Articles tagged as Italy | Smithsonian Magazine

A panoramic view of the "Square of Miracles," including the famed tower of Pisa.

One Time, They Closed the Leaning Tower of Pisa Because It Leaned Too Much

It marked the first time in the tower’s long life that it was was closed for repair.

January 6, 2017

History of Now

How Journalists Covered the Rise of Mussolini and Hitler

Reports on the rise of fascism in Europe were not the American media’s finest hour

December 13, 2016

A closeup of Bernini's "The Elephant and the Obelisk" before it was damaged.

Bernini’s “Elephant and Obelisk” is missing part of its tusk

November 16, 2016

Giorgio Vasari’s “Last Supper” was heavily damaged during Florence’s 1966 flood. Conservationists finally figured out how to save it

November 8, 2016

On this day in 1936, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared an axis between Berlin and Rome, coining a term that would be used by both sides in WWII

November 1, 2016

A collapsed building in Amatrice, Italy.

The “Blue Helmets” spent months scouring rubble for priceless pieces

October 25, 2016

Cool Finds

Italy Has a Free Wine Fountain

Quench your thirst with what could be the world’s most welcome glass of wine

October 21, 2016

Beneath this obelisk is an even more outrageous display of Mussolini's self-regard.

The dictator’s self-image lives on deep beneath an obelisk he built to commemorate his own greatness

September 1, 2016

Rescuers search for survivors following the earthquake that struck central Italy early this morning.

Journey to the Center of Earth

The Geology Behind Italy’s Catastrophic Quake

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the Apennine Mountains—and given the region’s geology, that’s no surprise

August 24, 2016

Be careful where you lay your towel

August 12, 2016

Workers start to encircle the island of San Paolo with the first floating elements, April 2016.

Nine Northern Italian Destinations to Visit After You View Christo’s “Floating Piers”

Cultural and historical treasures abound near Lake Iseo

June 22, 2016

Tagliatelle with meat sauce, an iconic Italian dish.

Immerse Yourself in Italian Cuisine at These Eight Cooking Schools

From local women to world-renowned chefs, here’s a delicious way to get in touch with your inner Italian

June 21, 2016

New Research

New Footage Shows Rapid Breakdown of Shipwreck ‘Andrea Doria’

Researchers visited the remains of the Italian luxury liner in a submersible to figure out how quickly wrecks deteriorate

June 16, 2016

This sad relic of ancient Rome is up for adoption.

When in Rome, pony up some cash for cultural preservation

May 26, 2016

A cross marks the Austrian line in the Pasubio mountains, a relic of their 1916 “Punishment Expedition.”

World War I: 100 Years Later

The Most Treacherous Battle of World War I Took Place in the Italian Mountains

Even amid the carnage of the war, the battle in the Dolomites was like nothing the world had ever seen—or has seen since

June 2016

Cool Finds

An Italian Senator Wants Kids to Learn About Wine in School

A bill would add wine classes to elementary school curriculums

April 7, 2016

This 12,000-year-old city could soon be inundated thanks to a hydroelectric dam.

Unless things change, these historic sites could disappear from the map forever

March 24, 2016

Blu and local activists erased 20 years' worth of his street art from Bologna, Italy.

Blu used a chisel and gray paint to make a point

March 14, 2016

Cool Finds

World War II Survivor Tips Off Geologists to Hidden Tunnels Beneath Naples

The forgotten tunnels were used as bomb shelters

March 14, 2016

Italy wants its Neapolitan pizza to be added to Unesco’s cultural heritage list

March 9, 2016