La Dolce Vita has never been sweeter.
While Italy's status as a single political entity is relatively recent (1861), its strategic Mediterranean position made it a target for colonisers and opportunists fairly early on in human history. The Etruscans were the first people to rule the peninsula, arriving somewhere between the 12th and 8th century BC. They were eventually subsumed within the mighty Roman Empire, leaving little cultural evidence, other than the odd tomb. The ancient Greeks, their contemporaries, set up a few colonies along the southern coast that became known as Magna Graecia and developed into independent city states. Thus the greater glory that was Rome was itself the offspring of Etruscan and Greek cultures.
The first Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC, and eventually bequeathed us the idea of a common European identity, a language that has spawned many of Europe's contemporary tongues and one of the largest empires the world has ever seen. The Republic's defeat of Carthage (near present-day Tunis) and Hellenic Macedonia during the three Punic Wars cleared the way for ultimate expansion into Spain, Britain, North Africa and present-day Iraq. Meanwhile, relative peace at home enabled the infrastructure of civilisation - roads, aqueducts, cities - to spread. A slave-driven lifestyle and economy triumphed over the concept of people power, and the reigns of the Republic were increasingly taken in hand by the military and, ultimately, the dictatorship.
The empire grew so large, it was eventually divided into eastern and western sectors. Already, however, the bloodthirsty theatrics of regicide and intrigue were planting the seeds of its eventual destruction. Christianity was embraced by Constantine in 313, and the empire's capital was moved from Rome to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). The western arm of the empire was undone by plague, famine and tribal incursions from the north, and was officially declared null and void in 476 when Odovacar, a German warrior, dubbed himself ruler. The Eastern Roman Empire clung on, even prospering in fits and starts, until overrun by the Turks in 1453.
After the fall of Rome the peninsula entered the Dark Ages and suffered repeated barbarian invasions. Among the more effective of these hordes were the Lombards who successfully controlled large parts of the north before being defeated by the Franks. In 800, the Frankish king Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor as symbolic Christian successor to ancient Rome. The south came to be dominated by Muslims until usurped by Normans in the early 11th century. This ethnic cocktail began to settle in the 12th century, just when the next big chapter in textbook history was taking shape. Powerfully combative and competitive city states arose in the north, supporting either the Pope, who represented spiritual power in Christendom but also had considerable political power within Italy(the Papal States), or the Holy Roman Emperor, a foreign leader who claimed secular sovereignty over all Christian Europe (including Italy). The rise of cities and a merchant class culminated in the Renaissance of the 15th century. Painters, architects, poets, philosophers and sculptors produced unsurpassed works of genius, despite the turmoil of intercity warfare and invasion by countries to the north. First Spain and then Austria controlled the peninsula during the ensuing centuries, followed briefly by Napoleon's imperial flourish.
The post-Napoleon shake-up led to the drive for unification of the 19th century, led by Garibaldi, Cavour and Mazzini. The Kingdom of Italy was declared in 1861, although Venice was not prised away from Austria until 1866 and papal claims remained an issue until 1870, when Rome officially joined the young nation. No label of unity, however, could hide the huge cultural and social differences that split the industrialised north from the poverty-stricken south.
Economic crisis and fickle politics dogged the new nation in the ensuing decades, as Italy muddled through WWI and became riddled with industrial unrest in the early 1920s. In a memorably unwise employment decision, the king asked one Benito Mussolini to take the reins of government under the auspices of his Fascist Party. Il Duce soon became head of state, outlawed the opposition, controlled the press and trade unions and cut franchise by two-thirds. His relationship with Hitler soured after a series of military disasters during WWII and Italian capitulation in 1943, eventually culminating in a fatal dose of rough justice at the hands of partisans in April 1945.
The postwar years were coloured by extremism: the extreme violence of terrorists such as the Brigatte Rosse (Red Brigades), extreme centre-right politics, extreme economic boom and economic crisis, extreme corruption and bribery in extremely high places - and an extremely cynical and fatigued public.
Italy's parliament has a reputation for scandal and resignation, and at times it has left Italy virtually ungoverned and utterly chaotic. The explosion of corruption cases in the Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) and Tangentopoli (Bribesville) cases in the 1990s threw the traditional political parties into chaos and eventually led to Italy's richest man, entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi, becoming prime minister in alliance with the former Fascist party and northern Italian secessionists in 2001. Berlusconi, plagued by fraud and other charges, spent much of his term concocting laws to suit his private and business interests. His most lasting legacy was probably the nationwide ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces in early 2005. With his coalition looking brittle and many Italians desperately disillusioned with his cavalier approach to politics, the ever disunited left wing snatched power in a neck-and-neck election in 2006. Romano Prodi was named the new prime minister.
Though Prodi was less fond of football than Berlusconi, the Italians took out the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. However, investigations back home into the national league revealed entrenched corruption in the sport. Five Serie A teams received sanctions for their role in match-rigging and bribery. One of these teams, AC Milan, put the furore behind them and went on to win the 2007 Champions League. Meanwhile, AC Milan's owner, one Silvio Berlusconi, began regaining political ground in regional and municipal elections across the country.
