Well, that is what an article on Time.com states, if you read on towards the very end.

Unlike the Genoa G8 back in 2001, which left this Italian city looking a little like a war zone;  I know, I saw the place soon after; the L’Aquila, Abruzzo edition of the G8 appears to be going very smoothly.  And the oft mischievous Silvio Berlusconi appears to be on his best behaviour too.

I’ve also heard, but not found any evidence, so far, that Gordon Brown, England’s somewhat down at heel prime minster, who, in common with Mr B, knows a thing or two about being in the midst of scandals, also said nice things about the way Italy’s G8 has been organised.

It does not look as though Italy is going to be slung out of the G8 club either.

Oh, and I have deliberately not looked on the Italian web for comments on Italy’s organisation of the G8.  I do know that the Italian press can be rather less than objective at times.

In some respects, shifting the G8 to earthquake struck Abruzzo was quite a shrewd move on Italy’s part, though.  After all,  the no-global Black Bloc bunches would not have done themselves many favours if they had created additional piles of rubble in the already rubble strewn area of Abruzzo, now would they?!

At G-8, Obama Avoids Berlusconi’s Distractions – Time.com

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PS If you are finding the Blog from Italy web site is running rather slower than usual, please let me know.  Thanks, Alex.

G8 Italy 2009

Italy too is being shaken by the approach of the G8, as the eyes of the world focus in on Italy’s darker sides.  Another G8 meeting held in Italy, that in Genoa in 2001, was marred by extreme violence and death, and back in 1994, while Italy was hosting a G8 summit, Italy’s then prime minister, one Silvio Berlusconi was served with a court summons during the conference.

Recent press reports seem to indicate that the upcoming Italian G8 may turn out to be something of a fiasco.  Adding to this suspicion is the Berlusconi bashing La Repubblica Italian newspaper, which carried an article yesterday highlighting the world’s doubts with regard to Italy continuing to be a member of this prestigious economic and social forum, and, referring to an article in Britain’s Guardian newspaper, states that pressure is mounting to have Italy disbanded as a G8 member, and that Spain may fill the vacancy left by Italy.

The La Rupubblica article is distinctly negative and intimates in no uncertain way that Italy’s prime minister’s recent shenanigans have not helped matters.  There is, alas, more.

UPDATE 12:50 Italian Time: José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission has stated today, 8 July, 2009, that Italy will not be kicked out of the G8.  He also stated that Italy is an important member of the G8.  Source: RAI News24

Italy’s G8 Disorganisation?

According to the La Repubblica article, which, in turn refers to a report in Britain’s Guardian, Italy has not managed to come up with a firm agenda for the G8, and the US has had to step in to lend a hand, or rather, completely take over the planning of the summit.

Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, has hotly denied the US decided to take matters into its own hands in order to sort out the G8 mess, and has attacked the Guardian saying that he hopes it ’should cease to be one of the world’s principle newspapers’.  Frattini is claiming that the Guardian has got its wires crossed and has confused conference calls related to the G20 with those of the G8.

Berlusconi himself has railed against the contents of the Guardian, which he calls an insignificant little newspaper.  Even Italy’s defence minister, Ignazio La Russa, has vowed to never buy the Guardian again, and stated that he does not bother with foreign papers anyway.  Xenophobes here, there, and everywhere.

The Guardian, meanwhile, has issued a statement denying that its initial article is inaccurate.  While the Sunday Times, in refuting that there is any Murdoch inspired plot against Berlusconi, stated that Italy’s prime minister is in the spotlight simply because his antics provide material which is interesting and fun.  Such material helps sell newspapers, and quite a bit of ad space too, no doubt.  Whether he likes it or not, Silvio Berlusconi is news.

Moving back to the Guardian’s claims that the organisation of the forthcoming G8 is in chaos, could it be that managing Silvio Berlusconi’s recent troubles has been taking up rather too much of his governments’ time?  Hence the reason why the G8 agenda has not been given the attention that it merits.

Kofi Annan’s Consternation

On top of accusations of chaotic G8 organisation, Italy is also being accused of not having met its commitments with regard to overseas aid, having only stumped up a paltry 3% of the sums it promised to contribute.  Placing Italy in yet darker light, is the fact that Berlusconi’s government intends to cut overseas aid contributions by some 50%.  Could this be a sign that Italy’s economy is not really as healthy as Berlusconi likes to boast?

