1.   A weaker lira makes Italian exports cheaper in foreign-currency terms.

2.   A weaker lira makes Italian exporters more competitive and boosts the value of their foreign-currency earnings.

3.   Eni, which also receives a substantial part of its revenue from oil development in the U.S. currency, also benefits from a weaker lira, traders said.

4.   New taxes, a weaker lira and economic growth accelerated the increase this year.

5.   The dollar fell as a weaker Italian lira triggered purchases of German marks.

6.   ISTAT attributed the rise to the weaker lira and the fighting in the former Yugoslavia, which scared away many travelers from Adriatic resorts in Croatia.