Renzi announces €2.5B for research, €1B EU culture funds; fast-food ban in historic centers; Palazzo Strozzi growth

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced a €2.5 billion allocation for research and €1 billion in EU funds for culture, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore. The funds are part of a special CIPE (Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning) session. Renzi also highlighted commitments to southern Italy, including pacts for Campania, Calabria, Palermo, and Catania, aiming to unlock frozen EU funds. Italy currently has a 7.8% project award rate, needing to reach 10% to meet PNR targets. Separately, La Repubblica reports that after Florence's 'anti-kebab' regulation, the Democratic Party proposes a national law to protect UNESCO sites, potentially restricting new fast-food openings in historic centers like Rome, Venice, Naples, Urbino, San Gimignano, Siena, and Pienza. Palazzo Strozzi's annual report, presented by president Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, shows the institution's growth: Facebook fans increased 38% (from 23,800 to 34,200), Twitter followers rose 55% (from 4,900 to 7,600). Over ten years, 21 exhibitions in the piano nobile attracted 237,800 visitors, generating €6.4 million in revenue, with increased private funding and reduced public contribution.