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Italy: Click Here To Begin!!
Italy: Click Here To Begin!!
Italy
Click here to begin!!
Contents
Country fact file Historical aspects of Italy Geographical aspects of Italy Economy National symbols Language Tourism in Italy Food Religion Grazie
Rome
Rome (Roma in Italian) is the capital city of Italy and of the Lazio region and it has countrys largest population with more than 2.7 million residents. It is located in the centralwestern portion of the Italian peninsula, where the river Aniene joins the Tiber. The Mayor of Rome is Walter Veltroni. An enclave of Rome is the State of the Vatican City, the sovereign territory of the Holy See. It is the smallest nation in the world, and the capital of the only religion to have representation in the United Nations (as a non-member observer state).
Giorgio Napolitano
The President of the Italian Republic is Giorgio Napolitano. As the head of State of Italy, he is intended to represent national unity rather than a particular political tendency. His term of office lasts for seven years. He was elected the President of the Republic on May 10, 2006 at the fourth ballot and he became the eleventh President on the 15th of May, 2006. The President resides in Rome at the Quirinal Palace, and also has at his or her disposal the presidential holdings of Castelporziano, near Rome, and Villa Rosebery, in Naples.
Historical Aspects
Several islands form part of Italy; the largest are Sicily (9,926 sq mi; 25,708 km) and Sardinia (9,301 sq mi; 24,090 km). There are several active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe; Vulcano; Stromboli; and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe.
Economy
The Euro is now the official currency of 12 EU member states (including Italy). The first Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002; the Italian Lira was still in circulation until 28 February 2002, when it was completely replaced by the Euro. Euro () = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of 2, 1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
National Symbols
The Italian Flag: The flag of Italy was officially
adopted on January 21, 1919. The modern Italian flag, the famous tricolour, is derived from an original design by Napoleon. It consists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying the national colours of Italy: green, white and red. Green was said to be Napoleon's favourite colour.
The National Anthem: "Il Canto degli Italiani" (The Song of the Italians), was written in 1847, with lyrics by Goffredo Mameli. Subsequently, the song is often known as L'Inno di Mameli (Mameli's Hymn). When Italy united as a nation in 1861, the song was then known as the "March of the House of Savoy" and it became the official Anthem in 1947, one year after Italy was proclaimed a Republic. To listen to and see the lyrics of the National Anthem, click on the black box. (click on it again to pause the video)
Language
The official language of Italy is Standard Italian, a descendant of the Tuscan dialect and a direct descendant of Latin (Some 75 percent of Italian words are of Latin origin). Numbers 1 10 in Italian : Uno 1 Cinque 5 Nove 9 Due 2 Sei 6 Dieci 10 Tre 3 Sette 7 Quattro 4 Otto 8
Tourism in Italy
Italy has some of the world's most ancient tourist resorts, dating back to the time of the Roman Republic, when destinations such as Pompeii, Naples Ischia, Capri and especially Baiae were popular with the rich of Roman society. Rome, Venice, and Florence are the top three destinations for tourism in Italy. Other major tourist locations include Turin, Milan, Naples, Padua, Bologna, Perugia, Genoa, Sicily, Sardinia, and Cinque Terre. Many northern cities are able to use the Alps as an attraction for winter sports, while coastal southern cities have the Mediterranean Sea to draw tourists looking for sun.
Attractions in Italy
Other attractions
Colosseum
The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there Although it is now in a ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Today, it is one of modern Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlight "Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheatre. The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent coin.
Castel Sant'Angelo.
Castel Sant'Angelo from the bridge. The angel statue on the top depicts the angel from whom the building derives its name.
Museums of Italy
Genoa Museum
Castello DAlbertis
Palazzo Spinola
Palazzo Bianca
Maritime Museum
Other Attractions
Ville Croce
Fontana di Trevi
Pantheon
Religions in Italy
Roman Catholicism is the major religion of Italy. 85% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic. There are mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim community, the latter made up primarily of new immigrants. All religious faiths are provided equal freedom by the constitution. Before the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the state, in the fourth century, the country was officially pagan and worshipped the Roman gods, although there was great religious tolerance.
Italian Cuisine
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