Interesting facts about the Italian culture will provide you a highlight of the rich heritage that Italy possesses. Italy is home to more than 62 million individuals as of 2017. Italian culture is steeped in the arts, family, architecture, music, and food. Home of the Roman Empire and a major center of the Renaissance. Culture on the Italian peninsula has flourished for centuries. Here is a brief overview of Italian customs and traditions.
Interesting facts about Italian culture:
- Italy’s proper name is Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic). Nickname: “Bel Paese” which means a beautiful country.
- Italy is home to more than 62 million individuals as of 2017. It is ranked 23rd in population size when compared with other countries throughout the world.
- Italy is identifiable on a world map because of its distinctive “boot” shape.
- Italy’s official currency is the euro.
- Italians love sports. Cycling, Skiing, Soccer and Motor Racing are just some of the sports. Italians have a very strong interest in good teams of sportsmen and women.
- Italy surrounds two of the world’s smallest countries. San Marino in Northern Italy, the oldest republic in the world. And Vatican City in Rome, the smallest country in the world.
- Italy manufactures most of the world’s top sports cars. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo being some of the most popular.
- The highest mountain in Italy can be found in the Alps. It is the Monte Bianco, better known as Mont Blanc, which is 4,807m.
- Most TV channels (and media) are owned by the prime minister of the Republic of Italy.
- Italy has 54 World Heritage Sites, 5 of which are joined with other countries. These include the Amalfi Coast, the Historic Centre of Florence and the Famous Lagoons in Venice.
- Europe’s three active volcanoes, Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius are all located in Italy.
- Italy is home to the world’s oldest university, the University of Bologna founded in 1088.
- Some of the most well-known artists and authors–including Dante, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo are from Italy.
- The colors of the Italian flag represent three virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
- Fashion is also important in Italy. After all, some of the world’s most sought after designers, such as Armani, Versace, and Prada, hails from Italy.
Italian cuisine:
Italian cuisine has influenced food culture around the world. It is viewed as a form of art by many. Wine, cheese, and pasta are an important part of Italian meals. Pasta comes in a wide range of shapes, widths, and lengths. Including penne, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, and lasagna.
No one area of Italy eats the same things like the next. Each region has its own spin on “Italian food,” according to CNN. For example, most of the foods that Americans view as Italian, such as spaghetti and pizza, come from central Italy. In the North of Italy, fish, potatoes, rice, sausages, pork and different types of cheeses are the most common ingredients. Pasta dishes with tomatoes are popular. As are many kinds of stuffed pasta, polenta, and risotto. In the South, tomatoes dominate dishes. And they are either served fresh or cooked into sauce. Southern cuisine also includes capers, peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic, artichokes, eggplant, and ricotta cheese.
Wine is additionally a major piece of Italian culture. And the nation is home to a portion of the world’s most popular vineyards. The most established hints of Italian wine were as of late found in a cavern close to Sicily’s southwest drift. “The archeological ramifications of this new information are gigantic, particularly thinking about that the recognizable proof of wine [is] the first and most punctual verified nearness of such item in an archeological setting in Sicily,”
Interesting facts about Italian superstitions
Italians believe that the “17” number is unlucky. Because when the Roman numeral for 17 (XVII) is rearranged is looks like VIXI. Which means “I have lived”. The symbol that’s associated with death. Italians believe that the corincello charm, which resembles a chili pepper or a small horn, will protect them from the evil eye.
According to Italians, placing a hat on a bed is bad luck. Traditionally, when priests visited the dying to give them their last rights, they would remove their hat and put it on the bed. If a cat is crossing the street, don’t be the first one to cross its path. It is believed that black cats are a symbol of witchcraft and the devil.
Don’t give someone your best wishes. Instead, say “In bocca al lupo” or “into the wolf’s mouth,” as this means “good luck.” Italians believe that if someone brushes over a single person’s feet with a broom that he or she will never get married.
Italian Culture:
- According to Italian culture, you must respect your elders. Always stand when an elder person enters the room.
- Italy is the fifth most visited country in the world. Welcoming some 46 million foreign visitors annually. It’s also the fifth most populous country in Europe.
- In 2012, the town of Falciano del Massico in Campania made it illegal for residents to die. Because the town’s cemetery is full.
- Not all people in Italy speak proper Italian. But one of its many Italian dialects. Some of the older people can neither speak Italian. But only the local dialect or will speak only German when living in the Northern Region of Alto Adige, or French dialect in the Valle d’Aosta.
- Italy is one of the most popular places to visit in the entire world. Tourism actually accounts for over sixty percent of Italy’s national income.
- Only about 4 percent of the gross national product comes from agriculture. Wheat, vegetables, fruit, olives, and grapes are grown in sufficient quantities to feed the population. Meat and dairy products, however, are imported.
- Most of Italy’s commercial centers are in the developed northern region. Milan is the most important economic center of Italy.
- Speech is a social boundary marker in Italy. The more education and “breeding” a person has. The closer that person’s speech comes to the national language and differs from a dialect.
- The Romans mastered plumbing. They used copper piping and valves. The patents of some are still in use today.
- Around eighty-five percent of all Italians identify as belonging to the Roman Catholic church. This means that the country is very much skewed towards Catholicism.
Italian Holidays:
Italians celebrate most Christian holidays.
- The celebration of the Epiphany celebrated on January 6, is much like Christmas. Belfana, an old lady who flies on her broomstick, delivers presents and goodies to good children, according to legend.
- Pasquetta, on the Monday after Easter, typically involves family picnics to mark the beginning of springtime.
- November 1 commemorates Saints Day. A religious holiday during which Italians typically decorate the graves of deceased relatives with flowers.
- Many Italian towns and villages celebrate the feast day of their patron saint. September 19, for example, is the feast of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Napoli.
- April 25 is the Liberation Day, marking the 1945 liberation ending World War II in Italy in 1945.
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