Italy

A new trailer has been released for an upcoming crime drama on Sky that fans won’t want to miss

Sky has unveiled the thrilling first trailer for an upcoming prequel series to one of their best shows.

Gomorrah – The Origins will be released in early 2026 and revealing the startling story of how Pietro Savastano, originally portrayed by Fortunato Cerlino, became one of the most notorious crime bosses in Naples.

The original Italian crime drama aired between 2014-2021 and was one of Sky’s biggest international shows, becoming a worldwide hit after airing in 190 countries.

Now, rising star Luca Lubrano steps into Pietro’s shoes in a six-part origin story kicking off in 1977.

Sky says the gripping new drama will tell “the story of how it all began — how a very young Pietro Savastano will enter a criminal world set against the backdrop of a city in transformation: poor, rough-edged, hooked on cigarette smuggling and about to enter a new era of heroin use.”

Also joining the cast are Francesco Pellegrino as reluctant gangster Angelo ‘A Sirena’, Flavio Furno as charismatic convict ‘O Paisano’, Tullia Venezia as musician Imma, who goes on to become Pietro’s wife, and Fabiola Balestriere as young mother Annalisa Magliocca before she became the notorious female drug lord Scianel.

Supporting cast includes Antonio Buono, Ciro Burzo, Luigi Cardone, Antonio Del Duca, Mattia Francesco Cozzolino, Junior Rancel Rodriguez Arcia, and Antonio Incalza.

The first trailer revealed a fun and fast-paced thriller that will nevertheless delve into Naples’ darker underbelly as fans follow the rise of one of the most iconic characters in international drama.

Based on the bestselling novel by Roberto Saviano, it’s a must-watch for fans of the original series and is also bound to attract newcomers to the franchise who will immediately want to binge all five seasons of the flagship hit.

An official synopsis for Gomorrah – The Origins from Sky reads: “Pietro is a tough city kid who grew up in the poorest parts of Secondigliano.

“He and his friends survive any way they can, riding their mopeds around town and committing petty theft.

“But he has a big dream: to become like Angelo ‘A Sirena, the neighbourhood’s ‘king’. When he manages to get in the graces of the young boss, he finds himself caught in a power game far beyond him.

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“He ends up wondering whether this dark, violent criminal life is really what he wants or if his love for Imma can save him from such a fate.”

The original series overwhelmingly received five-star reviews from fans and, with writers Leonardo Fasoli, Maddalena Ravagli and author Saviano back on board for the prequel, it’s expected to reach similar soaring heights.

One fan raved about the original Gomorrah: “I absolutely adore this show. It’s raw, realistic, and unflinchingly brutal.

“As someone hailing from the North of Italy, I was already familiar with the Camorra, but this series opened my eyes to just how merciless it can be.

“The actors deliver outstanding performances, the script is flawlessly executed, and the storyline is gripping.”

Gomorrah – The Origins premiere in early 2026 on Sky and streaming service NOW.

Italy is welcoming 19 children who were evacuated from Gaza by the World Health Organization. They’ll receive advanced medical treatment in several hospitals across the country.

On the lamp-lit steps of a sombre gothic church, a young woman stands before a microphone. Beside her, a man plucks a slow melody from his guitar. Arrayed on chairs and cobblestones in front of them, a large crowd sits in an expectant silence. From a nearby balcony, laundry sways in the sultry Calabrian breeze.

The guitar quickens, and the woman issues a string of tremulous notes with all the solemnity of a muezzin. She clutches a hand drum, beating out a rhythm that draws the crowd to its feet. As people surge forward, stamping and whirling around the square, the singing intensifies and the drum’s relentless thud deepens. The festival of Sustarìa has begun.

“Sustarìa is a word in the dialect of Lago,” says Cristina Muto, who co-founded the festival in summer 2020. “It is a creative restlessness, which doesn’t let you sit still.” We’re speaking at a drinks party the evening before the annual event, on a terrace overlooking Lago’s clay-tiled roofs, when her brother Daniele appears with a jug of local wine in hand. “Welcome to Lagos Angeles, Calabrifornia,” he winks, pouring me a cup.

