Good morning to you all on Thursday 25th March. My morning analysis of the Italian press has been akin to navigating through a volcanic ash cloud of original news, fake news and rehashed stories given new twists. Suffice to say that there's very little of the original to discuss so let's just focus on the cold hard facts for now. 

So let's start with a look at yesterday's Coronavirus figures. Again, it's interesting to see how many ways one set of numbers can be interpreted. For example, I've read one report this morning stating that cases are "surging" again but this is lazy journalism. It's been apparent for some time now that the reporting of the figures differs from day to day; there are some days when you always get a lower figure, such as Monday, and others that are always relatively higher. The real trends seem to emerge when comparing the figures to the equivalent day last week and by doing so, you can get a pretty good idea of what the next number will be. 

Yesterday in Italy there were 21,267 new cases of Covid-19, a decrease of 1,758 from the previous Wednesday and the seventh consecutive day in which the number has fallen by that measure. Whilst it's wrong to say the new cases are dropping rapidly, the pattern is a lot more encouraging than it was a few weeks ago when the numbers were rising exponentially. They then levelled-off and are now continuing a gentle decline of around 6% compared to the previous week.

The figure to look out for this evening is 24,907 which was the reported figure last Thursday; without getting the calculator out that should result in around 23,000 new cases when the new figures are reported later. All of the more drilled-down daily figures are on the home page and include numbers of tests, the positivity rates and numbers of vaccinations carried out. 

Yesterday's story about the 29 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine did eventually make waves around the world. It would appear that 13 million of those doses are bound for the COVAX scheme that aims to distribute the vaccine to poorer nations while the remaining 16 million are destined for the EU. The fact that those doses weren't bound for the UK, as was first reported, makes this story significantly less explosive although it's really difficult to understand which parts of the story are true and which aren't; perhaps there's a certain degree of smoke and mirrors at play. 

It's more than a coincidence that we move from political subterfuge to the subject of Silvio Berlusconi, the ex PM and current leader of the centre-right Forza Italia party. He is due in court soon to answer charges of bribery and his appearance now seems more likely as he has been released from hospital; I'm not sure which of those two facts will please people more!

At the beginning of this month I highlighted an area of the southern region of Puglia known as the Gargano Peninsula which is famous among other things for its wonderful beaches. However, Puglia can boast an even more illustrious coastal area if you head down to its southern tip. 

It amazes me now how little research I used to when I visited new places in Italy. When I first went to Puglia I found myself in the beautiful city of Lecce and as I walked around, I noticed there were lots of guide books and post cards for a place called Salento. I looked on the map to see if I could locate the town but eventually realised it was an entire region within a region. 

Lecce is very much the cultural heart of the Salento region and a city not to be missed. Its Baroque architecture and monuments dating back to Ancient times provide it with a great legacy of places to visit but it's really the coastal towns around the edges of the Salento that attract the majority of its visitors. 

The coastline moves around the bottom of the metaphorical Italian heel with its eastern side facing out on to the Adriatic Sea which then becomes the Ionian Sea as you navigate westwards. On the Adriatic Coast the major seaside town is Otranto with its beaches, azure waters and fascinating historic centre while over on the Ionian Sea the town of Gallipoli is just as beguiling. 

There are dozens of smaller towns of beach resorts including Santa Maria al Bagno, Santa Caterina and Castro, all of which boast clear, shallow waters. Marking the southern tip of the Salento at the point where the two seas meet is Santa Maria di Leuca with its hilltop sanctuary and monumental waterfall. 

Away from the towns and the resorts there are endless beaches and coastal areas marked with jagged cliffs creating dazzling landscapes. Close to the beach resort of Torre dell'Orso there's a cave known as the Grotta della Poesia where the bright blue water attracts bathers and daredevil divers throughout the summer months while other quirky spots close by include the likes of Marina Serra and Torre Sant'Andrea. 

I've missed out more than I've written about the Salento above but we can come back and explore some of its other beaches and inland towns in future blogs. I'll leave you for now with some images of the area and I'll be back with more tomorrow. 

​Buona Giornata

Good morning everyone on Wednesday 24th March as we continue to ride the ever-undulating Coronavirus rollercoaster.

