Everything you need to know about Italy: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Italy: Roman Country with Rich Past
In the 3 rd century the Roman Civilisation had laid everlasting cultural, social and political foundation of Italy. Italy became a nation in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor Emmanuel II. In 1920 Benito Mussolini established his fascist dictatorship and allied with Germany in the Second World War that ended in a humiliating defeat for the Axis powers. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Italy Profile: Overview of Facts and Figures
Geographical Information on Italy :
Italy is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula.
The climate of Italy is highly diverse ranging from Mediterranean type along the sea to continental climate in the northern regions with snow covered Alps.
Italy Culture, Cuisine and Tradition:
Italian culture has contributed significantly to the advancement of world culture since ages. Italy has produced some fine gems who have contributed in all cultural spheres of literature, music, architecture and sculptures.
The Italian cuisine comprises of food that are naturally derived and high on nutritious value. Italian dishes are full of green vegetables and pulses. Even in non-vegetarian dishes the green vegetables are primarily used. Cheese, fish, meat and desserts are all part of a meal. Pasta, pizza, noodles, spaghettis are all part of Italian cuisine . These foods are served both, in dry form as well as gravy.
Tourist Attractions of Italy:
Tourist attractions in Italy are diverse and endless, attracting millions of visitors every year from all over the world. The diversity of Italy lies in its scenic natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, fascinating art and architecture, or modern cities and beautiful countryside. The most popular tourist attractions in Italy are its amazing architectural masterpieces, museums and art galleries that have excellent collections of art and artifacts.
The Duomo of Milan is the largest and most intricate gothic structure in Italy and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world. Vatican City, an independent state situated in the center of Rome, also has several world-famous tourist attractions, including the famous St Peter's Basilica , the Sistine Chapel and the world-renowned Vatican Museum.
Venice is another most popular tourist destination in Italy, known for its beautiful canals and gondolas. The Grand Canal Venice of Venice is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy. Florence, the capital of beautiful Tuscany region of Italy, is the artistic capital of the country. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the finest museums in the world, displaying wonderful collections of paintings, including masterpieces by renowned artists such as Giotto, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo.
Major Sight-seeing Places in Italy include:
London, May 19 (ANI): Denmark has been crowned the winner of Eurovision song contest 2013 that were held in the Swedish city of Malmo.
Rome, May 17 (IANS) Italy head coach Cesare Prandelli has named his initial 31-man squad for the Confederations Cup, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced.
Rome, May 17 (IANS) Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic brushed aside their opponents to reach the quarter-finals while Rafael Nadal was made to sweat before reaching the final eight of the Rome Masters here.
Mumbai, May 16 (IANS) The cast and crew of "Ghanchakkar" has managed to get a break from working on the movie thanks to sync sound. They didn't have to dub for it.
Paris, May 16 (IANS) Canadian Adham Sharara was re-elected as president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) during the World Championships here.
A study released Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in San Francisco found that talking on a mobile phone causes systolic blood pressure - the higher number in a blood pressure reading and the number doctors pay more attention to as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease - to rise significantly.
Brussels, May 16 (IANS/EFE) The Eurozone's gross domestic product contracted 0.20 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to the prior three-month period, while the European Union's GDP declined 0.10 percent during the January-March period, Eurostat said Wednesday.
Oslo, May 15 (IANS) Norway welcomed India and five other countries after they secured permanent observer status in the inter-governmental forum Arctic Council Wednesday.
Rio de Janeiro, May 15 (IANS) Former FIFA World Player of the Year winners Ronaldinho and Kaka have been left out of Brazil's squad for next month's Confederations Cup.
Rome, May 15 (IANS) FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised the Italian Football Association, claiming that fining AS Roma for racial abuse is not enough.
Kiruna (Sweden), May 15 (IANS) India and China Wednesday got observer status in the Arctic Council along with four other countries.
Rome, May 15 (IANS) Top seed Novak Djokovic and second seed Roger Federer shook off their shock defeats in Madrid to ease past their opponents into the third round of Rome Masters.
New York, May 15 (ANI): France has rated itself as most arrogant among eight European Union nations in a new survey.
Milan, May 15 (IANS) Three people were killed in the northern Italian city of Milan when a pickaxe-wielding illegal immigrant from Ghana went on a rampage, officials said.
London, May 14 (ANI): Prosecutors have said there is 'no doubt' former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had paid for sex with underage prostitute and abused his office to cover it up.
New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) A trade show that is exclusively dedicated to footwear and leatherwear is coming back for the third time to India.
