  The Italian communities engaged in Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) and supernova
research have been using actively the ESO telescopes and have contributed to
improve and refine the observing techniques and even to guide the
characteristics and performances of the instruments that were developed.
Members of these two communities have recently found ground for a close
collaboration on the powerful supernovae that underlie some GRBs. I will review
the programs that have led to some important discoveries and milestones on
thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae and on GRBs.
