Arts and Culture

Cleveland Museum returns 14 antiquities

Culture Minister Sandro Bondi on Thursday presented 14 antiquities returned to Italy by the Cleveland Museum of Art after the government proved that the works had been looted or stolen.

Church shouldn't repeat Galileo mistake, official says

The Catholic Church risks approaching modern science with the same prejudices that resulted in it rejecting the theories of Galileo, a Vatican official warned Thursday.

Michelangelo's last frescoes restored

The Vatican has spent over three million euros restoring the last frescoes ever painted by Michelangelo which may have unveiled a new self-portrait by the Renaissance genius.

Dario Argento to get Ischia Legend Award

Italian horror master Dario Argento will be given this year's Ischia Legend Award, to be handed out July 14 at the VII Global Film & Music Festival.

Ferrara looks at quieter side of native son Boldini

An upcoming exhibition in Ferrara promises to show a quieter, more reflective side of Giovanni Boldini, a local boy who made it big painting flashy portraits of high-society Paris.

Ancient theatre on show in Naples

Naples is celebrating the ancient origins of the performing arts with a new exhibition that opens Thursday showcasing Greek and Roman mosaics, frescoes and masks with a connection to the theatre.

La Lollo shows off her snaps

Italian movie icon Gina Lollobrigida will be showing off her lesser-known but greatly praised talents as a photographer with a sweeping retrospective that opens Friday in Rome.

Roman amphorae seized from hiding place under the sea

Art police on Wednesday seized five Roman amphorae that traffickers had removed from an ancient shipwreck and hidden elsewhere under the sea off the Sicilian island of Filicudi.

Cautious optimism on recovery in men's fashion world

There is cautious optimism in the men's fashion world that the economy will pick up at the end of the year and open the way towards a recovery in 2010.

Rome show charts 125 years of dazzling Bulgari designs

The extraordinary designs and distinctive style of Bulgari are spotlighted in a new show celebrating 125 years since the Italian jewellers opened its first shop in Rome.