Friar to open heavy metal concert An Italian Capuchin friar is gearing up to take the stage at the most important festival on the country's heavy metal calendar in Bologna this weekend.

Prize horse stolen A champion ex-harness racer worth millions of euros at stud was stolen Monday night from one of Italy's top stud farms.

‘La Grassa’

World's first shoulder transplant carried out in Bologna An Italian hospital has carried out the world's first shoulder transplant.

Bologna to open free opera school Bologna's municipal theatre said Wednesday it will open a new opera school for would-be Pavarottis, directors and conductors in the autumn.

The Catholic Church in Bologna has decided to keep mum this year over a controversial multimedia festival in the city that celebrates gender identity and sexual orientation through film, literature and extreme performance art.

A Bologna councillor has caused a stir by proposing that prostitution be allowed to "rotate" around set districts of the city but mayors in other cities say they're interested in the idea.

Bologna city council's Nativity scene was at the centre of a heated row on Friday after the decision to include a naked figurine representing a famous dead porno star.

One of the oldest and most stately palazzi in the centre of Bologna is in danger of being "wrecked", Italy's conservation body Italia Nostra warns .

The association has launched an appeal to Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli to stop a local bank building a new museum in 14th-century Palazzo Pepoli's courtyard .