ITALY
I LOVE MY COUNTRY
I love my country because of its natural and
generally pleasant climate. Italy has always attracted visitors...
‌its extensive beaches provide great opportunities for seaside holidays and the sunny snow-clad Alps offer excellent skiing.
Travelling around Italy is always a “tour artistique�. There are a lot of artistic treasures spread all over the country.
These treasures of art and culture make Italy the first country in the world for
numbers of sites included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
These treasures can be found almost everywhere and they refer to every historical period.
They are preserved and protected in hundreds of archaeological sites and over 3,000 museums scattered throughout the country.
In Tuscany we can find theatres and
buildings, which date back to Greek and Roman times, cities, roads, temples,
statues, coins and inscriptions.
The imposing Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals are found mainly in the centre and in the north of Italy.
Renaissance art was a great cultural movement, which began in Italy in the 15th century and influenced the history of culture and European civilisation.
The main artists were Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Masaccio, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna, Donatello, Raffaello, Antonello da Messina, Bramante, Correggio and Tintoretto‌
‌all artists, sculptors, painters or architects who have become known as the world’s greatest exponents of artistic genius.
There is also, of course, the country’s enormous cultural inheritance: Tuscany alone has more historical monuments than any country in the world;‌
‌there are considerable remains of the Roman Empire all over the country.
Italy combines art, history and contemporary fashion with stunning natural landscapes:...
…the turquoise waters of the Smeralda Coast offer one of Europe’s most beautiful stretches of sand, sea and sunshine,…
‌while the snow-covered slopes of the Dolomite mountains are a magnet for winter sports enthusiasts.
Travelling to Italy offers modern, old & ancient culture, fabulous food, historic cities and sites and ruins, varied and stunning scenery, beaches,‌
‌warm sunny weather, architecture, opera, water sports, spas, and shopping for clothes, shoes and designers’ goods.
In addition to famous cities such as Venice, Genoa and Naples‌
‌there are romantic medieval hill towns, such as San Gimignano in Tuscany, and unspoilt fishing villages, like the unforgettable Positano on the Amalfi Coast.
GEOGRAPHY
Italy is a long peninsula which stretches from the Alps into the Mediterranean Sea and includes a lot of islands of which‌
‌Sicily and Sardinia are the largest. It covers an area of over 300.000 sq. km.
Sea and Ports Italy is rimmed by the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the south and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west‌and it has a lot of ports including Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice and Trieste. Coastal areas alternate rocky promontories.
Relief and Plains
The Alps, which straddle Italy’s frontier with its northern neighbours, rise in the west and reach the Slovenian border in the east.
They surround the northern plain, Italy’ s most extensive lowland and then give way to the Apennines which form the backbone of this boot-shaped peninsula.
Several peaks rise in the Alps , including Mount Rosa and Mount Cervino. A number of passes and tunnels ensure traffic to France, Switzerland and Austria.
Unlike the Alps, the Apennines are rarely very high.The highest peak is Gran Sasso.
Rivers and Lakes
The rivers, which have their source in the Alps or northern Apennines, generally flow into the Adriatic Sea. The main rivers in the north are the Po, the Adige and the Brenta. Other rivers are the Arno and the Tiber. The Po is the longest river in Italy.
There are many lakes. Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and Lake Como are the largest in the north, whereas Lake Trasimeno is the most important in peninsular Italy.
The lakes are visited by many tourists because of their beautiful scenery.
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is dominated by the valley of the Po river, which is one of the most productive agricultural regions in Italy‌
‌ and the centre of Italy’s industrial output. The cities main of the region are Milan, Turin and Genoa.
Central Italy Central Italy includes the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, the Marches and Latium. The cities of Florence, Pisa, Siena and Rome are all located in Central Italy.
This area is a famous destination for travellers interested in art, archaeology and religion.
Southern Italy Southern Italy includes the regions of Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata and Campania, and is rich in sites of great natural beauty. It is largely dependent on tourism and agriculture.
Climate Italy enjoys generally favourable weather conditions.
There are significant differences in climate owing to the latitude: long, cold winters with heavy snow and warm summers in the north, ‌
‌ milder winters and warm summers in the centre, warm winters and dry hot summers in the south.
Natural Resources Italy has very few natural resources. Minerals include mercury, lead and bauxite. Hydrocarbons are present in fairly high quantity, especially, gas and some petroleum. Hydro-electricity is generated by the rivers ‌
Industry The main sector are automobiles, machine tools, chemical and rubber processing, foodstuffs, textiles , footwear and furniture.
Agriculture Farming is still in Italy today. Traditionally, grain constitutes the chief crop .The main foodstuffs are pasta, rice and cornmeal.
Other important agricultural products are sugar beet, tobacco, potatoes, olive oil, fruit and vegetables.
Rome is the capital of Italy. It offers a dazzling variety of sights and experiences, ancient monuments, Baroque churches, beautiful fountains, museums, and Renaissance palaces. Modern Rome is a bustling and lively city and has some excellent restaurants and nightlife.
The ancient and impressive Colosseum is one of the most iconic sites in the world. It is the largest Amphitheatre ever built during the Roman Empire and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.
