Conclusion - Conclusione

We hope you have enjoyed your tour to the fantastic country, Italy and visit it again.

Sincerely yours,

Adriana and Liliana

Introduction - Introduzione

WELCOME to our blog about Italy!

Dare il benvenuto al nostro blog dell'Italia!

In this blog you will find out many interesting facts about this wonderful country.
For example:

• Italy's flag
• Italy's map
• Italy's climate
• Italy's rivers and lakes
• Italy's culture
• Italian food
• Italian costumes
• Italy's traditions
• Italy's places to visit
• Italy's timeline
• Italy's first president
• Italy's economy

We are sure that after reading our blog about Italy you will be ready to take a trip to this fantastic country to experience yourself.

Sincerely yours,

Liliana and Adriana

Bibliography - Bibliografia

GOOGLE:

• Italy´s flag
• Italy´s climate
• Italian culture
• Italian food

YAHOO

• Italian costume
• Italy´s map
• Italy´s traditions

WIKIPEDIA

• Italy´s Timeline

CIA:

• Italy´s Timeline

Italy's economy-Economia dei italy´s

According to the GDP calculations Italy was named the 7th largest economy in the world.
This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial North which is more developed and the South which is less developed because it is mainly agricultural industry. In the South there is 20% of unemployed people.


Main exported things:

• precison machinery
• motor vehicles(utilitaries, luxury vehicles, motorcycles, scooters)
• chemicals
• electrical things

and their most famoust exports....

• food
• clothing

Main Import partners:
Germany 16.7%
France 9.2%
Netherlands 5.6%
China 5.2%
Belgium 4.2%
Spain 4.1% (2006)

First president - Primo presidente

Italy's Timeline - Linea cronologica di Italia

1494: The French king Charles 8 opened the first of a series of invasions, lasting up to 16th century, and a competition between France and Spain for the possession of the country.

1870: Italy rushed to fill the power gap by taking over the Papal State from French sovereignty. Italian unification finally was achieved, and shortly afterwards
Italy's capital was moved to Rome.

1913: male universal suffrage was allowed.

1939: On April 7, Italy occupied Albania, a de facto protectorate for decades

1940: Entered World War II in taking part in the late stages of the Battle of France.

1946: A day celebrated since as the Independance day June, 2

1998: A new government was formed by Massimo D´Alema.

2000: Massimo D´Alema resigned.

2006: The elections in 2006 won by centre-left.

2007: Italy began a two year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Places to visit - I luoghi di visitare

The second category is growing collection of articles about specific Italian locations. This section is growing and we are continually adding articles but recognize that our task of covering Italian tourist locations can never be completed.

Running along Italy's border with Switzerland is a sequence of lakes that offer gorgeous scenery and a chance to experience a region in Italy that, while not undiscovered, has been ignored by many travelers. The Italian Lakes, which spread through the Piedmont and Lombardy regions, each have a different flavor, although all offer beautiful scenery and colorful towns, comfortable restaurants and unexpected treasures.


Although no part of Italy is undiscovered, many travelers believe that the region of Umbria, with its quilt of fortified hill towns, provides some the best vacation travel in Italy.

Florence's art and architecture rivals Rome. During the Renaissance, Florence was the art center of western civilization. A list of past residents of the city represents the "Who's Who" of the Masters, including: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, among others. Culture seems to ooze from the frescoes and statues; perhaps that is why Florence and its museums tend to be incredibly attractive to tourists.

Offering scenic canals, beautiful buildings and world famous landmarks, Venice is an experience unique in the world of travel. The city seems to exude romance, history, fantastic photo opportunities and good food, almost at every corner. Exploring Venice is an experience that you will never forget. Whether taking a gondola down the Grand Canal or examining this romantic city's unique setting and architecture while on foot, you will find Venice inviting and magical.

Traditions - Tradizioni

Family

Family is very important for Italians. The adjustments that the first generation of immigrants made sometimes had devastating results. They became neither Italian nor Canadian. The second generation combined the aspects of both cultures and lifestyles. The third and the fourth generations became more Canadian than Italian.

