Samantha Cristoforetti, Italian astronaut from ESA, is the first woman in Europe to have been appointed to the commanding role of a space station

As of Jan. 1, 2025, smoking is outlawed in “all public spaces, including streets” in Milan, and anyone who lights up outside designated spaces faces fines from €40 to €240; it is the toughest smoking ban in Italy, where nearly 25% of the population smokes

The Vasari corridor, a narrow 760m-long passageway on the Arno River in Florence is now open to the public; commissioned in 1565 and completed in just five months, it connects the Uffizi Galleries with the Pitti Palace and the Boboli garden

According to Ristretti Orizzonti ('Confined Landscapes', the historical magazine of the prison of Padua) from January 2024 to date 86 prisoners have committed suicide: this is the highest number since it started its collection of data at national level