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General information


Population : 60.5 milion people (23rd in the World, 6th in Europe)
Total Area : 301,338 km^2 (71st in the World, 10th in Europe)
Official languages : Italian
Official currency : Euro(EUR)
Capital : Rome
Population density : 201.3 people/km^2 (63rd in the World,16th in Europe)
Top 5 biggest cities : Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo

Italy (Italian: Italia) is a country in Southern Europe. Together with Greece, it is acknowledged as the birthplace of Western culture. Not surprisingly, it is also home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. High art and monuments are to be found everywhere around the country.

It is also famous worldwide for its delicious cuisine, its trendy fashion industry, luxury sports cars and motorcycles, diverse regional cultures and dialects, as well as for its beautiful coast, alpine lakes and mountain ranges (the Alps and Apennines). No wonder it is often nicknamed the Bel Paese (the Beautiful Country).

Two independent mini-states are surrounded entirely by Italy: San Marino and Vatican City. While technically not part of the European Union, both of these states are also part of the Schengen Area and the European Monetary Union (EMU). Apart from different police uniforms, there is no evident transition from these states and Italy's territory, and the currency is the same. Italian is also the official language in both countries.

Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (regioni), five of these regions having a special autonomous status that enables them to enact legislation on some of their local matters. The country is further divided into 14 metropolitan cities (città metropolitane) and 96 provinces (province), which in turn are subdivided in 7,960 municipalities (201😎 (comuni).

The five regions with special autonomous status (home rule) are:

*Sardinia
*Sicily
*Trentino-Alto Adige
*Aosta Valley
*Friuli-Venezia Giulia





National sport : Football(Calcio)

Volleyball



National animals : Italian wolf(Canis lupus italicus)

National plants : Olive (Olea europaea)


Oak (Quercus spp.)


National instrument: Zampogna



Organetto





The significance of the 2nd of June

The 2nd of June, known as Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica), celebrates the establishment of the modern Republic of Italy, after the referendum held on the 2nd of June 1946, in which the republican position won with 55% of votes. The current king at the time, Umberto II, son of Victor Emmanuel III, had only ruled for 34 days when the referendum won. He was forced to abdicate and was exiled. The first president of the Italian Republic was Alcide de Gasperi.

In the years following this referendum, Italy established a constitution in 1948, lost some territory to Yugoslavia and also lost all of its colonial possesions, formally ending the Italian Empire.








The Founding of Rome

The Eternal City, Rome, has a long history, being the birthplace of the most important empire in European history.

But how did Rome come about? A city as important as this, has to have an interesting story behind it. Turns out, it does.

The founding of Rome can be investigated through archaeology, but traditional stories handed down by the ancient Romans themselves explain the earliest history of their city in terms of legend and myth.
The most familiar of these myths, and perhaps the most famous of all Roman myths, is the story of Romulus and Remus, the twins who were suckled by a she-wolf. This story had to be reconciled with a dual tradition, set earlier in time, the one that had the Trojan refugee Aeneas escape to Italy and found the line of Romans through his son Iulus, the namesake of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

The story of Aeneas
The national epic of mythical Rome, the Aeneid of Virgil, tells the story of how Trojan prince Aeneas came to Italy. The Aeneid was written under Augustus, who claimed ancestry through Julius Caesar from the hero and his mother Venus. According to the Aeneid, the survivors from the fallen city of Troy banded together under Aeneas and underwent a series of adventures around the Mediterranean Sea, including a stop at newly founded Carthage under the rule of Queen Dido, eventually reaching the Italian coast.

The Trojans were thought to have landed in an area between modern Anzio and Fiumicino, southwest of Rome, probably at Laurentum or, in other versions, at Lavinium, a place named for Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus whom Aeneas married. This started a series of armed conflicts with Turnus over the marriage of Lavinia. Before the arrival of Aeneas, Turnus was betrothed to Lavinia, who then married Aeneas, starting the war. Aeneas won the war and killed Turnus. The Trojans won the right to stay and to assimilate with the local peoples. The young son of Aeneas Ascanius, also known as Iulus, went on to found Alba Longa and the line of Alban kings who filled the chronological gap between the Trojan saga and the traditional founding of Rome in the 8th century BC.

Toward the end of this line, King Procas was the father of Numitor and Amulius. At Procas' death, Numitor became king of Alba Longa, but Amulius captured him and sent him to prison; he also forced Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia to become a virgin priestess among the Vestals. For many years, Amulius was the king. The tortuous nature of the chronology is indicated by Rhea Silvia's ordination among the Vestals, whose order was traditionally said to have been founded by Romulus's successor Numa Pompilius.

