Benvenuto!  – Information About Italy

Let's begin the journey to Italy with useful information and interesting facts about the country, presented below.

• why travel to Italy
• history of Italy
• general information
• Italian AC power outlet/plug
• consular information
• health and safety
• travel to and through Italy
• currency and costs
• climate and weather
• how to dress
• when to go to Italy?
• holiday conditions
• accommodation
• people and language

Interesting facts about Italian customs, Italian food, wine and restaurants describes the next page.

Italy as a country has existed since 1861. Until then, even though the area was culturally coherent, since the collapse of the Roman Empire it was divided into many republics, states, kingdoms and duchies.

Map of Italy (enlarge ↑)

Flag of Italy

Emblem of Italy (enlarge ↑)

Italy is located in Southern Europe, mainly on the specifically boot-shaped Apennine Peninsula. The outline of the Italian Republic is determined by mountains – the Alps on the north and by the seas around the peninsula: the Mediterranean, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Adriatic. In addition Italy occupies several neighboring islands, among them the largest islands in the Mediterranean - Sicily and Sardinia.

Two very small countries are located within the Italian borders, and they are legally separated from the Italian Republic – Vatican City and Republic of San Marino.

The place seem to be separated from Europe, yet with such a huge impact on the continent. Italy with all the legacy of the Roman Empire has left a strong mark on cultural, scientific, legal development of Europe and western civilization.

Ancient culture so sophisticated, and yet so cruel. A society based on slavery, praising the games full of cruelty, bloodshed and death. After the great conquests of the empire, it was broken and divided politically for centuries. Finally Italy has been reunited with difficulty, but still is full of friction.

The history of Italy after the heyday of the Roman Empire was full of divisions, fights, takeovers and feuds. Surprisingly the country which was fairly consistent culturally, was so divided politically.

The area of today's Italy was in ancient times inhabited by various ethnic groups and tribes. Simplifying the point a bit, the north was populated by the Ligurians, Celts and Veneti, the central part by the Etruscans, Umbrians and the Latins (the Romans derive from them), the south by the Greeks. These people were then conquered and Latinized by the Romans. Interestingly the Latins were a relatively small tribe, but one of their cities became the driving force of a great empire.

According to the legend of Romulus and Remus, Rome was founded in 753 BC, on April 21. From the sixth century BC the Roman Republic began conquering and uniting peninsula around Rome. It became a center of the Roman Empire in the first century BC.

During the next centuries this area experienced ups and downs. Ascent time in the heyday of the Empire and weakness after its fall. The break-up of the Empire into the Eastern and Western parts in 395 AD and the Visigoths, Vandals and Huns raiding the Western Roman Empire created a difficult time for Italy. This led finally to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The strengthening of the political power of the Popes, raids of the Ostrogoths and the Lombards have made the divisions on the peninsula even worse.

For the next almost 14 centuries Italy was the scene of successive wars, conquests, the creation and the fall of kingdoms and more or less independent duchies. Parts of the land were under the reign of several important European dynasties. The political divisions illustrates the political map of Italy from the end of the fifteenth century.

Political friction between the secular power and the Pope and the lack of a dominant center of power has created fertile ground for the emergence of city-states (Genoa, Milan, Pavia, Modena, Cremona, Florence, Siena, Venice). They were economically and culturally vibrant centers, many of which have survived the centuries, examples are the trade powers - Genoa and Venice, and one of the major cultural centers - Florence (especially under the rule of the Medici family). They were also the cradle of the Renaissance and a fifteenth-century Italy was the scientific and cultural center of Europe.

Various rulers at different times tried to unite Italia, but without success. Only in the 1st half of the nineteenth century unification ideas have grown in popularity in Italian society, creating a foundation for the Risorgimento movement, but it failed as well. Finally on March 17 1861, on the part of the current Italian lands the Italian Kingdom was proclaimed ruled by king Victor Emmanuel II. One by one other parts of Italy were annexed until 1870, when the unification process came to an end by inclusion of Rome and Lazio. In 1871 the capital of the young Kingdom moved from Florence to Rome.

The next years were the time of building the administrative, legal, educational, economic growth. Northern Italy was well developed, industrialized, in contrast to the poor, agricultural south. Unfortunately this division did not disappear till the present day.

Italy in various configurations has been involved in various armed conflicts, especially in World Wars I and II. A referendum carried on June 2, 1946 decided to abolish the monarchy in Italy and establish the republic. The final shape of the borders was established in 1954, when Italy signed an agreement with Yugoslavia, dividing the Free Territory of Trieste.

We've never found dangerous animals in Italy, like snakes or scorpions. Only once a small lizard visited our apartment through the chimney hole in the kitchen. But it just made some noise on the metal hood, and then escaped.