The usually mild mannered Kofi Annan has written an angry letter to Italy’s prime minister accusing him of reneging on Italy’s commitments regarding the provision of aid to Africa.

Indeed, most of the world’s press appears to be having a go at Italy at the moment, but then Italy does not seem to be doing itself any favours.  Using the word ‘Italy’ implies that everyone in the country is xenophobic and incapable of organising anything, whereas this is really not true.  The sad thing is that current goings on really are reflecting badly on Italy as a whole.  And glamorous Mara Carafagna’s recent G8 appointment appears to compound problems, and perceptions.

Mara Carafagna the Official Welcomer

Other Italy inspired observations in the world’s press concern the appointment of the attractive former showgirl Mara Carafagna as a sort of welcomer who will look after the wives and partners of visiting G8 dignitaries.  The fact that now government minister Carafagna was once a topless model (click on the link to see Carafagna in all her former glory!), is being gleefully bandied about by the international press, and, admittedly, fits in rather too well with recent accusations surrounding Berlusconi, such as his mysterious, and as yet not fully explained relationship with the young and nubile Noemi Letizia.  That is not to mention the still brewing call girl issues and other showgirl related revelations, as well as claims from Silvio’s own wife that he had been having relationships with minors.

G8 Reality Show

It is starting to look as though the G8 may turn out to be one almighty reality show, or should that possibly be, surreality show.   If the G8 were an episode of Celebrity Big Brother, one can guess which member of the household is likely to end up being pushed out into the street.  The trouble is, the country which might find itself being shoved out of the special G8 episode of Big Brother may well also be the owner of the house in which the G8 reality show is being staged.  Talk about embarrassing.

Things are not looking too good for Italy at the moment.

Berlusconi Should Stand Down?

Reading between the lines, what the world’s press is saying is that the only way for Italy to save face would be to have Silvio Berlusconi stand down as prime minister of Italy.  This may prevent Italy from being unceremoniously removed from membership of the G8.

Perhaps Berlusconi could have got away with his showman style politics in better times, but all his joking and fooling around, plus his decadent parties and fast women tend to be giving the impression to the world that Italy is not a serious player.  This is a shame, because it is, or rather it would be, if it addressed its image problems.

And Berlusconi really has no need to fear Italy’s courts or judges.  A recent article on the second page of Il Sole 24 Ore claimed that had Madoff been sentenced in an Italian court, he would only have received 8 years!  On the basis of this, it is highly unlikely that Berlusconì would even end up in prison.  He’s more likely to be put under house arrest in his luxurious party pad in Sardinia, where, of course, he would be able to hold all the parties he likes without fear of his antics damaging the image of the country he claims to love so much.

Let’s hope that a phoenix rises from the ashes of Abruzzo.

Sources:

Official Italian G8 Summit website – on which there does not appear to be a G8 Summit Agenda.

Calls grow within G8 to expel Italy as summit plans descend into chaos – The Guardian UK

Marcegaglia: “Aspettiamo le riforme” – Marcegaglia: We’re waiting for the reforms – in Italian – La Stampa 6 July 2009

“Italia fuori dal G8, vertice caos” Berlusconi: “Una grande cantonata” – Italy out of the G8, summit chaos – Berlusconi – ‘A huge goof’ – in Italian – La Repubblica – 7 July 2009

So, after writing about the bad, here is a little post based on David’s recommendations on some good places to try in Rome.  His advice is all the more valid in that it is also based on some insider knowledge, in that an Italian friend of his pointed him in the direction of some of the places to eat.

Please read on for David’s hot tips, and one from foodie Judith.

Tom Cruise-Gallagher morph David

David’s Tips on Places to Eat in Whilst Roaming Rome

By clicking on the maps you will be take to Google maps, from which you can use Street View to get an idea of the surrounding area.  Personally, I find Street View very handy.

Number 1 – Gusto, Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 9, Rome

The first restaurant David mentioned, and gave the thumbs up to is “Gusto” – .  David also called Gusto (thanks, David), and was told that they still have a buffet lunch from Monday to Friday at €9, a price which includes a drink or a glass of wine.

Gusto’s food is international/Mediterranean style, but most dishes are cold.  Gusto serves some meat dishes and fish later on in the day.  On Saturdays and Sundays there is brunch style menu and the cost is apparently based in the weight of the food you choose.   I guess this means that a heavy meal will be expensive.