Yesterday in Italy there were 18,765 new Covid-19 cases reported. This is the sixth consecutive day in which we've seen a reduction in comparison to the same weekday of the previous week. There is also now something of a gap opening between the total figure for the last 7 days (150,266) and the previous 7 when there were 157,831. This is a decisive step in the right direction and let's hope for further improvements. 

I will continue to update the daily Coronavirus figures on the home page and on the Twitter feed shortly after they're announced around 17:00 CET each day. When presenting those figures I also add some of my own statistical analysis such as the comparison between weekly figures, and I've now started to add a few extra details such as the positivity rate (number of positive cases compared to number of daily tests) and the numbers of vaccinations carried out. For anyone keen to see those figures, they can always be found towards the bottom of the home page. 

The pandemic coverage in the Italian press is quite bountiful this morning and it's difficult to know where to start. Prime Minister Mario Draghi has declared that his government is aiming to administer 500,000 jabs per day in the near future. I like some of that statement but I'm not so keen on the subtle caveats of "aiming to" and "in the near future" which leave lots of space for future wriggling. In the famous words of Elvis, I think we'd all like to see "a little less conversation, a little more action".  In his latest address to the senate, the PM did also point out that during March there have been an average of 170,000 jabs per day carried out, which amounts to roughly double the figure in February. 

Another story has been picked up by a small amount of international sources but surprisingly, hasn't been leapt upon by some of the major press organisations in the UK. The Italian newspaper La Stampa has reported that a batch of 29 million doses of the AztraZeneca vaccine has been uncovered at a vial-filling plant in the town of Anagni, in Lazio. The doses are said to be destined for delivery to the UK but whether or not that is about to happen is unclear from the report. It's a staggering amount of vaccines that will have an enormously positive impact once delivered. It seems strange that the story hasn't been picked up by some of the big guns of the media so I'll reserve judgement on the situation until more details are forthcoming. 

Never far from the headlines, media tycoon and four-time Italian Prime Minister, the 84 year old Silvio Berlusconi has reportedly been in hospital this week with unspecified "health problems". The former PM was seriously ill last year with a dose of Covid and also suffered heart problems subsequent to that. This latest health scare comes at a time when he is due to appear in court on accusations of bribing witnesses about his involvement in the infamous "bunga bunga" sex parties. 

So just another quiet day of news in Italy then! On any other day, the strike by Italian workers at Amazon would get a few more column inches but let's see how these stories develop over the coming days and have a look at the story that's always around us: the weather. As mentioned yesterday, Italy has been caught in the grip of a cold-snap over the past week or so and whilst we are gradually heading away from that, the rise in temperatures is exactly that: gradual. Sharing the figure of 10° Celsius as their top temperature today are the unlikely bedfellows of Bari in the south and the northern city of Trento, while the ever-reliable Cagliari provides the highest mark today, albeit with a miserly 15° C. 

There is one city that I've mentioned frequently on this blog, but thus far only because it has regularly seen the coldest temperatures in the country. This is something of a disservice to the grand old city of Turin so let's put that right now with some praise of the capital of Piedmont. I think its right to use the word "grand" in association with Turin as it does have a regal feel to it. It was once a part of the Duchy of Savoy before the process by which Italy became a nation, the Risorgimento, saw it crowned as the inaugural capital of Italy in 1861. 

Many of the sights that dominate the landscape of modern-day Turin owe something to its Savoy heritage; the UNESCO listing of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy includes five palaces and buildings in the city centre and another half a dozen on its outskirts and further afield in the wider Piedmont region. The standout of those structures for me is the Reggia di Venaria Reale with its elegant hallways, apartments and gardens. Two further Savoy residences can be found next to each other in the city centre's Piazza Castello with the museum and art gallery of Palazzo Madama at its centre and the Royal Palace of Turin just a few steps away. 

Turin sits in a picturesque position with the Alps as a backdrop and nowhere can this be seen better than on top of the Monte dei Cappuccini. From this position looking across the River Po, the city's most famous and tallest monument, the Mole Antonelliana can be seen dominating the skyline. Aside from its iconic aesthetics, it's also home to the National Museum of Cinema; a wonderfully modern museum with all sorts of funky displays and interactivity. Most of the museum's displays are at the side of a central atrium and along a gently inclining staircase. You can however, take a much more direct route skywards with a gravity-defying lift that finishes its slightly scary journey at a viewing area at the top of the building.