The Hague, May 13 (IANS) Former Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel announced the end of his professional football career.
Madrid, May 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Maria Sharapova will face Serena Williams in the final of the Madrid Open after the Russian No.1 trounced Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday's semifinal.
Amritsar May 11 (ANI): The Italian envoy Daniele Manchini said here today that they want fast and fair trial of the two marines involved in the killing of two Indian fishermen and also suggested that the accused should be tried under Italian jurisdiction.
New York, May 11 (ANI): France is the world's most popular tourist destination, according to a new survey.
Melbourne, May 10 (ANI): The top 10 worst hot spots for traffic on the planet, where an individual will need a lot of extra time to travel, has been revealed.
The 70-year-old singer was performing to a crowd of 47,000 when the creatures crawled on him, reports mirror.co.uk.
Rome, May 9 (IANS/AKI) A gynaecologist has been arrested in a southern Italian city for allegedly selling a teenaged girl's baby to a childless couple for 25,000 euros.
Rome, May 9 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Ottavio Missoni, co-founder of the famous Italian fashion house Missoni, died Thursday at the age of 92, his family said.
Rome, May 9 (IANS) An appeal court in Italy's Milan city Wednesday upheld former premier Silvio Berlusconi's four-year conviction for tax fraud in connection with broadcasting rights bought by his television company.
New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The CBI is preparing letters rogatory as part of its probe into the alleged kickbacks in the VVIP helicopter deal with Augusta Westland, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Wednesday.
London, May 8 (ANI): Amanda Knox, who was convicted for murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher in a sexual game, has rubbished claims from the prosecution in the trial that she is sex hungry.
Rio de Janeiro, May 8 (IANS) Brazil is on target to set a new attendance record for next month's Confederations Cup, world football's governing body FIFA said.
Moscow, May 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia has won four medals at the Chicago Sabre World Cup, including a gold in the men's team event.
Hamilton (Bermuda), May 7 (IANS/CMC) Half-centuries by Pradeep Airee and Sharad Vesawkar helped Nepal beat Uganda by five wickets to secure the 50-overs ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division 3 title at the National Sports Centre.
Rio de Janeiro, May 7 (IANS) Brazil's football confederation (CBF) president Jose Maria Marin has guaranteed the future of national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, even if his team fails to impress during Confederations Cup in June.
Naples, May 7 (IANS/AKI) Anti-mafia police in Italy have arrested 32 people suspected of trafficking waste illegally in the southern Campania region.
Rome, May 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Giulio Andreotti, the man who was seven times prime minister of Italy, has died at the age of 94, family sources said.
London, May 6 (ANI): Sir Paul McCartney has for the first time ever given his live performance of a selection of classic Beatles tracks at the opening night of his world tour in Brazil.
Rome, May 6 (IANS) Juventus head coach Antonio Conte said he will discuss his future with the club following his side retaining the Serie A title with a 1-0 win over Palermo.
London, May 6 (IANS) A woman junior equal opportunities minister in Italy has resigned after allegedly saying that gay people invited discrimination by "ghettoising" themselves, BBC reported.
New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Italian cuisine is not just about pizzas and pastas, it offers a wide range of food - from salads and spicy appetizers to soups and curries.
London, May 5 (ANI): A daily dose of a natural supplement made from pine bark dramatically improved a combination of harmful risk factors known as metabolic syndrome that are a precursor to diabetes, heart disease and stroke, a new research has found.
Rome, May 4 (IANS) The 96th edition of the Giro d' Italia (Tour of Italy) cycling race, which begins Saturday, will feature the first ever Chinese rider to take part.
Oeiras (Portugal), May 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova failed to reach the Portugal Open semifinals after suffering a straight-sets defeat to World No.53 Romina Oprandi.
Rome, May 3 (IANS) Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo revealed that he would retire from the national outfit after the 2014 World Cup and could become a coach.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Indian racing driver Parth Ghorpade will test a Formula 3 car at the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) in the second week of May as part of his prize for winning the Formula Pilota Asian Championship last year.
London, May. 2 (ANI): Christina Hendricks has revealed the secret behind her amazing curves - pasta and cappuccinos.
London, May 2 (ANI): Mario Balotelli's girlfriend Fanny Neguesha has left him - just days after he said that the entire Real Madrid team can have sex with her.
Milan, May 1 (IANS) AC Milan football club issued a statement denying quotes attributed to their striker Mario Balotelli where he is said to have offered his girlfriend as a Champions League incentive to Real Madrid.
