Italy is considered to be one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. This country is favourite to millions of tourists. It is an amazing combination of European culture, sunny Mediterranean, seductive cuisine, excellent wines, incredible music and fascinating stile. Furthermore, Italy can boast with a rich history and numerous cultural monuments. Italian cities as Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan, Naples, Genoa and so on are real legends. Probably everybody has ever dreamed to see them. Italy is situated in the central part of South Europe. It has form of boot.
It borders on France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia, but the biggest part of the country is surrounded by the water sheet of the Mediterranean basin.
It occupies an area of 301 230 sq.km. and has population of more than 58 million people.
Climate of Italy. The climate of Italy is various – temperate in the northern parts of the country and subtropical Mediterranean in the southern parts.
Venice, Milan, Torino and Genoa are situated in the temperate climate zone. They have four different seasons – winter, spring, summer and autumn. The precipitations fall uniformly all year around.
The daily temperatures in January are 6 °C in Venice, 4 °C in Milan, 6 °C in Torino and 6 °C in Genoa.
In the winter months can be form snow cover, usually more significant in Milan and Torino. The night temperatures are (-1) °C in Venice, (-2) °C in Milan, (-3 °C) in Torino and (-3 °C) in Genoa.
Despite the climate in these cities is temperate, can be felt the Mediterranean influence, especially in the summer months. The temperatures in August are 27 °C in Venice, 29 °C in Milan, 27 °C in Torino and 27 °C in Genoa.
In the southern part of Italy the climate is subtropical Mediterranean. The summer is long and hot, and the winter short and mild. The daily temperatures in Rome are 13 °C in January.
Even warmer is the weather in Naples – 16 °C in January! The night temperatures in Rome are 3 °C and in Naples 4 °C. The difference between southern and northern Italy is obviously.
Sometimes the citizens of Milan have 50cm of snow. In the same time the citizens of Naples can make sunbaths and walk dressed by t-shirts.
The hot weather in the northern part of Italy continues from May to September. In the southern part of Italy the weather is very warm from April to November.
In South Italy the biggest part of the precipitation, fall in the autumn – October and November. Warmest is the weather in Sicily – long and hot summer and very mild winter, suitable for outdoor activities.
Italy is a country of great contrasts. The life style in the northern part of the country is absolutely different from the life style in the southern part. The difference is terrible.
There is not other country in Europe with so significant contrasts. North Italy is one of the richest regions in Europe. But the reality in South Italy is disparate.
While the people in Milan, Torino, Genoa, Venice, Rome and so on live in wealth, the people in southern cities and especially villages live in poverty and sometimes in misery.
The northern part of the country has high developed economy. The fashion industry is one of the strongest in the world. Milan is world fashion capital (together by New York and Paris).
The cities in North Italy are home to world famous brands. The South Italy is named “the back yard of Europe”. The agriculture has leading role in the economy of South Italy.
With the exception of Naples, Palermo and some islands with high developed tourism, the biggest part of the settlements in South Italy are poor.
The beauty of Italy is proverbial. Every year around 40 000 000 tourists visit this country. It is a real giant on the world tourist market. Italy is the fifth most visited country after France, Spain, USA and China.
When we combine factors as nice Mediterranean climate, six months of warm and sunny summer, incredible cuisine that could not be describe, beautiful landscapes that can take your breath away, clean air and surrounding area, nice and smiling friendly people as well as the combination of incredible style and not counterfeit Mediterranean provincialism, can make everybody that come in Italy to fall in love with it and wish to stay here forever.
In The Middle Ages, a lot of circumstances Europeans have come from the north parts of the continent in Italy, because they have wish to find place where they can heal themselves of tuberculosis.
Today is provided fact that the Italian climate is among the healthiest in the world. Today a lot of northern Europeans use the common European citizenship and come to live in sunny Italy.
Italy is consists of 20 regions. 15 of them have sea outlet and five – not.
The regions with outlet are: Friuli Venezia Julian, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise, Aluliya, Basilica, Calabria, Sicilia (Sicily), Campania, Lazio, Toscana, Liguria, Sardinia. The regions without outlet are Piemont, Lombardia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Vale d’Aosta. The capital of Italy – Rome – is situated in Lazio.
