Italian lasagne

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Capalbio and the Maremma

The Maremma, part of the Regions of Tuscany and Lazio, runs along the Tyrrhennian Sea, a zone of mostly plains; as Dante reminds us in Canto XIII of The Inferno, it begins in Cecina (Livorno) and ends in Tarquinia (Viterbo), and in those days was known as Corneto: "Non han sì aspri sterpi né sì folti, quelle fiere selvagge che 'n odio hanno, tra Cecina e Corneto i luoghi cólti."
The Maremma is divided into three distinct parts: that central and most well-known near Grosseto, extensive and rich in flora; that south, in Lazio, comprising the shores of Viterbo Province; and that north, near Pisa, belonging to the Province of Livorno.

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Amalfi Coast

The territory

Amalfi Coast is situated on the Sorrento peninsula. We find the "Lattari mountain", which rocks are "calcareous-dolomitic". The ground of the coast is very fertile, thanks to the Vesuvio's eructions that has always been covert by pyroclastic materials. The highest crew of the Peninsula of Sorrento are "monte S. Angelo a tre pizzi", 1443 mts high, above Positano, "monte Cerreto", 1316 mts high, near Ravello. Following the Lattari Mountain we meet other crews, "monte Rotondo","monte Candelotto" and "monte Finestra". This last crew throw itself in the Tirreno Sea, from Cape "d'Orso". The coast has many valley, born throught the water erosion of little river, as Canneto, Dragonea, Sambuco and where the people built our towns. The clima of the coast is typically mediterranian, but we can find some micro-clima as in the "Valle delle Ferriere", between Amalfi and Scala, rich of water, where leave some rare ferns, like the "woodwardia radicans".

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Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast

Naples Bay rounds out any trip to Italy with an antipasto misto of travel thrills. Serene Sorrento, an hour south of Naples' urban intensity, is a great home base and the gateway to the much-drooled-over Amalfi Coast. From the jet-setting island of Capri to the stunning Amalfi towns, from ancient Pompeii to even more ancient Paestum, this is Italy's coast with the most. Naples is Italy in the extreme — its best (birthplace of pizza and Sophia Loren) and its worst (home of the Camorra, Naples' "family" of organized crime).

On a quick trip, give the entire area — including Sorrento and Naples — a minimum of three days. With Sorrento as your sunny springboard, spend a day in Naples, a day exploring the Amalfi Coast, and a day split between Pompeii and the town of Sorrento. While Paestum (Greek temples), Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum (an ancient Roman site like Pompeii), and the island of Capri are decent options, they are worthwhile only if you give the area more time.

For a blitz tour from Rome, you could have breakfast on the early Rome–Naples express train (about 7:00–9:00), do Naples and Pompeii in a day, and be back in Rome in time for Letterman. That's exhausting, but more memorable than a fourth day in Rome.

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History and Government of Italy

Early History

The rise of the Roman Empire has been the subject of much fascination, intrigue and interest from scholars, artists, travellers and students around the world, and through the ages. Dominating the world for many centuries, the modern world can pay great respect to the fruits of this mighty civilisation, with many important scientific inventions, art movements, architectural triumphs and philosophical ideas being born during Roman civilisation - most notably during the Renaissance. 

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Literature OF ITALY

Italian literature began after the founding of Rome in 753 BC. Roman, or Latin literature, was and still is highly influential in the world, with numerous writers, poets, philosophers, and historians, such as Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Virgil, Horace, Propertius, Ovid andLivy. The Romans were also famous for their oral tradition, poetry, drama and epigrams. Even though most of these were inspired from the Ancient Greeks, Roman epigrams were usually far more satyrical, sometimes using obscene language to give them an exciting effect. Most of the Roman epigrams were inscriptions or graffiti.

The basis of the modern Italian Literature in the Italian language, strictly speaking, begins with the early years of the 1200s. Among the influences at work in its formation must first be mentioned the religious revival wrought by St. Francis of Assisi. Therefore, it is considered the first "Italian voice" in literature.

