Italy

1. Italy

2. Customs • Italians dress well and seem to have an inborn sense of elegance and style. • They rarely loaf around in shorts or jogging pants • Italians consider bathing costumes, skimpy tops and flip-flops or sandals with no socks strictly for the beach or swimming pool, and not the street, restaurants or shops. • They also choose the occasions when they wear jeans carefully, as these aren’t thought appropriate for a classy restaurant or church.

3. Cultures • Festivals and holidays in Italy: • There is always a reason to celebrate in Italy, whether it's an historical event, religious holiday, or festival. There are many festivals and holidays in Italy, for example, Christmas (Il Natale), Easter (BuonaPasqua!), etc. • Dancing in Italy: • As in many countries, dancing is an important component of Italian culture. Once such dance, the Tarantella (Tarantula), originated in the Middle Ages, and is said to be probably the most recognized song of all the Italian folklore music.

4. Cultures • Drink & food in Italy: • One of the most enjoyable ways to learn a language is over a meal or in a bar, chatting to native speakers. It is a good idea to brush up on your Italian skills for ordering food and drink prior to departure on holiday abroad. Learn to cook this delicious food with this list of Italian recipes. • Italian Literature: • There are a number of Italian texts, both classic and contemporary, that are must-reads for anyone interested in the history, culture, and language of Italy. Whether it's a trip to hell and back, a year's worth of love poems, or ribald, coarse humor during the plague, there's a tale for everyone.

5. Religion • Roman Catholicism is the main religion in Italy. 85% of native born citizens are Catholic. • About 30% - 40% of the population attend church. • Today the second most largest religion in Italy is Muslim. There is a total of 700,000 Muslim followers in Italy. • However the majority of the muslim followers are either recent immigrants or second generation immigrants.

6. SomeTuristic Places The greatest remnant of the antiquity, the archetypal amphitheater, an engineering wonder, the epitome of architectural excellence, a standing proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world 1. Colosseum (Colosseo)

7. 2. AncientPompeii Back in AD 79, Vesuvius was just a large hill to those who lived around the today's bay of Naples. Little did they realize that the immense cloud that cast over the eastern sky on a sunny August afternoon heralded the end of the prosperous Roman town

8. 3. Amalfi Coast to Capri Boat Excursion The Amalfi Coast is a holiday paradise, ideally to be stayed in for as long as possible. The range of the Lattari mountains, directly exposed to the sea, forms an indented coastline with multicolored villages growing out of Mediterranean vegetation.

9. 4. Vatican is an entirely separate state, the access to its magnificent collections is only through Rome. Centered on the splendid St Peter's Basilica and Piazza San Pietro, it is the spiritual hub of the Catholic world and one of Rome's most eagerly visited areas.

10. 5. Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) In the maze of narrow, meandering streets, Rome hides a sparkling jewel held to be a triumphant example of Baroque finesse and the natural artistry of water- one of the world's most stunning fountains and a work of art in one. Trevi is not just a cold piece of marble.

11. Climate In central Italy, beyond the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, the climate is milder and wetter with a less pronounced difference between summer and winter temperatures. Summer lingers longer and city centres, such as Florence, Siena and Rome can experience stifling humidity especially during July and August. In the south, summers are far hotter and drier and temperatures more akin to those in North Africa prevail, often reaching above 30°C. Snow is rare and winter is especially mild, making the southern tip of the peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia ideal late season destinations.

12. Languages • Italian is the official language of Italy, • and 93% of population are native • Italian speakers. • Around 50% of population speak a • regional dialect as mother tongue. • Friulian, one of these dialects, is • spoken by 600,000 people in the north • east of Italy, which is 1% of the entire • population.

13. History The history of Italy can be characterized as two periods of unity separated by a millennia and a half of division. In the sixth to third centuries BCE the Italian city of Rome conquered Peninsular Italy; over the next few centuries this empire spread to dominate the Mediterranean and Western Europe. After the Italian part of the Roman Empire declined and “fell” in the fifth century Italy was the target of several invasions, and the previously united region broke apart into several smaller bodies, including the Papal States, governed by the Catholic Pope. Unification and independence movements for Italy developed ever stronger voices in the nineteenth century after Napoleon created a short lived Kingdom of Italy. A war between Austria and France in 1859 allowed several small states to merge with Piedmont. Modern Italy is democratic republic, and has been since the modern constitution came into effect in 1948. This followed a referendum in 1946 which voted to abolish the previous monarchy by twelve million votes to ten.

14. Bibliography • http://opentravel.com/Things-To-Do-In-Italy-Attractions • http://www.italianlanguageguide.com/culture/ • http://opentravel.com/Things-To-Do-In-Italy-Attractions

15. ITALY, AN INCREDIBLE CITY TO LIVE AND VISITHOPE YOU LIKED IT!