In his last year of mandate, president Mattarella chose to celebrate the International Mountain Day to draw attention on the importance of mountain regions for biodiversity and the preservation of natural resources across the world

Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, erupted with a spectacular pyroclastic flow - an avalanche of hot lava blocks, ash, gas and volcanic material; the activity may have started following a collapse of material in South-East crater

A bar in Treviso, Veneto, has decided to put a 1 euro fee on every blasphemy to fund charitable projects; blasphemy - annoying for most Italian even if not religious and formally banned by law - is on a growing trend among youn generations

A huge snowfall whitened the Alps, by far the biggest of the 24-25 season, with the avalanche danger at a rare maximum 5 out 5 in area of the Western Alps; the snowfall is a good news for glaciers and snowpack before the arrival of summer

Italy is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for non-cooperation with the Court in the Almasri case, wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity: it is the first time this happens to a European country