Each of us has his own images when it comes to Italy. For some, the country of Italy is historical and cultural monuments, such as the Forum and the Coliseum in Rome, the Palazzo Medici and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, St. Mark's Square in Venice and the famous leaning tower in Pisa. For others, this country is associated with the directorial works of Fellini, Bertolucci, Perelli, Antonioni and Francesco Rosi, the musical works of Morricone and Ortolani, the incomparable acting works of Juliet Mazina, Monica Bellucci, Sophia Loren, Michele Placido, Adriano Celentano. Someone, having heard about Italy, will immediately remember the famous Italian pizza, pasta, fritta and minestrone. The country of Italy is one of the oldest in the world, although it appeared on the political map of the world only a little over a hundred years ago.
A bit of history
Italy had a great influence on the social and cultural development of not only European countries, but of all mankind.
Archaeological artifacts have been found in this country, proving the fact of the settlement of the territory by ancient people. It can be argued that ancient Italy became the starting point in the development of human civilization. The Roman Empire was able not only to conquer large territories and create a powerful state, but also brought its cultural and economic traditions and knowledge to the conquered lands.
Under the onslaught of the Goths, the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, as a result of which many small specific states formed on the Apennine Peninsula.
Modern Italy arose only in 1871 thanks to the efforts of Giuseppe Garibaldi and his associates. This year Rome was declared the capital of the state, which included small kingdoms and duchies.
The twentieth century turned out to be quite difficult and tragic for the Italian Republic. In the period from 1922 to 1945, the country was ruled by fascists led by Benito Mussolini and was involved in the Second World War. In 1946, the last king of Italy - Umberto - abdicated, followed by a rather long crisis. The decline of industry and agriculture, a period of unsuccessful reforms - all this has survived Italy. Europe, like the rest of the world, was surprised to see the transformation and the so-called Italian economic miracle. The development of the country was accompanied by many high-profile political scandals, trials of members of mafia groups, as well as terrorist acts of the “red brigades”.
Today, the country of Italy is one of the highly developed European countries exporting to most countries of the world. Films, cars, fashion clothes and shoes, excellent wines created in this country are in demand all over the world. The hospitality and hospitality of Italians, coupled with the beautiful nature and developed hotel business, contribute to the fact that tourism flourishes here. Italy annually receives many tourists from around the world.
Geographical position
The state of Italy, located in the south of Europe, due to its outlines, is one of the most recognizable in the world on a geographical map. The mainland of the Italian “boot” occupies the Apennine Peninsula and a small part of the Balkan and points toe to the west, towards the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. In addition to these islands, the islands of Capri, Ischia and Elba belong to the Italian Republic. It has borders with countries such as Austria, Slovenia, France and Switzerland. The Vatican and San Marino are two miniature countries that are enclaves and are located on the territory of the state of Italy. The sea washes this country from three sides: from the south - Mediterranean and Ionian, from the east - Adriatic, from the west - Tyrrhenian and Ligurian.
Relief
Most (almost ¾ of the entire territory of Italy) are hills and mountain ranges. From south to north stretch the Apennine mountains with the peak of Korno. The Alps mountain range is located in the northern region of the country. The highest mountain of this massif - Mont Blanc - has a height of 4807 meters. The country of Italy is one of the few in Europe where seismic activity of the earth's crust is recorded and active volcanoes such as Stromboli, Vesuvius and Etna are located.
Plains occupy only 1/5 of its total area, which is 300 thousand square meters. km The largest in area is the Padan Plain, located between the Apennine mountain range and the Alps. There are small plains on the coast.
Rivers and lakes
The rivers of Italy are concentrated mainly in its northern region. The largest of them - Po - flows from the slopes of the Cote Alps and ends its journey in the Adriatic Sea. The Tiber River is the second largest, and it is connected to the Arno River through channels and a system of canals. Both of these rivers, Arno and the Tiber, are unpredictable and notorious for their devastating floods.
Most Italian rivers are short mountain streams that form small river systems or flow directly into the sea. Only Northern Italy can “boast” a developed river system, fueled year-round by a large amount of precipitation and meltwater flowing from glaciers.
Most Italian lakes are located on the Adriatic coast, in the foothills and mountain alpine regions. The largest Lake Garda, with an area of almost 370 km 2 , is located in the Alpine suburbs. Lakes such as Albano, Bracciano, Bolsena, Vico and Nemi, located in the central region of Italy, were formed due to the filling of extinct volcano craters with water. Lakes Lezina, Varano, Valley de Comacchio were formed as a result of the closure of the water of the lagoon with sand barriers. Their depth is shallow, and the water is salty.
