Cardinal Camillo Ruini, one of the most influential figures in modern Italian Catholicism, has died at the age of 95.

He passed away at his Rome residence after a gradual decline in health in recent weeks. The announcement was made by Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina and the Diocese of Rome, which expressed deep gratitude for a pastoral leadership that left a lasting mark on both the Church and Italian society.

Throughout his long career, Ruini consistently argued that faith could not be confined to the private sphere. He believed Christianity possessed an essential public role, capable of defending human dignity and shaping cultural and political life.

Born in Sassuolo and formed ecclesiastically in Reggio Emilia, Ruini became one of the most powerful and influential churchmen in Italy during the transition from the twentieth to the twenty-first century. As President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) for sixteen years and simultaneously Vicar General of Rome, he guided Italian Catholicism through the political vacuum left by the collapse of the Christian Democratic Party.

Rather than aligning the Church with a single political force, Ruini launched an ambitious intellectual initiative known as the “Cultural Project.” Developed in the mid-1990s, the project sought to counter growing secularization by promoting a dialogue between faith and reason and by reaffirming the centrality of Christian anthropology in public life.

This vision gave rise to what became known as “Ruinism,” a strategy centered on strong public engagement and the defense of what the Church considered non-negotiable values, including the protection of life, the traditional family, and educational freedom. The movement reached its peak during the 2005 referendum on assisted reproduction legislation, when Ruini successfully encouraged abstention, demonstrating the Church’s ability to influence national political outcomes.

His authority was reinforced by exceptionally close relationships with two popes. John Paul II regarded him as a trusted ally capable of implementing the vision of the New Evangelization in Italy and elevated him to the rank of cardinal. Under Benedict XVI, the partnership became even stronger, grounded in a shared concern about moral relativism and a common belief in the cultural mission of Christianity.

His relationship with Pope Francis was more complex. Francis’ pastoral emphasis on social inclusion and the peripheries represented a departure from the culture-war approach associated with Ruini’s era. While remaining publicly loyal to the pontiff, Ruini occasionally acknowledged his difficulties with some aspects of the new direction.

With his death, a defining chapter in the history of Italian Catholicism comes to an end. Few religious leaders have exercised such profound influence over Italy’s cultural and political landscape in recent decades.

News Source: 9Clonne

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Carlo Ginzburg, one of Italy’s most influential historians and essayists of the postwar era, has died at the age of 87. Born in Turin on April 15, 1939, Ginzburg inherited a remarkable intellectual legacy. He was the son of anti-fascist hero Leone Ginzburg and celebrated writer Natalia Ginzburg.

After studying at the University of Pisa, the Scuola Normale Superiore, and London’s prestigious Warburg Institute, Ginzburg embarked on an international academic career that took him to some of the world’s leading universities, including Bologna, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and UCLA. He later returned to the Scuola Normale in Pisa as Professor of European Cultural History.

Internationally recognized as one of the founders of microhistory, a historiographical approach that emerged in Italy during the 1970s, Ginzburg revolutionized historical research by examining broad historical processes through the experiences of ordinary individuals. His work explored popular culture, heresy, witchcraft, and religious beliefs in early modern Europe.

His first major work, The Night Battles (1966), investigated witchcraft and agrarian cults in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Friuli through records of the Inquisition. His most celebrated book, however, remains The Cheese and the Worms (1976), a global bestseller that reconstructed the extraordinary worldview of Menocchio, a sixteenth-century miller executed for heresy.

In 1981, Ginzburg published Investigating Piero, a groundbreaking study of Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca that also launched Einaudi’s influential Microstorie series.

In recent years, he lived in Bologna, where he was often seen walking through the city’s historic center. He is survived by his daughters Silvia, an art historian, and Lisa, a writer and historian of philosophy.

With his passing, the world loses a scholar who taught generations to view history through the eyes of those who were too often left out of its pages.

News Source: 9Colonne

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Thanks to a citizen’s civic duty and swift action by authorities, an extraordinary Imperial-era Roman villa has emerged from the countryside of Castel di Guido, just off the ancient Via Aurelia. The breakthrough began on February 16, when the Metropolitan City Police of Rome Capital alerted the Special Superintendency to illegal excavations taking place on agricultural land owned by the Lazio Region.

Tomb raiders (tombaroli) had intercepted the archaeological site, causing severe damage with heavy machinery before fleeing and leaving behind massive mounds of earth. Emergency intervention by the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Superintendency successfully halted the looting, secured the area with trail cameras, and initiated an emergency scientific excavation.

