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Etna GIF

Tourists run for cover as Italy’s Mount Etna erupts in fiery show of smoke and ash

Video shows tourists running along a path on the flank of the vast volcano as smoke billows kilometres into the air.

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The French have a reputation for rudeness, but this may be unfair.

Parisians shattered my stereotype about them. How typically rude

We’ve become used to the reputation of the French as “Italians in a bad mood”. But on a recent visit, I found a whole new spirit emerging.

  • Roby D'Ottavi
Trapizzino Trilussa, Rome.

Rome’s best places to eat and drink

Old mixes with new on every level and exciting trends emerge to maintain the Eternal City’s position as one of the world’s great food capitals.

  • Maria Pasquale
Nina Fiorenza is on a mission to save a Verona treasure trove.

It’s survived plagues, fires, invasions and bombing. Now an Australian woman is scrambling to save it once more

The remarkable 1500-year-old Biblioteca Capitolare in Verona is widely viewed as the world’s oldest continuously operating library. Nina Fiorenza is on a mission to preserve it.

  • Rob Harris
  • Destination Guide
  • Rome

The best places to stay in Rome

From hipster hangouts with cutting-edge design to opulent palazzos draped in antiquity, Rome has accommodation to suit every style, taste and budget.

  • Maria Pasquale

Everyone knows Ibiza, but this quaint town has better beaches

Avoid the crowds and head to these five European summer destinations instead.

  • Craig Tansley
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Italian Senator Francesco Giacobbe, from Sydney, in his office in Rome this week

Australia’s Italians out in the cold as Rome rewrites citizenship rules

As Italy enacts stricter laws on citizenship eligibility, Australians with Italian roots are scrambling to secure passports, with many now barred from reclaiming their heritage.

  • Rob Harris
Try Greek salad on Samos, an island in the eastern Aegean Sea.

The only place you should ‘go on a diet’, according to a food writer

It’s the last thing any sane person would think about on holiday. But in the Mediterranean, you may already be eating some of the healthiest food in the world.

  • Terry Durack
Dining in Venice.

Never eat pizza with pasta: The 16 rules of dining in Italy

Table manners in Italy come down to “la bella figura”: to make a good impression, be well-mannered and always on your best behaviour.

  • Maria Pasquale
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Pope Leo XIV during a private meeting at the Vatican, Monday, May 19, 2025

Albanese invites Pope Leo XIV to visit Australia in private meeting at the Vatican

The rare one-on-one talks, the first for an Australian prime minister in 16 years, included a deeply personal moment when the prime minister asked the Pope to bless his mother’s rosary beads.

  • David Crowe

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/italy-b01