Naples, the region of Campania. In the last few centuries, Naples is famous as the most beautiful Italian city. Nestling, against the volcano of Vesuvius (1277m high), the city live in a constant fear of eruption.
The city with population of more than 1 000 000 people, is administrative center of the region of Campania. The combination of subtropical plant and stylish Italian architecture give a charm to this picturesque site.
In the center of Naples, you can see the city skyscrapers. High and modernistic, they show the other side of Italy – less romantic, but world economic colossus.
Rome, the region of Lazio. All roads lead to Rome. Once, Rome has been the most important economic and cultural center in the world. It was the capital of the Roman Empire.
Today again the roads lead there. But the reason in these days is its beauty – unique and undisputed. The city is a real architecture masterpiece. It posses countless cultural monuments, cathedrals, palaces, squares, fountains, gardens and so on.
It brings the atmosphere of the ancient times and refinement style that is so traditional for Italy. Maybe the most important landmarks of the city are the Coliseum and the city – state of Vatican (the smallest country in the world).
Milan, the region of Lombardia attracts the lover of the fashion. This is one of the world fashion capitals. The city is one real, giant, luxury boutique. You can see everywhere luxury stores and articles.
Milan is favourite to the wealthy people from Russia, Japan, USA, Brazil, Great Britain, Germany and so on. Everybody knows that the name of Milan is synonym of high quality. The article of clothing and jewellery are not intended for the mass user.
For the biggest part of the luxury articles that you can find in Milan, you have to be not only well off, but and sufficiently cultivated to use or wear them.
The citizens of Milan are typical example for refined people that know how to wear and use the expensive articles and clothes. The locals are probably the best dressed people in the world.
Venice, the region of Veneto. This city is unique – it could not be compared with any other city in the world. Instead streets here you can see canals. Instead cars – there are gondolas.
Of course, Venice has also standard part, with normal streets and pavement. But everybody comes here because of the canals and splendid buildings. The biggest canal is “Canale Grande”.
The most famous bridge is “Rialto”. Venice is “The city of love”. Every romantic couple in the world, dreams to make a tour around the canals at sunset. Sydney and Saint Petersburg that are the most beautiful cities of Australia and Russia, bring the sobriquet Southern Venice (Sydney) and Northern Venice (Petersburg).
The region of Toscana, Florence. Toscana is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. The reason is the incredible landscape. If you travel in this part of the country during the summer months, you feel the simple, but incomparable fragrance of hay, trees and province.
This smell is so strong that you could not forget it. You can’t find other place where to feel the smell of summer as strong as you can Toscana. The dry and hot air is the main reason for this specific fragrance.
Among the hilly landscape, here and there you can see high and graceful trees. In the middle of this romantic scenery is situated Florence.
With its red roof tiles, old cathedrals, narrow and shadow streets, that radiate coolness even in the hottest summer days, Florence is the among the most cultivated cities in the world.
Together by the surrounded villages, the population of Florence is less than 500 000. In this reason the city is too big to be tedious and too small to be dirty and strenuous. The time here has stopped.
If you come here from some big and stressed city in Europe or North America, you will be surprised how quiet and tranquil cities you can find in the heart of the European Union.
Sicily. Sicily is the biggest Mediterranean island. Because of its climate and picturesque nature, the island is favourite destination for millions of visitors from all over the world.
It posses incredible golden beaches, olive tree forests, picturesque towns and villages, warm weather from early spring to late autumn as well as compelling charm. With population of more than 5 000 000, the island is the most populated in the Mediterranean Sea.
The biggest city is Palermo. It has population of around 700 000 people. The main landmarks of Sicily are the countless cathedrals and churches that are spread in every part of the island, as well as the volcano of Etna (3323m).
In the air, climate, nature, and as a whole the atmosphere of Sicily you can feel the closeness of Africa. The beaches are full of people from April to late November.
Italy posses a lot of islands, which have natural beauty and romantic atmosphere, combined by the legendary Mediterranean fascination.
All of them posses beautiful sandy or pebble beaches, clean, deep – blue sea waters, full with fish, Mediterranean forests, clean air and health climate. Sardinia, Capri, Volcano, Lipari and so on are only part of the countless islands of Italy. Every of these islands demonstrate that Italy posses incredible natural beauties.