Romulus and Remus


The myth of Aeneas was of Greek origin and had to be reconciled with the Italian myth of Romulus and Remus, who would have been born around 771 BC if taken as historical figures. They were purported to be sons of Rhea Silvia and either Mars, the god of war, or the demi-god hero Hercules.

They were abandoned at birth, in the manner of many mythological heroes, because of a prophecy that they would overthrow their great-uncle Amulius, who had overthrown Silvia's father Numitor. The twins were abandoned on the Tiber River by servants who took pity on the infants, despite their orders. The twins were nurtured by a she-wolf until a shepherd named Faustulus found the boys and took them as his sons. Faustulus and his wife Acca Larentia raised the children.

When Remus and Romulus became adults, they killed Amulius and restored Numitor. They decided to establish a city; however, they quarreled, and Romulus killed his brother. Thus, Rome began with a fratricide, a story that was later taken to represent the city's history of internecine political strife and bloodshed.

What archaeologists tell us:


There is archaeological evidence of human occupation of the Rome area from about 14,000 years ago, but the dense layer of much younger debris obscures Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites. Several excavations support the view that Rome grew from pastoral settlements on the Palatine Hill built above the area of the future Roman Forum. Between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron age, each hill between the sea and the Capitol was topped by a village (on the Capitol Hill, a village is attested since the end of the 14th century BC).

In any case, the location that became the city of Rome was inhabited by Latin settlers from various regions, farmers and pastoralists, as evidenced by differences in pottery and burial techniques. The historical Latins were originally an Italic tribe who inhabited the Alban Hills. They later moved down into the valleys, which provided better land for agriculture. The area around the Tiber river was particularly advantageous and offered notable strategic resources: the river was a natural border on one side, and the hills could provide a safe defensive position on the other side. This position would also have enabled the Latins to control the river and the commercial and military traffic on it from the natural observation point at Isola Tiberina. Moreover, road traffic could be controlled, since Rome was at the intersection of the principal roads to the sea coming from Sabinum (in the northeast) and Etruria (to the northwest).

There is a wide consensus that the city developed gradually through the aggregation ("synoecism") of several villages around the largest one on the Palatine. This aggregation, signalling the transition from a proto-urban to an urban settlement, was made possible by the increase in agricultural productivity above the subsistence level, which allowed the establishment of secondary and tertiary activities: in turn, these boosted the development of trade with the Greek colonies of southern Italy (mainly Ischia and Cumae). All these events, which according to the archeological excavations occurred around the mid 8th century BC, can be considered as the origin of the city.





Top 8 places visited by tourists


Rome













Formerly the capital of the Roman Empire, Rome today is the government seat and capital city of Italy. Located in the country’s central region of Lazio, Rome is a vast and complex city that is both historic and modern at the same time. Best known for housing ancient Roman structures and the Vatican City, Rome has endured for more than 2,500 years as an important center for culture, power and religion. From ancient romantic plazas to stunning cathedrals and Renaissance architecture, there is so much to see and do in Rome, that it could take months or even years to see it all.




Tuscany









Italy’s most famous region, Tuscany conjures images of beautiful rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees. The many pleasures of Tuscany include tasting wine in Chianti, simply relaxing in hill towns such as San Gimignano or exploring Renaissance art in Florence. The medieval city of Siena also holds excellent works of art while its historic center is one of the most popular places to visit in Italy. Elba, the largest of several Tuscan islands, offers great beaches while Pisa is world-famous for its Leaning Tower.



Venice









One of the best places to visit in Italy, Venice is a unique city in that is built upon a lagoon surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. Located in northeastern Italy, Venice is an archipelago of 118 islands all connected by hundreds of beautiful bridges and scenic canals. Of the canals, the Grand Canal is most famous and divides the city into two sections. Picturesque waterways and historic architecture make Venice one of the most romantic cities in the world. Venice is often crowded but well worth visiting to see its magnificent landmarks like Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Rialto Bridge. One of the most popular things to do is to take a gondola ride along one of its many canals.



Pompeii











One of Italy’s most visited tourist destinations, Pompeii is a famous Roman city which was buried under several feet of volcanic ash for nearly 1,700 years after the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Excavation of Pompeii began in 1748, and the site is yet to be totally unearthed. The site is located near the modern city of Naples. A tour of Pompeii offers a fascinating insight into the everyday life of the ancient Roman world. Visitors can walk along the ancient streets to see the remains of bakeries, brothels and baths.





