Tour to Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country. It comprises the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale ("the boot") or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola ("the Peninsula").

Italy shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The Independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory. Political Map of Europe

Italy was home to many well-known and influential European civilizations, including the Etruscans, Greeks and the Romans. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced migrations and invasions from Germanic, Celtic, Frankish, Lombard, Byzantine Greek, Saracen, Norman, and Angevin peoples, and was divided into many independent states until 1861 when Italy became a nation-state. Etruscans Julius Caesar

Ruins of ancient Rome

Today, Italy is a highly developed country with the 7th highest GDP in 2006, a member of the G8 and a founding member of what is now the European Union, having signed the Treaty of Rome in Inhabitants of Italy are referred to as Italians The word Italy derives from the Homeric (Aeolic) word ιταλός, which means "bull". Excavations throughout Italy have found proof of people in Italy dating back to the Palaeolithic period (the "Old Stone Age") some 200,000 years ago. The first Greek settlers, who arrived in Italy from Euboea island the 8th century BC, possibly named their new land "land of bulls".

Italy has influenced the cultural and social development of the whole Mediterranean area, deeply influencing European culture as well. Center of the Roman civilisation for centuries, Italy lost its unity after the collapse of the Roman Empire and subsequent barbaric invasions.

Population and economy started slowly to pick up after 1000, with the resurgence of cities, trade, arts and literature The Black Death in 1348 inflicted a terrible blow to Italy, resulting in one third of the population killed by the disease.

The French Revolution and the Napoleonic War ( ) introduced the modern ideas of equality, democracy, law and nation.

The unification of Italy was obtained on March 17, 1861, after a successful war (the Second War of Independence) against Austria with the support of France, and after Giuseppe Garibaldi organized an invasion of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies (Naples and Sicily) in 1860.

The fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini lasted from 1922 to 1943 but in the first years Mussolini maintained the appearance of a liberal democracy.

Italy is a founding member of the European Community, European Union and NATO.

The 20 political divisions of Italy

Colosseum St. Peter’s Church, Vatican city. It is the house of Pope

Rialto bridge – Venice, Italy Florence –Italy Leaning tower of Pisa Skiing on the Alps

Trevi Fountain - Rome

Romulus and Remus Rome is named after Romulus She wolf suckles Romulus and Remus

Mona Lisa Michelangelo's sculpture David.