New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Barista Lavazza, a popular cafe chain, has introduced a new range of delicacies as well as a pitcher serve for its cold coffees and beverages. There's also a new range of merchandise.
Rome, April 30 (IANS) The Italy Players' Association (Associazione Calciatori) has issued a statement to show their opposition to the salary cap which will be introduced in Serie B football.
Washington, April 30 (ANI): `Iron Man 3`, which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, has set a record for the most successful box office opening in Italy during the month of April.
Washington, April 30 (ANI): A team of neuroscientists has identified a cellular change in the brain that accompanies obesity.
Milan, April 30 (IANS) AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has complained that Serie A match officials are too harsh on him.
Beijing, Apr. 29 (Xinhua-ANI): Italy's new cabinet, lead by Prime Minister Enrico Letta, was sworn in on Sunday, starting their task for breaking the impasse the country had been locked for months.
Washington, Apr 29 (ANI): A US woman who was charged of killing her roommate has claimed that she is "proud" of a string of one-night stands she had as a student and admitted that marijuana was her "vice".
Rome, April 29 (IANS) AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani has confirmed that they will not sell rising star Stephan El Shaarawy at the end of this season.
Washington, April 29 (ANI): Studies continue to unlock the medicinal benefits of tea, which has been touted to help with everything from headaches to depression since Ancient times.
Rome, April 28 (IANS) Two police officials and a pregnant woman passer-by were injured when an "insane man dressed in a suit" fired several shots during the swearing-in ceremony of Italy's newly-appointed government in Rome Sunday.
Washington, Apr. 28 (ANI): Amanda Knox, the American student who had been convicted and then cleared of killing her British room-mate Meredith Kercher, has said that the freedom that she's most grateful for has helped reclaimed her identity that she's not a murderer.
The 46-year-old's candidacy was backed by the centre-left Democratic Party, of which he is a prominent member, and the centre-right People of Freedom to which he is linked by family ties, Xinhua reported.
Rome, April 27 (IANS) Italy's government has ruled that all sporting companies, regardless of whether they are amateur or professional, must own a defibrillator.
Rome, April 27 (IANS/AKI) An Italian legal expert has criticised India's top court for ruling that a national anti-terror body will continue to probe the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fisherman, meaning the pair could face the death penalty.
Rome, April 27 (IANS/AKI) A 27-year-old man died in Italy's Sicily region after a pensioner opened fire at him, allegedly mistaking him for a burglar.
Rome, April 27 (IANS/AKI) An unemployed 44-year-old drug addict has been arrested near Rome after police discovered the decomposed body of his elderly father hidden in the family home.
Rome, April 27 (IANS/AKI) A 25-year-old man died in Italy's Sicily region after his cousin doused him with petrol and set him on fire "for making too much noise".
London, April 26 (ANI): Justin Timberlake, who married actress Jessica Biel in Italy in October last year, seems to be still in the honeymoon phase.
Milan, April 25 (IANS) AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani has said the Rossoneri will "fight for the Scudetto" next season.
New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court will pronounce Friday its order on the Italian government's plea against the invoking of a stringent act and the NIA investigation into the killing of two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast by its two marines February 2012.
Geneva, April 25 (IANS/EFE) The BASELWORLD 2013 watch and jewellery trade show opens this week in the Swiss city of Basel, where more than 2,000 exhibitors from 45 countries, including India, will showcase their wares.
Rome, April 25 (IANS/AKI) A treasurer for Italy's Northern League party has been arrested on charges of fraud and embezzlement while three other politicians were placed under house arrest amid a probe into misuse of public funds.
Rome, April 25 (IANS/AKI) A labourer was arrested in Italy's southern province of Taranto after he wounded his elderly father with an axe.
Rome, April 24 (IANS/AKI) More than half of households in recession-hit Italy are regularly buying food at discount stores and slashing their medical expenses, the central statistics office Istat said.
Rome, April 23 (IANS) Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, sworn in Monday for an unprecedented second term in the country's history, urged political parties to form a coalition government and carry out reforms.
London, April 23 (ANI): Some satellite orbits will become extremely hazardous over the next 200 years if space debris is not actively tackled, a new study has warned.
New Delhi, April 23 (ANI): The Supreme Court has deferred its pronouncement of an order on the question of the National Investigating Agency's (NIA) jurisdiction to probe the case against two Italian marines who allegedly killed Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast last year.
Rome, April 23 (IANS/AKI) A 45-year-old Sri Lankan migrant who police suspected of murdering his wife has died in a hospital in Italy from severe burns after a fire at their apartment.