Right inside the impluvium basin, archaeologists unearthed an 80-centimeter fragmentary statue of a bearded man wearing a tunic and carrying a wicker basket, likely connected to rural life. Experts hypothesize that the estate was part of Lorium, an ancient imperial property of the Antonine dynasty tied to Emperor Antoninus Pius. The Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, and Superintendent Daniela Porro expressed great pride in this triumph of preservation and cooperation. To share this discovery with the community, an open day featuring guided afternoon tours will be held on Saturday, June 20.

News Source: 9Colonne

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Eighty years of history projected straight into the future. Milan’s Piccolo Teatro – Italy’s very first public repertory theater, founded on May 14, 1947, by Giorgio Strehler and Paolo Grassi – has unveiled its 2026-2027 season under the title “The Game of Time” (Il gioco del tempo). The massive lineup features 56 titles and 30 productions, a celebration that coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic.

“We are rethinking our mission to be an art theater for everyone,” explained General Manager Lanfranco Li Cauli, while Artistic Director Claudio Longhi stressed how this milestone demands profound historical reflection. Among the most anticipated stagings are Bertolt Brecht’s work starring Franco Branciaroli and Lino Guanciale, alongside the return of Goethe’s Faust, directed by Antonio Latella.

The centerpiece of the celebrations will be a historic twinship with Teatro alla Scala, a bond born in the immediate post-war era. In March, La Scala’s Ballet Company will take the stage at the Teatro Strehler with “Mont Ventoux”. Piccolo Teatro will return the gesture in July 2027, bringing its own iconic masterpiece, Arlecchino servitore di due padroni (Harlequin Servant of Two Masters) – which also turns eighty – to La Scala’s stage. Special events include a tribute to legendary singer Ornella Vanoni, written by singer-songwriter Pacifico for September 22. Mayor Giuseppe Sala praised the institution, noting that audience numbers grew by 20% over the past year.

News Source: 9Colonne

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Alice Lussiana Parente is an artist who has made the blending of different artistic languages her distinctive signature. An actress, performer, and lover of painting, sculpture, music and dance, the Turin-born artist, who has lived in New York for the past twelve years, retraced her story with ilNewyorkese as a guest on the podcast Ritratti.

It is a story that moves through artistic experiences, decisive encounters and the deep bond with the city she now considers home.

During the interview, Parente explained how her relationship with art is rooted in her childhood. Raised in a family where creativity was part of everyday life, thanks to her mother, a painter and teacher of artistic disciplines, she developed from an early age a sensitivity toward different forms of expression.

“I think I was very lucky because I was born surrounded by art and beauty. My mother is a painter and a painting teacher at a high school, so I grew up watching her paint. I think that dimension entered my heart when I was still a child.”

For her, the various artistic disciplines were never separate compartments, but complementary elements of a single education: “Dance, movement and music are still part of me, and I believe they make an artist more complete.”

The actress then recalled one of the key moments in her professional growth: her encounter with British director Peter Greenaway. She was just sixteen when she auditioned for the first time for a project at the Reggia di Venaria.

It was an experience that left a deep mark on her: “It gave me so much. First of all, it was my first real professional experience, but on an emotional level it is difficult to explain the gratitude I feel toward a master like Peter Greenaway.”

Even today, she clearly remembers that first day on set and the most important lesson she learned: “I understood that I could do this job, and above all I learned a fundamental lesson: love is not enough to make art, you need dedication. You have to work hard and have discipline.”

Another decisive encounter was with Gigi Proietti, who chose her for the role of Annika in the stage production of Pippi Longstocking. Looking back on that period, Alice Lussiana Parente emphasized above all the rigor and passion of the great Roman actor and director. “What stayed with me was his absolute love for the craft of acting, for acting as craftsmanship.”

It was an experience that lasted two years and allowed her to observe up close a master who personally followed every stage of the theatrical work: “He was extremely present, he followed every phase of the work.”

The next chapter of her life took her across the ocean. Twelve years ago, she arrived in New York with the idea of staying for only a few months, but that temporary plan soon turned into a life choice: “I had grown up with the myth of this city, of Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro and great American cinema.”

The turning point came through the chance, unexpected but revealing, to enter the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, one of the most prestigious acting schools in the United States. “My initial idea was to stay in New York for only three months to attend a preparatory summer course,” she explained. After being admitted, however, she received a form of scholarship that allowed her to attend the academy. She then made the decision that would change her life and her professional path: “I went back to Italy to prepare, and then I left. In a way, that journey never ended. I’m still here.”

