Italy is one of the fascinating countries which are blessed and stuffed with amazing facts apart from marvellous architectural marvels which you encounter during your Italy travel.
There some interesting things you did not know about Italy. Below listed are some of the unknown Italian facts which you will come across on your trip to Italy. Get the best of Italy travel information during your Italy holidays.
Facts about Italy:
1.The origins of Italy’s name are unknown
Italy refers to the land of young cattle. Many researchers and historians believe that Southern Italian tribes were represented by a bull from where this name was derived, while many disagree and state that the name has been derived from the name Italus, which means an early king of the region. The origins of Italy’s name are still not clear. The Italian Republic is the name used to represent Italy on formal documents.
2.Italy gets more than 50 million tourists each year
Tourism is an integral part of the Italian economy. It contributes to more than 60% of the country’s income. No wonder Italy opens its arms to an enormous amount of tourist’s year on year.
3.Italy occupies the 4th place of the most populated place in Europe
Thanks to the high birth rate and the low death rate prevail ant in Italy since generations, Italy is home to a population of approximately 60 million, which is 320 people are residing for every square mile in Italy. Quite big as compared to its small land size.
4.The Eternal City and two independent states
Italy’s capital Rome is considered to an eternal city which is almost 3000 years old. Also, Italy houses 2 independent states namely the Vatican City and the Republic of San Martin. The Vatican City, in fact, has its own radio, TV stations, stamps, Phone Company, money, and army. Spread over an area of 108.7 acres, this independent national has the authority to lock its gates during the night.
5.Earthquakes are frequent visitors in Italy
Due to its position on the fault line, Italy is frequently visited by earthquakes. Almost, three volcanoes have erupted here in the last century namely Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius.
6.Blessed with masterpieces on every mile
Italy houses innumerable masterpieces per mile of land area. One of the popular attractions includes the leaning tower of Pisa which was built in the year 1173 and began to lean immediately after its construction. Post reconstruction work which concluded in the same year, the experts have declared that the tower would be stable for the next 200 years.
7.Italy is home to ancient fountains which are probably a century years old
Italy is home to several antique fountains with almost 50 fountains placed in Rome. The small ones like Nasoni are excluded from this list as they are considered small waterspouts utilised by pedestrians. The ancient Trevi fountain was built by Pope Urban VIII in the mid-1600s. There is a local belief that visitors who throw a coin in the Trevi fountain can be sure of visiting Rome again pretty soon. These coins are used for the maintenance of the fountain and the foreign coins are donated to Red Cross Foundation.
Also Read : Best Fountains in Italy
8.It is home to the tallest mountain in Europe
The Mont Blanc often referred as the White Mountain in English is the tallest mountain standing in Europe. It is a branch of the Alps family which is placed on the border between Italy and France. Almost 4/5th of Italy is blessed with beautiful hills and mountains.
9.The Italian language origins
The Italian language shares the same grammatical system with the Latin language. More than 90% words are adopted from the Latin language.
10.Soccer is played with a lot of passion in Italy
Soccer is one of the dedicated and organised sports played in Italy. The crazy fans are referred as Tifosi, which means typhus carriers. People love this game and are one of the national pastimes of the population here. The Italians have won the Soccer World Cup 4 times in a sequel: 1934, 1938, 1982, and 1986.
11.Welcome to the Land of Style and Sport
Some of the most popular brands in the world like Gucci, Prada, Armani, and Versace are owned by Italian fashion leaders. Come home to the land of fashion brands. Italy also houses production houses of Sports cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini.
12.Christmas is one of the widely celebrated and the biggest holiday in Italy
Come Christmas, the Italians are in a totally different mood to celebrate. The vivid celebrations go on till 6th January of the corresponding year. 6th January is the date of Epiphany or the day where the three wise men visited Jesus in the manger.
Also Read : Things to do in Italy in Christmas
13.Musical notations are referenced only in the Italian language
Popular musical notations like Adagio, Allegro, etc. are Italian words which indicate tempo. It originated when an Italian named Guido d’Arezzo invented a system to denote these musical notations.
14.Pasta was not consumed with tomato sauce till the 16th century in Italy
You won’t believe this one, but it is actually true. Pasta was preferred to be consumed with a round of honey and sugar centuries back. Today there are more than 500 varieties of pasta served in Italy.
15.The history of the Pizza invention is unclear
You may not believe this one, but this is actually true. No one has any clue when the Italians created their famous Pizza. All they know is that Naples has made this dish popular all over the world.
16.The outlandish consumption of Pasta
When you have more than 140 varieties of Pasta available, don’t be surprised by this amount. On an average, every Italian consumes around 25kg/year of Pasta. Many kinds of Pasta are produced regionally. The concentration is higher in the south and central Italy rather than in the northern side. Risotto and Polenta are more preferred options in the north.
17.The delicious Italian desserts
Italian cuisine consists of an amazing variety of traditional and regional desserts. One of the most popular ones includes the Tiramisu which was created in the 1970s. Tiramisu means pick me up and the name was derived due to its two main ingredients; cocoa and coffee.
18.The Italian people
Italy is the birthplace of several popular authors like Giovanni Boccaccio, Francesco Petrarch, and Dante Alighieri. More than 85% of the Italian population follow the Catholic faith. The remaining 15% consists of Muslims, Protestants, and Jews. Many Italian names end with an ‘I’ or an ‘O’, with the name Russo being the most common surname in Italy.
19.The Land of emigration
Southern Italy is a land of emigration since ages. Italian citizens outside and inside the country are almost equal: 60 million each. Italians have immigrated to North and South America, Australia, and Western Europe in search of a better life, spreading the Italian cuisine and culture, and other reasons.