Amalfi Coast







Situated in Italy’s southwestern region of Campania, the Amalfi Coast is known for its extraordinary beauty that makes it one of Italy’s top tourist destinations. Stretching 30 miles along the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast is prized for its picturesque coastline that features shimmering bays, craggy cliffs, lemon tree gardens, multicolored villas and ritzy resorts. One of the most romantic and posh towns along the Amalfi Coast is Positano with its beautiful pebbled beaches, pastel houses and scenic mountains. One of the larger towns, Amalfi, features lovely plazas lined with restaurants while the town of Ravello is favored for its beautiful villas of gardens and art works.



Milan









Nearly destroyed from heavy bombing during WWII, Milan has since reconstructed and now shines as one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. Widely regarded as a mega fashion center teeming in designer shops, Milan also attracts many to its surviving world famous treasures like Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper, the La Scala Opera House, the Castello Sforzesco and one of the world’s largest Gothic cathedral. Nonetheless, Milan sometimes appears less Italian compared to the country’s predominantly historic cities and more of a glamorous city with modern architecture.


Cinque Terre








Meaning “Five Lands,” Cinque Terre comprises the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso and Corniglia. Located in Italy’s northwestern coastal region of Liguria, the villages of Cinque Terre feature some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes that include steep cliff sides and wine terraces dating back to hundreds of years. Among its many gems, Cinque Terre boasts a centuries-old complex of hiking paths that offer some of Italy’s most stunning coastal views. The Blue Trail is a paved trail connecting all five of the villages and is suitable for all ages.


Sicily









The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy that also includes several smaller isles. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the 5 km (2 miles) Straits of Messina. Home to every great Mediterranean civilization, Sicily is rich in art and history; from Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples to Palermo’s Baroque churches. The island’s most striking geological feature is Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano.







7 inventions Italy gave to the world!

Italy gave the world a lot of inventions. A full list would be an article of its own. So here are those that I consider the most important:

*Latin alphabet!
*~700 BC





*Opera!
*Jacopo Peri, 1597 AD




*Radio!
*Guglielmo Marconi, 1895 AD




*Roman law - the foundation of the justice system in many countries!
*449 BC - the Twelve Tables of Law



*Piano!
*Bartolomeo Cristofori, ~ 1700 AD



*Nuclear reactor!
*Enrico Fermi, 1942 AD



*Barometer!
*Evangelista Toricelli, 1643 AD










Famous people from Italy

I will only include Italians from the Middle Ages through to the present day. If I were to include the Romans, this list would be gigantic. The ancient Romans had many significant personalities that influenced the world in major ways: Scipio Africanus, Julius Caesar, Octavian Augustus, Cicero, Tacitus and many, many others.

Leonardo da Vinci - Italian polymath of the Renaissance, whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter and tank, he epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal.

(1452 - 1519)


Galileo Galilei - Italian polymath. Galileo is a central figure in the transition from natural philosophy to modern science and in the transformation of the scientific Renaissance into a scientific revolution.Known for his work as astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician, Galileo has been called the "father of observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics",the "father of the scientific method", and even the "father of science".

(1564 - 1642)


Christopher Columbus - Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer. Born in the Republic of Genoa, Columbus, under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Those voyages, and his efforts to establish settlements on the island of Hispaniola, initiated the permanent European colonization of the New World.

(1451 - 1506)



Dante Alighieri - major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called Comedìa (modern Italian: Commedia) and later christened Divina by Giovanni Boccaccio, is widely considered the most important poem of the Middle Ages and the greatest literary work in the Italian language.

(1265 -1351)


Luciano Pavarotti - Italian operatic tenor who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for the quality of his tone, and eventually established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century.

(1935 - 2007)








Traditional food


Pasta

Spaghetti Carbonara



Fettucine Alfredo



Ravioli



Penne all’arrabbiata



Linguini with clam sauce



Lasagne



Gnocchi



Pasta is a staple of Italian cuisine. The pasta itself is made of unleavened dough mixed with water or eggs and then baked or boiled. Since dough is a very flexible foodstuff, pasta comes in A LOT of shapes and sizes.Like around 350 shapes and sizes and about 4 times that number of names for them.

With this much versatility in making the pasta itself, there is even more diversity to cooking them into a dish.

Risotto





Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish. Rice is cooked in a broth until it reaches creamy consistency. Like all Italian dishes, the broth can be made of a lot of things: meat, fish, vegetables etc. Many types of risotto contain butter, wine and onion.

Pizza

Margherita



Capricciosa



Quattro Stagioni



Napoletana



Calzone




Pizza needs no introduction. While there is evidence to suggest that pizza hails from the Middle Ages, modern pizza was created in Naples (Napoli) in the 18th and 19th centuries. Through the massive Italian diaspora in the late 19th and early 20th century, especially to USA, pizza gained worldwide fame. And rightly so, because it’s amazing!


