Italy

This 1822 painting by John Martin envisions the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. New research suggests a skeleton found in Herculaneum, a seaside town neighboring Pompeii, belonged to a Roman soldier sent to rescue victims from the volcano.

Vesuvius Victim Identified as Elite Roman Soldier Sent on Failed Rescue Mission

The man may have been a Praetorian Guard dispatched by Pliny the Elder to save Herculaneum's residents from the volcanic eruption

This 1561 portrait depicts Catherine de' Medici standing alongside four of her children, including the newly crowned Charles IX.

Rarely Seen Portrait of Renaissance Queen Catherine de' Medici to Go on View

The 16th-century regent, pictured with four of her children, wielded significant political power during the French Wars of Religion

Warming temperatures allowed archaeologists to begin examining the barracks, which had previously been sealed off by a glacier, in 2017.

Melting Glacier in the Italian Alps Reveals Trove of World War I Artifacts

Excavations at the summit of Mount Scorluzzo offer rare glimpse into lives of soldiers fighting in the White War

Recent research unearthed a trove of remains at a site that first yielded a Neanderthal skull in 1939.

Remains of Nine Neanderthals Butchered by Hyenas Found in Italian Cave

The fossilized bones appear to belong to one woman, seven men and a young boy

A view of the marble head discovered last week in Isernia, a town in south-central Italy

Archaeologists in Italy Unearth Marble Bust of Rome's First Emperor, Augustus

Researchers identified the sculpture based on the ancient ruler's signature hairstyle and facial features

Curators reattached the sculpture's missing digit using a "non-invasive, reversible and invisible system."

Colossal Bronze Statue of Roman Emperor Reunited With Its Long-Lost Finger

Curators at the Louvre had mistakenly categorized the missing digit as a toe. An eagle-eyed researcher noticed the mistake in 2018

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery holds an Italian poster (above: Il Quarto Potere, detail) promoting the film.

The Lasting Riddles of Orson Welles' Revolutionary Film 'Citizen Kane'

This year’s award-winning "Mank" attracts new attention to the 80-year-old American classic; two Smithsonian curators share insights

Workers at the famed Italian museum discovered two long-lost 16th-century frescoes while conducting renovations. Pictured here, a life-sized portrait of Grand Duke Cosimo II de’ Medici depicts the ruler towering over two female figures who act as allegories for the cities of Siena and Florence.

Renaissance-Era Florentine Frescoes Spent Centuries Hidden in Plain Sight

Renovations at the Uffizi Gallery revealed two overlooked paintings of Medici dukes, among other intriguing finds

The ancient amphitheater dates to around 200 A.D., when the Severan dynasty ruled the Roman Empire.

In Ancient Turkey, Gladiators Fought at This Colosseum-Like Amphitheater

The 1,800-year-old arena housed up to 20,000 spectators eager to bet on the bloody battles

Currently, tourists can only view the archaeological site from street level.

Site of Julius Caesar's Assassination Will Be Transformed Into Open-Air Museum

Rome's "Area Sacra," a sunken square home to the ruins of four ancient temples, doubles as a sanctuary for stray cats

Portrait of Dante Alighieri, Florence and the allegory of the Divine Comedy, 1465, detail.

Follow Dante's Footsteps Through Italy

For the 700th anniversary of the poet’s death, visit his birthplace, churches and tomb

The dolphins swam in the Grand Canal near St. Mark's Square, Venice's main public square

Dolphins Spotted in Venice's Grand Canal—for Real This Time

The coast guard and a rescue organization took about two hours to guide the cetaceans out of the canal

Violet Gibson, a 50-year-old Irish woman, attempted to assassinate Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1926.

The Little-Known Story of Violet Gibson, the Irish Woman Who Shot Mussolini

A free radio documentary tells the tale of the long-overlooked individual who nearly killed the Italian dictator in 1926

Some of the marks seen on the woman's skull predated her death, while others were likely left by natural forces following her burial.

Archaeologists Solve Mystery of 5,600-Year-Old Skull Found in Italian Cave

Natural forces moved a Stone Age woman's bones through the cavern over time

A descendant of art collector John Skippe donated the painting to the parish in 1909.

Forgotten Last Supper Scene Linked to Renaissance Master Titian Spent Century Hidden in Plain Sight

Researchers spotted the artist's signature, among other clues to the 16th-century painting's provenance, on the canvas

The team speculates that ancient Romans used the vehicle for festivals, parades, weddings and other ceremonial events.

'Miraculously' Well-Preserved Ceremonial Chariot Found at Villa Outside of Pompeii

The carriage's intricate decorations include metal medallions depicting satyrs, nymphs and cupids

The newly restored artworks highlight predator-prey conflicts in the natural world.

Newly Restored Pompeiian Frescoes Capture Hunting Scenes in Vivid Detail

Researchers used a laser to clean the ancient artworks before retouching their faded sections

The main oven at Pizzeria Da Michele is near customers’ tables. The waiter in the background holds marinaras.

Inside Naples' World-Famous Pizza Culture

For hundreds of years, artisans in the southern Italian city have been cooking up the ultimate fast food

Villa Adriana, or Hadrian's Villa, is a Unesco World Heritage Site in Tivoli, Italy, that spans 200 acres and was built around 210 A.D. by Roman leader Hadrian.

Archaeologists Discover Ruins of Emperor Hadrian's Ornate Breakfast Chamber

In the second century A.D., the Roman ruler entertained his guests on a raised marble platform surrounded by elaborate fountains

Dante Alighieri, as depicted in Luca Signorelli's Orvieto Cathedral fresco

Dante's Descendant Wants to Overturn the Poet's 1302 Corruption Conviction

More than 700 years ago, a magistrate sentenced the "Divine Comedy" author to be burned at the stake if he ever returned to Florence

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