The Italian government finally approved a bill to allow gay civil unions, after a long and bitter debate that has pitted the Catholic Church against Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Italy's Senate on Wednesday suspended a debate over legislation allowing gay civil unions after the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) scuppered a move to push the historic bill through the upper house unscathed.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to protest in Rome's Circus Maximus arena Saturday against a civil unions bill for same-sex couples, a hot-potato issue for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government.
Italy’s civil union bill finally reached parliament on Thursday. Any previous attempts to get the law passed have been thwarted by the Catholic Church. But the Church’s influence over gay rights seems to be on the wane.
Italy's Court of Cassation has ruled that a man who backed out of his wedding at the last-minute must cover the wedding costs incurred by his jilted ex.
Divorce is booming in Italy, with the greatest demand coming from disillusioned husbands and wives over the age of 65 - including people in their 90s - who want to start a new life.
A junior minister in the Italian government has gone on hunger strike in a protest aimed at speeding up moves to introduce civil unions for gay couples.
Hundreds of thousands of Italians gathered in Rome on Saturday to demonstrate against gay unions and the teaching of gender theories in schools, as Prime Minister Matteo Renzi tries to push a civil union bill through parliament.
Italian public opinion has moved decisively in favour of legally recognizing same sex couples after Ireland's "Yes" to gay marriage, the first poll issued since the landmark referendum revealed Wednesday.
A total of 17 gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples on Thursday signed the first civil unions registered in Rome and called on the government to legislate quickly to make them possible across Italy.
A collective celebration of civil unions – including gay and straight couples alike - will take place in Rome on May 21st, as the government is still debating a potential bill.
The Italian Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to allow couples to divorce after six months of separation, a drastic reduction of proceedings currently in place.
Nichi Vendola, one of only two openly gay regional leaders in Italy, has said he would like to get married and possibly have children, as the government gears up to legalize same-sex unions.
Italians are less likely than ever to get married, according to new official figures released on Wednesday which revealed that the number of weddings per year fell below 200,000 for the first time in 2013.
Italy's Constitutional Court will make a landmark ruling on gay adoption, prompted by the case of an American-Italian lesbian couple and their two children.
Rome's left-wing mayor Ignazio Marino on Saturday registered 16 gay marriages carried out abroad in defiance of Italian law, which does not recognise same-sex unions.
Italy's Interior Minister Angelino Alfano has threatened to annul same-sex marriages registered by authorities across Italy because they do not comply with Italian law.
Women who end pregnancies in San Marino, a tiny state surrounded by Italy, still face jail after the government there rejected proposals to discriminalize abortion.
Italy’s highest appeals court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, on Thursday upheld the annulment of a marriage in Mantua because the husband was too dependent on his mother and did not pay enough attention to his wife.
A single mother, people who have been married before and Italian couples who have been living together "in sin" were married by Pope Francis in a taboo-challenging ceremony at the Vatican on Sunday.
