About Italy

Italy's history is one of the oldest. Prehistoric archaeological sites are scattered all over: Latium and Tuscany, Umbria and Basilicata. The great Roman Empire had its base here and ruled the world and was greatly respected. The respect continues to this day. Italy is well-known for its art, culture and monuments (the leaning tower of Pisa and the Roman Colosseum), as well as for its food (pizza, pasta, etc.), wine, lifestyle, elegance, design, cinema, theatre, literature, poetry, visual arts, music (notably Opera), holidays, and generally speaking, for good taste and style.

Location of Italy

Italy shares its borders with Switzerland and Austria on the north; Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea on the east; the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea on the south; the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea on the west; and France on the northwest. Apart from the mainland, Italy also comprises of the Mediterranean islands of Elba, Sardinia, and Sicily, and many lesser islands. Within mainland Italy lie the independent countries of San Marino and Vatican City.

Climate of Italy

The moderating influence of the sea and the protection given by the Alpine barrier from the cold north winds join to bless Italy with a temperate climate. Nevertheless, the weather varies considerably according to how far one is from the sea or the mountains. The winter is very cold in the Alps, cold and foggy in the Po Plain and the central Apennines; mild and even warm on the Ligurian coast, the Neapolitan coast and in Sicilia. The summer is hot and dry, but the temperature is mitigated on the coast by sea breezes and in the Apennines and Alps it is pleasantly cool. In mountain areas, winter is ideal for skiing, and summer for excursions, hiking, etc. Seaside and lake resorts, with their excellent hotel facilities, have an intense tourist season in the summer, while the cities that are rich in art treasures are ideal in spring and autumn.

Italy has a great diversity of climates ranging from the frigid in the higher elevations of the Alps and Apennines, to the semitropical along the coast of the Ligurian Sea and the western coast of the Lower Peninsula. The temperature, however, is balanced the year round and there is not much fluctuation and ranges between 11° to 19°C (about 52° to 66°F). Cool Mediterranean breezes modify extreme temperatures. The northeastern winds blowing on the eastern slopes, however, make those areas very cold during winters. Rainfall mainly occurs during the fall and winter months, when the westerly winds prevail.

Arts, Culture and Music of Italy

From antiquity to modern times, Italy has played a central role in world culture. Italians have contributed some of the world's most admired sculptures, architectural masterpieces, paintings, literature, and music (specially opera). Italians consider themselves the descendants of the ancient Romans and are very proud of their cultural heritage. Regional differences do persist mainly because of natural geographical boundaries and the disparate cultural heritage handed down from the Greeks, Etruscans, Arabs, Normans, and Lombards. Regional pluralism is evident in the local dialects, holidays, festivals, songs, and in the regional cuisine.

Italian Cosine

The main characteristic of Italian cooking is its healthy balance, the excellent basic ingredients being simply cooked and retaining their original goodness and freshness. Simple and yet with such Italian cosine a variety of flavors and rich inventiveness in preparation, that even the most demanding gourmet is delighted.

Its climate, soil and very old traditions of viticulture make Italy a natural wine-growing nation. The wines are as personal as a name, as different as the colors of the rainbow and as much a part of Italian life as almost 3,000 years of tradition can make them.

Other Italian drinks include aperitifs, blended principally over a base of the world-famous Piedmont Vermouth; dessert wines, such as Moscato, Marsala and Malvasia from Sicily and sparkling wines from Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany and the Islands. Italy also has excellent beers and a great variety of effervescent mineral waters Italy has a long recorded history that the biggest problem facing the traveler is to choose among the nation's endless cultural attractions. All main centre, most of the provincial cities and many quite small towns have museums.

Where to eat?

There are thousands of ristoranti (restaurants): the most formal type of place to eat when one is not in a hurry, sometimes a little fancy and pricy and family-run; trattoria and osteria: less formal than a ristorante, where local specialties are served; panineria: a sandwich bar, where a quick meal can be had at any time of the day; pizzeria: is not only for pizza lovers!