New York, however, was not only about opportunity and professional growth. The actress also spoke about the more difficult side of the American experience, made of loneliness and adaptation. “If I had to choose the most difficult moment, I would say the first month. It was a very cold winter, I was alone and I didn’t know anyone. Loneliness was the greatest challenge,” she said.

And yet that very phase proved essential to her personal growth: “That is when something clicked inside me. I think it happens to many people who arrive in New York. You go through a moment when you feel lost, you want to go home and you don’t know what direction your life will take.” The answer came through school and through the relationships she built over time: “I built my New York community. The stories of success, difficulty and personal growth that I encountered along the way enriched me and made me understand that I wanted to stay in this city.”

Among the professional achievements she has earned in the United States, a special place belongs to the Golden Film Award she received in Los Angeles as Best Emerging Actress. For Alice Lussiana Parente, that recognition meant much more than a simple prize. “Receiving that award was a great confirmation. It was my first recognition in the United States, and it came right in the heart of Hollywood.”

She still has a vivid memory of the return trip: “The award was made of glass, and during the flight back to New York I held it as if it were a treasure.” It is an episode that captures well the enthusiasm and gratitude with which she experiences every milestone she reaches.

The conversation on the podcast also brought out a reflection on time and artistic maturity. At 35, Parente looks to the future with serenity and without fears related to age. “I am proud of every year I have lived, and I wouldn’t take away a single one.” It is a particularly meaningful message in a field such as entertainment, where actresses often face stereotypes and pressures related to age: “I hope to continue being proud of every year that passes and to experience this growth as a richness.”

One of the projects awaiting her in the coming months is the docufilm dedicated to the birth of ilNewyorkese, in which she will play the role of Chiara. It is an adventure the actress approaches with enthusiasm, but also with the respect she brings to every character: “I don’t know how much I chose the character and how much the character chose me. I like to think that Chiara chose me.” For Alice Lussiana Parente, the value of the work also lies in the fact that it tells New York through a story born in the city itself: “For me, telling New York through a story born in New York, that loves New York and tells its story every day, is an enormous emotion.”

Finally, the actress emphasized the value of the dialogue between journalism and cinema, a central element of the project. “I believe that communication between different languages is something very precious.” It is a concept that echoes her own artistic experience, built on the encounter between different disciplines.

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Campus Salute arrives in Miami to promote a culture of prevention through free check-ups, meetings with specialists, and discussions on nutrition, mental health, and healthy lifestyles. Below is the program for the two days scheduled in Florida:

Friday, June 12, West Coast University | 9250 NW 36th Street, Doral, FL 33178

11:00 AM: Opening Conference
A discussion on prevention, public health, and community wellbeing with representatives from institutions, universities, organizations, and nonprofit associations.

1:00 PM: Free Screening and Prevention Services

• Thyroid, kidney, and abdominal ultrasound scans
• General body composition evaluations
• Nutritional counseling and disease prevention
• Education on preventive medicine and healthy lifestyle habits

Saturday, June 13, West Coast University | 9250 NW 36th Street, Doral, FL 33178

10:00 AM: Additional Free Services Available to the Community

• Acupuncture and integrative medicine treatments
• Therapeutic and rehabilitation services
• Rapid HIV testing and preventive health counseling
• Free coupons for laboratory screenings: cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes
• Pediatric evaluations and screenings
• Screening programs for autism, depression, and anxiety
• Vitamin B12 and B-complex supplementation

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Exporting the model of free prevention overseas, transforming it into a tool for social empowerment and awareness. With this objective, Campus Salute lands in Florida on June 12 and 13, 2026, choosing the West Coast University facilities as the headquarters for a two-day event entirely dedicated to free medical screenings and health education.

This edition is the result of a strategic partnership signed with Doral Pro-Health, born with the ambition to consolidate over time and generate a concrete and lasting impact on the social fabric. A public health initiative made possible also thanks to the logistical and institutional support of West Coast University and Casa Italia Miami, organizations united by the common goal of serving the local community by facilitating access to care.

Campus Salute, which boasts over 15 years of activity and a special consultative status with ECOSOC (the United Nations Economic and Social Council), brings a proven and scalable model to the United States, capable of networking between institutions and local territories.

“Prevention is, first and foremost, a major cultural revolution,” explains Pasquale Riccio, national president of Campus Salute. “Our goal is to bring people closer to awareness, teaching them to take care of their body and mind. Arriving in the main metropolises of the United States is a source of great pride, especially because our activity relies almost entirely on the work of volunteers, who are our true strength.”

A global vision that combines well-being with food sustainability. Unsurprisingly, the Campus promotes the transition toward the “planeterranean” diet—a concept launched by the project’s founder and scientific director, Professor Annamaria Colao—which aims to adapt the healthy principles of the Mediterranean model on a global scale, while simultaneously promoting the “Made in Italy” brand.

The operational heart of the event will be the health fair, where citizens can access a wide range of completely free clinical services. For the occasion, an official delegation led by President Riccio and composed of four long-standing volunteers and three medical specialists will arrive from Italy:

• An expert in Clinical Nutrition and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis.
• An endocrinologist specializing in Thyroid Ultrasound.
• A specialist in Diagnostic Ultrasound.

Alongside them, the local network coordinated by Doral Pro-Health will complement the offering with a series of crucial healthcare services for the area. The following services will be active during the event:

• Chiropractic care and Vitamin Shots (provided by G Therapy Center).
• Pediatric services (provided by Bright Future Pediatric).
• Rapid HIV testing (offered by U Labs Now & Glades Medical Center).
• Acupuncture treatments.

With this new stop in Florida, Campus Salute reaffirms the validity of an international network capable of uniting professionals, institutions, and volunteering. The goal remains the same: to transform community-based healthcare into a right accessible to all, starting right from the heart of the Miami community.

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The Ordinary Court of Bologna has recognized Italian citizenship by descent for US citizens in more than one case decided after the reform came into force, specifically through ruling no. 3335/2026 of April 17, 2026 (Judge Natascia Gardini) and ruling no. 4038/2026 of May 13, 2026. The cases were handled by the Milan-based law firm Aprigliano International Law Firm, one of Italy’s leading firms in Italian citizenship matters, specializing particularly in citizenship by descent through judicial appeals. These cases involve family lines beyond the second generation: individuals born abroad who request recognition as Italian citizens because they are descended from an Italian ancestor.

The significance lies in the dates. The appeals were filed after March 27, 2025, a date that has become a watershed moment for many citizenship lawsuits. On that day, Decree-Law 36/2025 came into force (subsequently converted into Law 74/2025), widely known as the Tajani Decree, which severely restricted access to Italian citizenship by descent, particularly for those born abroad who already hold another citizenship and belong to generations far removed from their Italian ancestor.

Prior to the reform, many iure sanguinis citizenship cases—based on the transmission of citizenship by bloodline from parent to child—were primarily a matter of documentation: reconstructing the genealogical lineage, proving that the ancestor had not lost citizenship before the birth of the next descendant, and gathering records, translations, and apostilles. A complex but linear task: if the chain held, it was sufficient to prove that citizenship had been transmitted without interruption.

Following the reform, the documentary chain may no longer suffice in cases affected by the new limitations. The judge does not only look at whether the family tree is correct, but also when and how the applicant took action. The question shifts: before March 27, 2025, had the applicant already initiated the process for recognition, or did they only have a generic intention to do so?

In the cases decided in Bologna, the court deemed that the plaintiffs had produced sufficient evidence of taking action prior to the reform. Elements considered included: communications with consular offices before March 27, 2025, emails sent via certified email (PEC), attempts to access the consular system, a professional mandate signed in April 2024, and other documents clearly demonstrating the intent to seek recognition.

This is the core of the decisions. The court did not rule that merely thinking about wanting to become Italian is enough, nor is it sufficient to have an Italian ancestor and appear in court after the reform. Instead, it placed value on a documentary trail dating prior to March 27, 2025: records, communications, mandates, and attempts that showed a “clear and unequivocal intent” to request citizenship before the law changed.

Put simply, the difference is between saying “sooner or later I wanted to apply” and being able to prove “I had already started applying, using the methods available at the time.” In the former case, there is a private intention, which is difficult to prove. In the latter, there is documented behavior: the applicant gathered records, retained a lawyer, wrote to the consulate, and left a dated proof of it all.

However, these rulings do not establish a rule valid for everyone. They are first-instance decisions: they can be appealed and do not bind other courts. Another judge, even when faced with a similar case, could arrive at a different conclusion. This is one of the most delicate aspects of the current phase: post-Tajani case law is still under construction, and minor differences in facts or documents can carry significant weight.

One of the most complicated aspects concerns the Prenot@mi system, the platform used to book appointments at many consulates. The new regulation gives weight to applications submitted and appointments scheduled by the offices. Yet, many applicants were unable to secure an appointment because calendars were fully booked or virtually inaccessible for long periods. Therefore, it is legitimate to ask: can the State penalize those who did not obtain an appointment, if the public system itself made it nearly impossible?

Bologna does not resolve the matter in a general sense: it does not state that every failed attempt is equivalent to a formal application. However, it does say that, in certain cases, the judge can look at the totality of the facts and evaluate whether, even without an appointment, the applicant had already taken demonstrable steps prior to the reform.

This is why litigation strategy becomes decisive. It is no longer enough to simply file a folder of civil status records and wait for the judge to apply the traditional framework of iure sanguinis. The case must be meticulously built: organizing the facts, explaining the applicant’s conduct prior to March 27, 2025, linking the documents to the new regulation, and, when necessary, raising constitutional or European law issues. In a matter that has become so technical, the manner in which the case is presented can matter almost as much as the documents themselves.

The decision must also be read in light of ruling no. 63/2026 of the Constitutional Court, filed on April 30, 2026. According to the interpretation proposed by Aprigliano International Law Firm—an interpretation by the firm, not an undisputed fact—that ruling scaled back the concept of citizenship by descent as a status acquired at birth, permanent, and always actionable. Instead, it brought it closer to a position that can be restricted if the applicant failed to clear a certain procedural threshold prior to the reform. After 2025, the debate is no longer just about genealogy, but also about the effects of the change in law on those who had already started the process.

Furthermore, a European level remains open, which also concerns those who did not take action by March 27, 2025. Italian citizenship is not merely a national status: it grants access to European Union citizenship, and for this reason, the new restrictions could raise questions of EU law. A judge who deems these doubts well-founded can follow two paths: directly disapply the Tajani Decree, recognizing citizenship based on the regulations in force before March 27, 2025, or refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling. In matters of citizenship, EU law prevails: where the Italian regulation conflicts with it, the Italian one must yield.

The most prudent takeaway is this: for those who had already acted before March 27, 2025, solid and verifiable proof can make all the difference. For those who had not yet moved, however, the decisions do not close all doors, but they indicate that different arguments will be required—and that the European route is currently the most promising ground. In both scenarios, it is no longer enough to ask whether an Italian ancestor exists: one must understand which legal path is still viable, with what evidence, before which judge, and at what risk. These rulings are favorable to the plaintiffs, but they are not a shortcut for everyone, nor a consolidated shift in case law: they are a sign that, after the Tajani Decree, it is the strategy with which a case is framed that makes the difference today.

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Robert Mapplethorpe (New York, 1946–1989) was one of the most prominent contemporary photographers in the late twentieth century. He used his Hasselblad not just to photograph subjects, but also to create space via the lens, imbuing each shot with an atmosphere of pure classicism, a geometric vision, and a never-ending pursuit of perfection. Denis Curti’s exhibition “The Forms of Beauty”, at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, comprises over 200 pictures that take visitors on a journey examining the concept of beauty according to one of the masters of twentieth-century photography. The exhibition allots a significant amount of space to the theme of the male and female nude, drawing comparisons to ancient statuary. Two first-century AD sculptures from the Capitoline Museums, the Statue of Aphrodite and the Statue of an Athlete, are also on display. One section is dedicated to Mapplethorpe’s “muses”: Patti Smith, his companion and confidante, and Lisa Lyon, a bodybuilder and model who played important roles in his life and visual images. Among the best-known portraits on display are also those of David Byrne, Richard Gere, Yoko Ono, and Robert Rauschenberg.

News Source: 9Colonne

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Flavio Cobolli’s impressive run at Roland Garros comes to an end. The Italian, in his maiden Grand Slam final, loses in five sets against Alexander Zverev, who wins his first Major title, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Following a rough start, Cobolli replies with resolve and restores equilibrium, matching the German blow for blow. The match remained competitive until the fifth set, when Zverev raises the bar and wins decisively 6-1, completing his redemption after recent injuries and disappointments. During the awards ceremony, the German congratulated the Italian, saying, “My compliments to Flavio; I am confident that one day you will lift up a trophy like this”. Cobolli, evidently moved, replied, “It was an honor to share the court with you. I’m disappointed to have come so close, but I’m still young and want to accomplish something special”.

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