Lago is a hilltop village in the province of Cosenza, overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s surrounded by sprawling olive groves and small plots where families cultivate figs, chestnuts and local grains. Cristina and Daniele were born and raised in this grey-stoned hamlet, a medieval outpost of the Kingdom of the Lombards. Although their pride in Lago is palpable, few of the Laghitani I meet live here all year round. Like many young people from southern Italy, they have left in search of opportunities that are scarce in Calabria.

It’s against this backdrop that Cristina co-founded Sustarìa. “The trend is longstanding and severe,” she tells me, “but people still live here, and there are communities that thrive despite the problems. If more people stay or return, things will get better.” By spotlighting the allure of the region’s heritage, she hopes to play a part in this.

With agriculture historically shaping Calabria’s economy and its inhabitants’ daily lives, many traditions have agrarian roots. The dance that erupted on the festival’s first night was the tarantella. It features distinctive footwork, with dancers kicking their heels rapidly. “It’s a dance of the field workers,” Cristina says. “Some say it began as a way to sweat out venom from spider bites during harvests; others say tired workers in need of a creative outlet danced slowly and just with their feet, and over time the pace and range of movement increased.”

The vocals on display that night told of another aspect of the region’s history: its frequent colonisation. Calabria was variously conquered by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Arabs, Lombards and Bourbons. The folk songs we heard were replete with Greek scales and Arabic cadences, a melting pot of Mediterranean timbres.

After the concert, the crowd migrated to a field by a small waterfall on the outskirts of Lago for dinner featuring regional dishes: rosamarina (the pescatarian version of nduja, known as “Calabrian caviar” made from tiny fish); fried courgette flowers; cipolla rossa di Tropea (red onions from the popular beachtown of Tropea); and pecorino crotonese, a sheep’s cheese from the Crotone province.

Over dinner I spoke with two other festival organisers, Claudia and her husband Alberto. Claudia, a Lago native, returned permanently, after a career in aerospace engineering, to run the B&B Agriturismo Cupiglione with Alberto. Nestled in woodland a few kilometres from Lago, Cupiglione was founded 25 years ago by Claudia’s parents as a restaurant with guest rooms. After closing during the pandemic, it was renovated and reopened in 2023 as a B&B with seven rooms for up to 18 guests (doubles from €40). The change in direction paid off, and Cupiglione has since welcomed hundreds of visitors to the area, evenly split between Italian and international travellers.

During my stay, I’m lodging in a house on the edge of Lago, thanks to the Sustarìa team. Hospitality runs deep during the festival; organisers open up their homes and those of their relatives to anyone who enquires through social media. Other options abound during the festival and year-round, including B&Bs such as Cupiglione and A Casa di Ely (doubles from €60), a short walk from where I stayed.

The following afternoon, I return to the field before aperitivi, where I meet up with Cristina, who explains the growth of her initiative: “Initially, it was just locals who came to Sustarìa, but then people from other parts of Italy and even other countries started coming. Every year it grows.” This year, there are nearly 600 people in attendance.

Eric, a Londoner studying in Zurich, is one such international guest. Eric also attended Felici & Conflenti, a festival in late July hosted by friends of the Sustarìa team, which focuses on preserving and reviving the region’s ancient music. It has held 11 editions over as many years, each one featuring a winter and summer instalment, to which more people flock each year. It takes place in Conflenti, a small inland village nestled at the foot of the Reventino mountain, at the confluence of two small rivers (hence its name).

“Thanks to their work and research, instruments that were becoming extinct, like the zampogna [Italian bagpipe], are finding new life,” Cristina says.

The three of us sit chatting over plates of crisp taralli (wheat crackers) as twilight fades, and a reedy piping starts up from across the field. I stroll over, and catch sight of someone playing the zampogna, which looks like a set of bagpipes improvised from foraged materials, and is truly ancient – it counts the Roman emperor Nero among its historical admirers.

