Latest fromItaly
Italian tarantula's bite gives birth to a summer beat
A forgotten brand of homegrown folk music has turned Puglia into one of the most fashionable summer festival destinations in Europe.
Cup ticket sales still $30m short
With 17 days to go until the start of the World Cup, and 42 days for the tournament to run, ticket sales are still $30.5 million short of the $268m target. NZ will still lose $39m if all the tickets are sold.
Cinque Terre, Italy
Part of the joy of this stretch of the Italian coast is that there is a train every 15 minutes in peak hours.
Cinque Terre: Feast on Italy's finest, freshest fare
Adventurous appetites will be driven to ecstasy by the myriad delights of Italian markets, writes Peter Bills.
Ducati on fast track to share market float
Ducati, one of the most famous names in motorbikes, may soon be up for sale
Venice Biennale 2011
The major contemporary art exhibition impresses locals and travellers alike. Click through the gallery to see photos from the biennale and images of the magical city of Venice.
Venice taxes visitors
Rising sea levels and more frequent winter storms are threatening the city of Venice. City officials are looking at ways of paying for its survival.
Catherine Field: For Italy's young there's no place like home
Sixty per cent of Italians aged 18 to 34 still live with their parents, the highest percentage of young stay-at-homes anywhere in Europe.
Fran O'Sullivan: It's time for more gravitas from Key
We need to hear what really matters from the Prime Minister.
Mark Lister: Debt-reduction plans only delay inevitable
Investors need to be wary of risks posed by overseas economies.
Venice: A treasure at every turn
Venice in summer may be a tourist haven but it's still a magical place to visit, writes Diana Plater.
Italy catches cold as world markets dip overnight
Fear that the debt crisis in Europe is spreading has sent investors running for the exits, hammering both global equities and the euro.
Rugby: Junior All Blacks win World Champs (+ video)
The New Zealand under-20 rugby team withstood a stirring challenge from England to land their fourth successive world title.