ITALY THE LAND OF THE SUN AND ART

Italy is a country located on the Italian peninsula in southern Europe in the Mediterranean Sea.The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are within the Italian Peninsula. Italy has been the cradle of many European cultures and peoples, such as the Etruscans and the Romans. It is a parliamentary, democratic republic and a multi-party system. Italy is divided into 20 regions. Five of these regions have a special autonomous status(Trentino, Valle d’Aosta, Friuli, Sicilia and Sardegna). ITALY

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN ITALY elects THE PARLIAMENT THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC All Italian citizens over 18 divided in Chamber of Deputies The Senate appoints The Prime Minister

The Italian Landscape NORTHERN REGIONS OF ITALY The regions of northern Italy, from Liguria to Friuli are characterized by the presence of the Alps. This mountain chain influences deeply the climate and also the economy of the area. Another important element of this area is the river Po, that passes through nearly all of them and forms the Pianura Padana(Padana Plain), territory that has favoured the development of the agriculture, the commerce and the birth of many industries of various sectors. Liguria, Veneto, Friuli and Emilia-Romagna are on the sea and during the century have exploited it.

THE NORTHERN LANDSCAPE ALPI

THE NATURE

Milan is renowned as one of the world capitals of design and fashion. The English word millinery, referring to women's hats, is derived from the name of the city. The Lombard metropolis is famous for its fashion houses and shops (such as along via Montenapoleone) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the Piazza Duomo (reputed to be the world's oldest shopping mall). The city hosted the World Exposition in 1906 and will host the Universal Expo in Inhabitants of Milan are referred to as "Milanese" (Italian: Milanesi or informally Meneghini or Ambrosiani).

VENICE The New York Times, described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". The city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain and spice trade) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century.

Turin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch. Turin is ranked third, after Rome and Milan, for economic strength.Turin is well known as the home of the Shroud of Turin, the football teams Juventus F.C. and Torino F.C., the headquarters of automobile manufacturers Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, and as host of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Several International Space Station modules, such as Harmony and Columbus, were also manufactured in Turin. It was the capital of the Duchy of Savoy from 1563, then of the Kingdom of Sardinia ruled by the Royal House of Savoy and finally the first capital of a unified Italy. Turin is also known as "the Automobile Capital of Italy" or the Detroit of Italy.

TURIN

BOLOGNE Bologna is the capital city of Emilia- Romagna in the Po Valley (Pianura Padana in Italian) of northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Home to the oldest university in the Western world, "University of Bologna", founded in 1088, Bologna is one of the most developed cities in Italy. Bologna often ranks as one of the top cities, in terms of quality of life in Italy: it was ranked 5th in 2006, and 12th in 2007, out of 103 Italian cities. This is due to its strong industrial tradition, its wide range of highly- developed social services, and its physical location at the crossing-point of the most important highways and railways in the country.

BOLOGNE

THE CENTRAL LANDSCAPE THE CENTRAL REGIONS The center of Italy is characterized by the Appenine Chain, a sort of backbone that in many areas influences the climate and the economy. Except Umbria all the other regions are bathed by the Tyrennean and Adriatic seas and have a more mild climate with respect to the northern regions. This area is also characterized by various hills where vineyards give the best Italian wines(Chianti area) and the best oil. The most important rivers are the Tevere(Tiber-Rome) and the Arno(Florence.

THE CENTRAL LANDSCAPE

FLORENCE It is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 367,569 The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

ROME Rome, capital of Italy, is a special city, unique in the world besides the beauty of the place where it is situated it conserves in every part the evidence of an ancient history, that started with the Romans and has arrived till nowadays. Rome encloses the Vatican city, the smallest country of the world seat of the maximum religious authority the Pope. For all these reasons Rome is one of the main Italian tourist centres.

SOME VIEWS OF ROME

THE SOUTHERN LANDSCAPE THE SOUTHERN REGIONS The southern part of Italy extends into the Mediterranean, still crossed by the Apennines, but with the presence of wide plains, especially in Campania and Puglia. Although favoured by a mild climate for the presence of the sea, this area of Italy is the least economically developed country. Important cities like Naples and Bari are the most active centers of these regions. An important role play the two islands-regions of Sicily and Sardinia from both an economic and cultural point of view. Sicily for centuries has been the crossroads of different cultures as you can see in Palermo.

NAPLES Naples is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. The city is known for its rich history, art, culture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,800 years old. Naples is located halfway between two volcanic areas, the volcano Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, sitting on the coast by the Gulf of Naples. Founded by the Ancient Greeks as "Νεάπολις", Neápolis (New City), it held an important role in Magna Graecia and then as part of the Roman Republic in the central province of the Empire. The city is synonymous with pizza, which originated in the city. There are popular characters and figures who have come to symbolise Naples; these include the patron saint of the city Januarius, Pulcinella, and the Sirens from the epic Greek poem the Odyssey.

A VIEW OF NAPLES

PALERMO Palermo is a historic city in Southern Italy, the capital of the autonomous region Sicily. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is located in the north west of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city was founded by the Phoenicians, but named by the Ancient Greeks as Panormus meaning all port. Palermo became part of the Roman Republic and eventually part of the Byzantine Empire, for over a thousand years. For a brief period it was under Arab. rule Following the Norman reconquest, Palermo would become capital of a new kingdom from 1130 to 1816 the Kingdom of Sicily. Eventually it would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860.

PALERMO

The historical events (from the roman empire to the german, arab, spanish etc dominations) and the geographic differences have created in Italy an incredible Variety of traditions.

THE CARNIVALS IN ITALY