Europe’s 10th largest nation (the UK ranks at No.11) boasts world-famous cuisine, spectacular mountain ranges, breath-taking cultural landmarks and charming coastal communities. Its cities are among the most visited destinations on the continent, so come join us as we explore some fun facts about Italy. Informative, strange and often intriguing, they will certainly add flavour to your adventures around the country.
Fun facts about Italy: a historical perspective
The history of Italy stretches back through antiquity when, according to legend, Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus. The famous depiction of them being suckled by a she-wolf gained notoriety as the mighty Roman Empire dominated the world and remains one of the country’s most potent symbols. The most famous of Italy’s many rulers is undoubtedly Julius Caesar, who is forever enshrined in Shakespeare’s famous play. Augustus (27 BC-AD 14) was the first emperor and Romulus Augustus was the last, before the empire fell to the barbarian horde.
During the Renaissance, several city-states rose to power, each ruled by dynasties as ducal territories. Of these, the Sforzas of Milan and the Medici of Florence stand head and shoulders above the rest; they almost single-handedly transformed the cities into wealthy and powerful centres for culture and commerce. The unification of these individual territories into modern Italy occurred between 1848 and 1871 with the exploits of Cavour and Garibaldi.
Trivia: Rome is actually the third capital of Italy, preceded by Florence and Turin.
Fun facts about Italy: a few geographical titbits
Unsurprisingly, the most fun fact about Italy is its iconic shape. Affectionately known as “Lo Stivale” by the locals, the rest of us have come to appreciate the enormous charm of “the boot” at the southern end of Europe. One thing is for sure: regardless of where you’re from, it’s always easy to locate the country on a world atlas.
Did you know that Italy shares a border with six different countries? The nation counts France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Merino and Vatican City as its immediate neighbours. The first three, the northern nations, all share the iconic Alpine mountain range, while Slovenia sits along the eastern border. San Marino and Vatican City are actually two independent territories, or “microstates”, located within Italy’s borders.
Italy has a huge number of mountains, and the enigmatic Mont Blanc in the Alps is Europe’s highest peak, at just under 16,000 ft. Meanwhile, the Apennines range stretches the length of the country from Turin to Sicily. These mountains are responsible for three of the world’s most famous volcanoes: Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius, which are still active and erupt periodically. Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, is located at Etna National Park in Catania, Sicily.
Trivia: Italy is surrounded by four individual bodies of water: the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas to the west; the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south.
Fun facts about Italy: political structure and economy
Italy was a kingdom before it became a republic (in 1946). It currently has a president; though this is only a ceremonial position. The Prime Minister holds the reins of power just like the UK and governs the country from the capital, Rome. While it also shares a bicameral (two-tier) system with the UK, Italy is made up of a Senate (equivalent to our House of Lords) and a Chamber of Deputies, which is their version of the House of Commons.
As a founding member of the European Union, Italy’s economy ranks eighth largest in the world and the fourth largest in Europe. For comparison, the UK comes in at number six on the global ranks and second on the continent. Tourism is one of the main drivers of the economy, and when it comes to annual visitors, Italy draws them by the tens of millions to claim the fifth spot on the global charts.
The nation also produces a significant quantity of luxury sports cars. In fact, some of the world’s fastest and most iconic brands like Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo are all made in Italy. Only one of these, however, can claim to be champion of Formula One; if you are a dedicated Tifosi fan, Maranello in the province of Modena is considered hallowed ground.
Trivia: Ferrari Scuderia holds the record for F1 World Championships, with 16 Constructors and 15 Drivers titles.
Fun facts about Italy: culture and society
The country is one of the world’s cultural capitals and its impressive list of 58 UNESCO World Heritage sites has long led the way in this category. Florence is revered as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, gifting to the world a spectacular list of artists. Painters and sculptors like Della Francesca, Botticelli and Michelangelo keep company with writers/poets including Dante Alighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio. Dante is considered the father of the modern Italian language and his Divine Comedy ranks alongside Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales as the two greatest works of the Medieval period.
Italians may live a beautiful life, but it is a little-known fact that for some Italians, it’s also a very long one. Life expectancy rates in this nation are among the highest in Europe and the second-highest in the world after Japan. The southern island of Sardinia holds the distinguished honour of being among the world’s five Blue Zones, where reaching the age of 90 is the norm rather than the exception. If you want to discover their secrets to eternal youth, booking a trip to the island is the best way to start.
Trivia: the University of Bologna predates the University of Oxford by about 12 years as the world’s oldest institution of higher learning still in existence.
Fun facts about Italy: exploring Italian cuisine
When it comes to food, few countries can match the culinary delights of Italy. From pasta (in all its delicious varieties) to the delectable sauces that flavour them; from sweet desserts like tiramisu and cannoli to breakfast beverages like cappuccino and espresso, Italy has transformed the ritual of eating into a fine art and spread its influence far across the globe.
The most famous food in Italy by a mile is pizza, which is traditionally made as pies; though, the Sicilians favour the square slices that bear its name. Among pasta dishes, spaghetti, linguini and lasagne are hugely popular, while Bolognese is the ragu or sauce most widely used. Moreover, the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region is widely regarded as the country’s food capital. To delve deeper into the wonderful world of Italian cuisine, you can read our blog post entitled “Italian Food Traditions”.
Trivia: the average Italian consumes about 55 lbs of pasta annually.
Fun facts about Italy: miscellaneous facts
There are a few other items that deserve a place on our list of interesting Italian facts. For example, we can’t ignore the fact that despite its universal appeal, ice cream is actually less nutritious than gelato. Another fascinating one is the meaning of the word tiramisu. If you break it down, tira (pulls), mi (me), su (up/over) really refers to a pick-me-up, which is what the legendary dessert was designed to do after the customary multi-course Italian dinner.
For sheer imagination alone, we have to include the fact that the city of Venice was built to protect locals from invading barbarians, and over the centuries it’s estimated that more than 10 million logs have been used to keep it afloat. Unfortunately, the city is sinking at an accelerated rate due to over-construction and climate changes, so if you’ve never visited, the clock is quite literally ticking. Lastly, there’s an impressive wine fountain near Pescara that flows every hour on the hour, 365 days a year, and was originally installed to quench thirsty pilgrims from Rome.
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