The next morning, we head to the hilltop town of Fiumefreddo Bruzio, a short drive from Lago and officially recognised as one of “Italy’s most beautiful villages”. Clinging to the western slopes of the Apennines, this medieval village offers panoramic views of the swelling coastline, which traces the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its narrow, meandering streets are lined with squat houses made of the local grey stone, quarried from the surrounding mountains. We wander around Il castello della Valle, a sprawling 13th-century Norman castle partly destroyed by Napoleonic troops, but retaining a splendid portale Rinascimentale – or Renaissance gate – still in excellent condition.

At Palazzo Rossi, on the edge of town, we take a seat at a cafe and sip local craft beer as we admire the view of the active volcano Mount Stromboli, across the water.

“You should see it in the winter,” Cristina says. “The air is cooler, so it becomes even clearer. Everything here is completely different in the winter, but most people don’t see it as visitors come mainly in the summer,” she adds with a note of regret.

The sun starts to sink into the horizon. In the square, a band starts setting up for an evening gig. A waiter brings over a plate of bread and olives to our table, on the house. “Things are quieter but not empty. There are almost as many events as in summer. And you get to see how the locals live during the rest of the year.” Cristina tears off a piece of bread. “And, of course, the hospitality never changes – people are always welcomed with open arms.”

Sustarìa will return to Lago for its sixth instalment on 1-3 August 2026. There is a winter edition of Felici & Conflenti in Calabria on 27-29 December 2025; its next summer instalment is in July 2026

Pickpocketing is a major issue in popular tourist cities such as Barcelona, but it’s not Spain that tops the list as the prime location for this slick-fingered crime

While Barcelona is infamous for its high levels of pickpocketing, it’s not Spain that takes the crown as the prime hotspot for this nimble-fingered crime. Despite pickpocketing being a major issue – particularly for tourists – in Barcelona, the problem is rampant across Europe and beyond, with one European holiday destination dubbed the “worst” for light-fingered theft.

In tourist-heavy areas, holidaymakers must be extra vigilant with their belongings, especially in airports, train stations, underground systems, hotel lobbies or even while strolling down certain streets. UK travel insurance firm Quotezone.co.uk revealed last year that it had pinpointed where travellers were most likely to fall prey to pickpockets, singling out a location visited by 3.5 million Brits each year.

Tourists have corroborated the research with reviews on one particular visitor hotspot warning of “a lot of pickpockets in the area”. Data gathered by Quotezone showed that Italy was the prime spot where tourists are likely to be separated from their possessions by nimble-fingered thieves.

Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain has been flagged as a hotbed for pickpocketing, with the landmark boasting over 100,000 reviews – and hundreds of mentions of “pickpockets” on TripAdvisor, reports the Express.

As a site that becomes packed from spring through to summer, visitors are cautioned to “be careful” at this “beautiful” Roman landmark.

One disgruntled holidaymaker took to TripAdvisor to vent: “You have to elbow your way to the front of the fountain. Many people gather in front and sit for hours, so sitting is almost impossible.

“We didn’t spend more than 15 minutes. Be aware of pick pockets, as you are body to body in front and around the fountain.”

Another tourist, also reviewing on TripAdvisor, described a “beautiful fountain” but warned that the area was “extremely crowded”, cautioning others to “beware of this area” due to “lots of scams and pick pockets”.

According to research by Quotezone, Italy tops the list as the prime hotspot for pickpockets, closely followed by France, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris being particularly notorious.

Currently, Google reviews of the Eiffel Tower reveal over 800 visitors citing pickpockets as a problem – and the area is swamped with tourists throughout the year.

One Google reviewer shared their experience, describing the Eiffel Tower as “enormous and breathtaking”, but they also issued a warning.

The visitor penned: “It’s a very popular place, so expect big crowds; people from all over the world gather here to admire the monument and take in the scenery.

“Because of that volume of visitors, be mindful of your belongings. Pickpockets operate in crowded tourist spots, and there are street hustles and game scammers who may try to distract you or pressure you into playing quick ‘games’ that aren’t fair.”

The reviewer added: “Keep bags zipped and close, avoid carrying valuables in easily accessible pockets, and politely decline invitations from anyone hawking games or insisting you join impromptu activities.”

