Italy
Italy
Once the center of a huge empire, Italy is now one of the most
prosperous countries in Europe.
Italy:
Ancient Rome
• Roman influences can still be seen today. All around the world, people
owe their ideas about art, government, law, and language to Italy and its
people.
• Built in the 700s BC as a tiny village, Rome grew to control nearly all of
the land around the Mediterranean Sea. Romans helped spread
Christianity.
Italy:
The Renaissance
When the Roman Empire collapsed, Italy’s cities formed their own states.
These cities became major centers of trade and people became rich.
The money helped support the arts which led to…
The Renaissance!!  a period of great creativity in Europe lasting from
1350-1500s. Many Italian artists and writers created some of the
world’s greatest works of art and literature.
Unified Italy
In the 1800s, Italy became a unified kingdom due to a strong sense of
nationalism.
In 1920s, Benito Mussolini became dictator. Italy was defeated in
WWII and then became a democracy. Since the end of the war, Italy
has developed one of the strongest economies in Europe.
From him to 
DEMOCRACY
Italy
Religion
Most people belong to the Roman Catholic Church, which has
historically been the strongest influence on Italian culture.
The city of Rome is home to hundreds of Catholic churches
from all periods of history. Rome is one of the world’s most
popular tourist sites because of its rich history
Italy
Religion
Italy
Religion
The pope (head of the Catholic church) lives on the Italian
Peninsula in Vatican City – an independent state located
within the city of Rome.
Italy
Religion
Vatican City  is the smallest
independent state in the world
(both in area and in population)
It is a landlocked enclave
surrounded by the city of Rome.
Enclave  country within a
country
St. Peter’s
Basilica
Italy
Traditions
Italian food varies widely from
region to region, but olives, tomatoes,
rice, and pasta are common.
Italy
Traditions
A picture from one of the many
food festivals celebrated in Italy 
Italy
Traditions
Italy is a center of contemporary arts, and its
people shape worldwide trends in fashion.
Milan, the largest city in Italy, is a global
fashion capital.
Italy
Milan
Fashion
Week
Italy
Italy has also produced some of the world’s greatest painters,
sculptors, authors, composers, fashion designers, and
filmmakers.
Italy Today
Southern Italy: Southern Italy is
the country’s poorer half. Its
economy depends largely on
agriculture because it has
less industry than the north.
Italy Today
Southern Italy: Farming is
especially important in Sicily,
an island at the peninsula’s
tip. Tourism is very
important part of southern
Italy’s economy. Beautiful
beaches and ancient Roman
ruins attract many visitors.
Italy Today
Italy Today
Southern Italy
• In recent years, Italy has tried to promote industry in
the south by starting government programs and
lowering taxes to companies that will build factories
there. Many of these efforts involve the city of
Naples, a busy port and now an industrial center.
Italy Today
Northern Italy
• Northern Italy is the country’s richer half –
includes the country’s most fertile farmland,
major trade centers, and its most popular
tourist destinations.
Italy Today
Northern Italy
– Po River valley – best farmland, often called the breadbasket of Italy
– Major industrial centers in cities such as Turin and Genoa
– Milan is a major industrial center and famous for its fashion design
– Railroads, highways, and tunnels allow
for shipment of goods through
the Alps
Italy Today
Northern Italy
Venice  one of the country’s most
visited tourist attractions. Instead of
roads, there are canals because the
city was built on islands – 118 of
them! People move about the city
on boats called gondolas.
Florence – in northern Italy, a
center of Italian art and culture,
where the Renaissance began
Rome does not fully belong to
either the north or the south
because it’s nestled in the center of
the country. From there, the
country’s leaders try to bring all the
people of Italy together as one
nation.