Italy
The Beautiful Land
Italy is known worldwide for its mild weather and its artistic and landscaping heritage. Located in Southern Europe, Italy is a boot-shaped peninsula surrounded by the Alps to the North and by the Mediterranean Sea on the other. Italy has a population of over 60 mln and Rome as its capital.
Italian roots date back to the Palaeolithic period as attested by several preistoric findings. Romans made Italy the cradle of many European cultures and united it for the first time. After that Italy has been divided in several states till the creation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. These territorial division are still recognizable in its language made of several dialects, in its culture made of different customs, and its economic development made of industries to the North and agriculture to the South.
What makes Italy unique is its rich historic and artistic heritage that ranges from roman cities as Pompei and Ercolano to the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, from the Valley of the Temples in Sicily to Renaissance Florence, from the Colosseum in Rome to Milan's gothic Cathedral, from Naples to Venice, from the Stones of Matera to Piazza del Campo in Siena. The list can go on and on including also minor sites such as the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. As a matter of fact Italy has the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (more than 40 sites).
Even thought is not ilisted, the Italian cuisine is part of the World heritage. Delicious and rich it reflects the customs and traditions of every Italian region. Pizza and pasta are definitely the most appreciated and famous dishes. But even regional recipes such as saffron rice, pesto genovese and Florentine Steak are now part of Italian cuisine. Fundamental for every Italian meal is great wine that lists exclusive wines such as Cannonau from Sardinia, Chianti wine from Tuscany, Barolo wine from Piemonte and Verdicchio wine from Marche.
This is what makes Italy the Bel Paese (Beautiful land) where experience your "dolce vita".