Italy, a country for all seasons

Italy consists predominantly of a large peninsula (the Italian Peninsula) with a distinctive boot shape that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, where together with its two main islands Sicily and Sardinia it creates distinct bodies of water, such as the Adriatic Sea to the north-east, the Ionian Sea to the south-east, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south-west and finally the Ligurian Sea to the north-west. The Apennine mountains form the backbone of this peninsula, leading north-west to where they join the Alps, the mountain range that then forms an arc enclosing Italy from the north. Italy is more typically associated with two famous volcanoes: the currently dormant Vesuvius near Naples and the very active Etna on Sicily.

Italy is subdivided into 20 regions. The official language of Italy is Standard Italian, descendant of Tuscan dialect and a direct descendant of Latin. However, when Italy was unified, in 1861, Italian existed mainly as a literary language. Different languages were spoken throughout Italian peninsula. Indeed, each historical region of Italy had its own so-called ‘dialetto’.

Italy is called "il Belpaese" (Italian for beautiful country) by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes and for having the world's largest artistic patrimony. In fact  Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe is immense. Perhaps Italy's greatest cultural achievements lie in its long artistic heritage, which is often validated through the names of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Bernini and Raphael, among many others. Beyond art, Italy's contributions to the realms of literature, science and music cannot be overlooked. The basis of the modern Italian language was established through the eminent Florentine poet, Dante Alighieri, whose greatest work, the “Divina Commedia” is often considered the foremost literary statement produced in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Contemporary Italy is a country that represents and fuses a mix of different cultures. These cultures are strongly tied to history and tradition. Thanks to the depth of this historical-cultural dimension, Italy approaches and follows the path of modernity with an original and innovative perspective. This is as valid in art and design as it is in literature and in the creation of media content, guardianship of the natural environment and archeological legacy, as well as in high-tech industrial production.