Dario Franceschini

Archaeologists in Sardinia have unearthed the torsos of two more limestone statues of boxers within the Iron Age necropolis of Mont'e Prama, Italy's culture ministry said on May 7.

Italian actress Monica Vitti, best known for her starringroles in films by Michelangelo Antonioni, has died aged 90, the culture ministry said on Feb. 2.

"Goodbye Monica Vitti, goodbye queen of Italian cinema. Today is a truly sad day, we have lost a great artist and a great Italian," Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a statement.

Archaeologists in southern Italy have discovered ancient warrior helmets and the ruins of a painted brick wall at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, officials said on Feb. 1.

Brussels – Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti met Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture and Youth Mariya Gabriel, as he was in Brussels on Monday to attend a session of the EU Council for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport and to present the priorities in the culture, media and audiovisual sectors during Slovenia’s EU presidency.

Italian archaeologists have uncovered the fossilized remains of nine Neanderthals in a cave near Rome, shedding new light on how the Italian peninsula was populated and under what environmental conditions.

A project to build a high-tech, lightweight stage inside the Roman Colosseum will allow visitors a central viewpoint from within the ancient structure "to see the majesty of the monument," Italy's culture minister said on May 2.

A German-born archaeologist has been chosen to be the next director of Pompeii, which is still revealing its ancient mysteries centuries after a volcanic eruption destroyed the Roman city and is one of Italy's most popular tourist sites.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini announced on Feb. 20 that Gabriel Zuchtriegel won out over 43 other candidates for the job.

 Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, and Health Ministers Roberto Speranza retained their mandates in the new government formed by Mario Draghi.

The Italian government has set up a Dante Alighieri National Day or or "Dantedì" which will be celebrated annually on March 25, Italian media reported.

The decision was adopted by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini.

Italy's top administrative court awarded victory to the government in a dispute over the management of the Colosseum amphitheater on July 24, rejecting objections from Rome's anti-establishment mayor.