Italy
Trove of 600 Looted Italian Artifacts Worth $65 Million Comes Home
The collection includes artifacts spanning the ninth century B.C.E. to the second century C.E.
Rome's Talking Statues Have Served as Sites of Dissent for Centuries
Beginning in the Renaissance, locals affixed verses protesting various societal ills to six sculptures scattered across the Italian city
The Children of Pompeii Saw Gladiators Fight to the Death—and They Drew Graffiti About It
Researchers recently discovered bloodshed-themed stick-figure sketches in a cluster of houses in the doomed ancient city
Has the Mystery of the 'Mona Lisa' Background Been Solved?
Ann Pizzorusso, a geologist and art historian, says she's identified the location in the background of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting
A Canaletto Masterpiece Stowed in a Mine During World War II Returns to Wales
“The Stonemason’s Yard” was one of many paintings that officials took from the National Gallery in London and moved underground to keep safe from Nazi forces
When Were Blue Jeans Invented? These Paintings Suggest the Fashion Trend Dates Back to the 1600s
Ten paintings attributed to the "Master of the Blue Jeans" depict Italian peasants wearing the storied fabric
Venice's First-of-Its-Kind 'Day-Tripper Tax' Sparks Outrage
Protestors say the entry fee is an ineffective solution to the city’s overtourism challenges
This Newly Deciphered Papyrus Scroll Reveals the Location of Plato's Grave
The mysterious site is mentioned in a text buried by Mount Vesuvius' eruption 2,000 years ago
At Her Globe-Spanning Nightclubs, This Black Entertainer Hosted a 'Who’s Who' of the 20th Century
Ada "Bricktop" Smith, who operated venues in Rome, Paris and Mexico City, brushed shoulders with the likes of Langston Hughes, Salvador Dalí and Gertrude Stein
You Can Now Visit Mussolini's Underground Bunker in Rome
The dictator constructed the shelters below his family's residence after Italy entered World War II
Mount Etna Puffs 'Smoke Rings' Into the Sky
The circular wisps are mostly condensed water vapor
This Tiny Italian Island Is Giving Away Goats to Anyone Who Can Catch Them
An estimated 600 of the hoofed intruders are wreaking havoc on the two-square-mile island of Alicudi
Why Were So Many Renaissance Portraits Multisided?
A new exhibition at the Met is the first to examine the tradition of covered 15th- and 16th-century portraits, which were designed to be interactive and often portable
Five Canoes Discovered Northwest of Rome Are the Oldest Boats Ever Found in the Mediterranean
The 7,000-year-old vessels offer evidence of advanced seafaring technology and an extensive regional trade network, a new study suggests
How Medieval Women Expressed Their 'Forbidden' Emotions
Upper-class women used letters and embroidery to reflect on their inner lives
Long Overlooked, This 11th-Century Astronomical Device Documents Scientific Exchange Among Muslims, Jews and Christians
The astrolabe features Hebrew and Latin inscriptions added by different owners over time
A Towering Statue of Atlas Emerges From the Ruins of Sicily's Ancient Temple of Zeus
In the fifth century B.C.E., 38 looming sculptures of the Titan stood guard at the structure
Ken Burns Turns His Lens to Leonardo da Vinci
An upcoming two-part documentary will be the filmmaker's first foray into a non-American subject matter
Climate Activists Stage Protest in Front of Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'
Two men taped images of flooding in Tuscany to the Renaissance painting's protective glass
These Ancient Celts Were Buried With Their Animals
Some remains found in the 2,000-year-old graves were likely food offerings, but others may have been much-loved companions
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