Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
A murder that shocked Italy, a high-profile investigation into a stolen painting, a ‘compulsory doggy bag’ law proposal and more of the biggest news stories from Italy on Wednesday.
Italy's top story on Wednesday:
Italy’s news headlines on Wednesday morning were dominated by the latest development in the story of the strage dell’Erba, or ‘Erba massacre’: the grisly murder of four people in the town of Erba near Como in 2006 and the resulting trial that gripped the country.
The Milan edition of Corriere della Sera had reported on Tuesday that prosecutors in the Lombardy region plan to submit new evidence and push for an acquittal in the case of Olindo Romano and Rosa Bazzi, the middle-aged married couple convicted of killing their upstairs neighbour Raffaella Castagna, her two-year-old son, her mother, and another neighbour, as well as the attempted murder of a fifth person.
In 2007, Romano and Bazzi shocked Italy by confessing to the crime after traces of blood were found in their car, telling magistrates they had planned the murders as they were angry about the amount of noise their neighbours made.
Now the case - and the couples’ life sentences - may be up for review after the Court of Appeal in the northern city of Brescia on Tuesday issued a summons for a hearing on March 1st, where judges will decide whether to accept the new evidence.
Italy urged to cancel pro-Russian ‘propaganda’ events
The Italian city of Modena said on Tuesday it had cancelled an upcoming exhibition and conference titled ‘Mariupol - Rebirth after the war’ amid concerns about pro-Russian propaganda.
The local authority said the event, organised by the Russian cultural association of the Emilia-Romagna region, "had taken on characteristics of a demonstration of open support for the invasion war undertaken by Russia against Ukraine", AFP reported.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry had asked Modena's city council to withdraw permission for the exhibition, which a government spokesman slammed as "propaganda".
In the coming weeks, several similar conferences organised by Russian groups are scheduled to take place throughout Italy. An event in Lucca, Tuscany, planned for January 27th is set to feature the far-right Kremlin ideologue Alexander Dugin, whose views helped shape the ideas behind the invasion of Ukraine.
Minister investigated over ‘stolen’ painting
Vittorio Sgarbi, a well-known and controversial figure appointed culture undersecretary by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is being investigated for allegedly obscuring the fact that a work of art was obtained illegally, prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday.
Sgarbi has denied any wrongdoing, telling the Mediaset programme Quarta Repubblica on Monday: “There is no mystery. There are two paintings.”
He said he owned both of them, and that the artwork in question was in fact a "bad copy" of the other - accusing a restorer he owed money to of making false allegations "for revenge".
Outspoken art critic Sgarbi has made headlines numerous times since being appointed to his government post in 2022. In October, Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano distanced himself from his junior minister after the competition watchdog launched an investigation into Sgarbi’s alleged acceptance of large payments for appearing at cultural events.
Italian MPs push for restaurant ‘doggy bag’ law
A bill requiring restaurants in Italy to provide takeout containers to customers on request was set to be put forward on Wednesday in a move which could spell the end of one of Italy’s last restaurant-related taboos.
The law, officially titled obbligatorietà della doggy bag, or ‘doggy bag obligation’, was drafted by MPs from the Forza Italia party, part of the ruling coalition, who called it a “common-sense measure that would help tackle food waste”.
Forza Italia lawmaker Giandiego Gatta pointed out that taking restaurant leftovers home has been “common practice for some time in the USA”, and that in Europe there have been similar moves by France and Spain, which brought in rules in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
"Today it happens in many restaurants [in Italy] but it is a sort of benevolent concession from the restaurateur," he said.
Past surveys by Italian media outlets found that up to a quarter of Italians viewed requesting a doggy bag as a sign of poverty, bad manners and even vulgarity. But times (and attitudes) appear to be changing, as up to a third of Italians last year said they had taken restaurant food home.
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Italy's top story on Wednesday:
Italy’s news headlines on Wednesday morning were dominated by the latest development in the story of the strage dell’Erba, or ‘Erba massacre’: the grisly murder of four people in the town of Erba near Como in 2006 and the resulting trial that gripped the country.
The Milan edition of Corriere della Sera had reported on Tuesday that prosecutors in the Lombardy region plan to submit new evidence and push for an acquittal in the case of Olindo Romano and Rosa Bazzi, the middle-aged married couple convicted of killing their upstairs neighbour Raffaella Castagna, her two-year-old son, her mother, and another neighbour, as well as the attempted murder of a fifth person.
In 2007, Romano and Bazzi shocked Italy by confessing to the crime after traces of blood were found in their car, telling magistrates they had planned the murders as they were angry about the amount of noise their neighbours made.
Now the case - and the couples’ life sentences - may be up for review after the Court of Appeal in the northern city of Brescia on Tuesday issued a summons for a hearing on March 1st, where judges will decide whether to accept the new evidence.
Italy urged to cancel pro-Russian ‘propaganda’ events
The Italian city of Modena said on Tuesday it had cancelled an upcoming exhibition and conference titled ‘Mariupol - Rebirth after the war’ amid concerns about pro-Russian propaganda.
The local authority said the event, organised by the Russian cultural association of the Emilia-Romagna region, "had taken on characteristics of a demonstration of open support for the invasion war undertaken by Russia against Ukraine", AFP reported.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry had asked Modena's city council to withdraw permission for the exhibition, which a government spokesman slammed as "propaganda".
In the coming weeks, several similar conferences organised by Russian groups are scheduled to take place throughout Italy. An event in Lucca, Tuscany, planned for January 27th is set to feature the far-right Kremlin ideologue Alexander Dugin, whose views helped shape the ideas behind the invasion of Ukraine.
Minister investigated over ‘stolen’ painting
Vittorio Sgarbi, a well-known and controversial figure appointed culture undersecretary by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is being investigated for allegedly obscuring the fact that a work of art was obtained illegally, prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday.
Sgarbi has denied any wrongdoing, telling the Mediaset programme Quarta Repubblica on Monday: “There is no mystery. There are two paintings.”
He said he owned both of them, and that the artwork in question was in fact a "bad copy" of the other - accusing a restorer he owed money to of making false allegations "for revenge".
Outspoken art critic Sgarbi has made headlines numerous times since being appointed to his government post in 2022. In October, Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano distanced himself from his junior minister after the competition watchdog launched an investigation into Sgarbi’s alleged acceptance of large payments for appearing at cultural events.
Italian MPs push for restaurant ‘doggy bag’ law
A bill requiring restaurants in Italy to provide takeout containers to customers on request was set to be put forward on Wednesday in a move which could spell the end of one of Italy’s last restaurant-related taboos.
The law, officially titled obbligatorietà della doggy bag, or ‘doggy bag obligation’, was drafted by MPs from the Forza Italia party, part of the ruling coalition, who called it a “common-sense measure that would help tackle food waste”.
Forza Italia lawmaker Giandiego Gatta pointed out that taking restaurant leftovers home has been “common practice for some time in the USA”, and that in Europe there have been similar moves by France and Spain, which brought in rules in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
"Today it happens in many restaurants [in Italy] but it is a sort of benevolent concession from the restaurateur," he said.
Past surveys by Italian media outlets found that up to a quarter of Italians viewed requesting a doggy bag as a sign of poverty, bad manners and even vulgarity. But times (and attitudes) appear to be changing, as up to a third of Italians last year said they had taken restaurant food home.
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