Bishop George of Krateia paid a pastoral visit to the Parish of Saint Nicholas in Giugliano in Campania on behalf of Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy and Exarch of Southern Europe The parish is under the spiritual care of Father Petros Burak Bishop George presided over the Divine Liturgy and offered a sermon centered on the message of the day conveying first and foremost the blessings and heartfelt wishes of Metropolitan Polykarpos to the faithful A significant number of parishioners attended the service to whom the Bishop extended warm greetings and Lenten wishes encouraging them in their spiritual journey toward Holy Pascha The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate approved on October 4th the canonization of Eldress Sophia Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew traveled by air to Antalya the Patriarchate of Jerusalem solemnly celebrated the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women... Archbishop Elpidophoros of America celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of the Theotokos.. it was announced that two Roman Catholic institutions in Bavaria have decided to jointly.. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [] cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt callback: cb } ); } } }})(); © 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website In the municipality of Giugliano in Campania an archaeological excavation is currently underway in the area of ancient Liternum not far from the Roman colony’s Forum and Amphitheater conducted under the scientific supervision of Simona Formola the archaeological officer in charge of the area The investigation involves a large necropolis area covering more than 150 square meters located in an area already protected by direct ministerial constraint Two burial enclosures were brought to light still partially covered with fragments of white plaster The two spaces are separated by an enclosed area and feature a deep masonry well Inside one of the enclosures a quadrangular mausoleum is preserved made of opus reticulatum with gray tuff blocks and measuring three meters per side Around the perimeter walls of the necropolis about twenty burials of various types have been identified some of which have a well-constructed masonry roof The archaeological evidence that has emerged indicates that the area was used continuously from the late 1st century B.C as evidenced by the different construction phases of the structures found and the numerous grave goods found within the burials which offer important information on the daily aspects ritual practices and social dynamics of the communities that inhabited the site Among the most interesting finds are several marble funerary inscriptions including one bearing the epitaph of a gladiator a valuable document that contributes to the understanding of the role and memory of these fighters in ancient Roman society Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo declared “that the Giugliano area is experiencing a particularly fruitful moment from the point of view of archaeological research first with the discovery of the Tomb of Cerberus and now with this necropolis which thanks also to theexcellent state of preservation of the wall structures and burials adds an important piece to our knowledge regarding the settlement history of the colony of Liternum and constitutes a unique opportunity to deepen the study of ancient civilization and of the historical and cultural context of the time.” “The importance of these investigations is closely linked to a better understanding of the physiognomy of the ancient landscape and the urban perimeter of the colony leading us to propose new hypotheses also with respect to the route of the ancient Via Domitiana on either side of which these burials were to be located,” he added “Thanks to the continuation of the investigation combined with the in-depth study of archival material it will be possible to achieve important results in the field of knowledge of an area of crucial importance from a historical and archaeological point of view.” Brussels, Rome, 13 March 2025: Activists from the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), with support from Associazione 21 luglio and the Comitato Campano con i Rom have filed a collective complaint before the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) urging the Committee to ensure that the Italian Government adopt immediate measures to prevent an imminent eviction of Romani families from a camp at Via Carrafiello in Giugliano The eviction could take place any time up until 30th April 2025 after a ruling from a Naples Court adopted on 17th February The complaint calls for a halt of this forced eviction (as well as any other further evictions of Romani families in Italy which do not comply with international law) for the provision of adequate alternative accommodation for the families integrated housing solutions for the at-risk Romani families “The families in this camp were pushed into ethnically segregated camps by the authorities and left to rot there with little to no provision for basic infrastructure and safe living conditions They have been repeatedly evicted; shunted from one camp to another for more than 20 years the municipality has decided to wash its hands of them completely with no offer of alternative accommodation for all the inhabitants This is not ‘overcoming the camps’ this is Italy’s perennial failure to offer anything but a vicious cycle of exclusion and systemic discrimination to its most vulnerable families” said the ERRC’s spokesperson Jonathan Lee President of Associazione 21 luglio: “In an Italian context where more and more municipal administrations are engaged in actions to overcome mono-ethnic settlements that the odious practice of forced evictions harmful to human rights and children's rights is being replicated There are margins for mediation to avoid this and are available to identify solutions together with local and national authorities so that the forced eviction can be avoided.” and the Comitato Campano con i Rom argue that the proposed eviction violates provisions of the European Social Charter that guarantee the right to adequate housing and protection from discrimination (Article 31 and Article E) The Complaint requests interim measures based on the highly vulnerable situation the Romani families have been placed in due to the constant risk of forced evictions and the approaching eviction deadline of 30th April The Complaint requests that the Committee instruct the Italian Government to:  The camp at Via Carrafiello in Giugliano in Campania is located in an abandoned industrial area it is at least the third such segregated camp where they have lived and from which they have faced forced eviction each time with basic services and infrastructure either totally absent or severely inadequate The dwellings are mostly constructed from scrap materials Some families who lacked caravans were left homeless and forced to sleep in their cars or outdoors Conditions have only worsened in the years since The conditions in which these families are forced to endure eventually took a fatal toll when a 7-year-old Romani girl named Michelle was electrocuted and died due to faulty electrical wiring at the camp on 13th January 2024 the media attention quickly shifted toward allegations of violent behaviour by the grieving family members at the hospital overshadowing the root cause of Michelle’s death – the hazardous conditions of the “camp” these actions were followed by the disconnection of the water supply initially leaving the remaining 450 Roma residents without access to clean water the Public Prosecutor at the Juvenile Court calling for a thorough investigation into potential institutional negligence and safety violations that may have contributed to the tragic death of the 7-year-old Romani girl named Michelle the Municipality of Giugliano launched a call for applications offering five apartments of 120 square meters to accommodate around 50 people protests erupted among Italian citizens in Giugliano in Campania opposing the allocation of housing to Roma families Some non-Roma families in protest occupied the apartments intended for the Roma families who won the tender the five families ultimately refused the offer.  