Information about ItalyItaly is a place of unbelievable diversity. It is the home of culture, some of soccer's finest teams and the Roman Catholic church. Museums display some of the most beautiful art works ever made; but the living, breathing Italy that operates outside museum doors has enough beauty to suffice the average visitor. Stroll down the streets of Rome, Florence, Naples or Venice, and you will be struck by the wealth of history and culture tied up in the cobbled streets, baroque styled buildings, or beautiful chapels.
Italy occupies a long, boot-shaped peninsula, surrounded on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the east by the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia to the north. The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula's backbone; the Alps form its northern boundary. The largest of its northern lakes is Garda. There are several active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe; Vulcano; Stromboli; and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe.
Major cities include Roma (Rome), Milano (Milan), Napoli (Naples),
Torino (Turin), Genova, Bologna, Firenze (Florence), Bari, Venezia (Venice), Verona, Trieste, Padova, Taranto, Brescia, Reggio di Calabria, Modena and Prato |
