ITALY

BASIC INFORMATION:
Italys official name is Italian Republic.
Its a European country located on a peninsula. Its bordered by France,
Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia in the north. It is also surrounded by the
Adriatic, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian Seas.
The capital city is Rome and its the largest city of the country.
Italian is the official language and Euro is the main currency.
The current president is Mr. Sergio Mattarella and the Prime Minister is Mr.
Matteo Renzi. Italys government is a unitary parliamentary republic.
Tourists need Visa Schengen to travel to Italy.

CUSTOMS:
National Anthem of Italy is called The song of Italians. The lyrics was written
by Goffredo Mameli. It is official anthem since 2005.

ITALIAN DISHES:
The Italian cuisine is very famous around the world. The country has 20 regions
and ever region has a different style. The most popular Italian dishes are pasta,
lasagna, pizza, and risotto.
PASTA: This traditional Italian dish has origin in China. It is made of wheat or
flour, salt, and eggs. This pasta can have different shapes and size. This pasta
can be served with vegetables, meat, and special sauce. It can also be stuffed
with meat and small vegetables.
LASAGNE: Its another famous dish and it is a variety of pasta. Its a wide flatshaped pasta. This wonderful dish is made of durum wheat and it is cooked
with either meat or vegetables. It is originally from Naples. It has to be served
hot.
PIZZA: Maybe it is the most popular Italian food all over the world. It is an
oven-baked flat bread. It is generally topped with tomato sauce and cheese. It
is usually cooked with a variety of ingredients like hot dogs, olives, anchovy,
onions, meat, cheese, and also tropical fruits. Of course it depends on the pizza
style. It is usually supplemented with condiments like salt and pepper.
RISOTTO: It is a north Italian rice dish that is cooked in a broth to creamy
consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, chicken, or vegetable.
Butter, wine, and onion is also added during cooking risotto. That is a common

way to cook rice there. It is served on its own before main course. Some types
of risotto are served with different vegetables and meat.
All Italian dishes are varied up to the region.

NATIONAL COSTUME:
Tarantella Costume:
In Italy, there is a traditional costume worn during a dancing called Tarantella
(Spider dancing). Tarantella is a well-known dance and it has some variations
according to the region in Italy. But, we can describe the kind of costume
dancers wear in the following lines. For the costume, the men wear closefitting, knee length pants with buttons near the bottom, white shirts with ties at
the neck and long sashes wrapped around the waist and short decorative
jackets. And women wear long sleeved, below the knee dresses with patterned
aprons tied at the waist. This costume is worn in festivals and parades.

NATIONAL SPORT: Sports in Italy has deep tradition. Both individual and
team sports, Italy has good representations. But most Italians are interested in
soccer. The World Cup 2006 was gotten by Italy national team in Germany.
Italy has gotten this 4 times so far.
Currently, one of the best Italian soccer players is Andrea Pirlo who plays at
Juventus soccer team.
It is said that soccer is practiced by almost 5 million Italians.
Basketball, volleyball, and cycling are also played a lot.
In winter, ski is considered the most popular sport among Italians.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC:
Italian music has a wide variety from opera to modern pop music. Classical
music was also developed in Italy. Music and dance have been an important
part of Italian lives. European music has been influenced by Italian instruments
like the violin and the piano.
Italian popular music is taken from native and imported music styles.
But traditional Italian dances are hard to find in general. The top 3 are
tarantella from Puglia, the Sardinian ballu tundu (round dance), and the
Neapolitan Saltarello.

FAMOUS / HISTORIC PLACES:

All Italy is always visited every day. We can mention the top 3 most visited
cities below:
ROME:

Its the capital of Italy and several important places are set there. The
Colosseum is one of the most visited historical places in Rome. IUt was
the ancient gladiators stadium. The St. Peter Basiilique is considered
another must-see monument there. It is located in the Vatican. This
church is the seat of the Pope and main place of the Roman Catholic
Church.
The Piazza di Spagna is also worth-seeing. A wonderful overview of the center
of Rome is offered by these Spanish steps. Another beautiful place is Piazza
Navona, lots of beautiful fountains are placed there. Several sculptures were
made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Finally, another great place set in Rome is the Pantheon. It is one of the oldest
temples of the Roman age. This place has been re-used several times as the
tomb of the most prominent Italians. The surroundings are well-visited to hang
out and eat.
Apart from those places, Rome has many museums and other monuments.

