Woman Fakes 17 Pregnancies to Collect Maternity Benefits and Skip Work
An Italian woman stands accused of faking no less than 17 pregnancies – 12 natural abortions and 5 false births – over the last 24 years, to receive 110,000 euros ($120,000) in maternity benefits. 50-year-old Barbara Ioele has had an unusual number of pregnancies over the last 24 years, which have resulted in years of […]
Meet Flexman, the Italian Vigilante Waging War on Speed Cameras
For the past eight months, a mysterious man dubbed ‘Flexman’ by his motorist fans has been disabling speed cameras in several Italian regions by cutting their supporting metal poles with an angle grinder. The angle grinder was invented in 1954 by a German company called Flex, and even today, in many European countries, the angle […]
Unusual Number of Bald, Beardless Men Going into Barbershop Leads to Drug Bust
Italian police recently arrested a Genoa barber for drug dealing after noticing that many of the clients going into his shop were bald and beardless. The Carabinieri (Italian police) had received reports of drug dealing activity in Genoa’s Foce area, but they didn’t really have any strong leads. An investigative unit was charged with gathering […]
Months of Punctured Tire Incidents Revealed to Be Work of Dog Suffering from Gingivitis
The people of Vastogirardi, a town of 600 souls in the south of Italy, have finally solved the mystery of a series of flat tires over the last few months – a local dog with a bad case of gingivitis. It all started in July of this year when the quiet town of Vastogirardi was […]
Obese Convicted Killer Released from Prison Because He Can’t Diet Behind Bars
An Italian man who was serving 30 years in prison for murdering his girlfriend was recently released from prison because judges ruled that prison food didn’t allow him to go on a diet behind bars. In 2017, Dimitri Fricano was arrested for killing his girlfriend, Erika, during a heated argument, while they were vacationing in […]
Womans Wins Court Battle to Have Adult Sons Evicted from Her Home
An Italian woman recently won a court case to have her two sons, ages 40 and 42, evicted from her home after they refused to leave the nest or contribute to the household in any way. They say a mother’s love is infinite, but there is only so much even a loving mother can take. […]
School Professor Who Missed Work for 20 Years Out of 20-Year Career Finally Fired
An Italian professor who was recently fired for around 20 years of absence out of 24 years of service at schools near Venice has vowed to contest her recent firing by the Ministry of Education. 51-year-old Cinzia Paolina De Lio, a secondary school teacher who specializes in history and philosophy, became famous in her home […]
Italy’s Famous Upside-Down Fig Tree
The ancient ruins of Baiae, near the modern city of Bacoli, in Italy are home to a botanical oddity known as the upside-down fig tree. Looking at the tenacious tree growing out of the ceiling of an ancient Roman archway, it’s easy to see why it’s called the upside-down tree. It is literally inverted, growing […]
Guy Faces Jail Time for Building His Own Ferrari F430 Out of a Toyota
A 26-year-old man was recently charged with forgery and breach of trademarks after it was discovered that his red Ferrari F430 was actually a modified Toyota MR Coupé. Italy’s Guardia di Finanza made the unusual seizure during a routine check in the town of Asti, Italy. Although the red Ferrari featured all the iconic elements […]
Rome’s Villa Aurora – The Most Expensive House in the World
Located on a hill in the heart of Rome and featuring the only ceiling mural ever painted by the Italian Baroque old master Caravaggio, Villa Aurora is widely regarded as the world’s most expensive house. The 30,000-square-foot, 16th-century villa is located a short walk from the famous Via Veneto, home to some of Rome’s best […]
This Man-Made Mound in Rome Consists of Millions of Ancient Amphorae
Monte Testaccio, an artificial mound in Rome composed almost entirely of broken pottery, might be the largest trash heap in the ancient world. At first glance, Monte Testaccio looks like an ordinary greenery-covered mound, the likes of which can be found all over the world. But underneath all that shrubbery and the thin layer of […]
Centuripe – A Small Italian Town Shaped Like a Person
Centuripe, a small town tucked in the hills of Sicily, is known as “the balcony of Sicily” for the stunning views it offers across to Mount Etna, but few know that, from the air, the town itself is quite the sight. Pio Andrea Peri, a 32-year-old local photographer, recently used his drone to capture the […]
Man Tries to Dodge Covid Vaccine With Silicone Arm
A 50-year-old Italian man was caught trying to get a coronavirus vaccine certificate without actually getting the shot, by using a fake arm instead of his own. Today, Italian media reported the bizarre case of a man who visited a vaccination center in Biella, northwest Italy on Thursday evening, claiming he wanted to get a […]
Italian Mafia Order Ambulances to Stop Sirens, As Members Mistake Them for Police
Mafia members in the Italian city of Naples have reportedly threatened ambulance crews to stop using sirens as, the noise is too similar to that of police sirens, and interferes with “business”. Ambulance drivers and first responders in Naples have recently started asking for police escorts, after numerous reports of armed mafia crews threatening and […]
Threads of God – The World’s Rarest Pasta Is Also One of the Most Difficult to Make
The small town of Nuoro, on Italy’s Sardinia island, is home to what many are calling the world’s rarest pasta, an intricate, hand-made treat that only a handful of people can make. Known as su filindeu (in Sardinia’s Sardo dialect), or Fili di Dio (in Italian), and translated as threads of God, this traditional pasta […]