You may encounter there stormy weather. We survived pretty strong storms. The first one happened happily during our stay in the holiday apartment. Heavy rain started in the evening and was falling through the night, the wind blew furiously, tossing a big tree standing beside our house. The next day was quiet. It was August. In August, especially in the second half the weather becomes more rainy and the temperature slowly decreases. It was indeed a special summer, because shortly after our departure from Italy, a flood affected this country...

The second storm caught us in July. We traveled by car through southern Tuscany, and suddenly black clouds covered the sky. When hail began to pound loudly on the roof of the car, we ran to the nearest gas station under the shelter. The hail was so big and loud that I was afraid of severe car damage. Fortunately the car was not harmed, but this storm stayed in memory.

To protect our skin against the strong Italian sun we apply a cream – sunscreen with UV filter.

Bathing in the sea is safer when we put on swimming shoes, especially helpful on rocky beaches.

The Southern Apennines are tectonically unstable, the volcanic areas (Vesuvius, Etna) contribute to earthquakes.

One more issue. We take with us for the longer trips some basic medicines that we know and usually use – against a cold, fever (also a thermometer), diarrhea, and eventually allergies. The last one is essential if you are allergic. We never forget of course about the medicines required for long-term treatment. We also pack some other basic medical supplies, like bandages, sticking plasters, something for decontamination, such as alcohol, and besides UV sunscreen, also after-sun creams for sunburns, because sometimes a sunbath proves to be too effective... Be careful with perfumes when sunbathing, as occasionally they may cause some skin allergy.

Unfortunately, this equipment has been useful a couple of times. Our own medication lets us avoid a discussion with the pharmacist in a foreign language, and it is worth remembering that the local medicaments often have different names than in our home country. In addition, the local drug leaflets written in the local language will be hard to understand if you do not speak that language.

Of course, all this is related to the simple situations, when according to our experience we are able to apply basic medicines. In more complex cases we are going to a doctor.

You can easily fly to Italy by plane. The largest airport is in Rome, but there are alternatives as well. Tuscany and Veneto has several airports. In Tuscany, Florence is the largest, but there are also flights to Pisa. In northern Italy the Veneto region has a major airports in Venice and Verona. In Lombardy, there is also a major international airport in Milan - Malpensa, Italy's second largest.

Another option – for travelers from Europe – is going to Italy by car. If you drive long distances with children on board, a portable DVD player or mobile device like a tablet might be of great help. Recently such equipment became cheaper. Children are busy watching movies and do not have time to think "How far it still is".

Northern Italy has natural border – the Alps. Hence there are not too many options, which way you can drive to Italy. From the west side there are some highway connections from France and Switzerland. From the north actually the main way leads through Austria and Brenner pass to the A22 Italian highway. From the east there are roads from Austria and Slovenia then highway A4 directing to Venice.

If someone goes skiing in the Italian mountains, for example in the Dolomites, the Brenner pass and then the A22 highway might be the best way to go.

In general, use caution on Italian roads, because there are people who drive dangerously, with Italian fantasy. They are changing lanes without a sign, they are passionately cutting curves on the local narrow and winding roads, etc. This does not apply to everyone, but the phenomenon is noticeable.

Highways in Italy are paid. It means for us not too many crossroads with local road infrastructure, as it reduces the number of tollgates.

Restricted access zones are often organized in city centers, particularly historic ones in a number of Italian cities. They are called ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato). The reason is the narrowness of the streets, huge traffic and the fight against air pollution. You cannot go there by car without permission. Seeing the ZTL signs, leave the car outside the area. Driving in without a pass you risk fines, as the areas are controlled with telecameras. Everybody wants to have nice pictures from holidays, but nobody wants to pay for them so much...

Fuel purchase at a gas station
In Italy, unleaded gasoline is called senza piombo, and diesel is gasolio. Automated, self-service stations, although cheaper, are not easy to operate for foreigners. The process of payment in automatic system is described in Italian, which is a nightmare for the foreign driver. It is better to use the normal stations, with human service, where after refueling you can simply pay the personnel by card or cash.

The inscription Chiuso on the plate in front of the station means that it is closed, and Aperto that it is open. The inscription Aperto 24 Ore means that it is open 24 hours. It does not mean that there is human service all that time. If it is located outside the highway, most likely it is a self-service at night.

Word of warning – you should be aware that prices of gasoline might be different on the same station according to the pump you use. The outer ones are for self refueling the car, therefore are cheaper. The pumps closer to the building sometimes are part of a "full service area" – the personnel refuels the car there, so the gasoline is a bit more expensive. You pay extra for clean hands. In both cases you pay the same way – the guy at paydesk inside the building. So watch the signs and information about prices.