Another Italian voice originated in Sicily. At the court of emperor Frederick II, who ruled the Sicilian kingdom during the first half of the 1200s, lyrics modeled on Provençal forms and themes were written in a refined version of the local vernacular. The most important of these poets was the notary Giacomo da Lentini, reputed to have invented the sonnet form.

Guido Guinizelli is considered the founder of the Dolce Stil Novo, a school that added a philosophical dimension to traditional love poetry. This new understanding of love, expressed in a smooth, pure style, influenced some Florentine poets, especially Guido Cavalcanti and the young Dante Alighieri. Dante's The Divine Comedy is a masterpiece of world literature, helped create the Italian literary language. Furthermore, the poet invented the difficult terza rima for his epic journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.

The two great writers of the 1300s, Petrarch and Boccaccio, sought out and imitated the works of antiquity and cultivated their own artistic personalities. Petrarch achieved fame through his collection of poems, the Canzoniere. Petrarch's love poetry served as a model for centuries. Equally influential was Boccaccio's Decameron, one of the most popular collections of short stories ever written.

Alessandro Manzoni, one of Italy's greatest 19th-century writers.

Italian Renaissance authors produced a number of important works. Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the world's most famous essays on political science. Another important work of the period, Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, is perhaps the greatest chivalry poem ever written. Baldassare Castiglione's dialogue The Book of the Courtier describes the ideal of the perfect court gentleman and of spiritual beauty. The lyric poet Torquato Tasso in Jerusalem Delivered wrote a Christian epic, making use of the ottava rima, with attention to the Aristotelian canons of unity.

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Culture of Italy

From antiquity until the mid-17th century, Italy was considered as the central place of Western culture and the starting point of worldwide phenomena such as the Roman Empire, Roman Catholic Church, cultural and educational reform and new beginning. During this period, Italy gave birth to a number of famous painters, sculptors, poets, musicians, mathematical and architects those created a niche of their own in history.

Both the internal and external facets of Western culture were born on the Italian peninsula, whether one looks at the history of the Christian faith, civil institutions (such as the Senate), philosophy, law,^[1] art, science, or social customs and culture. Furthermore, the country played a leading role in the fight against the death penalty.

Italy was home to many well-known and influential civilizations, including

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ITALIAN CULTURE AND HISTORY

The Italian Language

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. Many dialects are mutually unintelligible and thus considered by linguists as separate languages, but are not officially recognised. Friulian, one of these dialects, is spoken by 600,000 people in the north east of Italy, which is 1% of the entire population. Other northern minority languages include Ladin, Slovene, German, which enjoys equal recognition with Italian in the province of Alto-Adige, and French, which is legally recognised in the Alpine region of the Val d'Aosta. 

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Italian Culture and Traditions

Sport

As with many European countries, football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Italy. Other sports such as rugby and volleyball are also enjoyed. In areas of Italy, where the Americans stayed during the Second World War, there is a strong, although small, following of the sport of baseball.

Music and Dance

In Italy, traditional music differs from region to region and is heavily influenced by its historical past. In the northern region of Italy, for example, music has strong Celtic influences, while the southern half of the country has hints of Greek and Arabic influences. Most traditional music is rich in religious meaning.[1]

Sardinia is known for its distinctive polyphonic style of chanting. Similarly, the Sardinian ‘launeddas’ or triple pipe, a triple clarinet like woodwind instrument dating at least as far back as the 8^th century, has a polyphonic sound and is played using circular breathing.

Sicily has a variety of associated styles of music with strong Christian influences. Traditionally, the music of Sicily is recognized for its devotional choir songs. The traditional instrument of Sicily is the flute.

Opera is a w

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Fashion and design in ITALY

The Italian fashion industry is one of the country's most important manufacturing sectors and one of the jewels in the crown of the "Made in Italy" brand. The majority of the older Italian couturiers are based in Rome. However, Milan is seen as the fashion capital of Italy because many well-known designers are based there and it is the venue for the Italian designer collections.

Many of Italy's top fashion designers have boutiques that can be found around the world. Among the best-known and most exclusive names are Armani, Benetton, Fendi, Gucci, Versace, and Prada. Accessory and jewelry labels, such as Bulgari and Luxottica are also internationally acclaimed, and Luxottica is the world's largest eyewear company.

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