From the top of the Mole Antonelliana you can really see the layout of the modern city centre which is dominated by some excellent museums. Perhaps the most famous of all is Turin's Egyptian Museum which is said to be the best of its kind outside Egypt itself. Others not to be missed include the National Museum of the Risorgimento which is housed in another Savoy residence: the Palazzo Carignano. Turin cleverly mixes the old with the new; the museums and city centre buildings aren't exclusively from distant historic times. The National Automobile Museum is a lot of fun with its own unique displays, while the Lingotto building which is now a shopping centre, has the famous Fiat test track on its roof which played its part in some of the memorable scenes from the first Italian Job movie with Michael Caine. 

Well that's me done for the day; last Wednesday there were 23,059 new Covid-19 cases in Italy so let's hope for a smaller number than that later today, perhaps in the region of 21,500 or less to show continued progress in the right direction. 

Ci sentiamo domani!

Last updated: Tuesday 23rd March 2021 at 17:28 CET

Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration

Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 18,765 ​- decrease of 1,612 from equivalent day last week (16th March - 20,377)

Number of people currently infected in Italy: 560,654 (decrease of 2,413 compared to previous day)​

Weekly Comparison

Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (17th - 23rd March): 150,266

Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (10th - 16th March): 157,831

Weekly difference: decrease of 7,565 (-5%)

Testing

Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 335,189

Positivity rate: 5.6%

Vaccinations

Total number of vaccinations carried out: 8,112,882

Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 2,582,560

Good morning to you all on Tuesday 23rd March. These strange times that we're living in get stranger by the day; last year there were some fake news stories about dolphins swimming in Venice Lagoon, which turned out to have been filmed in Sardinia where the sightings wouldn't have caused such a stir.  

Then, lo and behold, yesterday we had the real thing with the Venetian Coastguard confirming the appearance of dolphins in the lagoon, and plenty of video footage to match. One of the world's favourite tourist destinations, Venice has been hit harder than most by the pandemic but the one benefit caused by the lack of tourism is the reduced amount of associated pollution, thus enticing the dolphins in to the cleaner waters. 

The heart-warming appearance of the dolphins comes at a time when Italy's third wave of Coronavirus cases shows more signs of slowing. Yesterday there were 13,846 new cases of Covid-19 in Italy, a decrease of 1,401 from the previous Monday. That's now five days in a row that we've seen a drop in comparison to the same day of the previous week. The figure reported on Mondays is always lower than the following day so whilst we can expect a rise from today's number when the statistics are released later today, it will be more significant if we can see fewer than the 20,396 reported last Tuesday. 

Much of today's press has focused on what's happening in other countries such as the UK's plans to tighten its borders and Germany's case numbers likely to cause an Easter lockdown there. This does rather skim over the stark facts of what's happening closer to home: a number of officials in the Lombardy region are expected to lose their jobs over the fiasco of their vaccination rollout. It's one thing to have a lack of supplies but it's quite unforgivable to waste the few supplies that are available; yesterday in Cremona vaccination staff were left twiddling their thumbs as potential vaccinees weren't sent their appointment invitations. 

Obviously there's a great deal of focus at the moment on any isolated incident of this kind but it comes hot on the heels of the ridiculous decision to suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine for several days last week and it wasn't long before that the country refused to give the jab to the more elderly age-groups as they claimed to have insufficient data over its efficacy. This all happened at a time where numerous other countries were ploughing ahead with their own vaccine campaigns having sought ways to safely speed the process up. The current administration has only been in place for a month or so and its stated aim was to accelerate the rollout but we're still waiting for some genuinely significant progress on that. 

It's another day of the unexpected cold-snap in terms of the weather. In the city of Turin today the mercury will rise no higher than 5° Celsius with the highest temperature on the mainland coming from the northern city of Genoa at 12° C. The warmest city in the country today will be the Sardinian capital of Cagliari with a rather uninspiring 15° C. The good news here is that most of the north of Italy will be bathed in sunshine today and those temperatures will gradually start to rise from tomorrow. 

