ItalyUpdate

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.  

Twelve well-known artists and illustrators will follow the footsteps of their predecessors in the Grand Tour of the '700 and '800, visiting the castles of the ancient Duchy of Parma and Piacenza on September 20^th-21^st  

The Pompeii Festival is staging La Boheme me and Carmen in the open air arena of the Teatro Grande (Big Theatre) in the heart of the ruined city. Puccini's best loved work about poverty-stricken lovers is scheduled for the 18^th September 2014 with the Orchestra and chorus of the Massimo Bellini Theatre of Catania.

The celebrated Etruscan Necropolis of the Banditaccia at Cerveteri (Lazio) celebrated its 10^th anniversary as a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE site this summer with the inauguration of a new road that takes visitors directly to the archaeological site from the town centre, While the previous route meandered around the countryside, the new road links the two areas at a comfortable walking distance.

Who said philosophy was only for geeks? The booming annual Philosophy Festival in the three towns of Modena, Carpi and Sassuolo (Reggio Emilio) shows that the subject attracts more and more people every year. 34,000 people attended the first year (2001) the event was held, while last year's version attracted 218,000 participants.

Prize winning at the end of the highly successful Napoli Pizza Village festival saw the World Championship awarded to 28 year old Valentino Libro di Quarto, who scooped up the top Caputo Prize for the Specialità Tradizionale Garantito, thus bringing the trophy back to pizza's hometown for the second year running. In the past, the prize has been won by Japanese pizza chefs.

VATICANvCHURCH OF ENGLAND.....JUST (NOT) CRICKET! 

Anticipation is running high for the first ecumenical Vatican V Church of England cricket challenge on the 18^th September 2014, scheduled to take place at Kent's country cricket ground in Canterbury,