I’ve had a look at the Gusto website, which is in Italian (a good sign, in this case!), and it certainly sounds an interesting place.

Number 2 – Canova, Piazza del Popolo, Rome

Next on David’s list is “Canova” which is a form of self-service, meaning that you choose what you want.  Returning customers will get 15% discount card
(which you have to ask for).  According to David this place serves good food at fair prices.  Canova also has an courtyard which is open during summer, so smokers can do their thing without having to stand on the sidewalk.

Number 3 – Tonino, Via del Governo Vecchio, 18, Rome

“Tonino” is a very small family run trattoria which serves food based on Roman cuisine. David discovered this place a couple of years ago.

Tonino dishes can be accompanied by the restaurant’s rather good chilled red table wine.  The atmosphere is very friendly and informal, and the cost for two is around €30, as long as you do not order too much wine.  Having good wine in Italian restaurants can quite easily double, or triple, the end of meal bill if you are not careful, but then wine in restaurants has never been cheap.

Number 4 – Carlo Menta, Via della lungaretta, 101, Rome

The final Rome eatery on David’s Rome restaurant list, which he was taken to by an Italian friend I understand, was the “Carlo Menta” restaurant in Rome’s popular Trastevere area.  Prices here are reasonable in David’s opinion, at around €5 for a first course and €9 for something like a lamb dish, plus approximately €3 for side-dishes.  The table wine in this restaurant is not up to much and is best avoided, David thinks.

Number 5 – La Carbonara, Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, 23 – New – 8 July, 2008

This is a tip on a Roman restaurant from choosy foodie, and cooking expert, Judith Greenwood of Think on It, so it should be an excellent place to try.  The Carbonara specialises in Roman cuisine, and has an extensive wine cellar too, with over 100 Italian wines to sample.  Fresh ingredients are bought daily from selected suppliers, which is something that will help ensure that the dishes served will represent the best of Italian cooking.

This Roman restaurant is also featured in a number of guides, including the Gambero Rosso, a major Italian good restaurants guide.  Judith tells me that it is also frequented by Italians, which is always a good sign.  Indeed, it goes without saying that if a restaurant is popular with Italians, then it is highly likely to be a good place to eat and well worth trying.  If you can recognize spoken Italian, then you are off to a head start when hunting great Italian eateries!

I don’t imagine the prices will be the lowest in Rome, but then quality rarely comes cheap.

This is the restaurant’s website: La Carbonara – English section.  Thanks Judith!

Italian Ice Cream – Gelateria al Teatro, Via dei Coronari/ Via di San Simone, 70, Rome

If you are looking to try Italian ice cream, which in my opinion everyone should, David says there is one good gelateria in Rome in near Via dei Coronari called “Gelateria al Teatro”.

Many thanks for your tips, David.  They should prove useful.

Blog from Italy tip

If you do come across a really good wine whilst dining out in Italy, and you have a camera equipped mobile phone, then take a photograph of the wine bottle’s label.  This might help you track down that memorable red or white when you are back home, should you wish to.  Such photos could also prove useful when you are confronted with a bewildering wine list in some other Italian restaurant or other, and not just in Rome.

As opposed to a normal camera, your mobile phone is the best place for such photos, mainly because most of us take our cell phones everywhere.

Tell Us Your Experiences

If you do visit any of the places on David’s list, or have already done so, and you have a spare minute, please let us all know how you got on.

Those who know of other good places to eat in Rome are welcome to mention them in a comment or three, and I’ll update this post, or even create a Rome Restaurants category, to which Blog from Italy readers can contribute, and help us all keep up-to-date on the best places to eat in Rome, and elsewhere in Italy.

At least this post might help some avoid this bad Rome eating experience: Rome’s Rip Off Passetto Restaurant?

That post caused Pamela Sheldon Johns’ of the lovely Agriturismo Poggio Etrusco Bed & Breakfast in Tuscany to remind me that her artist husband Johnny has a Fiat 500 too.

Pamela kindly give Blog from Italy permission to borrow a photograph of their cheeky little Fiat 500, so here it is.

Pamela Sheldon and Johnny Johns’ Perky Little Fiat 500

Johnny Johns Pazzo Fiat 500

I’m sure there is an intriguing tale behind this mad little car deep in the heart of Tuscany, so hopefully either Pamela or Johnny will tell us it.