Administrative division
The whole country can be conditionally divided into three main regions: north, south and center. Officially, as prescribed in the Constitution of the Italian Republic in Art. 116 of December 11, 1947, it is divided into 20 regions, each of which is divided into provinces. Five of the 20 oblasts are autonomous entities with ethnic and linguistic minorities. In Sardinia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily, Valle d'Aoste and Trentino Alto Adige, in addition to the official Italian language, other official languages are also used.
The Italian provinces are divided into communities (communes), the total number of which is 8101. The communes, like the provinces, vary quite noticeably in the territory and the number of people living in them. The largest communal community is the city of Rome located in the Lazio region, which is also the capital of the entire state. It is located almost in the center of the western region of the Apennine Peninsula, on the banks of the Tiber River, not far from its confluence with the Tyrrhenian Sea. Rome in Italy is not only the capital, but also a political, historical, cultural, tourist center of world significance.
Economic and geographical differences
It is rare in which capitalist countries to see such drastic differences in the level of economic development that the South and North of Italy demonstrate.
The most industrially developed region of Italy is the so-called northern triangle, which includes cities such as Genoa, Milan and Turin. Milan, which is the country's business, trade and industrial center and the second most populated city in Italy, is often called the business capital of the country. Turin is known for its Fiat automobile plant and its production facilities. Genoa has the largest port in Italy, and many industrial enterprises operate in the city and its suburbs. In addition, the Genoese coast is an important resort center.
The northeastern region of the North is much less developed. The most developed city in this area is Venice, most of which comes from tourism. Italy seeks to develop other cities in the region, but along with this, the problem of pollution of the Venice lagoon with industrial and municipal waste arises.
The south of Italy is characterized by a low level of industrial development. Despite the fact that several petrochemical enterprises, nuclear power plants and a metallurgical plant were built in this region in the post-war years, the industrial potential increased slightly. In this region of Italy, agriculture is carried out using inefficient technologies, which leads to low yields. Naples is the most important cultural and economic center of southern Italy. It is the second largest and most important cargo and passenger port of the country.
Northern areas
This beautiful country is unique and unique, like every province in its composition. The north of Italy includes the following regions:
- Trentino Alto Adige;
- Valle d'Aosta;
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia;
- Veneto;
- Emilia Romagna;
- Lombardy;
- Liguria
- Piedmont.
Valle d'Aosta
This area is located on the border of Switzerland and France, surrounded by the highest European mountains - Gran Paradiso, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. Valle d'Aosta is known for its ski centers and resorts such as La Thuile, Cervinia, Pila, Monte Rosa and Courmayeur.
Veneto
Recognized as the brightest and most colorful, this northeastern Italian region, washed by the Adriatic Sea, includes provinces such as Rovigo, Verona, Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Treviso and Belluno. In each of them there are many cities that are considered to be the cultural and historical heritage of the country. It is here that the pearl of Italy is located, the city built on the islands is Venice.
Liguria
From the border of the French Cote d'Azur to Tuscany, this Italian region is located. On the one hand, it is washed by the Ligurian Sea, and on the other, it is surrounded by a ring of mountains. It consists of four areas: Savona, Empire, La Spezia and Genoa. Liguria is the land of flowers, where the sun shines for about 300 days a year, and the slopes of the mountains are covered with groves of olive trees. The Principality of Monaco can be reached by car in just 20 minutes.
Lombardy
This area in northern Italy lies between the Po River and the Alps. Its structure includes such provinces as:
- Bergamo
- Sondrio;
- Brescia
- Pavia;
- Varese
- Monza e Brianza;
- Cremona;
- Milan;
- Como
- Lecco
- Lodi;
- Mantova.
Lombardy is famous for its nature reserves and natural parks, thermal springs and ski resorts. This is one of the richest regions of Italy.
Piedmont
At the foot of the mountains, on the border of Switzerland and France, at the source of the largest Italian river Po, this area is famous for not only historical, natural and cultural attractions. Piedmont is famous all over the world for such wines as Moscato d'Asti, Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbaresco, as well as unique Novarre biscuits and white truffles.
Trentino Alto Adige
This autonomous region, known for its magnificent landscapes and ski resorts, is located on the territory bordering Austria and Switzerland. In the south, this region is adjacent to Veneto, in the west - with Switzerland and Lombardy, and in the north - with Austria, and the border runs along the Alpine mountain range. There are two provinces in this region - Bolzano and Trento. This region is interesting in that in each of its provinces the culture, traditions and even the main language are different. In Bolzano, the official language is German, and most Trento residents speak only Italian. The main income to the region comes from tourism. Trentino Alto Adige is famous for its ski resorts, for example, Madonna di Campiglio.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
It is the easternmost region of northern Italy, bordering Croatia, Austria and Slovenia. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is located on the Adriatic coast and has the status of an administrative region consisting of two historical provinces - Venice-Giulia and Friuli, which, due to various circumstances, had to unite. Despite a rather long coexistence, each of the areas has retained its own characteristics and personality. There are four provinces in this region today: Gorizia, Pordenon, Udine and Trieste. It is here that the most famous white wine Pinot Grigio is produced.
