Please join with the Diversity council in celebrating the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy.
Come to Union Building room 107 from 12:00-1:00.
Italy /ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.
Italy has been the home of many European cultures, such as the Etruscans and the Romans, and later was the birthplace of the university and of the Renaissance, that began in Tuscany and spread all over Europe. Italy’s capital, Rome, was for centuries the center of Western civilization. Italy possessed a colonial empire from the second half of the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century
Interesting facts about Italy
Italy is slightly larger than Arizona.
The Italian flag is inspired by the French flag introduced during Napoleon’s 1797 invasion of the peninsula.
The thermometer is an Italian invention.
The city of Naples gave birth to the pizza .
The piano hails from Italy.
The longest river in Italy is the Po.
The average Italian consumes half a pound of bread a day.
Italy’s contributions to science include the barometer, electric battery, nitroglycerin, and wireless telegraphy.
Famous Italian explorers include Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, John Cabot, and Amerigo Vespucci.
Enrico Fermi, inventor of the nuclear reactor, was an Italian.
Italy is home to two microstates, San Marino and Vatican City .
Besides Julius Caesar, Shakespeare also set in Italy ( entirely or partially):
Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Cymbeline,Much Ado About Nothing, Othello,The Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona,The Winter’s Tale
Cologne came out of Italy.
The ice cream cone is an Italian invention.
Eyeglasses are an Italian invention.
Italy has 16 regions and 4 autonomous regions.
The average Italian consumes 26 gallons of wine a year.
Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe.
The espresso machine hails from Italy.
Over 40% of Italy’s labor force is unionized.
Over 75% of Italy is mountainous or hilly.
The typewriter is an Italian invention.
Italians used to be known for having large families, however Italy is now known for having Europe’s lowest birthrate.
The average Italian consumes 25 kilograms of pasta a year.
The Jewish Ghetto in Rome is now one of the most expensive real estate area in the city
With over 5 million people, Rome is Italy’s largest Italy.
Italians refer to their country as Italia.
The Seven Hills of Rome are Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal.
The symbol SPQR can be found on many ancient buildings in Rome. It stands for “the senate and people of Rome.”
Rome was founded in 753 BC.
Italy did not become a united country until 1861
Before Rome became a republic and an empire, it had seven kings.
The first king of Rome was its legendary founder, Romulus.
“Ars longa, vita brevis” is a common saying in Italy. It means “art is long, life is short” and reflects the Italian love of leisure.
An engineering marvel of the ancient world, Cloacus Maxima, is the sewer of Rome.
The first Roman Emperor was Augustus Octavian, who came to power in 27 BC.
The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, after its last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was forced to abdicate by barbarian invaders.
A Roman Centurion commanded 100 hundred men.
A Roman Legion was made up of 6,000 men.
Italy’s current constitution took effect January 1, 1948
The president of Italy is a ceremonial figure.
The prime minister serves as the head of government and is the one who runs the country.
Since October 1946, the national anthem of Italy has been Inno de Memeli .
The Italian flag is green, white, and red.
The colors of the Italian flag represent three virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
98% of Italians are Roman Catholic.
The Roman Catholic Church is based in Italy.
Italy has over 3,000 museums.
The national sport of Italy is soccer (known as football outside of America).
The Italian language evolved from the Latin of the Roman Empire.
The Italian island of Sicily is famous for being home of the illicit Mafia criminal organization.
The Alps mountain range form part of Italy’s northern border, and for a long time, protected the peninsula from invasion.
Italy has three active volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli.
Rome’s nickname is “The Eternal City.”
Florence is home to Italian art.