issued a judgment which reaffirmed a previous eviction order It set a new enforcement deadline of 30th April 2025 emphasising that the eviction should be carried out with medical assistance due to concerns over the poor living conditions and health risks faced by the occupants The ruling confirms that the eviction order applies to all individuals living at the site and that prior notice to the inhabitants on the date of the eviction is not required The court also mandated that law enforcement agencies to act immediately upon request with any unjustified refusal or delay potentially leading to legal consequences including criminal liability for public officials obstructing enforcement.  This press release is also available in Italian For more information or to arrange an interview Site Map | Privacy | Permissions | Copyright © 2025 ERRC Archaeologists have unearthed a gladiator's tomb with a marble-etched inscription in an ancient Roman necropolis near Naples The discovery was made at a 1,600-square-foot burial site that was once part of the ancient town of Liternum not far from a forum and amphitheatre where gladiatorial contests were held Experts identified the tomb as belonging to a gladiator thanks to a funerary inscription carved into marble The inscription references the significant role these famed fighters played in Roman society Archaeologists believe the necropolis may contain remains of numerous gladiators The excavation is being led by archaeologist Simona Formola who noted that work is only beginning on the expansive site Two funerary enclosures have been discovered with remarkably well-preserved original designs Some sections feature white plaster decorations A quadrangular mausoleum constructed with grey tuff blocks up to 10 feet long was also uncovered archaeologists found plastered niches that once housed cinerary urns This suggests the necropolis was in use for an extended period Approximately 20 tombs have been discovered at the site so far Archaeologists believe they were in use from the first century BC until the third century AD The dating was confirmed through discoveries of coins oil lamps and small vases found within the burial chambers The ruins of the last house of Scipio the African Researchers have identified various burial styles throughout the necropolis Some sections of tombs were covered with roof tiles whilst others contained remains placed in carefully crafted boxes Experts believe this was used for ceremonies or rituals as part of Roman funerary traditions highlighted the significance of the find in a statement "The territory of Giugliano is experiencing a particularly fruitful moment from the point of view of archaeological research," she said Nuzzo noted this discovery follows the recent finding of the Tomb of Cerberus She emphasised the "excellent state of conservation" of the wall structures and burials The necropolis "adds an important piece to our knowledge related to the settlement of the Liternum colony," Nuzzo explained She called it "a unique opportunity to deepen the study of ancient civilization and the historical and cultural context of the time." Archaeologists will continue working in the area hoping to uncover more history from the site The team aims to learn more about the organisation of the surrounding Roman colony which Nuzzo described as "little-known" Since Roman necropolises typically lined the sides of important roads researchers hope to develop new theories about the layout of the ancient Via Domitiana Archaeologists uncover a gladiator's tomb with its epitaph intact - a 2,000-year-old mausoleum full of treasures that will change the course of human history Just a short distance from the lively streets of Naples, beneath the seemingly peaceful town of Giugliano in Campania, a portal to the past has been uncovered so even the most hopeful archaeologists hadn’t anticipated what they would find there This town was called Liternum during the Roman Empire What started as a small colony in the 3rd century BC ended up being a hotspot for retired veteran soldiers and the final resting place of the famous Roman general and statesman In the heart of this ancient Roman settlement an excavation team has discovered a necropolis so well-preserved that it offers an almost direct look into the lives—and deaths—of its people spanning from the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD Despite the abundance of archeological sites in Italy this discovery is far from just another ordinary find The necropolis has uncovered not only intricately crafted burial structures but also something truly eye-catching: the tomb of a gladiator It’s a direct testament to the fate of these fighters who found in Liternum not just a retreat after the arena the area uncovered spans more than 1,600 square feet and sits within a protected zone just a stone’s throw from the forum and the ancient amphitheater of the colony offering clear evidence of a well-organized and stratified burial design possibly linked to cultic or ritual practices tied to the funeral ceremonies that accompanied the burials a square mausoleum measuring three meters on each side has been preserved Made using opus reticulatum—a Roman technique that arranges small stones in a net-like pattern—it features plastered niches that once held cinerary urns Its simple yet elegant design hints at a structure meant for the elite likely belonging to a distinguished family from the colony What really took the researchers by surprise was the wide variety of burial types they uncovered Some follow the classic style with children’s or adult tombs covered by gabled roof tiles where bodies were placed inside large amphorae or ceramic vessels—a practice more common in the Greek and Eastern parts of the Empire There are also box graves made from neatly arranged bricks and sealed with mortar embraced more cosmopolitan burial traditions The items discovered alongside the bodies add even more detail to the picture: coins skylights adorned with mythological designs and small ceramic vessels that likely once held perfumes or oils for farewell rituals These artifacts not only help confirm the tombs’ dates which span from the late Republic to well into the Imperial era and social distinctions