THE COUNTRY

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II.

Travelling in Italy means discovering an unparalleled artistic and cultural heritage, from the iconic landmarks of Florence - Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Campanile, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio - to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and the picturesque Piazza del Campo in the centre of Siena.

Not far from Siena are some of the region's most characteristic sites: the ancient village of Monteriggioni, perched on a hill, has preserved its beautiful medieval walls, and in Chiusdino, the Abbey of San Galgano is a ruined hermitage that houses a mysterious sword carved into the rock.

Rome (includes Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo, Roman Forum);
Venice Canals;
Pompeii;
Leaning Tower of Pisa;
Lake Como;
Florence (includes Ponte Vecchio, Cathedral, Uffizi Gallery);
Sicily;
Mount Vesuvius;
Amalfi Coast;
Hadrian's Villa;
Milan (includes Cathedral, La Scala)

Private Jets, Helicopters and Airliners
Finest Onboard Catering
Ground Transport and Yachts
Luxury Villa & House Rentals
Local Guide & 24/7 Assistance
Customized Global Services

TO BE KNOWN

The State's Capital

Rome
Time Zone

UTC +1
Telephone Code

39
Total Area

301 340 Km2
Population

61 095 551 (2022 est.)
Main Languages

Italian, German, French
Currency

Euros (EUR)
GDP Per Capita

USD 41900
Airports

129
Heliports

5

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Climate

Predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Ethnic Groups

Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

Cultural Practices

Chrysanthemums are used at funerals, red flowers indicate secrecy, and yellow flowers indicate jealousy. All make poor gifts.

Traditional Cuisine

Pasta dishes; pizza

National Economy

Core EU economy; strong services, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; hard hit by COVID-19 disruptions but starting to recover; large EU exporter but data skews due to inflated port entry valuation; corruption somewhat stymies foreign direct investment