Osso buco alla Milanese



Meat lovers will rejoice at the thought of tucking into the osso buco alla Milanese!
Tender veal shanks, braised slowly in white wine, is served with an array of vegetables. A serving of aromatic gremolata, a condiment made with lemon zest, garlic and parsley, is added to complete the dish.

Ribollita



Traditionally considered as cucina povera, or poor man’s food, the ribollita was created by servants who collected unfinished food, such as bread and vegetables, from their masters before boiling these items in water to make a meal. The origin of this dish gives rise to its name, which translates to mean ‘reboiled’ in English.

Rich and hearty, the ribollita is regarded as one of Tuscany’s most important dishes.

Saltimbocca



The dish contains thin slices of veal, topped with salty prosciutto and herb leaves. These ingredients, joined together with a toothpick, are sautéed in a pan until the meat is done. Different varieties of meat, such as chicken and mutton are also used for preparing the saltimbocca.

A well-made serving of saltimbocca promises to be a delectable dish melts away in the mouth. Highly popular among locals and travellers in Italy, this savoury delight is certainly not to be missed.


Traditional desserts

Tiramisu



Ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a mix of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese. Flavored with cocoa powder.

Panna cotta



Dessert made of a sweetened cream thickened with gelatin. It can be aromatized with many things, such as coffee and vanilla.

Gelato



While it simply means ice-cream in Italian, in other countries it refers specifically to Italian-style ice-cream, which is lower in fat compared to other types.

Granita



Semi-frozen dessert made of sugar, water and various flavours. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Pandoro



Panettone



Pandoro and panettone are types of sweetbread, traditionally eaten during Christmas season.


Traditional drinks

Wine



Italian wine is legendary. As the world’s largest wine producer, Italy is full of vineyards, with the most famous ones being those in Tuscany.

Italy also has a long tradition of winemaking. Before the Romans decided to start making wine, the peninsula was already cultivated by the Etruscans and the Greeks.


Prosecco



While the French have champagne, Italians have prosecco!

Capuccino



Espresso








Interesting facts about Italy


1.Parmesan cheese originated in the area around Parma, Italy. Italians also created many other cheeses, including gorgonzola, mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta. No one knows when the pizza was invented, but the people of Naples made it popular.
2.The University of Rome is one of the world’s oldest universities and was founded by the Catholic Church in A.D. 1303. Often called La Sapienza (“knowledge”), the University of Rome is also Europe’s largest university with 150,000 students.
3.There are two independent states within Italy: the Republic of San Marino (25 square miles) and the Vatican City (just 108.7 acres).
4.Italy’s San Marino is the world’s oldest republic (A.D. 301), has fewer than 30,000 citizens, and holds the world’s oldest continuous constitution. Its citizens are called the Sammarinese.
5.No other country in Europe has as many volcanoes as Italy. This is because the Italian peninsula stands on a fault line. Three major volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius) have erupted in the last hundred years.
6.Like most of Europe, Italy was ravaged in the middle of the fourteenth century by the Black Death, a combination of plagues (chiefly the bubonic) that were carried to Genoa by Italian merchants returning from the Middle East. The recovery stimulated growth and helped spawn humanism and the Renaissance.
7.From 1861 to 1985, more than 26 million people left Italy (mostly from the overcrowded south) to seek a better life. Only one in four came home again.
8.Soccer is Italy’s most popular sport, and the famous San Siro Stadium in Milan holds 85,000 people. Italy has won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006), making the country’s team second only to Brazil's in number of wins.
9.Italy is among the world’s leaders of the fashion industry. In the 1950s, Italian designers such as Nino Cerruti and Valentino led the world in creating stylish fashions. Additionally, Armani, Versace, Gucci, and Prada have become internationally recognized. Italy is also known for fine sports cars, such as the Ferrari and Lamborghini.
10.Italian citizens who are at least 18 years old can vote for the lower house in the parliament, the Chamber of Deputies. Citizens who are at least 25 years old can vote for the 315 members of the upper house, the Senate.






My 5 words when I hear about Italy:
#Roma,#Pasta,#Pizza,#Fashion,#Espresso

What are your 5?





Hope you enjoyed the article, unfortunetly the italins from erepublik where pretty busy but I hope they will correct me if I am wrong in the article.






I leave you with some Italian memes:














Waiting for feedback , comments , opinions and if there is anyone that thinks I missed something , I could do something better or just wants to help me with this project , PM me !

Special thanks to Kariky for the spacers !!




Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

P.S. Article 49/74!









P.S.2. Don't forget to push the flags !