Italy's instantly recognisable boot shape kicks its way into the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas - all of which form part of the Mediterranean Sea. The islands of Elba, Sardinia, Ischia, Capri, the Aeolians and Sicily lie offshore. Mountains feature prominently in Italy's topography, and bolster its landlocked borders all the way from Genoa in the west to Trieste in the east. Italy's backbone is formed by the Apennines, extending from Genoa right down to the soccer ball that bounces off the toe of Calabria: Sicily. The Po River Valley in the country's northeast forms the largest lowland area, and is heavily populated and industrialised as a result. Underground rambunctiousness is evident from the country's three active volcanoes - Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily - and the devastation wrought by earthquakes, especially fierce in 1908 and 1980. Beauty abounds in Italy but, unfortunately, so does pollution, particularly in the big cities and along the coast.
| Area Sq Km | 301,230 |
| Population | 57,300,000 |
For administrative purposes, Italy is divided into 20 regioni (regions), which roughly correspond to the historical regions of the country. The regions are divided into province (provinces), themselves further divided into town comuni (councils). Five regions (Sicily, Sardinia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Valle d'Aosta) are semi-autonomous or autonomous, with special powers granted under the constitution. Their regional assemblies are similar to parliaments and they have a wide range of economic and administrative powers. Indeed, those remaining regions are the weakest element in the country's political hierarchy. Each is ruled by a giunta regionale (regional government) formed in elections (held every four years) to the consiglio regionale (regional assembly). These parliaments only came into being in 1970 and the regional governments, with no revenue-raising powers, remain little more than an administrative link between the central state and local government. They receive funds from the state and can legislate on a limited field of issues. These regions, so far with minimal results, are pushing for much wider-ranging powers and a more genuine autonomy from the central government. Devolution in some form is high on the new Berlusconi government's agenda.
Around 100 million years ago a tropical sea called the Tethys covered the area now occupied by the peninsula. Gradually the ocean began to recede and various types of materials were deposited, including limestones, dolomites and sandstones, as well as the extensive coral reefs to the northeast from which the Dolomite mountain range was later formed. Although earlier volcanic activity had already resulted in the formation of the original core of the Alpine chain and other mountains further south, the crucial moment came around 40 million years ago when the African and European continental plates collided. The collision forced the respective borders of the plates and part of the bed of the Tethys to fold and rise up, beginning the formation of the Alpine and Apennine chains. The Alps rose up relatively quickly, at first forming an archipelago of tropical islands in the Tethys Sea. Both mountain chains underwent significant erosion, resulting in huge deposits of sand, gravel and clay at their feet and in part preparing the way for the development of lowland areas. By around two million years ago, after the landscape had been shaped and reshaped by the combined forces of continental plate movement and erosion, the Italian peninsula had almost arrived at its present-day form.
The country's flora is predominantly Mediterranean. Three broad classifications of evergreen tree dominate: ilex (or evergreen oak), cork and pine.
Ancient imports that are an inevitable part of much of the Italian countryside (especially from Tuscany south) are the olive and cyprus. The former comes in many shapes and sizes, among the most striking being the robust trees of Puglia.
Much of the country is covered by macchia (maquis), a broad term that covers all sorts of vegetation ranging from two metres to as much as six metres in height. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme are typical maquis plants, as are shrubs of the cistus family, gorse, juniper and heather. If the soil is acidic, there may also be broom. Orchids, gladioli and irises may flower beneath these shrubs, which are colourful in spring.
Where the action of humans and nature has been particularly harsh, or the soil is poor, the macchia becomes gariga, the very barest of scrub. This is dominated by aromatic herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme.
A couple of millennia of human occupation, coupled with the locals' love of hunting, has extinguished many animal species once endemic to Italy. You might spot a brown bear or a lynx if you're lucky, and the Alpine regions are still home to wolves, marmots, chamois and deer. Mouflon sheep and wild boars and cats can be found on Sardinia, while in the skies falcons, hawks and golden eagles dodge the hunters' birdshot.
Italian
84% Roman Catholic, 6% Jewish, Muslim and Protestant
Italy is not an easy country for disabled travellers and getting around can be a problem for the wheelchair bound. Even a short journey in a city or town can become a major expedition if cobblestoned streets have to be negotiated. Although many buildings have lifts, they are not always wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. The Italian State Tourist Office in your country may be able to provide advice on Italian associations for the disabled and information on what help is available. It may also carry a small brochure, Services for Disabled Passengers, published by the Italian railways company, Trenitalia, which details facilities at stations and on trains.
Italians love children but there are few special amenities for them. Always make a point of asking staff at tourist offices if they know of any special family activities and for suggestions on hotels that cater for kids. Discounts are available for children (usually aged under 12 but sometimes based on the child's height) on public transport and for admission to sites.
Book accommodation in advance to avoid any inconvenience and when travelling by train make sure to reserve seats to avoid finding yourselves standing up for the entire journey. You can hire car seats for infants and children from most car-rental firms, but you should always book them in advance.
You can buy baby formula in powder or liquid form, as well as sterilising solutions such as Milton, at farmacie (pharmacies). Disposable nappies (diapers) are widely available at supermarkets, farmacie and sometimes in larger cartolerie (stores selling paper goods). Fresh cow's milk is sold in cartons in bars that have a 'Latteria' sign and in supermarkets. If it is essential that you have milk, carry an emergency carton of UHT milk since bars usually close at 20:00 . In many out-of-the-way areas in southern Italy, the locals use only UHT milk.
Homosexuality is legal in Italy and well tolerated in major cities. However, overt displays of affection by homosexual couples could attract a negative response in the south and in smaller towns. The legal age of consent is 16. A few years ago the gay capitals of Italy were Milan and Bologna, but Rome is now giving both cities some strong competition. There are gay clubs in Rome, Florence and Milan, which may be listed in newspapers but can be more reliably tracked down through local gay organisations or publications such as Pride, a national monthly magazine, and AUT, published by Circolo Mario Mieli in Rome, both available at gay and lesbian organisations and bookshops. The international gay resource Spartacus International Gay Guide (available in bookshops worldwide) also has listings of gay venues all over Italy. The useful website it.gay.com (Italian only) lists gay bars and hotels.
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