Today's photos come from the Pontine Islands in the region of Lazio. The archipelago consists of six islands with the largest and most popular being Ponza. This is a favourite weekend getaway for Romans (just to be clear, they don't come marching down from the capital carrying long shields and wearing plumed helmets) who come to enjoy Ponza's beaches and azure waters.

It's just a short distance south of Rome to the ferry ports of Anzio, San Felice Circeo, Terracina and Formia from where you can cross to Ponza. The fastest crossing is by hydrofoil from San Felice Circeo with a journey time of one hour, although these crossings are only available between April and September. You can though, reach Ponza all year round from the port of Formia which is further south towards Naples. 

Of the six islands, the only other one that's permanently inhabited is Ventotene which lies between Ponza and the island of Ischia. Ventotene can be reached from either of those two islands or from Naples Mergellina port. Ventotene is considerably smaller than Ponza and its tight confines saw it used as a VIP prison back in Roman times when celebrity inmates of the day included two relatives of the Emperor Augustus: no less than his daughter, Julia the Elder and his granddaughter Agrippina the Elder. If you think that simply removing "the elder" from your name would spare you the same punishment then you'd be wrong, as Agrippina's daughter Julia Livilla was also exiled here. In the Emperor's favour you can at least absolve him of any form of nepotism!

Ventotene isn't all that bad a place that you'd feel it a punishment to be there; it's got some nice beaches that share that thread of clear blue water with Ponza, and a charming port with a town to match. It does though face the island of Santo Stefano which was a penal colony in recent times. In fact, it's Santo Stefano's abandoned prison that is the main attraction on the uninhabited island. 

From Ponza it's quite simple to access the three remaining islands of the archipelago. You can either hire a boat or take an excursion across to Palmarola with its jagged rocks and shallow waters that are ideal for swimming, while the tiny island of Gavi is little more than a large rock.

A slightly larger rock is the final island of Zannone which has a unique place in history and modern Italian folklore. Although these days it's inhabited by no more than a small number of sheep, it was once the scene of parties for the rich and famous. The goings-on on Zannone were said to be quite raucous but it all ended in tragedy on 30th August 1970 when three dead bodies were found there. At the time, the island was rented by the Marquis Casati Stampa and his wife Anna who hosted the parties. The three dead bodies found were those of the couple and the suspected lover of Anna Fallarino, one Massimo Minorenti, in what appeared to be a double murder committed by the Marquis followed by his own suicide. 

I can't very well end my blog on such a gruesome note so just try to think about the pretty beaches and natural beauty of the Pontine Islands rather than the dead bodies. 

I will of course be back with more tomorrow; let's hope for fewer than 20,000 new Coronavirus cases later today and another step in the right direction. 

Ciao!

Good morning everyone on Monday 22nd March as spring is finally upon us. This change of season should represent a time of rebirth and the end of the gradual decay of winter. The main catalyst for this is usually the weather but whilst that's still not quite playing ball, there are some tiny green shoots of recovery starting to show with the pandemic. 

Yesterday in Italy there were 20,159 new cases of Covid 19 reported, a drop of just over a thousand from the number reported on the previous Sunday. Although the figures are still high, there's a growing feeling that we've reached the peak of this latest wave. For each of the last four days we've seen a smaller number compared to the same weekday of the week before. It will again be very interesting to see the figures for today when they are announced later; we're used to seeing a lower figure on Mondays and last Monday that figure was 15,267. If this latest downward trend continues then we should expect something around 13,500. Obviously we all hope for a much lower number but we've seen for the past year now that the changes are always very gradual. 

Anyway, there has been a lot of doom and gloom across Europe recently but these are just some small details that can give us hope. Monday is the day when any changes to the colour-coded regions take effect and this week there are just two changes; one good and one bad. Sardinia which was previously the only region in the white zone has now moved two levels to become orange while heading in the right direction, Molise is now orange instead of the more restrictive red. 

As you can imagine, today's Italian newspapers are dominated by the pandemic and particularly the rollout of the vaccine. We seem now to be seeing a rather unedifying tug of war between the UK and the EU over the distribution of supplies. There are always two sides to every story but most of the criticism seems to be falling on the head of the EU; it was only last week that they suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, needlessly as it predictably turned out, and this week they are threatening to halt exports of the same jab. 