among Liternum’s residents is a perfectly preserved marble slab bearing an inscription dedicated to a gladiator the inscription points to his role as a fighter and his ultimate fate as a free man but for what it symbolizes: a shift in how gladiators were viewed in society While they may have been slaves or outcasts in life in death they could earn a recognition that verged on the heroic This epitaph isn’t the only one of its kind in the peninsula but finding it in a more remote place like Liternum is a rare occurrence gladiators were seen as important figures—whether as thrilling entertainment or as symbols of bravery and defiance Guess these warriors knew how to “fight” for recognition Through the Cohesion Policy in Campania (POR Campania FESR 2014-2020) Integrated Sustainable City Programme PICS – City of Giugliano in Campania an area of approximately 67,300 square metres has been redeveloped including the archaeological site of the ancient Maritime Colony of Liternum founded by the Romans in Campania in 194 BC after the Second Punic War to fortify the coast by sending 300 families The refurbishment and enhancement project has transformed the archaeological site of Liternum into: The total amount of the works for the refurbishment and enhancement of the archaeological area of Liternum is €2 035.328.54 from the 2014-2020 Campania ERDF ROP – AXIS 10 ‘URBAN DEVELOPMENT’ – INTEGRATED PROGRAMME SUSTAINABLE CITY PICS – CITY OF GIUGLIANO IN CAMPANIA The PICS programme of the Giugliano in Campania Urban Authority provided for 10 interventions in addition to the arrangement and enhancement of the archaeological area of Liternum: By Bernard Rorke The Saturday before she was due to start school six-year-old Michelle died by electrocution in the Roma camp in Via Carrafiello di Giugliano in Naples Despite desperate attempts to resuscitate the girl who had brushed against exposed electrical cables she was pronounced dead at about three p.m distressed family members caused a disturbance at the hospital and were accused of attacking health care personnel and police This ‘chaos’ quickly became the focus of local media attention and coverage of the tragic death of a child quickly morphed into an issue of public order and security Deputy Francesco Emilio Borrelli of the Alleanza Verdi Sinistra weighed in by describing the Giugliano camp “populated by violent people whose lifestyle is many times beyond the law” as one of many “outlaw settlements where children are abandoned to degradation”; and declaring his solidarity with the emergency room doctors and the police.  After a meeting of the committee for public order and safety, the prefect of Naples, Michele Di Bari set the objectives for the local administration “Clean the camp from waste in the next few weeks and start the transfer of a Roma family of around 40 people to an asset confiscated from organized crime.”  The authorities responded with a blitz on the camp coordinated by local police military personnel and employees of the water company leaving about 450 Romani people without access to water by 25 January Behind the expressions of concern about the safety of children the official stance is – to borrow a phrase from Matteo Salvini – one of “Legalità ordine e rispetto prima di tutto!” (Legality The reporter from Avvenire tells a different story routinely scapegoated and repeatedly evicted After the seventh eviction they ended up on this long-abandoned industrial site except for illegal connections – an ‘informal settlement’ in officialese where 200 Romani children subsist in conditions that do nothing to nurture “an atmosphere of happiness” for the “full and harmonious development of his or her personality” envisaged in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child In a submission to the UN Human Rights Council back in 2014 ERRC research revealed that Romani children raised in camps across Italy were prone to a number of severe and debilitating conditions: they suffered from high levels of anxiety and became ill with respiratory disease in greater numbers There was a greater incidence of “diseases of poverty” The roots of the crisis can be traced back to official policies in the 1990s which placed Roma in segregated ‘nomad camps’ Things worsened with Berlusconi’s illegal declaration of a State of Emergency to combat the so-called ‘Roma menace’ in 2008 This overtly racist demonisation of Romani people heralded a prolonged period of mass evictions and destruction of camps mob violence and pogroms against Roma communities the legacy of this illegal state of exception still afflicts Roma or simply refused to honour the commitment to ‘get beyond the system of camps.’  For its part, the European Commission chose to remain silent in the face of mounting and overwhelming evidence of systemic anti-Roma discrimination, forced evictions and camp segregation. On 6 April 2017, The Financial Times reported that the European Commission had repeatedly blocked publication of a report which recommended sanctions against Italy for mistreatment of its Roma minority in an attempt to avoid a damaging public row and the Commission has consistently kept schtum on this issue On 20 May 2019, in response to an emergency case was brought before the court by Associazione 21 luglio and the ERRC, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Italian Government to provide suitable accommodation for the 73 Romani families who were forcibly evicted from Giugliano the previous week The court recognised the right to family unity and the need to provide adequate housing to the 450 Roma who had been evicted and were camped in an area with no shelter and were forced to sleep inside cars or outdoors And this is where Michelle and her friends spent the next four years in the aftermath of this latest tragedy “now the focus is on the reuse of houses confiscated from the Camorra.” As part of the education path of the Abramo project “Interventions on school integration have started and yesterday Michelle would have gone to school with the apron and backpack given to her.” Instead on that first day at school for the cohort of Romani kids The European Commission carried out an inspection in Campania to verify the state of play of the activities in relation to infringement procedure 2007/2195 following the waste emergency of the early 2000s The extraordinary program for waste management prepared by the Campania Region is allowing the reduction of the penalty and aims at zeroing it The Programme is divided into three sectors: Transport outside the region; Caivano plant; Giugliano plant in Campania It was here that the attention of Commission officials was focused After visiting the eco-bales storage sites created during the 2000-2010 waste crisis at Villa Literno and Giugliano in Campania (Masseria del Re) EU officials went to the treatment plant built by the Campania Region also in Giugliano in the area where Enel’s gas plant had previously been located The plant processes hundreds of tonnes of eco-bales per day In addition to the Vice-President of the Campania Region with responsibility for the environment and the Head of Cabinet of the Campania Regional Executive took part in the European Commission’s on-the-spot visit The Tomb of Cerberus has been discovered within cultivated