Visiting

Visiting friends and relatives is very popular among the Italians. Intricate networks of friendship and fellowship are developed as they share their joys and their sorrows.

To learn more about the italian culture, visit "traveletiquette" which offers essentiel etiquette advice and information for worldwide travel.



Language

The first difficulty that the Italian immigrants faced in Canada was the inability to understand or speak the English language. Of course, they did not feel the need of English when they lived inside Little Italies. Those who went outside the community needed knowledge of the English language. In order to bridge the gap between Italian and English, the new immigrants developed a language called Italiese, which gave Italian structure to the English language.

Food and Wine

Italy has 20 regions, and each region has its own traditional food and wine. Italian food does not consist of only pizza and spaghetti, and the menu is as varied as the Italian regions. Italians use a variety of vegetables, such as tomatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic, peas, pepper in their cuisine. Italian food and wine are well known in Canada and North America.

Music

Italians love music. Music is part of their lives. They enjoy it at holidays, family celebrations, and special occasions. Opera, an Italian tradition, is popular among Italians and they continued this musical tradition when they immigrated to Canada.

Religion

The majority of Italians are Roman Catholics. When they immigrated, they brought their religious traditions to Canada with them. They began to build churches, where they would pray to God, but the churches also served as a place where they could meet, help each other and share their traditions. They held Italian classes inside the churches' halls, where their children could learn and preserve the language. Italians set up the Catholic schools too, where the Italian children would learn their religion and their culture.

Wedding and Baptism Ceremonies

The Italians make a wonderful celebration of their weddings and baptism ceremonies. They usually rent a hall, have music, dancing, special pastries, cordials, and wines. A church ceremony is usually followed by a reception. Christening ceremonies are very special, as well, usually followed by receptions held in halls or at home.

Funerals

The Italian funerals, as the final act of love provided for those that pass away, are particularly moving. Candles remain lit throughout the wake. Relatives and friends participate in the wake, say prayers in front of the casket and offer condolences to the family. Preparation for the burial usually includes a church Mass attended by family and friends who afterwards accompany the deceased to his final resting place.

Italian costume - Costume italiano

This is the typical Italian men costume.

This is the typical Italian women costume.

It's elegant. It is a flattering, fitted style without being constricting and complements most figure types.

Costume in Italy followed the international Gothic style of northern Europe until the mid-15th century.

Italian food - Cibo italiano

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Albondigas Pasta Pizza

Italy has two such dishes, pasta and of course pizza. Italy’s cuisine is one of the most known cuisine on the world, because of its delicious type of food and its culture. The cuisine changed a lot with the discovery of the New World which was the base of the italian cuisine and with ingridients like potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper and maize, which are all central parts of the cuisine but were not introduced in scale until the 18th century.

Italy's Culture - Cultura di Italia

FESTIVALS

Carnevale
It precedes the Lenten season and is part of the biggest festival on earth.

Chicago Festa Pasta Vino

This sixteen year-old event showcases the unique, generations-old family recipes of the most authentic Italian restaurants in Chicago.

Feast Days and Holy Days

This calendar lists the feast days for Saints, holy days and Liturgical Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society sponsors the longest running Italian festival in the United States and Hammonton, NJ since 1875.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel of East Harlem

This is the oldest Italian feast in New York City. The first feast was celebrated on July 16th, 1881.

Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian

This Italian festival, which started in 1926 & is celebrated in Cambridge, MA, is one of the largest in New England. This feast is in honor of the patron saints of healing and the city of Gaeta.

Feast of San Gennaro

Since 1926 Little Italy in New York has hosted this annual event. Every September you can enjoy 11 days of delicious food, challenging games, and more.

Rivers and lakes - Fiumi e laghi

Lakes in Italy form a major attraction for the tourists to Italy. Italian lakes provide ample opportunities for Italians to spend the weekend in a breezy atmosphere. Many of the Italian Lakes have their origin in the glaciers. Few of these Italian lakes are flowing since the Ice Age.