Drivers please remember:

• it is obligatory to drive with headlights turned-on throughout the day outside urban areas and in tunnels,
• possession of reflective vests is compulsory and it has to be put on when in an emergency situation the driver or the passenger leaves the car,
• it is forbidden to use cell phones while driving without a hands-free set,
• blood alcohol content shall not exceed 0.5 ‰.

Just as curiosity - Italian police can fine not only for speeding, but also for too slow driving on the highway, as it may cause disruption in traffic...

The climate is quite varied and depends on the particular location. Apart from the high mountains, where it is usually more "extreme", on the peninsula, in its northern part (the valleys of river Po and Adige, alongside the line Turin – Venice) the climate is continental, humid, with relatively cold winters and warm summers.

Coastal areas (except the north-eastern part) are characterized by a Mediterranean climate with relatively warm winters and warm summers (in the south even hot). Wet is mainly during winter, summer is dry. In addition the higher and further inland the place is located, the colder it is.

The coldest month is January with an average temperature of 0°C/32°F in the valley of the Po, to 12°C/53°F in Cagliari. Snow falls not only in the mountains, but also falls during the winter in the northern and central Italy. The warmest month in the north is July (32-35°C/89-95°F) and in the south is August (38-42°C/100-109°F).

More to the north August becomes a bit more rainy and stormy than July. So if you go to Tuscany and Veneto, you better do it in July than in August.

Our friend from Italy, who lives near Lake Garda claims that "at the end of August, the winter is coming, as he must wear a sweater"... Actually it's not so bad, but the fact is that the weather is changing. Once when we were in Veneto in August we faced a lot of rainy moments, and it wasn't too hot. Our August in Tuscany was also more rainy than July. Of course the annual variation in weather conditions plays an important role here as everywhere, but it is worth considering this information.

By the way, regarding the weather forecasts, during one stay when we were in the vicinity of Venice, we examined the forecasts for Venice published by the Tourist Information Office. The report was prepared in several languages, probably downloaded from the Internet from different countries — their national meteorological offices. There were forecasts in Dutch, German, English (from UK) etc. Interestingly, for some days those forecasts were completely different, if not opposite. I do not know what kind of weather models those meteorological offices use, but probably some of them are not too accurate...

Therefore, you may want to review the Italian website with information about the weather, it should be more accurate... It is in Italian, but the symbols and figures are understandable. In addition to the current weather (oggi – today, domani – tomorrow) you will find there the forecast for 6 days and also, if necessary, for another week (prossima settimana). You can check also more detailed information about the weather for regions, cities, mountains, airports, etc.

That's a pretty basic question. Generally, nice weather allows tourists to feel comfortable in Italy from May till September. The main season is related to the European vacations, which are usually in July-August timeframe. For those who are not tied up with this official vacation time, it may mean an opportunity to have cheaper holidays in May or June, also it might be important for some that the temperatures are a bit lower at that time than in July (it's not so hot).

If the main season time is the only possibility, then given the weather conditions, it is better to go to Tuscany or Veneto in July. Another important factor is that the August is the peak vacation season in many European countries. In August Italians, French and several other nations are going on summer holidays. That means a lot more traffic on the roads. During the weekends, especially at the beginning of August, when everyone is leaving, there is a huge traffic jam on highways.

In addition, what might look a bit strange, even the Italian restaurateurs then go on vacation. In the period when they could have more customers, as the fellow citizens have vacations, they close the business. Not every restaurant is closed of course, but seeing "closed" signs several times, we were surprised.

If you're going on a vacation organized by a travel agent, this information is of less importance. Arriving by plane, the meals planned for in advance reduce the troubles. However, if you prefer to travel "independently", driving a car, eating on your own at local restaurants, then you might want to consider those circumstances.

If you go skiing in the winter in the Italian mountains, try to avoid the week when the carnival ends. This time is variable, depending on Easter. This week, Germany and some other countries in southern Europe have holidays.

Italians are generally very friendly people, with a very expressive nature. Sometimes it seems that they shout at each other, actually they just talk so loud... They are open, helpful, they try to communicate with the tourists. The knowledge of English among older people is rather weak. However, the ability to speak English among the younger generation is pretty good.

The South Tyrol, which is in the Trentino-South Tyrol region (Trentino-Alto Adige / Südtirol) is practically bilingual. Most people in addition to the Italian are fluent in German.

Regarding the Italian language, in terms of vocabulary it is closest to Latin of all the Romance languages. Groundwork for the modern Italian placed great poet and writer Dante Alighieri. Writing the Divine Comedy in 14th century, he used his Tuscan dialect, so it became the basis for the official language of Italy.

Speaking of Romance languages, once I was sitting at the table with my friends - one Italian and one Spaniard. At one moment they turned from English into their languages. The Italian, spoke Italian to the Spaniard, and he answered him in Spanish. And so the dialogue was going on... When I expressed my surprise, they explained that their languages are very similar and they are easily able to understand each other and communicate this way...