A CITY TO EXPLORE
Saint Peter’s Square and the Vatican City are also easily visited when in Rome. The Vatican Museums, within the territory of the Vatican City, are among the greatest museums in the world. The Sistine Chapel houses Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement.
Castel Sant’Angelo was built as a mausoleum for Emperor Adrian and converted into a fortress during the Middle Ages.
Rome has also a number of famous squares. Piazza Navona is a highly significant example of Baroque architecture and art.
The almost perfectly preserved Pantheon is one of the finest surviving Roman temples of the past. It is a circular building with a portico of large granite columns and a dome,which features a central opening to the sky.
The Trevi Fountain, a large Baroque fountain, is one of the most famous fountains in the world.
There are four main basilicas in Rome: the Cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Cathedral of San Paolo Fuori le Mura and Saint Peter’s Cathedral.
Piazza di Spagna, with its famous Spanish Steps, is home to the 15th-century Church of TrinitĂ dei Monti.
The Roman Forum was the focal point of ancient Rome public life for centuries. It was the site of processions and elections, the venue for public speeches, trials and gladiatorial fights and the centre of commerce.
Piazza del Popolo is Rome’s famous square featuring stunning churches, beautiful fountains and imposing monuments.
The Augustine Church of Santa Maria del Popolo is an excellent example of Italian Renaissance architecture. Inside there are Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of St. Peter and The Conversion on the Way to Damascus.
Rome has also elegant streets, like the fashionable Via Condotti and Via Margutta, which are lined with art galleries and hotels.
The Church of Sant’Agostino is packed with many significant works of art, such as Raphael’s paintings and frescoes and Caravaggio’s Madonna di Loreto.
THREE ITALIAN CITIES
VENICE, MILAN & FLORENCE…
VENICE
Venice is a unique city built in the middle of a lagoon. It is one of Italy's most beautiful and romantic cities as well as one of the most popular cities of art in Italy.
The heart of Venice is Piazza San Marco with its magnificent church, Saint Mark's Basilica.
There are a lot of museums, palaces, and churches to visit. Wandering along Venice Canals and getting lost in its maze of narrow streets is always enchanting.
Venice is the northeast of Italy and historically was a bridge between the East and the West. Its architecture features a Byzantine feel not really found elsewhere in Italy.
The Academy Gallery is Venice's most important museum. This art gallery contains the world's most complete 13th 18th century art collections. These include masterpieces by Tiziano, Tintoretto and many other famous painters.
The Church of Santa Maria della Salute is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1630. It stands between the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal, making the church visible when entering Saint Mark's Square from the sea.
Venice Lido is Venice's beach and stretches for eleven km. In the 1920s it was the most important beach in Italy due to its aristocratic atmosphere...
...Nowadays, it is famous for the Film Festival, which is held here every year between the end of August and the first week of September.
The cheapest way of getting around the city is by the water bus, which is an economical way of crossing Grand Canal. A water taxi is more expensive.
The most romantic experience in Venice is the gondola, because it offers a romantic tour of the small canals.
MILAN
Milan, one of Europe's wealthiest cities, is known for its stylish shops, galleries ad restaurants. It also has a rich artistic and cultural heritage.
Its Gothic Cathedral, with its beautiful marble facade, is magnificent.
Da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper, is one of Milan's top attractions and La Scala is one of the world's most famous opera houses.
Milan is located in the Po Valley in the north-west of Italy and it is the capital of Lombardy.
Today Milan is the second largest city in the country and probably the most important city as for fashion, industry and commerce.
The city is home to a lot of art galleries with collections of paintings and frescoes by famous Italian artists, museums, monuments, buildings and churches spanning centuries, and restaurants overlooking the city's finest sights.
The Cathedral is the most representative monument in the city. The cathedral is one of the main examples of Gothic architecture.
Castello Sforzesco was originally designed by Galeazzo II Visconti in the 14th century as a defensive castle. The Caste takes its name from the Italian mercenary and Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza.
The spendid Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio consacrated by St. Ambrose in 387 AD, was rebuilt in the 11th century and it became the model for all Lombard-Romanesque churches.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is full of elegant shops and cafĂŠs. It was built in the first half of the 19th century.
FLORENCE
Florence is in Tuscany and it is one of Italy's most important Renaissance architectural centres. Its Cathedral and Baptistery are magnificent‌
‌Florence has several excellent museums with many famous paintings ad sculptures, including. Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus. There are also Medici palaces and gardens. The most important sights in Florence are located on the north side of the River Arno.
This is the hub of the whole city and the site of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its famous Brunelleschi's Dome, its elegant Baptistery with Ghiberti’ s Paradise Gate, and Giotto's Bell Tower, from which you can admire an incredible view of the city.
The Academy Gallery, home of some of Michelangelo's wonderful statues including the original David , is the main attraction to the north of the Cathedral.
The Gothic Church of Santa Maria Novella, whose stunning white and green marble faÇade was designed by Leon Battista Alberti is worth a visit .
The most important civic building in the city, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's Town Hall, stands in Piazza della Signoria, a real openair museum.