Emilia Romagna
It is considered one of the richest Italian areas. It borders on the Apennine mountains in the south, is washed by the Adriatic Sea in the east, and in the north it is bounded by the Po River. The region is divided into two parts - northwestern Emilia and southeastern Romagna, which borders the Republic of San Marino. The region is famous not only for such popular tourist cities as Modena, Ravenna, Reggio, Rimini and Ferarra. In this area, there are enterprises of such well-known automobile concerns as Dallara, Ducati, De Tomaso, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Morini and Malaguti. And the largest international competitions are regularly held at local racetracks.
Center of Italy
The central regions of Italy include:
- Abruzzo
- Lazio;
- Marche;
- Molise;
- Tuscany
- Umbria
Abruzzo
This Italian region is located in the center of the country, between the coast of the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine mountain range. It borders on areas such as Molise, Marche and Lazio. The structure of Abruzzo includes the provinces of Teramo, Chieti, Pescara and L`Aquila.
Abruzzo is distinguished by a high standard of living and economic stability, which was made possible thanks to the attention of the authorities to both the development of tourism and the support of the agricultural sector. In this area, lovers of mountaineering and skiing, as well as fans of beach vacations will find a place to their liking.
Lazio
This central Italian region is also the capital. It is in Lazio that Rome is located, which is also the main city of this region. There are five provinces in this area: Viterbo, Latina, Rome, Rieti, Frosinone. This region belongs to a small group of volcanic islands in the center of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Marche
In the heart of Italy, on the Adriatic coast is the Marche region. It has six provinces: Ancona, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno, Pesaro, Urbino and Fermo.
First of all, tourists are attracted to this Italian region by the beaches, small and comfortable in Sinigalia or spacious and wide in San Benedetto del Tronto. This region is also interesting for lovers of speleology: many caves, such as Frasassi, are available for visiting.
Molise
Located in southern Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine mountain range. Molise is bordered by Campania in the south, Abruzzi in the north, Lazio in the west and Apuli in the east. There are only two provinces in this area: Isernia and Campobasso. Molise is one of the most industrialized regions of Italy. The exception is the Termoli district, which houses the FIAT small business and the bell plant in Agnone. There are no large cities in the Molise region, and not very large villages are located mainly in the foothills.
Tuscany
This region of central Italy is washed by the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas in the west, and in the east it is limited by the Tosco-Emilian Apennines. Tuscany borders in the east with Umbria and Marche, in the north with Emilia Romagna, and in the south with Lazio. Near the coast of Tuscany there are several islands that form the Tuscan archipelago: Gorgona, Giglio, Giannouti, Montecristo, Pianosa, Sapraya and Elba.
Tuscany includes 10 provinces: Arezzo, Grosseto, Lucca, Livorno, Massa Carrara, Prato, Pisa, Pistoia, Siena and Florence, each of which has its own capital of the same name.
This Italian region, in addition to picturesque landscapes, has many cultural and historical monuments, the most famous of which are concentrated in provinces such as Florence, Siena, Livorno and Pisa. It was in Tuscany that famous personalities such as Leonardo da Vinci and Petrarch, Dante Alighieri and Michelangelo and many others were born and worked.
Umbria
This is a unique Italy. There is no sea or coast. It borders only with Marche, Lazio and Tuscany. Umbria has only two provinces: Terni and Perugia.
Most of the entire territory is made up of hills and mountains. Plains can only be found in the valleys of rivers such as Velino, Nera and the Tiber. On the Velino River, near the city of Terni, is the most famous man-made waterfall Marmore, built by the ancient Romans.
Large-scale industry in the region is poorly developed, with the exception of the city of Terni, where metallurgical, chemical, and machine-building enterprises are located. Perugia has small food, textile and craft factories.
Southern Italy
These regions of Italy are located in the southern region of the Apennine Peninsula and include such large islands as Sardinia and Sicily, which occupy about 40% of the country. These are the following regions:
- Puglia
- Sardinia
- Basilicata
- Sicily;
- Campaign;
- Calabria
Puglia
Washed by the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, Apulia is the easternmost Italian region. There are five provinces in this area: Brindisi, Bari, Lecce, Tarento and Foggia. This is a traditionally agricultural region of Italy, which ranks first in the production of olive oil and wine.
On the territory of this region are concentrated many traces and monuments of various civilizations, from the Paleolithic to the end of the Renaissance.
Basilicata
This southern Italian region in the southeast is washed by the Ionian, and in the southwest by the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the south, Basilicata borders with Calabria, and in the east and north - with Puglia. The region is divided into two provinces: Potenza and Materu. Basilicata is a rather harsh region, and almost half of its territory is mountains, only 1/10 of the entire area is plains. The entire plain part is crossed by rivers, which swamped it. Today, most swamps have already been drained.