Quotezone’s comprehensive European pickpocketing index has revealed Italy as the top spot, with France coming in second and Spain taking third place. These rankings are based on mentions of “pickpockets” or “stolen” per million visitors.

The researchers reached their conclusions by analysing the number of mentions of “pickpocketing” or “stolen” on traveller review websites for Europe’s top destinations, compared to the number of visitors to each country.

Greg Wilson, founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk, warned: “Theft can happen anywhere, and tourist hotspots are convenient places for criminals to target holidaymakers’ wallets and purses while they are busy taking in the sites.

“Many holidaymakers are unaware that some of the most popular destinations for Brits have some of the highest incidents of pickpocketing in Europe.

“Our research revealed some surprising results with Italy having the most pickpocketing mentions, yet France and Spain have much larger volumes of tourists.”

According to data from Quotezone, the “worst” European countries for pickpocketing are:

1. Italy
2. France
3. Spain
4. Germany
5. Netherlands
6. Portugal
7. Turkey
8. Greece
9. Poland
10. Republic of Ireland

Tropea in the Calabria region of Italy has recently been voted the prettiest village in the whole country

Few places can be beaten for splendour than the duomo in Florence, and turning a corner to be greeted by the Colosseum in Rome would take anyone’s breath away.

Travel to Italy and you’re never far from a spectacular sight – be that the shores of Lake Garda, which as a dyed in the wool Cumbrian even I have to admit looks like the Lake District on steroids, to the canals, gondolas and majestic cathedral of Venice, and Verona’s amphitheatre and Juliette’s balcony to the high end shops of Milan, there really is something for everyone.

But venture a little of the beaten track, and escape the hordes of tourists battling for an inch of beach in the Amalfi coast, to travel south to the untapped and undiscovered region known as Calabria and you’ll step into the ‘real Italy’ – and back in time.

One of the crown jewels of this region, which is Italy’s poorest, is the stunning medieval town of Tropea, where I was lucky enough to spend a blissful week. And it’s not just me who’s a fan, the town was recently voted the prettiest in Italy, which I think we can all agree means it was up against some stiff competition.

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Nestled into the cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea, this ancient town tumbles down the rock face and into the turquoise blue of the ocean.

Surrounded by stunning golden beaches with plenty of room to feel like you have them to yourself, this town has a magical dream-like quality.

Tropea has survived it all – invasions, earthquakes and bombings – to stand proud on the clifftops. Its array of noble palaces and stunning churches, all contained within the winding, cobbled streets of the old town.

I was lucky enough to spend a week in Calabria with Tropea as my base. A glorious sunny October afternoon spent strolling through its streets, with secret, hidden alleys at every turn, and sampling the delicious food from the region, including the sweet, red onions and spicy ndjua, was an utter delight.

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Stopping for one of the most delicious ice-creams I’ve ever eaten while overlooking the awe-inspiring Tyrrhenian from one of the many viewing points in this quaint little town quite simply took my breath away. Meanwhile, stopping for a crisp, white wine in an ancient tavern half way up the cliff face on my way back from the beach was the perfect way to while away a few hours.

If it’s history you’re after, then Tropea has it in bucketloads – from the cathedral to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Isola, the church on the rock, gazing out into the wide expanse of azure sea.

From the incredible viewing points, you have an amazing view of Stomboli, the still erupting volcano which lights up the night sky every evening off this part of the coast of Italy.

I have but one complaint about this undiscovered, Italian hidden gem – and that’s that I don’t live there and only got to spend a week wandering its beautiful streets.

Video shows part of Rome’s medieval Torre dei Conti collapse for a second time during a restoration near the Colosseum. One seriously injured worker remained trapped Monday evening with firefighters continuing a high-risk rescue as the tower’s stability is assessed.

Beyond tourism hotspots such as Venice, Amalfi and Rome, Italy has no end of enticements – whether its historical sites, delicious food or impressive landscapes that you’re looking for. We want to hear about your discoveries in less well known parts of the country – perhaps it was a small mountain resort, an overlooked coastal town or a wild hiking trail.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

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