land in the municipality of Giugliano in Campania (Naples) as part of the program of works conducted by Acqua Campania for the “Completion and adaptation of the water supply system of the Phlegraean Domitian area,” the Tomb of Cerberus: a chamber tomb inviolate and in a perfect state of preservation This was announced by the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the Naples Metropolitan Area.Thanks to surface reconnaissance during preliminary archaeological investigations prescribed by the Superintendence for the Naples Metropolitan Area which led to the recognition of a scattering of material from the historic period a an excavation essay was placed in correspondence with the area that turned out to be rich in burials with different rites (both inhumation and incineration) testifying to the long use of the area for funerary purposes from the Republican to the Roman imperial age Almost marking the boundary of the necropolis area the crest of a wall in opus incerta turned out to be the front of a monumental chamber tomb with the entrance still well sealed by theoriginal closingtufa slab barely notched at the top to create a gap and evidently allow access in a later phase of mausoleum use The burial chamber has frescoed ceiling and walls Ichthyocentaurs supporting a clypeus on the front wall hence the mausoleum’s conventional designation as the Tomb of the Cerberus And also three painted klìnai and an altar with libation vessels inhumates still laid on burial beds with rich grave goods The necropolis area is significantly located at a neuralgic point of the ager Campanus and equidistant from the ancient road axes of the Cumis-Capuam road and the road to Liternum it appears that the area may gravitate to the latter’s cultural and political sphere Investigations and documentation activities are ongoing Photos are making the rounds on the web of the demolition of Villaggio Zaccaria in Giugliano in Campania a baronial fiefdom dating back to the 18th century but actually the result of the renovation of a medieval complex in turn built on the remains of a Roman villa The village was destroyed to make way for a residential complex consisting of 48 cottages The residential park has been named “Borgo Zaccaria,” was designed by Open Project srl and on the company’s website is presented as “housing recovery of dilapidated volumes thanks to the application of the house plan regional law 19/09 with the demolition of existing volumes and the construction of new modern buildings and the extension of 35 percent of the existing volume.”The complex with late Baroque stucco decorations (again on the layout of an earlier building probably dating back to the 16th century) and consisted of a courtyard around which a number of houses and other buildings were arranged The demolition was authorized by the municipal administration of Giugliano in Campania and the question therefore arises whether the complex could not be salvaged “It was,” explained on Facebook Fely Di Girolamo an architect who last year discussed his thesis precisely on the Zaccaria Village as the Real Colonia di San Leucio/Ferdinandopoli Not to mention the Church of San Francesco The dome held up by four pillars frescoed with sacred scenes That hamlet had been there since the 17th century That hamlet told something about the people of Giugliano The hamlet of San Zaccaria was the subject of my master’s thesis in Architecture I worked together with other people for about a year to carry out historical research centered on that ’masseria” that was actually anything but a masseria That hamlet as of yesterday is gone because we are destroying everything because there are endless things to enhance that we have but we do nothing." Giving national prominence to the demolition of Villaggio Zaccaria was Pentastellata senator Margherita Corrado who relaunched local journalist Claudia Procentese’s post in which she bitterly notes that “Giuliano is known as the land of fires,” but “could be known for something else.” Claudia Procentese’s photo shows a village building before and after demolition your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt A remarkably well-preserved chamber tomb has recently come to light within cultivated land situated in the municipality of Giugliano in Campania during an archaeological survey in advance of updates to the city water supply system Early examinations estimate the tomb dates back approximately 2,000 years The tomb's entrance was sealed with a tuff slab the chamber revealed stunning frescoes adorning its walls Among these frescoes is a notable representation of the three-headed dog which has led to the tomb being aptly dubbed the 'Tomb of Cerberus.'  also known as the “hound of Hades,” famously guarded the gates of the Underworld to prevent the souls of the departed from escaping The depicted scene portrays the culmination of Heracles' twelve labours during which he successfully captured Cerberus The tomb also contains depictions of mythological scenes featuring ichthyocentaurs the fore-legs and lower anterior halves of horses finding something like this doesn't happen every day."  Full excavation of the chamber tomb is currently in progress and archaeologists intend to explore the broader necropolis surrounding the tomb too The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission its research is limited by availability and creditability of data in this issue Current studies of IWD are focused only on geographical aspects or on causes of their coming to existence (lacking awareness about the environment deficient waste management systems and role of municipal administration) (Ferrara it was hypothesized that IWD can disturb the species composition of native vegetation and create space for the enforcement of synanthropic as well as invasive plant species Process Safety and Environmental ProtectionCitation Excerpt :These variation in VOC species at different landfill sites can be attributed to age of the waste and distribution of air flow in waste piles (He et al. Higher temperature and moisture content promoted speedy degradation of organic matter releasing relatively higher amount of VOCs in LFG (Carriero et al. particularly those with comparatively smaller molecules can be considerably elevated under high temperatures (Wenjing et al. All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the Dia operations center in Naples carried out 25 precautionary measures (17 in prison and eight under house arrest) ordered by order issued by the investigating judge at the Court of Naples at the request of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office - District Anti-Mafia Directorate the Dia operations center in Naples carried out 25 precautionary measures (17 in prison and eight under house arrest) ordered by order issued by the investigating judge at the Naples Court of criminal association conducts of the Camorra type because according to the preliminary investigations carried out the subjects are believed to be close to the Mallardo clan operating in Giugliano in Campania (Na) and neighboring municipalities and confederate with the clans Contini and Licciardi in the so-called “Secondigliano Alliance” possession and abusive carrying of firearms false attestations in acts intended for the