This southern region of Italy is not spoiled by the attention of vacationers, since the development of tourism began only in the last few years. Pollino National Park and thermal spas in Rappola are already operating. Many interesting historical and cultural artifacts can be seen in the natural archeological park of Murja, as well as in the museums of Metaponto, Venoso and other cities in the region.
In addition, there are many ski resorts in Basilicata with the main tourist center in La Sellata Perfaone.
Calabria
This area is located on the very “toe” of the Italian “boot”, mostly on the peninsula of the same name. It borders on Calabria in the north with Basilicata, in the west it is washed by the Tyrrhenian, and in the east and south by the Ionian Sea. This region is separated from the island of Sicily by the Strait of Messina. There are five provinces: Vibo Valentia, Catanzaro, Crotone, Cosenzo and Reggio Calabria.
The region has long been known as the agrarian region, and today it is actively developing as a tourist region. To do this, there is everything you need: beautiful nature and warm seas, as well as numerous historical monuments left after the Greeks, Romans and Normans.
Calabria, among other things, is also the most seismically active region of Italy. The greatest number of earthquakes in the last three hundred years has occurred in this region.
Campaign
From the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the borders with the regions of Basilicata and Lazio, the southern Italian region, Campania, extends. This entire area is divided into the following provinces: Avellino, Caserta, Benevento, Naples, Salerno. For the region, the most characteristic areas of activity are agriculture, winemaking and fishing. Shipbuilding is actively developing in port cities. The tourism business is also represented in this area. The Campania region, in the pace and level of its development, is in the top ten and is considered one of the most promising Italian regions.
Sicily
Sicily is located on the island of the same name, as well as on the adjoining Liparic, Pelagic, Aegadian islands. The territory of the region is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Catania, Messina, Caltanissetta, Ragusa, Palermo, Trapani, Syracuse, Enna. Sicily is separated from mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina.
Today, only Sicily in the entire Italian Republic has its own parliament, located in Palermo - the capital of the island. There are many historical and cultural Greek and Byzantine monuments and attractions. But the main object of tourist interest is the active volcano Etna, in addition, the beautiful beaches of Pozzallo and Isola Bella and magnificent landscapes and landscapes.
Sardinia
The island of Sardinia, the second largest, is located between Corsica and Sicily. Sardinia is an autonomous region of Italy, very different both in its main language - Sardinian and ethnic composition of the population. On the west side, the island is washed by the Sardinian Sea, and on all the rest by the Tyrrhenian Sea.
There are eight provinces in autonomy: Medio Campidano, Cagliari, Nuoro, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sassari, Ollastri, Oristano and Olbia-Tempio. The main port and capital of Sardinia is Cagliari. There is no industry on the island, which favors the conservation of nature.
Capital of Italy
“Eternal city” - that's what Rome is called. It was founded on April 21, 753 BC. e. in the very center of the Apennine Peninsula. It stands on seven hills: Aventina, Viminal, Quirinale, Palantine, Celia, Esquiline and, of course, the most famous - Capitol. It was Rome that was destined to become the center of one of the greatest civilizations of mankind.
From Roman civilization, law and architecture, philosophy and management principles, the Latin language, which formed the basis of a whole group of languages, came to us. According to legend, the very first village was built by Romulus on the Palantine hill. Romulus is one of two twin brothers, sons of the god Mars, whom the she-wolf saved and nurtured. A lot of books and scientific studies have been written about the history, ups and downs of Rome. The city received its modern status as the capital of Italy in 1861, but actually became it in December 1870.
The center of modern Rome is Piazza Venezia, located at the foot of Capitol Hill. In the very center of this square is a monument to the first king, who became the head of the united Italy, - Victor Emmanuel II. The Italians themselves call this monument a "wedding cake", for a huge variety of details and decorations.
The western part of the square is decorated with the Palace of Venice, built in 1455. Today it houses the National Museum of the Palace of Venice and the Chere Museum. Wax presents wax figures of famous political and historical figures, cultural and art figures. The National Museum of the Palace of Venice displays a collection of works by artists of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as various household items and weapons.
Piazza Venezia gives rise to all the main Roman streets: the Plebiscite, November Fourth (going to the Coliseum), Victor Emanuel Avenue (leading to St. Peter's Basilica), Via del Corso. If you go along the Via del Corso, and then along the street Condotti, then you will go out to Plaza de España.
In order to describe all the monuments, squares, palaces and sights of Rome, a multivolume encyclopedia is not enough. Remembering the wisdom of the people, it is better to see once than hear a hundred times, do not look at Rome and all of Italy with your own eyes?