Every year, half a million Italian people claim they are possessed, demanding an exorcism. Demands for exorcisms are also growing globally. In response to the rise, the Vatican even held a week-long exorcism course for 200 priests.
Italy
There is an airport in Italy…
There is an airport in Italy that will let you bring 500g of liquid on a plane, so long as it is Pesto.
The Italian Mafia is involved…
The Italian Mafia is involved in nuclear waste trafficking: they have bought nuclear power plant waste and dumped it in Somalia. The Camorrah in Naples do this too. Except they dump it in Naples.
The cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano…
The cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano is a large target of organised crime in Italy. From 2013 to 2015 an organised crime gang stole 2039 wheels of it from warehouses in northern and central Italy.
Despite ancient Roman bridges…
Despite ancient Roman bridges being the first large and lasting bridges ever built, many are still used despite being around 2,000 years old.
In 2008, Italy spent $65,000,000..
In 2008, Italy spent $65,000,000 to bail out the Parmesan cheese industry.
Italy is giving away more than 100 historic buildings…
Italy is giving away more than 100 historic buildings – including castles, houses, and towers – in a bid to boost ‘slow tourism’ and tempt visitors away from the overcrowded city centers. To get your hands on the sites, you need to have a clear plan of how they’d be transformed into a tourist facility. Successful applicants will get the rights to the property for nine years, with the option to renew the contract for a further nine. And entrepreneurs with a proposal for turning the sites into a tourist facility could be given a 50-year lease in some cases.
Italy didn’t have tomatoes until 1548…
Italy didn’t have tomatoes until 1548, which is why traditional Italian food doesn’t use tomatoes.
The Italian government is offering all 18 year olds…
The Italian government is offering all 18 year olds a €500 ‘culture bonus,’ which can be spent on books, concert tickets, theatre tickets, cinema tickets, museum visits and even trips to the country’s national parks.
In Italy, it is not a crime to steal food…
In Italy, it is not a crime to steal food if you are hungry and have no other means of nourishment.