Italy

Machiavelli's The Prince was written in 1513 and printed in 1532.

A Rare First-Edition Copy of Machiavelli’s Notorious Political Treatise 'The Prince' Heads to Auction

This copy of the 16th-century text is owned by a private collector. Until recently, historians weren't aware that it existed

Italian authorities have recovered several Etruscan antiquities stolen by tomb raiders from a burial site in central Italy.

Italian Police Arrest ‘Clumsy’ Tomb Raiders Who Allegedly Posted Stolen Etruscan Artifacts on Facebook

The items include artistic urns, a bone comb and an ancient sarcophagus with a full skeleton inside

Next May, Airbnb will host two nights of immersive, three-hour gladiator experiences.

Airbnb Plans to Host an Immersive 'Gladiator' Experience in the Colosseum, and Politicians in Rome Are Furious

The short-term rental giant will help pay for the Colosseum Archaeological Park’s educational programs in exchange for use of the monument

This rock contains the first of the newly discovered fossils: It is a portion of a fossil lake shore that preserves very fine details of ripples produced by waves, on which a small reptile left behind footprints of its legs and tail.

Italian Hiker Discovers Animal Tracks From a Time Before Dinosaurs, Hinting at a Prehistoric Ecosystem

Revealed by melting snow in the Alps, the imprints in rock were left by reptiles and amphibians during the Permian period, which ended with the world’s largest mass extinction

The team used A.I. algorithms to combine more than 400,000 photos into a comprehensive, three-dimensional model of the Catholic church.

See Every Nook and Cranny of St. Peter's Basilica With This New, Stunningly Accurate 3D Replica

Microsoft and the Vatican used artificial intelligence to virtually recreate the historic Vatican City church

The bust depicts John Gordon, an 18th-century local landowner thought to be the founder of the town of Invergordon.

This Forgotten Sculpture Was Used as a Doorstop in a Scotland Shed. It Turned Out to Be a Masterpiece Worth Millions

The marble bust was made by the celebrated sculptor Edmé Bouchardon nearly 300 years ago. After a small town purchased it in the 1930s, it was lost for decades

A crowd of tourists gathers on the main street at Pompeii.

Pompeii Introduces New Limits on Daily Visitors to Protect the Ancient City From Overtourism

A maximum of 20,000 people will be allowed to enter each day in an effort to protect the historic site in Italy, where misbehaving tourists are becoming a persistent problem

Four plaster casts from the House of the Golden Bracelet were made in 1974.

DNA Evidence Is Rewriting the Stories of Victims Who Perished in Pompeii Nearly 2,000 Years Ago

A new study has shattered historians' long-held assumptions about some of the people who died in Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E.

Lake Como has become a popular vacation destination in Italy's northern Lombardy region.

Travelers Can Now Buy a Can of '100 Percent Authentic Air' From Italy's Lake Como

It's not the first time savvy entrepreneurs have marketed canned air to tourists. Similar products have been sold at vacation destinations for decades

The Princeton University Art Museum is one of the many prominent institutions tied to Almagià, who graduated from the university in 1973.

A Prominent Italian Dealer Has Been Charged With Trafficking Thousands of Looted Artifacts

The Manhattan district attorney's office has obtained an arrest warrant for Edoardo Almagià, who has been accused of working with looters and dealing stolen artifacts for years

Tarlati Altarpiece, Pietro Lorenzetti, circa 1320

See the Breathtaking 14th-Century Sienese Artworks That Helped Set the Italian Renaissance in Motion

This brief chapter of art history is often overlooked. Now, an exhibition in New York City makes a strong argument for the integral role played by four artists in the city of Siena

Sculpted monsters, open tombs and dramatic depictions of supernatural combatants make visiting the Sacro Bosco more akin to braving a Renaissance version of a haunted house.

Discover the Mysteries of Italy's Park of Monsters, a 16th-Century Garden Filled With Strange, Colossal Stone Creatures

The Sacro Bosco's meaning is the subject of debate, with scholars alternatively describing the sprawling complex as a memorial, an allegorical site or a tribute to ancient civilizations

The infant's skeleton was excavated in 1998 in a cave in Puglia.

An Ice Age Infant’s 17,000-Year-Old DNA Reveals He Had Dark Skin and Blue Eyes

The baby boy’s recovered genome suggests he’s related to a famous Ice Age population

A selection of the bounty from Isabella Dalla Ragione’s orchard, including apples, pears, plums, almonds, hazelnuts and grapes.

Meet the Italian 'Fruit Detective' Who Investigates Centuries-Old Paintings for Clues About Produce That Has Disappeared From the Kitchen Table

Renaissance paintings, medieval archives, cloistered orchards—how one Italian scientist is uncovering secrets that could help combat a growing agricultural crisis

The seven-foot-tall Apollo Belvedere is thought to be a Roman copy of a Greek statue.

See the Vatican's Magnificent Marble Statue of the Greek God Apollo Restored to Its Former Glory

Experts added a carbon fiber pole to help anchor the "Apollo Belvedere," which had developed cracks along the legs and knees. Now, the looming Roman sculpture is finally back on display

Visitors photograph the Trevi Fountain, which is lit up at night.

Rome's Trevi Fountain Will Get a Much-Needed Cleaning—and a Controversial New Entry Fee

During the restorations, visitors will be able to see the famous site via a temporary walkway, which officials will use to study the flow of foot traffic

Pablo Picasso was a frequent visitor on the island of Capri, where the painting was discovered.

A Junk Dealer Discovered a 'Horrible' Painting in a Cellar 60 Years Ago. It Might Be a $6.6 Million Picasso

For years, the owner's son had wondered about the artwork, which features the Spanish painter's signature. Now, some experts think it's the real deal

A Margherita pie from Una Pizza Napoletana

The World's Best Pizza Is in New York City, According to Italy-Based Rankings

Una Pizza Napoletana on the Lower East Side has claimed the top spot in an annual ranking of pizzerias around the globe

No room for cars, it’s much easier to traverse the narrow streets on islands near Venice by bicycle

See 15 Remarkable Photos That Will Make You Fall in Love With Italy

These shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show why it’s one of the most-visited nations on earth

Researchers excavated a crypt in Milan and found human remains containing evidence of cocaine use.

Europeans Were Using Cocaine in the 17th Century—Hundreds of Years Earlier Than Historians Thought

Scientists identified traces of the drug in the brain tissue of two individuals buried in the crypt of a hospital in Milan

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