There is some conjecture that the likes of Germany and Italy may seek supplies of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine which is still awaiting approval for use in the EU. Unfortunately, it seems that supplies of all of the existing products that have been given the green light are to varying degrees being delayed while the politicians continue to entangle themselves in words and confused policies. 

Last year the weather really played its part in reducing the effects of the pandemic and it will be at the back of everyone's mind that this could be the case again. However, despite it officially being spring now, we're still some way short of those typical spring conditions. It's still pretty chilly across the country with the lowest maximum temperatures in Perugia and Turin (both 7° Celsius) while Rome, Genoa and Florence top the charts with a meagre 13° C. This mini cold-snap will probably linger until the middle of this week before we see a significant rise in temperatures. Despite the relative cold, there is plenty of sunshine across the country today. 

There's still a great deal of uncertainty over summer holidays this year but this situation won't last forever and we can still enjoy the exploration of this beautiful country. Today I'm going to talk about a region that I've mentioned a few times in passing on this blog without going into greater detail: Campania. It's one of those regions that hardly gets a mention outside of Italy but ironically, it's one of the country's most-visited. 

The roll-call of sights in Campania is quite astonishing. Its capital city is Naples whose charms are often disguised but revealed in all their glory with a little bit of metaphorical digging. Naples was once the most important city in Europe and although those days are firmly in the past, there remains a vast legacy of historical sights including palaces, theatres, grand piazzas, castles and an astonishing array of sights beneath the ground from catacombs to huge bomb shelters. 

Even if you only focus on the area around the Gulf of Naples you will find more in Campania than many other Italian regions; south west of Naples are the islands of Ischia and Procida, while heading east of the city centre you pass world-famous archaeological sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum before reaching the wonderful Sorrento Peninsula. This is an area that's often overshadowed due to the popularity of its main town of Sorrento, but the peninsula itself contains some jewels just waiting to be discovered.

The allure of Sorrento itself is great with its beautiful marinas, wonderful restaurants and accommodation, while the beguiling sight of the island of Capri is too much of a temptation to be ignored. Capri offers a mixture of natural beauty with its Faraglioni sea stacks and dazzling Blue Grotto, while the chic shopping street of Via Camerelle may see your wallet irreparably bruised if you're not careful!

All of the above sights are just in or around the Gulf of Naples but Campania can also boast the beautiful expanse of the Amalfi Coast with its signature towns of Positano, Ravello and Amalfi itself. Again, there are some less-heralded jewels here including the fishing village of Cetara and the seaside town of Vietri sul Mare which marks the eastern end of the famous coastline. 

There are many more miles of coastline to enjoy beyond the Amalfi Coast; first there's the city of Salerno which deserves exploration in its own right for its wonderful Cathedral, landscaped promenade and even some sights that come out of the top drawer of modern architecture: namely Zaha Hadid's Stazione Marittima which is the new port building. 

Salerno marks the northern tip of a long, flat stretch of coastline that heads south down to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Paestum. The area around Paestum is famous for the production of buffalo mozzarella and it's possible on the same day to combine a visit to the archaeological site with a visit to one of the dairies that produces the cheese. This is however, an area that merits a good deal more than a day trip as it's the home to the beautiful Cilento Coast where you'll find dozens of seaside towns with Agropoli the best of those. Inland of the coast there's also the expansive Cilento Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park to explore. 

At the opposite end of Naples and north of the city is the Province of Caserta; the standout sight in this part of the region is the Royal Palace of Caserta, easily reachable for a day-trip from Naples, Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast. There are also some lesser-known gems close to Caserta such as the Basilica di Sant'Angelo in Formis and the historic Campano Amphitheatre of Capua. 

South east and inland of Caserta is the city of Benevento, itself listed by UNESCO where a number of fascinating historical sights can be found such as the Santa Sofia Complex, the Arch of Trajan and the Roman Theatre. 

In this brief overview I haven't quite done Campania justice as there is still a huge amount to recount but we''ll have plenty of time for that in future blogs. So that's my input for the day until the Coronavirus figures are announced later. Let's hope for a smaller number than 15,000 to extend these green shoots of recovery. 

Buona giornata