Flowers are proving recession-proof in Italy on Valentine's Day as nearly 13 million bouquets and arrangements are expected to sell by the end of Thursday, according to Italian farmers group Cia. Despite the flagging economy, couples on the most romantic of holidays are still eager to buy flowers, mostly roses, with over 10 million expected to burst out of flower shops.

The government and town of Pompeii on Thursday launched an international ideas competition to develop the main local attractions and enhance the culture and tourism sector in the area. Participants are being asked to seek possible synergies between Pompeii's two major draws, the archaeological area comprising the ancient Roman commercial centre destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, and the 19th-century Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary.

Italians don't tend to pay much attention to billion-dollar banking scandals when it comes to casting their votes for the country's next leader.The country is "saturated" with them, according to Italian politics expert Duncan McDonnell of the European University Institute in Florence. The people say "So what?" he adds.

Italy's historic and much-loved Sanremo song festival kicked off with high ratings and political controversy on Tuesday. The opening night of the 2013 festival risked hitting a sour note when comedian Maurizio Crozza came on and started to do his famous impersonation of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi.

After restoration work, the Renaissance-era Rucellai Chapel with its tiny architectural model of the Temple of the Holy Sepulchre by Leon Battista Alberti will reopen to the public on Saturday. Even art scholars have not had many opportunities to study the model, which is based on what legend claims is Christ's original tomb in Jerusalem.

The United States was eliminated in the first round of the Fed Cup, losing to Italy 3-2 Sunday when Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci defeated Varvara Lepchenko and Liezel Huber in the decisive doubles match.

Young Italians aren’t going to university like they used to. There are 58,000 fewer students pursuing degrees than ten years ago. This is a drop of 17%.But while some say there isn’t any point in studying, others swear by it. Erica Lenzi, 22, is already qualified in architecture. Now she’s enrolled in engineering.

Amanda Knox, the U.S. college student cleared of murder by an Italian court after four years in prison, will talk publicly about the trial for the first time to ABC News in April, the network said on Monday.