judicial authority aggravated fraud for the achievement of public funds The investigations conducted are currently considered useful in reconstructing the organization chart of the Mallardo clan already sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment for murder in a municipality of Piedmont and was authorized to go to the hospital for a few days month in Giugliano in Campania to undergo dental treatment and to justify his absence on the occasion of a check by the carabinieri at the house where he was restricted to home detention presented a false medical certificate drawn up by a dentist according to the reconstructions of the investigators would have organized summits with the other affiliates and managed the proceeds of the illicit activities that flowed into a common fund from which the affiliates drew money both for their own livelihood and for that of prisoners and their families capable of aggregating around him a series of affiliates through which he managed criminal activities in particular extortion from construction sites both in the city of Giugliano and in the territories of Licola even of his closest family members including his wife who were also arrested as they were reached by serious indications of participation in the organization The man would also have a role in the resolution of internal conflicts managing relations with the splinter group of the "palazzine" of Giugliano and in consolidating the historical relations of the Mallardo clan with the Neapolitan clans of the Contini and Licciardi which together constitute the cd some fictitious headings of assets also emerged in fact referable to the regent of the clan but formally registered in the name of the daughter-in-law and managed by the son and other assets fictitiously in the name of a figurehead These assets were subject to preventive seizure either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content The stench of rotting garbage and diesel fumes hangs heavily over the main street of Giugliano in Campania unemployed youths pass the time with noisy hands of cards dragging on contraband Marlboros hawked openly on nearby street corners while old men in flat caps doze on park benches prostitutes loiter by a slip road leading to the Naples motorway there is not much to differentiate Giugliano from any of the other decaying communities in southern Italy struggling to cope with the impact of a deep and prolonged economic recession inhabited by a tight-knit network of talented forgers Following a tradition handed down across generations these experts are producing counterfeit euro notes of such high quality that the European Central Bank (ECB) worries the integrity of the single currency—now second only to the US dollar in terms of international acceptability—could eventually come under threat since the euro was introduced in January 2002 more than half of the six-million-plus fakes withdrawn from circulation (well over 300 million euros worth) can be traced back to the clandestine print shops located in and around Giugliano "There's an august and enduring tradition of counterfeiting in Italy and Giugliano is its capital with the best professionals in the business," says Alessandro Gentili who until 2013 commanded the Carabinieri unit responsible for combating the forgers and has since been appointed as Commander of the Gendarmerie in San Marino A dashing figure with a spray of medal ribbons on his black uniform Gentili keeps a silver cavalry sabre beside the desk at his office in Rome Giugliano's present-day forgers are inheritors of a tradition established by the counterfeiting rings operating around Naples which formerly specialised in producing phoney US dollars and French and Swiss francs He admits to a grudging respect for the criminals he pursues acknowledging that today's counterfeiters are experts in the graphic arts Among Gentili's extensive collection of fakes there is a 20 euro note that only the closest forensic examination would reveal as bogus "As soon as the euros began circulating," he recalls "these skilled forgers were already figuring out ways to make them." While officials at the ECB accepted that counterfeiters would test the new money's protective measures before the public became familiar with it an intensive advertising campaign ahead of the launch portrayed the euro as the most counterfeit-proof currency ever to roll off the presses The unprecedented array of security features incorporated into notes of every denomination ranges from complex holograms and specially treated paper to inks that shift colour under ultraviolet light and a "touch test" feature using a device like a tiny scratch card an American underworld expert had already predicted that the arrival of the euro would provide "the biggest shot in the arm for organised crime since the US prohibited alcohol sales." There was no immediate explosion of fakes after the new notes hit the streets in 2002 often run off on a standard desktop printer," says Allister McCullum a former counterfeit expert at the ECB and senior executive at the bank's high-rise headquarters in Frankfurt That began to change when more ambitious operators moved in utilising offset lithograph machines capable of churning out large quantities of convincing fakes at speed and and helped by advanced desktop technology most forgers aren't interested in producing near-perfect notes that will get past bank checking machines," McCullum says "They just aim for something that's good enough to fool the general public." He and his specialists spent their days peering at bogus notes for clues that might have helped them keep a step ahead of the forgers The overwhelming majority of fakes they handled were produced within the European Union's member states Although the ECB does not point the finger publicly it is an open secret in McCullum's world that Italy heads the funny money field—though Bulgaria has a growing reputation for the quality of its two hundred euro notes there was a 12% increase in the number of bogus euros recovered by the ECB and the following year another double-digit spike brought a new high of more than 650,000 identified fakes which tend to attract little attention when used in public transactions provided by far the largest proportion of forgeries the ECB revealed that a record 670,000 forged notes were withdrawn from circulation in 2013 representing an annual increase of more than 26% Virtually all of these fakes turned up in eurozone countries suggesting that in established centres of counterfeiting like Giugliano a fresh assault on the currency was underway For as long as the 100,000 or so residents of Giugliano can remember the town has been in the iron grip of the Camorra whose tentacles extend throughout the Campania region and beyond A police report report in 2011 described how Giugliano's dominant Mallardo clan effectively controlled the local economy: "Their front companies run entire sectors from the production and distribution of milk and coffee The Mallardos also cornered a rewarding piece of the action in the hugely lucrative "eco-mafia" racket that has seen millions of tons of highly toxic industrial waste trucked in from factories in northern Italy and illegally dumped on farmlands around Naples One of Italy's most fertile