While it may seem like a dictatorial ruling, Belcastro Mayor Antonio Torchia, explained it was a "cry for help".

The mayor of Belcastro said the "humorous provocation" was an attempt to expose the state of the region's healthcare system.

People living in an Italian village are banned from getting sick. Residents of Belcastro in the southern region of Calabria — one of the poorest regions in Italy — are “ordered to avoid contracting any illness that may require emergency medical assistance,

Rescue crews found the body of a British hiker buried in the snow of the Italian Alps and were continuing to search for his friend, who had also been missing since January 1, Italy’s rescue services said Wednesday.

Rescue crews have found the body of a missing British hiker buried in the snow of the Italian alps, but a search for his friend was suspended by poor weather conditions.