If you would like to see the car in the flesh, you should go stay with the Johns in their corner of Tuscany. Note that their agriturismo bed and breakfast also has a lovely pool.  Just the place to cool down in during long hot Italian summers, writes he somewhat enviously as he sweats over his keyboard in torrid heat of Milan.

You will find more information on the Johns charming bed and breakfast and apartments for rental, and that pool, in this post: A Must for Wine Lovers Poggio Etrusco, Tuscany – and if you go, don’t forget to sample their organic olive oil and wine either. If you do decide to book accommodations at the Johns’ place, don’t forget to mention Blog from Italy, and you might find that you end up with a little extra holiday souvenir to help you remember that Tuscan summer.

You will also find a route to artist Johnny Johns‘ website too, if you click on the link above.

This was the previous post along with a photo of a perky little Fiat 500: Fiat’s Cinquecento, An Italian Myth

Piazza Navona, Rome

The unlucky couple must have nearly fallen over when they were presented with a credit card bill which totalled a whopping 579 Euros!  And that was not all, the crafty owner allegedly tacked on an extra 115 Euro tip!  Talk about adding insult to injury.  This brought the grand total to around 700 Euros.  Quite a pricey bite to eat!

Obviously believing that they had been royally ripped off by the suspected sharp practices of this Roman restaurateur, and after having tried to dispute the bill, the Japanese couples’ next stop was the local constabulary.  The Roman police must have agreed that the price was rather on the steep side, and promptly brought charges against the owner for this probable con trick.

Not only has the owner of this pricey and apparently popular eatery been charged with fraud, but his establishment is also being investigated for hygiene regulation infringement, according to reports on the L’Unità and other Italian news websites. At present the Passetto Restaurant in Rome’s Via  Zanardelli is closed.

Want to know what the average Passetto restaurant price per head is?

Ten Times the Average Price

According to a couple of Rome restaurant listing and review web sites, the Passetto restaurant, which serves supposedly superior sustenance; when not ripping off tame tourists that is; charges between between fifty and sixty Euros a head, though this price does not include drinks, just in case you were curious.  The Passetto does not seem to get the greatest of reviews either.  One wonders why.

The tourist surcharge appears to have been somewhat excessive to say the least.  One can imagine the proprietor’s explanation: ‘I’m sorry, but the risotto was made with real gold, and the lobsters were fished out of the Tiber just this afternoon.’, or something like that.  Such excuses must not have held much water with the Roman police though.  To find out what the Japanese tourists actually ate, see Rome restaurant in hot soup for 700-euro lunch tab on Reuters

Have You Been Royally Ripped Off by this Rome Restaurant?

It is probable that these Japanese tourists were not the first to have been taken for an unappetizing ride in this Roman restaurant.  So, if you have eaten the Passetto restaurant in Rome, and were rather taken aback by the bill, maybe you should bring this to the attention of the Rome police.

The Commissariato Trevi-Campo Marzio police station in Piazza del Collegio Romano, 3, Rome, telephone: 0039 06 690121, Fax: 0039 06 46862957, would be a good place to start, seeing as the police there know a thing or two about the Passetto restaurant’s allegedly overly inflated prices, as this is the very police station to which the Japanese tourists, who believed that they had been thoroughly ripped off, reported their sour tale.

Today’s Italian Lesson

Learn this Italian phrase, written sort of phonetically:  ‘Mee dah eel men-ooh an-kay in ee-tal-ee-aah-no, pair pee-ah-chair-ay’, and you should get a menu in Italian, if the eatery has one which is not in both English and Italian.  This should help you avoid being given the ‘rip-off the tourist’ menu.

Funny this story should have come up, I recently wrote about how to avoid restaurant rip-offs in Rome, in a post about Rome’s Piazza Navona, too!  See Rome’s Most Famous Piazza?

This post sparked a few negative comments on Italy’s primary eternal tourist destination as well:  Italy Doesn’t Give a Damn about Tourists, see the comments.

Beware when roaming Rome in search of a succulent supper, or lunch, for that matter.

Here is Rome’s, currently closed, Passetto Restaurant website, it’s in English too.

Your Experiences – Please read

By all means tell Blog from Italy and its readers your tales of woe, but, unless you have won a law suit against any company or establishment, please do not mention its name, and only refer to it in general terms.  Neither Blog from Italy nor its author Alex Roe wish to damage the good name of businesses, and note that management can change, meaning that previous episodes may not be repeated, and also thus render past episodes irrelevant.