agricultural regions whose beauty and serenity had entranced Goethe was heavily contaminated by a devil's cocktail of dioxins The true extent of the waste scandal only became apparent to an outraged Italian public after a top Camorra boss turned pentiti (repentant) and blew the whistle on the alleged involvement of senior Italian politicians in the scam Giugliano was already at the centre of what the Italian media dubbed "Il triangolo della morte"—the triangle of death infant mortality and autism are now running far above the national average One site outside the town has leaked enough toxins into the earth to poison the local water supply for the next decade; US military personnel on a Nato base nearby are under strict orders to drink only mineral water "The only reason that the Camorra hasn't muscled in directly on Giugliano's counterfeit business is because there was far more money to be made from la monnezza (Neapolitan slang for garbage) and drug trafficking," says a local journalist who asked to be identified only as Marco (a pseudonym) who have to pay up like anyone else to stay in business and the Camorra sometimes commandeers large consignments of fakes to pass on to foreign gangs like the drug cartels in Colombia." bottles and piles of discarded clothing lead to a remote area where derelict farmhouses and abandoned workshops have been put to use by the counterfeiters It was on this sparsely populated plain that the first offset lithograph press was discovered by police in 2004 Three more were seized over the next few years "The local police have a good idea of what's going on," says Marco "But sometimes they turn a blind eye because they have to live here alongside the Camorra There's also significant corruption at local council level." Outside the mayor's office in Giugliano a poster shows two hands clasping under the slogan "Il Cancro della Corruzione"—the Cancer of Corruption But it was not until 2009 that a four-year investigation by the Italian authorities hit the jackpot in the course of a major clampdown on counterfeiting in the greater Naples region Code-named "Operation Giotto," after the great Florentine artist who could draw a perfect circle by hand it involved swarms of Carabinieri raiding numerous locations More than 100 people were arrested during the Giotto sweeps But the real coup was the recovery of a cache of documents that revealed in fine detail how the "Naples Group"—as it is described by the EU's law enforcement agency The typical counterfeiting operation in Giugliano involves just a handful of people who must raise the start-up funds to buy the press—usually second hand since a new four-colour litho machine can cost up to €500,000—establish a distribution network and find a printer with the skills to replicate the security features of the notes being forged "Someone like this is precious to the underworld and once they find their man they don't let him go," says Fabio Tonacci an investigative journalist with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica who has reported extensively on the counterfeit business "They will even keep tabs on him while he's in jail." According to Tonacci were particularly sought after for their ability to recreate the complex holograms used in euro banknotes Underlining how crucial such skills are to large-scale counterfeit operations a case that came before a British court in 2007 revealed the existence of a veteran forger known as "Hologram Tam." His tiny print shop in Glasgow was reproducing the complex three-dimensional images for virtually flawless €50 notes as well as excellent fake £20 notes Tam was sentenced to six years in jail and eventually died of lung cancer caused by inhaling printing fumes Both Giuseppe and Mario had previously been convicted twice on counterfeiting charges crooked printers tend to slip back into their old ways "They aren't violent types but they sometimes receive threats from the criminals who want to utilise their expertise." To the exasperation of the Italian authorities even forgers caught red-handed may escape a lengthy spell behind bars due in large part to the sluggish legal system and an appeals process that often sees original sentences reduced One investigating magistrate compares the judicial process dealing with counterfeiters to a "porta girevole" or revolving door A slick distribution system is essential for successful counterfeiters; the economics of the business dictate that the profit chain only begins once the fakes are put into circulation has calculated that a bogus €50 note costs a tiny fraction of its face value to make hence the incentive to shift as much product as possible provides an intriguing inside glimpse into how the process works with the Naples Group When word reaches the underworld that someone has counterfeit euros to unload employing a private code to prevent police eavesdropping The €50 and €20 notes are known as "football shirts" while dollars are referred to as "jeans" or "green bottles" a bulk-sale from distributor to wholesaler will involve a payment of 10% of the face value price: half a million's worth of fakes changes hands for 50,000 genuine euros commonly nationals of Balkan and Baltic states to smuggle the bogus notes both into countries within the eurozone and into the steadily growing number of non-eurozone states Each level of the distribution chain usually sees another 10% mark-up on the value of the consignment "Europe without frontiers is a godsend for the Italian forgery gangs," says a German counterfeit expert "They can stuff a backpack with high-denomination fakes and the courier just hops on a train to make the delivery." Big international events like Munich's annual Oktoberfest or Champions League football matches provide the perfect environment for passing off fake euros "It's impossible at such times to check every note carefully," the expert says when asked ask about the volume of bogus euros swilling around the world's monetary systems has always been to point out that they represent only a tiny proportion of the total of genuine notes in existence the odds against any of us being landed with a dodgy euro are stratospheric happening just once in every four hundred years the official statistics cover only fakes that have been seized or withdrawn after being discovered when they are in the process of being laundered through banks No account is taken of what some currency specialists call the "iceberg factor," arguing that a significantly greater amount of fakes are floating beneath the surface of the world's monetary systems McCullum of ECB mounted a stout defence of the integrity of the euro when it comes to the true number of forgeries "we don't know what is out there." Europol's private estimates reportedly put the figure at between three and five times the amount reported by the ECB that Giugliano's resourceful counterfeiters are a high-priority target for the Carabinieri people are coming to terms with the menacing presence of 61-year-old Francesco Mallardo released from jail in March after serving more than ten years in a high-security prison for a string of crimes including involvement in counterfeiting The word on the street is that he has every intention of resuming his previous role as Il Padrino—the Godfather Big Bucks: why bad guys like the €500 note known as the "Bin Laden"—we know it exists but few of us will ever see it—is favoured by criminal gangs because a cool million-worth of them can fit into a briefcase It's handy for laundering dirty money and financing drug deals and was pulled from general distribution in the UK three years ago According to Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency more than 90% of €500 notes in the UK were in the hands of criminals An internal study for the Bank of Italy has warned that the €500 notes are also the mafia's currency of choice It's hardly surprising that in many parts of Europe proffering a Bin Laden for an everyday purchase can result in a polite refusal While official figures show that €500 notes make up almost 40% of the total value of all euros in circulation—around €950 billion it appears that only a third of them are being used for transaction purposes One possible explanation is that they are hoarded as "mattress money"; another is that Latin American drug cartels are sitting on vast quantities of the notes has said there are no plans to get rid of it While cancelling the note could wipe billions from the cash reserves of international gangs it could also cause chaos in financial markets Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Inaugurated the working tables that will make up the Participatory Planning Laboratory of the Masterplan of the Domitio-Flegreo Coast The document containing strategies for the territorial environmental and social regeneration of the area between the municipalities of Bacoli Sessa Aurunca and Villa Literno is entering a new phase To celebrate the beginning of the participatory planning workshop experience the Campania Region has chosen the Castel Volturno Centre for Aggregation and Legality which has started its activities precisely in conjunction with this occasion inaugurating the spaces created by the Ministry of the Interior A symbolic place that will also host the headquarters of the Ente Riserve Volturno together with the mayor of Castel Volturno had to open the inaugural conference of the laboratories that will be composed of representatives of the world of Research Representatives of the constituting tables took part in the event: Michelangelo Russo Director of the Department of Architecture of the University of Naples The tables throughout the month of October supported by the offices of the Department of Urban Planning and the Government of the Territory and Unitary Planning of the Campania Region will meet at the operational headquarters of Castel Volturno needs and aspirations for development of local communities while improving knowledge and participation in decision-making processes on urban policies in progress The indications from the tables will contribute to the definition of the Integrated Enhancement Programme which is part of one of the macro-areas of the drafting of the Regional Landscape Plan A result that seals about two years of intense work and study during which the Campania Region has defined the guidelines and built a climate of trust between the institutions and the socio-entrepreneurial tissues of the municipalities concerned collecting projects for about half a billion euros This work was commented on by the President of the Campania Region who constantly followed the evolution of the Masterplan and wanted to be present at the presentation of the second phase The president spoke of the development vision of the Campania Region based on scrupulous checks and analysis as well as on a good dose of courage and constancy This strategy is based on three main strategic lines: the redevelopment and enhancement of the ecological and landscape-environmental system the enhancement of the historical-cultural and agricultural system and the development of sustainable and integrated mobility which will also transform the more than 70 km of coast into a great sustainable tourist attraction A political effort to create the conditions to support healthy entrepreneurship with stable employment An urban and social transformation plan that is based on shared and verifiable priorities A methodology that President De Luca intends to replicate for the Vesuvius area and the southern area of Salerno According to Regional Councillor for Urban Planning Bruno Discepolo product and process innovation is taking place in the Domitia-Fegrea area In a place where the contrast between degradation and development potential is more evident and jarring all the tools have been put in place to define strategies to promote territorial The Campania Region has entrusted the drafting of a preliminary draft to a professional grouping led by the ‘Land Italia’ study on which the tables are now called upon to give their contribution At the end of the action of the tables in collaboration with the Socio-Economic Partnership of the Campania Region the Integrated Programme for the Enhancement of the Domitio-Flegreo Coast will be defined and at that point the Masterplan will enter its third phase durante gli scavi sono stati messi in luce due recinti funerari Tra i ritrovamenti più rilevanti spiccano diverse iscrizioni funerarie in marmo tra cui se ne segnala una che reca l’epitaffio di un gladiatore documento prezioso per la comprensione del ruolo e della memoria di questi combattenti nella società romana a poca distanza dal Foro e dall’Anfiteatro della colonia romana sotto la direzione scientifica del funzionario archeologo responsabile del territorio in una zona già sottoposta a tutela da vincolo ministeriale diretto.  Sono stati attualmente messi in luce due recinti funerari che recano ancora in posto estesi lacerti di d’intonaco di rivestimento di colore bianco con una fase di decorazione più recente in rosso presente verosimilmente per ragioni cultuali Uno dei recinti conserva al centro un mausoleo quadrangolare in opera reticolata di cubilia in tufo grigio di 3 m per lato con nicchie intonacate lungo i lati per ospitare urne cinerarie.   Disposte tutt’intono ai setti murari sono state attualmente individuate una ventina di tombe della tipologia a cappuccina ad enchystrismòs e a cassa di tegole con copertura in muratura assai ben costruita.  Le evidenze emerse attestano una continuità d’uso dell’area che si estende dalla fine del I sec testimoniata dalle diverse fasi edilizie delle strutture rinvenute e da alcuni oggetti di corredo (monete lucerne e piccoli vasi) raccolti nelle sepolture offrendo preziose informazioni sulla vita quotidiana le pratiche rituali e le dinamiche sociali delle comunità che hanno abitato il sito.  documento prezioso per la comprensione del ruolo e della memoria di questi combattenti nella società romana.  A seguito di questi eccezionali rinvenimenti il Soprintendente Mariano Nuzzo ha dichiarato “che il territorio di Giugliano sta vivendo un momento particolarmente fecondo dal punto di vista della ricerca archeologica prima con la scoperta della Tomba del Cerbero ed ora con questa necropoli che grazie anche all’ottimo stato di conservazione delle strutture murarie e delle sepolture aggiunge un tassello importante alle nostre conoscenze relative alla vicenda insediativa della colonia di Liternum e costituisce un’opportunità unica per approfondire lo studio della civiltà antica e del contesto storico e culturale dell’epoca”.  