Need some comfort to get you through January? Check out South Tyrol, says Suzanne Harrington, where they take saunas to the next level.

European banks struggled to make gains on Thursday as investors digested the prospect of a state bailout for struggling Italian lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS).

You can't beat imagination and bolt cutters - although it was mostly the bolt cutters.

A station master has reportedly admitted giving the green light to one of the commuter trains that collided head-on in southern Italy.

Kya de Longchamps explores some seductive Italian furniture by resonant design names, that was the height of fashion in the 1970s and which is now coming round again and is highly collectible.

A $1.54m (€869,000) masterpiece by an 17th century Italian artist was back on display in the Taiwan capital after a 12-year-old boy tripped, fell and punched a hole in the canvass, the exhibit organiser said.

The Italian government is considering options for a public backstop to cover potential shortfalls in bank capital ahead of European stress tests in October, two people with knowledge of the plan said.