The post above is based on a real case as reported in the Italian press, and note that the establishment concerned has been charged, but that a charge is not the same as a conviction. It is possible that the proprietor can justify the level of the seemingly excessive bill levied on the Japanese tourists concerned.

If you do want to name names, then please use the contact system on this site, and, the name’s of the businesses concerned will be passed on to the proper authorities who may then choose to investigate further.

I would welcome any informal advice from passing Italian lawyers on the potential legal liability of mentioning the names of businesses on this site.  Thank you in advance.

Sources:

Pranzo da 580 euro, a Roma chiuso il ‘Passetto’ – 580 Euro Dinner, the Passetto in Rome Closed – in Italian, L’Unità 1 July, 2009

iristorante.it – online guide to Italian eateries, in Italian – price per head in the Passetto restaurant.

Piazza Navona photo by pynomoscat: pynomoscato

Here are some YouTube images which show the scale of the damage.  Another 14 or so people were seriously injured as a result of the explosion of the train which was passing through Viareggio’s  station.

News reports on the incident are suggesting that human error was not to blame, but nothing is clear yet.  Other reports are suggesting that the tragedy was caused by the poor state of maintenance of the trucks carrying the tanks.

Updates in main post.

UPDATE: 3 July, 2009:  The death toll has risen to 20, as a result of the deaths of some of those seriously injured in the gas blast.

• Viareggio’s railway station reopened today, meaning that travel disruption should ease.

UPDATE: 1 July, 2009: The cause of the crash may have been an axle on one of the LPG carrying trucks which sheered.  Poor maintenance is being blamed.  Or maybe was it cut by terrorists?

Here is a photograph of the supposedly rust corroded sheered axle which led to the disastrous train crash and explosion: Incidente Viareggio, le foto dell’asse che ha ceduto  – Viareggio Incident – the photo of the axle which gave way – La Repubblica

An aerial photograph of the area of Viareggio affected by the incident – from Corriere della Sera website.

Italian Railway Operator Issues Assurances that Rolling Stock in Good Condition

The Italian railway operator, Ferrovie dello Stato, which appears to be attempting to shed any responsibility for the disaster, has stated that the GPL tankers were not in their ownership, and were the property of the Austrian branch of American company GATX Rail Austria, who were responsible for maintenance.  The truck which apparently provoked the disaster had been in for routine maintenance on the 2 March, 2009.  Moreover, the truck in question had been certified as in good condtion by German rail safety authorities.

According to the Italian railroad company, documentation indicated that the load carried did not exceed the allowed limit of 80 metric tonnes at the time of the incident.

Source: Ferrovie dello Stato news, 30 June, 2009 – Carro sviato: la manutenzione spettava alla società proprietaria – Derailed waggon:  Waggon Owners Responsible for Maintenance – in Italian.

UPDATE, 5:37 Italian Time June 30, 2009 - Il Sole 24 Ore’s latest report on the disaster states that 16 people were killed, 36 injured – of which 14 seriously.  Around 1,100 people have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, whereas those directly affected, amount to 300 or so.

One imagines that the 300 people mentioned above inhabited property destroyed or badly damaged by the gas blast.  Five apartment blocks were seriously damaged by the explosion, although more may be declared unsafe, as emergency services continue to sift through the rubble in the hope of finding further survivors, or, sadly, victims.

Tuscany, the region in which Viareggio is located, is calling for a state of emergency to be declared, such is the scale of the incident.

Those in Italy, and who can speak Italian, can call the following help line for information: 800 732 911

Update Source: Il Sole 24 Ore – Disastro di Viareggio, Berlusconi arriva in città. Forti contestazioni – in Italian

Viareggio Train Disaster, Italy, June 2009

This is where Viareggio is in Italy (zoom out to see the location in relation to, Genoa, Rome and Florence):

Those travelling in this area by train should expect delays today, and, most probably, tomorrow too for the next two days while the rest of the tankers carrying gas are removed from the zone.  Trains travelling to Rome and Naples and from Genoa and Turin use this line.  News items have indicated that rail services to Pisa and Florence have been disrupted by this incident.

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi put in an appearance at Viareggio, and was greeted by both applause and shouts of ‘buffone’ – which is ‘buffoon’ or ‘fool’ in English, apparently.