L’importanza che queste indagini rivestono è strettamente legata alla migliore comprensione della fisionomia del paesaggio antico e del perimetro urbano della colonia inducendoci a proporre nuove ipotesi anche rispetto al tracciato dell’antica Via Domitiana ai lati della quale si dovevano collocare tali sepolture.   unito allo studio approfondito di materiale d’archivio sarà possibile raggiungere risultati importanti nell’ambito della conoscenza di un territorio di rilevanza cruciale dal punto di vista storico ed archeologico.”  La Soprintendenza rinnova il proprio impegno nella tutela e nella promozione dei beni culturali affinché queste preziose testimonianze possano essere adeguatamente preservate e condivise con la comunità scientifica e il vasto pubblico.  AMMINISTRAZIONE TRASPARENTE MODULISTICA INTERNA ALBO FORNITORI RUBRICA ARCHEOLOGICA Redazione sito web Simona Formola | Design e sviluppo Michele Riccardo Ciavarella Dall’economia al clima e al ruolo dell’UE nel mondo questo talkshow fa luce sugli affari europei e sulle questioni che hanno un impatto sulla nostra vita quitidiana di europei Sintonizzatevi per capire i lati positivi e negativi della polica europea Conversazioni con i protagonisti del business L'acqua in Europa è sempre più minacciata la siccità e le inondazioni hanno un impatto sull'acqua potabile Unitevi a noi per un viaggio in Europa: scopriremo perché la protezione degli ecosistemi è importante come le nostre acque reflue possono essere gestite meglio e quali sono le migliori soluzioni idriche una serie di spiegazioni animate e un dibattito: scoprite perché l'acqua è importante A tu per tu con gli studiosi in prima linea nella lotta al cambiamento climatico per capire cosa succede al nostro pianeta: quali nuove strategie dovremo adottare Una tomba a camera straordinariamente ben conservata è venuta recentemente alla luce all'interno di un terreno coltivato situato nel comune di Giugliano in Campania durante un'indagine archeologica in vista di un aggiornamento della rete idrica cittadina Secondo i primi esami, la tomba risale a circa 2.000 anni fa L'ingresso della tomba era sigillato da una lastra di tufo e la camera ha rivelato splendidi affreschi che adornano le pareti Tra questi affreschi c'è una notevole rappresentazione del cane a tre teste che ha fatto sì che la tomba venisse giustamente soprannominata "Tomba di Cerbero" era famoso per sorvegliare le porte degli Inferi per impedire alle anime dei defunti di fuggire La scena raffigurata rappresenta il culmine delle dodici fatiche di Ercole durante le quali riuscì a catturare Cerbero La tomba contiene anche rappresentazioni di scene mitologiche con ittiocentauri esseri con la parte superiore del corpo di un uomo le zampe anteriori e la metà anteriore inferiore di un cavallo e code simili a quelle di un pesce spiega: "L'emozione è stata enorme: le urla trovare una cosa del genere non capita tutti i giorni" Lo scavo completo della tomba a camera è attualmente in corso e gli archeologi intendono esplorare anche la necropoli più ampia che circonda la tomba A serious road accident led to the death of a young motorcyclist in Giugliano in Campania a serious road accident shook the community of Giugliano in Campania A 34-year-old woman lost her life after losing control of her motorcycle on the state road 7 quater The accident occurred near the Lago Patria and Varcaturo exits while the victim was heading toward Pozzuoli The dynamics of the accident are still under investigation but it appears that the motorcyclist was hit by a passing vehicle The driver of the vehicle involved immediately stopped to provide assistance The Carabinieri of the Giugliano Company intervened at the scene of the accident and began investigations to reconstruct the exact dynamics of what happened The young woman was rushed to the hospital in Pozzuoli where she unfortunately died due to the serious injuries she sustained in order to further clarify the circumstances of the tragedy This tragic event has caused deep grief in the local community The loss of a young and promising life is always a hard blow to deal with and the residents of Giugliano join in mourning the victim's family Road accidents are one of the main causes of death in Italy and this episode brings attention to the need for greater road safety Local authorities are called upon to consider preventive measures to prevent similar tragedies from happening again in the future Notizie.it is a newspaper registered with the Court of Milan n.68 on 01/03/2018 Impara come descrivere lo scopo dell'immagine (si apre in una nuova scheda) Lascia vuoto se l'immagine è puramente decorativa In 2023, a team of archaeologists working with the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, discovered the boundary of a long-lost necropolis in Giugliano. Initial investigations revealed what appeared to be the entrance to a chamber tomb The site featured an elaborate fresco depicting Cerberus, the mythical three-headed dog of the underworld from Greek mythology With careful precision, the team removed the tiles covering the ceiling opening to the Tomb of Cerberus, as it’s since been called, revealing a small aperture. A micro-camera was then inserted into this tiny gap allowing the researchers to peer inside and make an “unprecedented” discovery the archaeologists decided to open the sealed tomb for the first time the archaeological team was astonished by the state of preservation of the Tomb of Cerberus’ contents wrapped in a shroud and surrounded by an array of goods including several ointment jars and body-cleaning tools commonly used in Roman burial rites The body itself was remarkably well-preserved including those made from Chenopodium (“goosefoot”) and absinthe Mariano Nuzzo, a superintendent with the Italian Ministry of Culture, emphasized how significant this discovery is. In an official statement “The Tomb of Cerberus continues to provide valuable information on the Phlegraean territory near Liternum and offering opportunities for research of a multidisciplinary nature.” The Tomb of Cerberus’ revelations extend beyond its physical contents. Fabric analysis is underway to determine the structure The climatic conditions have likely led to the mineralization of the fabric presenting new challenges and opportunities for research DNA analysis and studies of organic substances are also being conducted to provide further insights into the burial practices and the social and cultural context of ancient Naples The meticulous sampling and analysis of the Tomb of Cerberus’ contents are expected to yield detailed evidence about Roman embalming techniques and the broader necropolis of which the burial site is a part More from us: Austrian Man Renovating Wine Cellar Discovers Mammoth Bones Want articles by The Vintage News delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! “Laboratory analyses conducted on samples taken from the burials and depositional beds have returned a considerable amount of data regarding the treatment of the body of the deceased and the funerary rituals implemented,” Mariano Nuzzo revealed adding that the findings are “considerably enriching the panorama of our knowledge.” June Steele is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE