I was 13, when the Kosovo war started. Seen from Italy this conflict seemed very near. It was, after all, the first televised war in Europe, with Nato fighter jets taking off from Italian bases, and refugees fleeing the conflict, seeking safety on Italian soil.

So it feels strange to see tensions raising again in the area, hear talks of a new war in the Balkans. A bit like one of those horrendous B-movies where zombies and other ancient menacing things pop out of the earth, to hunt us.