Bologna. Known by many as the 'culinary capital of Italy', the city of Bologna is arguably the best food city in Italy, but then again, it's a city that's become a favorite over the years. Food here leans heavy toward meat, and combines with fresh local ingredients to make a good number of stick-to-your-ribs dishes.
Quality. Italian food is famous for using quality ingredients. Everything – from olive oils to wines to cheeses – is made with the freshest ingredients and preapred according to the highest of standards.
The term is usually used to refer to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, namely Hispanic America and Brazil. The majority of Latin Americans have some ancestry of Latin Europe, notably Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Romanian .
Religion in Italy is characterised by the predominance of Christianity and an increasing diversity of religious practices, beliefs and denominations. Most Christians in Italy adhere to the Catholic Church, whose headquarters are in Vatican City, Rome.
Italy is famous for its huge contributions to the worlds of art, architecture, fashion, opera, literature, design, and film – the list goes on, and we haven't even mentioned the food yet. Italy has only been a country since 1871.
GOVERNMENT & ECONOMYSince World War II, Italy has enjoyed an economic transformation. Industry grew, and by the mid-1960s, Italy had become one of the world's leading economies. Its main exports are clothing, shoes, food, and wine.
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.
They're all part of Italy's centuries-old tradition of taking November 2nd to remember the dead. In Italy as in many other Christian countries, the day after All Saints' Day is All Souls' Day – and here it's celebrated with prayers, flowers and, of course, food. Chrysanthemums are traditional funeral flowers in Italy.
The formation of the modern Italian state began in 1861 with the unification of most of the peninsula under the House of Savoy (Piedmont-Sardinia) into the Kingdom of Italy. Italy incorporated Venetia and the former Papal States (including Rome) by 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71).
The Religious Demographics Of Italy
| Rank | Religion | % of Population |
|---|
| 1 | Christianity | 71.4 |
| 2 | Islam | 3.1 |
| 3 | Buddhism | 0.4 |
| 4 | Hinduism | 0.3 |
Christmas is a major holiday in Italy… which means Italians celebrate lots of great, unique Christmas traditions! Across Italy, Natale tends to be a family-centric holiday, a time to stay at home (and eat!) with loved ones.
Although nowadays many children receive presents from Father Christmas on Christmas Eve, a uniquely Italian tradition is that of 'La Befana', the old woman who brings gifts on Epiphany Eve. Legend has it the Three Wise Men came to her house and invited her to join their search for Christ.
Ferragosto is a public holiday celebrated on 15 August in all of Italy. It originates from Feriae Augusti, the festival of emperor Augustus, who made the 1st of August a day of rest after weeks of hard work on the agricultural sector.
Basketball, volleyball, and cycling are the next most popular/played sports, with Italy having a rich tradition in all three. Italy also has strong traditions in swimming, water polo, rugby union, tennis, athletics, fencing and Formula One.
Italy is considered a cultural superpower. Italy has been the starting point of phenomena of international impact such as the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church, the Romanesque, the Renaissance, the Scientific revolution, the Baroque, the Neo-classicism, the Risorgimento, Fascism and the European integration.