Viareggio is a popular tourist destination, although no mention of damage to hotels been made.  Those planning to drive through Viareggio should try to find another route for the next few days, as the area is likely to be chaotic.

Beautiful Italy

The Touring Club of Italy, better known as the Touring Club Italiano here in Italy, is a Milan-based non-profit organisation which was founded way back in 1894 by a group of 55 Italian cycling enthusiasts.  The TCI, as it is often known, publishes lots of interesting Italy travel guides, the most famous of which are the ‘Guide Rosse‘ or Red Guides, which are not related to Michelin’s similarly named series of Red Guides, by the way.  TCI guides are also available in English.

Well, the other day I found myself with half an hour to kill, so I popped in to an Italian Touring Club travel store in central Milan.  The shelves of this shop are jam packed with guides, videos, DVDs and a whole host of other travel related resources.  You can even buy Italian Touring Club bicycles, which is in keeping with the origins of this organisation, which now boasts some 400,000 members, incidentally.  Some of the Italian members of the TCI may well be cyclists, but the majority nowadays will not be, one suspects.

All this travel related goodness is not solely limited to Italy – Italians are quite adventurous world travellers in their own right – and guides to every corner of the world can be found.  Buried in amongst all this travel literature you may also find guides in English, as indeed, did I.

However, the guide which caught my eye was a new one all about discovering Italy by car. I stumped up the 20 Euro asking price, and thought I’d write a little about it, and then tell you the rub.

Italy By Car

This Touring Club of Italy guide to touring Italy by car contains 20 driving itineraries, ranging in length from just under 300 kilometres (c. 186 miles) to a little over 750 kilometres (c. 466 miles), and covering the length and breadth of Italy. And it does not miss out Italy’s main islands, Sicily and Sardinia, either, which is nice.

A 300 kilometre trip is something which can be covered in around 5 hours driving at a leisurely pace.  This adds up to a short two to three day holiday, or longer if you decide to stop off for a day or two in some of the places along the recommended routes, which is something you might well end up doing.

For those thinking about a two week tour, following the longest routes might be an idea, or, for those planning a grand tour of Italy, several of the routes could be combined.  Of course these trips would be ideal for couples or families, but driving enthusiasts might also like the idea of following roads through the country which inspired such classic marques as Ferrari, and Lamborghini.  If you are lucky enough to own one of these fabulous cars, then you really should bring it to Italy for a whiz round.

How the Book is Organised

Depending on the length of the route chosen, each is split into three or more sections, with points of interest along the routes being indicated to the side of the texts via little kilometre markers.  To help orientate you, each route has a little map which shows the start and end points of the trip, along with towns and villages though which you will pass.

At the back of the guide more detailed maps are provided, again showing the routes detailed in the book, and then there is a useful addresses section with places to eat and sleep listed.  Web site addresses and telephone numbers are also provided, which is helpful.

The guide is nicely illustrated too, with some lovely photographs which will many will find tempting, I’ve no doubt.  Well, they tempted me!

The Rub

Believe me when I say that it is well worth exploring the whole of this fascinating land, and discovering for yourself the contrasts which exist between the North and South.

Come to think of it, I would not mind in the least using this guide to get to know Italy better.  Luckily I could, for I speak and read Italian, which leads me to the slight rub.  This intriguing guide is only available in Italian at present, although I was told by the Touring Club of Italy staff that it is likely to be translated into Italian in a year or so.  I do hope so.

Join the Club

If you are thinking about visiting Italy either this summer, or in the future, you might like to think about investing 25 Euros in becoming a member of the Touring Club Italiano. Members are entitled to a range of discounts on car rental and accommodation, as well as being supplied with up to date information on Italy which may well prove interesting and useful.

For some strange reason, the membership fee only covers 2009.  It appears to run for one complete year only if you sign up the year before!  Well, this is Italy, and Italy tends to have its own logic.

That said, the Touring Club Italiano website is rather better presented than many of Italy’s ‘official’ tourism web sites.

The Touring Club Italiano website the following link points to is in, good, English too, and is worth having a look at:  Touring Club Italiano – in English

The TCI does produce Italy travel guides in English too, even if their search system is not, in my opinion, too user friendly.  It could be a mite better organised.

Shame this guide was not produced from the start in English, and other languages,  as this might help prevent Italian tourism from rusting.