ITALY- THE MOST VISITED COUNTRY
It is little surprise that Italy ranked as the most popular world destination for Italty holidays and Italy package deals. From the greatest Western Art to the most varied World History the democratic republic of Italy has much to offer every type of holidaymaker and for those on seeking Italy package deals.
Italy has encompassed such ancient cultures such as the Etruscans and the Roman Empire. Italy was also the birthplace of Universities and the country renewed the development of europe from the dark ages with the Renaissance. This period was one of great scientific and artistic endeavour with scientists such as Galileo, writers such as Dante and artists such as Michaelangelo and Raphael.
Italy is shaped like a boot and it’s peninsula is surrounded by the Tyrrhenian sea to the East and the Adriatic to the West. France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia border the country to the North. The Apennine mountains form the peninsula’s backbone. The Italian Alps which Hannibal famously traversed with elephants forms it’s northern boundary. Several Islands are governed by Italy which include Sicily and Sardinia. The largest active Volcano in Europe; Etna is in Sicily. Vesuvius in the province of Naples is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. The climate is variable from the meditteranean south to the mountainous central belt and North. Italy’s climate and natural attractions make Italy holidays, including Italy package deals very popular.
The nation is subdivided into twenty regions. Which before the United Kingdom of Italy in 1861 were independent states. The most populous of these regions are Lazio, the Veneto and Lombardy. The most populous city is Rome in the Lazio region with 2.7 million inhabitants. Milan in Lombardy has 1.3 million inhabitants while the Southern city of Naples 975,000 people living in its city.
While Italians (56.2 million) form the major ethnic group there are sizeable minorities in Italy with there own languages. There are 625,000 Romanians living in Italy and 555,000 North africans. Albanians, Chinese, Ukrainian and South American’s make up more minorities.
Italy is the seventh largest economy in the world in GDP figures in 2006 behind the United States, Japan, Germany, China, the UK and France. According to the OECD in 2004 Italy was the sixth largest exporter of manufactured goods.
Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO world heritage sites. This includes diverse tourist attractions such as the Rock Drawings of Valcamonica, the Historic centres of Rome, Florence, Vicenza, Venice, Ferrara, Siena, Naples,Urbino, Verona and Syracuse. Major archaeological areas of Pompei, Herculaneam and Agrimento are also World heritage sites.
Italian painting is pre-eminent in Western culture with giants such as Titian and Tintoretto gracing Venice while Michaelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Bernini and Raphael painted and sculpted the church’s and public places of Rome and Florence. The revival of Italian art came in the twentieth century with the surrealist Giorgio de Chrico and the futurism of Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla. Italy’s art and culture make it popular for Italy holidays
In literature Petrarch invented the sonnet which Shakespeare used to write his verse while Dante wrote one of the greatest works of the middle ages ; the Divina Comedia or divine comedy. Modern literary figures include Giosue Carducci, Grazia deledda and Salvatore Quasimodo.
Italy holidays are perfect for those who seek culture, history and well as sun and sand. Whether you seek Italy package deals, or Rome City breaks, Italy is sure to please.