. ..

With few exceptions, hotels all over Italy dropped their prices in 2009 compared with 2008, according to the Hotel Price Index, Hotels.com, the leading world online hotel booking organization.