Few of the lakes in Italy are listed below with their brief course of run:

• Lake Garda – Its running course is the biggest of all lakes in Italy . It is located in an Alpine region and it has its origin in the glaciers. Lake Garda is known to be flowing ever since the last Ice Age. Between Milan and Venice it is located in Northern Italy.

• Lake Maggiore – It is the second largest lake in Italy. There are three pre-Alpine lakes in Italy . Lake Maggiore is one of them.

• Lake Como – It makes the third largest lake in Italy with an area of 146 square kilometers. It has its origin in the glaciers in Lombardy, Italy.

• Lake Agnano – It is a circular lake located 5 miles west of Naples in Italy.

• Santa Caterina del Sasso – This lake with a glacial origin holds a volume of 37 cubic kilometers. The rivers Giona, Verzasca, and Cannobino flow into the lake.

• Lake Bolsena – It is a crater lake in central Italy. It has its origin in the volcano.

• The Fucine Lake – It stretches a big distance in central Italy.

• Lake Grafsee – It lies 2000 meters above sea level and 500 meters approximately above Hatzlacke. It is known for its clean water throughout the year at any temperature and so it is a perfect choice for visitors to take nice baths.
  

Climate - Clima

This graph shows Italy's climate:

• Rainfall
• Hours of sunshine per day
• Temperature average
• Humidity

The rainiest months are January, October, November and December.

The hottest months are May, June, July and August.

Italy is most humid between December and January.

Italy recieves the most hours of sunshine a day between April and September ranging from 8 to 11.

Having the Alps as a northern border and the Mediterranean Sea surrounding much of the country has resulted in a fair and temperate climate. There are five main climactic zones: the Alpine zone, the Northern Italian Plain, the coastal Tyrrhenian area, the Adriatic coast and the Mediterranean zone. The northern Alpine region experiences harsh winters with plenty of rain and snow and very mild summers. However the weather conditions vary greatly according to the altitude.

The Northern Italian Plain or Po region experiences continental weather conditions with fairly cold, snowy winters but warm, mild summers. Northern cities such as Torino, Milan and Venice can become very cold, damp and foggy with temperatures falling to 0-7°C (32-45°F) in winter. Most of the rainfall occurs in the spring and summer months.

The Adriatic region also experiences cold winters when the bora, an icy, north-easterly wind blows across the region. Conditions improve to become comfortably warm in the summer. The Apennine zone experiences similar continental weather conditions except that rain is abundant all year round except in summer.

On the western side of the country is the Ligurnian-Tyrrhenian region where the weather is moderated by the Tyrrhenian Sea resulting in cool winters, warm summers and plenty of rain. Temperatures in Rome vary between a low of 5-6°C (40-42°F) in winter and a summer high of 26-30°C (79-87°F).

The Mediterranean region, which includes all the southern areas of Italy, rain falls more often in winter while the summer months become dry and hot. The sirocco, a hot unpleasant wind, blows in over this region from Africa during summer.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn during the summer, except in the mountains. Lightweight to mediumweights are worn in the south during winter, while warmer clothes are worn elsewhere. Alpine wear is advised for winter mountain resorts.

Italy's map - Mappa di Italia

Italy's capital is Rome which is on the west coast in the middle of Southern Italy, the coordinates of Rome are 41° 48' N, 12° 36' E. Italy''s neighbours are Switzerland, France, Austria and Slovenia. Italy is surrounded by Sea, on the west coast is the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, and then on the East coast is the Adriatic Sea.

Italy's flag - Bandiera di Italia

This is the flag of Italy, It was made by Napoleon January 1919.

It is formed by tricolore: Green, White and Red.

• Green was said to be Napoleon's favorite colour
• White heat is a state of intense enthusiasm, anger, devotion, or passion
• For the ancient Romans, a red flag was a signal for battle