FLORENCE:
This beautiful city has two main attractions like Piazza del Duomo and Piazza
della Signoria, which is seen as the main market square in the city. A lot of the
best Florentine architecture can be seen in that place. Lots of tourists are
attracted by the paintings and other pieces of art kept at Uffizi Gallery. Some of
the paintings were painted by Da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Giotto. La
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and Giottos Bell Tower are usually visited too.
All tourists are fascinated by the shining marbles on the architecture of those
monuments.
Finally, if you love opera, the Florences new opera house must be your
destination.

VENICE:
The city was built on a lagoon that were connected by canals. Cars cannot be
used there because there are no roads. The gondolas are seen as the main
transportation there. San Marco Square and palaces are the most visited.
Venice is most visited during the carnival spring. But others prefer to visit it
during winter to be caught by magic foggy days.
The carnival became famous by the masks people wore to hide their origin,
age, social class, and other differences. Venice social classes were well defined,

so the carnival broke that rigid lifestyle during the 17 th century. Most masks
were mainly made of leather, porcelain, or glass.

Other wonderful monuments are the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This is a Bell Tower
of the Cathedral of Pisa. It is located in Tuscany and it is visited for thousands of
people. It was built in 3 stages across 199 years. It has 7 bells that are tuned to
musical scale.

IMPORTANT FESTIVALS:
1. La Befana and the feast of epiphany: La Befana is a tale that is
celebrated the night of January 5th. It is said that the befana or the
witch arrives on her broomstick holding toys and sweets for good
children. And the feast of Epiphany is a celebration for the arrival of the
three Wise Men and it is celebrated on January 6 th. The two events are
famous all over Italy and several and different activities are followed.
2. Carnevale: It is also known as Carnival or Mardi Gras. It is a festival
celebrated in Italy and many other countries. Its held forty days before
Easter. This is celebrated with parades, masquerade balls, music,
entertainment, and parties. In Venice, costumes are worn with masks of
different colors, characters, and materials. So Venice is considered the
best city for traditional carnival masks. This year it was celebrated on
February 15th, but in other Italian regions it was celebrated earlier.
3. The Festival of the Italian Republic: It is held on June 2nd. This event
is followed by a huge military parade in central Rome. And people are
entertained by the flyover done by the National Acrobatic Patrol. Nine
Italian Air Force aircrafts fly in tight formation over the Vittoriano
monument trailing green, white, and red smoke.
4. Christmas: Christmas celebration in Italy is held from December 24 th
until January 6th. However many events start on December 8th, the feast
day of the Immaculate Conception. Nowadays, houses are decorated
with trees and decorations because they are becoming more popular.
The Nativity scene are set outside the churches, in main squares or
public places. Traditionally, a meatless dinner is eaten at midnight on
December Eve with family and presents are on January 5 th. But in
southern Italian regions, seven fish dinner are served on that night. And
in mountain areas, bonfires are often held in main squares of towns with
meat-based dinner.
HANDICRAFT:
1. Pottery: The production of pottery in Sicily is very famous and it is
recognized worldwide. Different shapes, colors and patterns are some of
the special characteristics of that artistic ceramic. The plates, vases, and
other decorations are hand-painted in bright colors. Besides, fruits and

flowers are represented on the pottery in Tuscany regions. They are also
hand-painted.
2. Artistic glass: Glass art is highly developed in Italy. This type of art
includes different styles in processing such as the Murano (blown glass),
fused glass, and manufactured glass with mosaics. Due to the skillful
artisans, lots of different objects can be made of glass. Even the famous
Van Goghs artwork are represented in some of those glass works.
3. Venetian Masks: These masks are not just worn on carnivals, but also
they can be made for collections and furniture at home. Those masks are
made of ceramic, textiles, and beautiful lace. Harlequins are the most
famous masks.
4. Collectible soldiers and scenes: Famous toys are made of bronze,
wood, alabaster, and marble. Famous classical leaders and soldiers are
made for collectible. The subjects of this artwork are based on the
ancient Greek, Romans, and Etruscans. Small statues and toy guns are
also made to be sold locally and internationally.

MANNERS
1. For Greetings and Introduction:
Basically, Italians tend to be formal but enthusiastic.
They like to handshake with direct eye contact.
Italians are usually guided by first impression, so you should be
respectful and show good behavior.
When relationship is developed, air-kisses on both cheeks are
usually given.
You should be invited to start calling him or her on a first name
basis.
In social situations, calling cards are given, not business cards.
They are a bit larger than business cards.
2. Gifts etiquette:
If you want to give flowers as gift, never give chrysanthemums
because they are for funerals.
Besides, your friend shouldnt be given red or yellow flowers
because they mean secrecy and jealousy.
Gifts must be opened as soon as they are received.
If you offer wine as gift, make sure it is a good one. Quality is
really important for Italians.
3. Dining etiquette:
Even if the invitation says to wear informal clothes, stylish attire
should be worn such as a jacket and tie for men and elegant
dresses for women.
Punctuality is not mandatory. You can arrive 15 minutes late for
dinner and up to 30 minutes late for a party.

If you want to give flowers when you are invited to a dinner,

flowers should be delivered on that day.
Wine and chocolate are always welcomed when you attend a
dinner. They like getting those things.

4. Table manners:
Guests has to wait until they are told to sit down. They are also
shown where to sit.
Guests has to use the fork on the left hand and the knife on the
right while eating.
Everybody must be guided by the hostess. She sits first, eats first,
and stands up first at the end the meal.
Cheese must be picked with a knife, not the fingers.
It is not respectful to put the elbows on the table not the hands on
the lap.
Italians like to eat all the meal, however it is acceptable to leave a
small amount of it on the plate.

5 THINGS TO DO
Italy has a lot of things to do, not just 5 top things, but we can tell you never
miss to do these following things:
1. Take a night ride on the gondola in Venice. Do it after dinner for a
romantic experience.
2. The Last Supper. When visiting Milan, dont skip to spend at least 15
minutes seeing the Last Supper, it is Leonardo Da Vincis masterpiece.
It is worth it.
3. Get a guided tour of the Vatican museums. Paying for a guided
tour, you will get a bonus to visit St. Peter Church.
4. Have sunbathe on Sardinia. Costa Smeralda has one of the most
beautiful beaches in the south part of the country. You will get great
pictures and you will enjoy the time swimming there.
5. See an opera in Verona. There is great spectacle in the Veronas
amphitheaters. You will spend a great night seeing the show and
listening to the music performed.

SUPERSTITIONS
Some of the most common superstitions in Italy can be familiar to us.
1. If you want to have good luck, you will consider number 13 for that. On
the other hand, Friday 17 will bring you bad luck.

2. For Italians, if a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck for
sure.
3. If you are in Italy, never make a toast with water. You have to use wine or
you will bring bad luck.
4. If you are wearing a hat in Italy, you will never put it on a bed because
they consider it unlucky.
5. If you are invited to have dinner, dont sit at the corner of the table or
you will never marry.
6. Italians have a very familiar superstition about brooms. If your feet are
brushed by accident when cleaning the floor, you will not get married.
7. In Italy, if you want to avoid tempting fate, touch iron. In Peru we say
knock on wood.
8. Most Italian make the sign of horns to ward off bad luck. So if you want
to skip bad luck, you can wear an amulet with that gesture as image.

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
http://www.thelovelyplanet.net/traditional-dress-of-italy-a-garnished-garmentwith-beauty-and-style/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risotto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagne
http://www.italiamia.com/sports.php
http://www.yourguidetoitaly.com/popular-foods-of-italy.html
http://www.yourguidetoitaly.com/italian-music.html
http://slowitaly.yourguidetoitaly.com/2013/01/carnival-of-venice-types-ofvenetian-masks/
http://goitaly.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/tp/italian_festivals_bymonth.htm
http://www.italianhandicraft.it/handicraft-products.htm
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/italy-countryprofile.html

http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/20-things-everyone-should-do-initaly.html
http://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/top-13-italian-superstitions
http://tuscantraveler.com/2014/florence/italian-life-rules-superstitions-familiarand-strange/
http://es.scribd.com/doc/15133358/Italy-Tarantella-Worksheet#scribd