Introductory Guide to Italy
If you are interested in finding out more about Italy, this brief guide to the country should give you a starting point for your research.
Weather and Geography
Italy is located in southern Europe, northeast of Tunisia. It is a peninsula which extends into the central Mediterranean Sea.
Italy shares borders with Austria, France, the Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia and Switzerland. It enjoys a predominantly Mediterranean climate with an Alpine climate in the far north and a slightly hotter and drier than average Mediterranean climate in the far south.
Historical Guide to Italy
Italy’s strategic Mediterranean position meant that it was a target for invaders and colonisers from very early on in human history. The first settlers were the Etruscans; they arrived and ruled the peninsula around the 12th century B.C. until they were swallowed up by the mighty Roman Empire - very little cultural evidence remains relating to the Etruscans’ history.
The first Roman Republic was established in 509 B.C. and it grew to one of the largest empires the world has ever seen, in fact, the empire grew so large that it had to be divided up into eastern and western sectors.
In 313 Constantine embraced Christianity and moved the empire’s capital from Rome to Constantinople (Istanbul). And the Roman Empire began to dwindle when the western sector of the empire was hit by plague, famine and tribal incursions from the north. The western sector remained - even prospered a little - until it was finally overrun by the Turks in 1453.
Attractions in Italy
Italy is and always has been a country of treasures; the Italians call Italy ‘Il Belpaese’ which means ‘the Beautiful Country’ and if you visit Italy you will see that it richly deserves this name.
It is a country with three millennia of history, culture and fine cuisine and it is a country which seduces its millions of visitors every year - with each one determined to come back and revisit!
Few countries can offer such variety of architecture, terrain, landscapes and natural beauty - from the Arab-Norman and Byzantine wonders of Palermo in Sicily to the stunning peaks of the Dolomites, from incredible walled Assisi to the beautiful Amalfi Coast.
Add to this the world revered works of Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, or the operas of Verdi and Puccini, the films of Federico Fellini, and then take the architecture of Venice, Florence and Rome and you will begin to understand the depth of talent and beauty this country inspires.
Recent Italian Politics
But Italy is a country which has suffered at the hands of its leaders during its recent history.
In the 1920’s Mussolini established a Fascist dictatorship in Italy and went on to lead Italy to spectacular defeat when he sided with Nazi Germany in World War II.
Since the end of the war Italy has further suffered politically as it has seen several dozen governments come and go.
But finally in the 1990’s Italy decided to try and stabilise its political future and the “Clean Hands” operation was established to expose corruption in politics and business.
Shockingly, several former prime ministers were implicated and the operation resulted in the investigations of thousands of businessmen and politicians.
Italy is a member of the European Union, it was one of the six countries to sign the 1951 Paris Treaty setting Europe on the path towards complete integration. Ever since that time Italy has been staunchly at the heart of Europe and it joined the European Monetary Union in 1999.
