Rome, the Winter Olympics,
Wine, Ferrari, beautiful beaches - Italy has it all. If you are considering
traveling to Italy, here are some things you should know.
An Overview of Italy for
Travelers
From a European perspective,
there is little doubt that Italy is the foundation of modern society in
the West. This is conclusion is primarily due to two facts, the reign of
the Romans and the Roman Catholic Church.
In more modern times, Italy
became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along
with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor Emmanuel II. An
era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when
Benito Mussolini established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance
with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II.
A democratic republic replaced
the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter
member of the European Economic Community. It has been at the forefront
of European economic and political unification. Persistent problems include
illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish
economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern
Italy compared to the prosperous north.
If you are going to Italy,
here are some basic things you need to know.
1. Northern Italy is wealthy
while the south is not.
2. Italy is slightly larger
than the state of Arizona.
3. Italy's climate is predominantly
Mediterranean with Alpine in far north and hot, dry areas in the south.
4. Vatican City in Rome is
considered an independent country.
5. You cannot get into any
area of the Vatican wearing shorts.
6. Rome had the first paved
streets in the world in 170 B.C. Vehicles had to be banned because of traffic
jams!
7. Roman gladiators were
the first athletes to endorse products.
8. Considered one of the
oddest Emperors, Caligula appointed his horse to a senate position among
other more infamous actions.
9. Roman statutes were very
utilitarian. The heads could be removed and replaced to reflect the changes
in political climate.
10. When the Roman army lost
a battle, they really took it hard. Commanders would kill every tenth soldier
under their command. This act is the root of the word "decimate."
11. Surprising to many is
the fact there were significant time periods where ancient Rome had no
Emperor. The senate would rule. In times of threat, the senate would elect
a person as Emperor. He had absolute power, giving rise to the term dictator.
12. Vast percentages of Romans
died from lead poisoning. They used is as a sweetener!
13. In the early 1900's,
Prince Piero Ginori Conti invented the geothermal pump. He is considered
the father of modern geothermal power.
14. 20 Italians have won
the Nobel Prize.
15. Michelangelo's real name
is Michelangelo Buonarroti.
16. The population of Italy
as of 2005 was 58,103,033 people.
17. The flag of Italy was
inspired by the French flag brought in 1797 by Napoleon.
18. Lehman Brothers owns
seven percent of Ferrari.
19. Italy trails only Brazil
in World Cup wins.
Italy is an amazing country
with colorful, animated people. From ancient culture to a bustling modern
country, a trip to Italy is hard to beat.
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