According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, Italy or officially the Italian Republic is located in the central southern part of Europe and consists for the most part of a boot-shaped peninsula. In addition, a large number of islands belong to the country. The largest of these are Sardinia and Sicily. The capital is Rome and within the borders of Italy there are two independent states, Vatican City and San Marino.

In ancient times, Italy was the center of the Roman Empire that grew over the centuries into the largest empire in Europe. Remains from this period can still be found in many places in Europe. The power of the Romans would last until the end of the fifth century AD. After the Romans, Italy fell into decline, much of the country’s beauty was lost. The city of Rome remained the leader of the Catholic Church during this period and as a result still had a large predominance in large parts of Europe. In the centuries that followed, Italy was wholly or partly dominated by the Arabs, Ostrogoths, the Franks (led by Charlemagne) and the Normans. From the eleventh century, Italy again plays a significant role with cities such as Pisa, Genoa and Venice. It is also during this period that Dante writes his “Divine Comedy”. This is seen as the start of Italian literary culture. After this, the Italian Renaissance began with famous names such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Rafael.

After the Reformation, the power of the church and therefore of Italy declined sharply in Europe. After the Congress of Vienna, the unification of Italy began, which previously consisted of several independent kingdoms and states. This led to the first Italian state in 1961. However, it would take until the end of World War II before present-day Italy was formed.

Italy has now become one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe. Millions of tourists flock to the country every year. Most tourists stay here in one of the cities, on a lake or on the coast. It doesn’t really matter where you go in Italy, the scenery is always beautiful and the food is delicious. It is not for nothing that Italian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the world.

Sights

There are many places of interest in Italy. Most of these sights have to do with Italy’s long history dating all the way back to the Romans and beyond. Some of the most famous sights in Italy date back to this time. Think, for example, of the town of Aosta, the Colosseum, the town of Pompeii at the foot of Vesuvius, in addition, there are many amphitheatres, aqueducts and other Roman buildings.

A completely different attraction is Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre consists of five beautifully colored villages along the coast of the Liguria region. The five villages are connected by a footpath from which you have a beautiful view over the villages and the coast.

One of the most famous sights in Italy is the city of Venice. This city built on the water is known for its beautiful palazzos, the narrow canals filled with gondolas, the “bridge of sighs” and St. Mark’s Square. Other famous cities in Italy Milan, Rome, Florence, Naples and Pisa. All these cities have their own special features and almost all of them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List in their entirety. The most famous sights in Florence are the Ponte Vecchio, the Cathedral of Florence and the Duomo. The most famous sights of Rome are the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Pantheon. Within the borders of this city is also Vatican City. The most famous buildings in Milan are the Duomo of Milan, Castelle Sforzesco and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

In addition to all these famous buildings, there are of course also many beautiful museums, natural parks and other places of interest in Italy. Think for example of Lake Maggiore with its beautiful Borromean islands and the Tuscany region. This text does not do justice to the beauty of Italy, because it is not possible to list all the sights of this country in one text. For this we can only advise you to see the country with your own eyes

UNESCO

In 2013, a total of nearly fifty different inscriptions on the World Heritage List were registered in Italy. This number is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The first registration in Italy took place in 1979. This concerned the rock paintings in the Val de Camonica in Lombardy. A year later, the church “Santa Maria delle Grazie” followed, containing Leonardo da Vinci’s famous mural of the last supper. In this year, the historic center of Rome was also added to the list. This was followed by some of Italy’s most famous landmarks, such as the historic center of Florence, Venice, Pisa Cathedral, and the historic centers of Naples and Siena.

In the years that followed, several beautiful churches, cathedrals, historic centers and entire cities were added to the list. A number of natural monuments were also added, such as the Dolomites and Etna.

Some of the entries must share Italy with one of the neighboring countries such as Switzerland. Others such as the prehistoric pile dwellings in the Alps stretched across different countries such as Germany, France, Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland. A special mention deserves the Sassi added in 1993 and the park with the rock churches of Matera.

Climate

There are three different climate types in Italy. Most of the north of Italy has a temperate maritime climate with pleasant, but cool summers and mild winters. Precipitation in this part of Italy is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The Mediterranean climate occurs in the central and southern part. This climate type is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters. The high mountain climate occurs in the extreme north of Italy. This type of climate is characterized by the extremely low temperatures that can occur here and the large amounts of snow that falls in the winter months and then remains for a long time.

In terms of weather, the spring months are often the best months to visit Italy. The days are already pleasantly warm without it getting hot. During this period, the average precipitation gradually decreases and the hours of sunshine increase.

The summer months in Italy can get quite hot, especially in the southern part of the country and on the various islands. The mercury will regularly reach forty degrees Celsius during this time of the year and sometimes even over it. These are temperatures that will not occur so quickly in the northern part of the country.

In the north of Italy it is possible to do winter sports in the winter months. It is mainly the Dolomites that are very popular as a winter sports area.

Geography

Italy is located in the central southern part of Europe. The country consists of a boot-shaped peninsula, a piece of land between the peninsula and the Alps and a number of islands of which Sicily and Sardinia are the largest. Italy has land borders with France, Slovenia, Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City. The last two are enclaves within Italy. The country is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ligurian Sea. These seas are all part of the Mediterranean Sea.

Italy has a mountainous landscape with the Alps and the Apennines in the north running the entire length of Italy. Famous mountains in Italy are the Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, Bernina and the Stelvio. The highest mountain in Italy is Mont Blanc at 4810 meters. It has long been thought that this mountain was the highest mountain in Europe, but it is reserved for Mount Elbrus in Russia in the Caucasus. The Mont Blanc is now the thirteenth highest mountain in Europe. Besides well-known mountains, there are also some well-known volcanoes in Italy. Of these, Mount Etna, Vulcano, Stromboli and Vesuvius are the best known.

The largest and most important rivers in Italy are the Po, the Piave, the Adige, the Arno, the Tiber and the Volturno. There are also several large lakes in Italy. The largest and best known of these are the Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Garda.

In addition to the mainland of Italy, there are also a number of islands to the country. The largest are Sardinia and Sicily. Other famous islands belonging to Italy are Capri and Elba. Furthermore, there are a lot of smaller islands off the coast in a lake or in a river to Italy, the majority of these islands are uninhabited.

Rome is the capital of Italy, but there are many more large impressive cities in the country. The best known of these are Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Venice and Verona.

Travel advice

There are no special security risks for a trip to Italy. There are no other safety risks in Italy than those in the Netherlands. So be alert if you are in a big city or at major tourist attractions. Thieves and pickpockets can roam here. In addition, you have to be extra careful in public transport and in large crowds.

As in the rest of Europe, there is a general threat of terrorism in Italy. Italy is located in an earthquake prone area. Earthquakes can occur here every few years. The last major earthquake happened here in 2012.

Travel documents

Italy has been part of the Schengen countries since 1990 and since 1997 residents of the other Schengen countries can travel freely to and from Italy. However, as in the Netherlands, people are obliged to identify themselves, this also applies to children. There are severe penalties for possessing both soft and/or hard drugs, as well as trading them.

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