In the same square you can admine Neptune’s Fountain by Ammannati and the Equestrian Statue of Cosimo I by Gianbologna, a copy of Michelangelo’s David, and the beautiful Loggia dei Lanzi, where statues such as Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini and the Rapture of the Sabines by Giambologna are on show.
Right next to Palazzo Vecchio there is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the most important art galleries in the world ,with its large collection of Renaissance masterpieces by greatest artists ever, such as Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Titian.
The Vasari Corridor connects Palazzo Vecchio with Palace Pitti. The corridor passes over the iconic Ponte Vecchio.
Pitti Palace, is home to eight splendid museums such as the Palatine Gallery and the Modern Art Gallery .
Behind Pitti Palace there is Boboli Gardens ,a huge hillside park with a great view of Florence from its Forte Belvedere.
The sublime Franciscan Basilica of Santa Croce is the focus of the eastern side of the city centre.
Many famous people are buried here including Michelangelo , Macchiavelli , Galileo and Foscolo.
5 FACTS ABOUT MY COUNTRY
The Etruscans
By 500 B.C., a number of peoples of different ethnicity and origin shared Italy. Small Greek colonies dotted the southern coast and the island of Sicily. The Gaels roamed the mountainous north.
The Etruscans, who came from western Turkey, settled in central Italy, establishing a number of city-states.
The Roman Empire
According to a legend, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus in 735 B.C.
Over the next several centuries, Rome expanded its territories into what became known as the Roman Empire.
Italy flourished under the Roman Empire, which ended in 476 A.D. with the death of the Emperor Augustus.
The InvasionsThe Middle Ages
In 493, the OstroGoths, a Germanic tribe, conquered the Italian peninsula.
The Lombards, another Germanic tribe, established a kingdom in northern Italy and in the South in 568. In 756, when the Franks defeated the Lombards, they granted the Popes authority and Papal States were created.
The northern states of Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany were ruled by the Germanic Holy Roman Empire by 962.
By the end of the 11th century, the worst of the invasions was over and trade began to flourish once again. Four Italian citiesGenoa, Pisa, Amalfi and Venice- became major commercial and political powers.
In the 12th century northern Italy became a group of independent kingdoms, republics and city-states.
The Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance was a cultural movement which began in Tuscany in the 14th century.
The patronage of the arts afforded by the Medici family was a contributing factor.
The main artists were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Sandro Botticelli, Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarca.
The movement also spread to Milan, Venice, and further north into Europe, influencing art, literature, philosophy, politics, science and religion.
The dominance of Tuscan culture led to the Tuscan dialect becoming the official Italian language.
The Unification
The Risorgimento was a complex process which unified the different states of the Italian peninsula into the modern nation of Italy. The movement began in 1815.
Two prominent figures in the unification movement were Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Italy was officially unified in 1861.Rome and Latium were annexed in 1870 and the Trieste region was annexed after World War I.
In 1861 the states of the peninsula and the two Sicilies were united under King Vittorio Emmanuel II of the Savoy dynasty, ruler of Piedmont and King of Sardinia.
The architect of the Italian unification was Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel II.
Mussolini
In 1922 Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy. He turned Italy into a Fascist State, where he was a dictator.
Victor Emmanuel III abdicated and his son, the new king Umberto II, was pressured by the threat of another civil war to call a Constitutional Referendum to decide whether Italy should remain a Monarchy or become a Republic .
On 2 June 1946, the Republican side won 54% of the vote and Italy officially became a Republic.
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451 and he died in Spain in 1506.
He was an Italian explorer, a navigator and a trader. He worked as a cartographer in Italy before becoming a businessman.
He visited England, Ireland, Iceland as well as Spain and Portugal and traded along the Western African coast during his journeys.
Christopher Columbus completed four journeys across the Atlantic Ocean and was the first to reach the Americas. hristopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci near Florence in 1452 and he died in 1519.
He was a real genius. He studied and explored new ideas throughout his life. He was a painter, a sculptor, an architect and an engineer.
His famous painting Mona Lisa can bee seen in the Louvre in Paris.
Leonardo Da Vinci also invited many things and explored new concepts, like the calculator, a flight machine similar to a helicopter and a tank.
Michelangel0
Michelangelo was born in 1475 and he died in 1564. He was a painter, a sculptor, an engineer and an architect of the Renaissance.
Michelangelo was already famous during his lifetime and is still considered to be one of the most talented artists of all time.
Michelangelo’s David stands in the Academy Gallery in Florence.
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was born in 1564 and he died in 1642. He was a mathematician and an astronomer.
He is often called the ‘Father of Science’. He improved the telescope and studied the Milky Way. He supported Copernicius’s observations that the world circled the sun, not that the sun circled the earth as it was believed before.
Galileo Galilei also discovered the four largest satellites of Jupiter, which are called the Galilean moons.
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 and he died in 1321. He is famous as Dante and is a well-known Italian poet of the Middle Ages.
His poem, the Divine Comedy, which is a world-renowned masterpiece, is considered to be his greatest work. It is the very first book written and published in Italian.
He is known as the Father of the Italian Language, and referred to as the Supreme Poet.