Milan, April 23 (IANS/AKI) Italy's oil and gas giant Eni has been awarded a deepwater exploration block in Egypt's eastern Mediterranean, the company said.
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court will pronounce Thursday its order on the Italian government's plea against the invoking of a stringent act and the NIA investigation into the killing of two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast by its two marines February 2012.
Beijing, April 22 (IANS) The second stop of IPC Athletics Grand Prix Tour kicked off here Monday, after the first stop held in Dubai last month.
He was a white American born in Romania to a Christian family. He was a callow 22-year-old when he picked Paramhansa Yogananda's 'Autobiography of a Yogi' at a New York book store. The spiritual classic was to transform J. Donald Walters into Swami Kriyananda and make him a lifelong devotee of Sanatan Dharma, a concept of universal religion.
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court will pronounce Thursday (April 25) its order on the Italian government's plea against the invoking of SUA 2002 and investigation by the National Investigation Agency into the killing of two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast by its two marines February 2012.
Yangon, April 21 (IANS) Foreign ministers of the European Union are to meet in Luxembourg Monday to decide on withdrawing all sanctions against Myanmar, exactly a year after the grouping announced suspension of most sanctions for a year except the arms embargo.
Beijing, Apr. 21 (Xinhua-ANI): Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday won election for a second mandate in a move to solve Italy's political impasse.
Rome, April 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was elected for a second term Saturday.
Rome, April 20 (IANS) Italy head football coach Cesare Prandelli has warned striker Mario Balotelli that he will have to learn how to deal with provocation if he is to have a future in the sport.
Budapest, April 20 (IANS) Japan, Kazakhstan and Italy defeated their respective opponents at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A here.
Rome, April 19 (IANS/AKI) A total of 31,351 companies in Italy went bust in the first quarter of this year, the highest figure since 2004, a leading business group said Friday.
Washington, Apr 19 (ANI): 'The Great Gatsby' featuring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role and directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann, will open this year's Cannes festival in 3-D.
Washington, April 19 (ANI): A new research has refuted the idea that all children under the age of ten have the same taste in food and highlighted the importance of the country of residence, culture and age in these preferences.
Sydney, Apr. 19 (ANI): Indians are among the top three nationalities that steal items from hotel rooms abroad.
Monte Carlo, April 18 (IANS) Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 13th, easily made his way past second seed and Olympic champion Andy Murray of Britain here at the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament Thursday.
Rome, April 18 (Xinhua-ANI): Italy's parliament started voting on Thursday morning to elect a successor to President Giorgio Napolitano, whose seven-year term expires in mid-May.
Kolkata, April 17 (IANS) Italians will get a taste of Bengali culture with a documentary feature showcasing the life and times of 19th century Bengali theatre actress Binodini Dasi, popularly known as Notee Binodoni, to be shot in Kolkata and Italy, said a Neapolitan theatre director and actress Wednesday.
New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) "Much Ado About Knotting", a documentary by Geetika Narang Abbasi and Anandana Kapur, has been selected for screening at Poland's forthcoming 10th Planete+Doc Film Festival.
Rio de Janeiro, April 17 (IANS) Former Brazil captain Lucio says the Copa Libertadores clash between Sao Paulo and Atletico Mineiro will be a battle of attrition as both teams cast an eye to the tournament's knockout phase.
Rio de Janeiro, April 17 (IANS/EFE) Seven of Brazil's former justice ministers Tuesday released a letter advocating the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.
Washington, April 17 (ANI): Two international teams of astronomers studying long-lasting gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have concluded that they likely arose from the catastrophic death of supergiant stars hundreds of times larger than the Sun.
Rio de Janeiro, April 17 (IANS) Two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho has been named in Brazil's squad for next week's friendly against Chile.
Rome, April 17 (IANS/AKI) Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti has condemned the bombing at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured over 170, calling it a "cowardly and contemptible act of violence".
Rome, April 16 (IANS/AKI) The two Italian marines facing trial in India for the killing of two Indian fishermen should wear their naval uniforms when they appear before the Supreme Court hearing, an Italian legal expert said.
Budapest, April 16 (IANS) Italy, Kazakhstan and South Korea beat their respective opponents at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A here.
Moscow, April 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia powered into the semi-finals of the Sledge Hockey World Championships Tuesday with a 1-0 defeat of Italy.
New York, April 16 (IANS/EFE) New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art presented Monday Diego Velazquez's Portrait of Francesco I d'Este, one of the Spanish artist's most significant works and which is being shown for the first time in the US.
