From Michelangelo to Armani, Italy has carved a distinct path through the centuries, consistently setting a world standard for innovation and elegance. Defined by the legacy of the Roman Empire and the prominence of the Catholic Church, its artistic, intellectual, and cultural developments have carried forward from ancient times to form the foundations of a modern civilization. As a result, modern Italy boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world. Despite this distinction, the country’s history has been marked as much by its unresolved conflict as by its accomplishments. Haunted by centuries of foreign rule, fragmented governments, and regional disputes, Italy’s allegiances are often torn between past and present, local and national. Even in the last century Italy has continued to rely on its past tradition, struggling to overcome the vestiges of fascism, delaying the passage of women’s suffrage until 1945, and strictly observing the Catholic custom. Though both Roman rule and the Risorgimento came close to uniting the country’s varied regions, distinct regional identities and social tensions between North and South persist. Italy is today in constant negotiation between tradition and progress, unity and independence, as it endeavors to transform its triumphant past into an equally glorious future the Italian way—slowly but surely.
Italy History And Politics ...more
People Demographics Despite the stereotype of large families, Italian women today have an average of only 1.3 babies each, contributing to a lag in population growth that has persisted for several ...more
In Italy, great works of art and architecture seem to spring from every street corner. In Rome, the Colosseum hovers above a city bus stop; in Florence, couples flirt in front of the duomo ; in Sicily ...more
Sex, Drugs, And Roman Mythology The Romans stole their religion and mythology from anyone and everyone. Though much Roman folklore comes from their own early traditions and Etruscan beliefs, much more ...more
Gregory’S Famous Chanting Monks Biblical psalms are some of the earliest known songs of both Italian and Western culture. Roman and Ambrosian rites (Italy’s medieval liturgies), which originated ...more
Oldies And Goldies Italy’s golden position within the film industry began in 1905, when Filoteo Alberini released La Presa di Roma (The Taking of Rome). This film ushered in the Italian “super-spectacle ...more
Print The media in Italy is anything but impartial, and has been known to lambaste everyone from public officials to popular actresses. The most prevalent national daily papers are Il Corriere della Sera ...more
From the Roman aqueducts to Leonardo’s flying machine to Dolce & Gabbana’s spacesuit-inspired winter 2008 line, Italians have always had a penchant for design. Compare Enzo Ferrari&rsquo ...more
Mangiamo! In Italy, food preparation is an art form, and culinary traditions constitute a crucial part of the culture. Each region of Italy has a distinct culinary identity to complement its personality ...more
Ancient Times. The Romans liked their athletic spectacles fast and violent. Gladiatorial combat originated as part of a funeral custom: gifts to the dead were offered in amphitheaters across the ...more
Though most Italians work 35hr. per week, take 2hr. lunch breaks, close some businesses on Mondays, and take elaborate month-long coastal vacations each August, they still enjoy a seemingly constant ...more
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For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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