Italy
Italy lies in Europe’s south-central region and boasts of one of the longest Mediterranean coastlines. The country has left a strong mark on Europe’s cuisine and culture. It has one of the most attractive landscapes, and its boot-like shape makes it stand out. The Alps, the most rugged mountain ranges, stand at its broad top. Italy borders Austria, Vatican City, Slovenia, San Marino, and Switzerland, with 60 million inhabitants. The country boasts of its mountainous landscape with volcanoes, beautiful beaches, and islands. In terms of attractions, Italy contributes a lot to art, fashion, architecture, literature, design, opera, food cuisines, and film.
Especially for hiking enthusiasts, there is a lot to discover in Italy's northern wine-growing region Alto Adige besides the breathtaking landscapes, history, hospitality and enjoyment. If you are seeking an active holiday on high altitudes, come and join us on a private tour to the Dolomites.
Typical Italian
Pizza
Pizza forms a significant part of Italy’s success stories, but surprisingly, it doesn’t have a unique national recipe. Out of the extensive pizza types in existence, Neapoletana is the country’s most famous pizza, prepared with simple and fresh ingredients: a basic dough, raw tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and olive oil. No fancy toppings are allowed! UNESCO classifies it as an intangible cultural heritage. The Roman pizza is flat and crispy. The Sicilians like theirs thick and fluffy, while Apulians prefer frying small dough pockets called panzerotti.
Pasta
Pasta is a favorite delicacy among Italians and has varied ways of making it depending on the region. Apart from the various recipes and shapes, Italy has some rules on how to make authentic pasta. For example, you shouldn’t overcook it or serve it with chicken or ketchup sauce.
Vespas
Vespas are to Italy as yellow cabs are to New York. Introduced in 1946, these stunning scooters gained fame following their numerous appearance on silver screen. Actors like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday, and Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita steered the scooters popularity further after taking scenes that featured vespas.
Fashion
Italy is home to luxury fashion; Florence hosted by the first ever global fashion show in 1951. Nowadays, Milan ranks as the main clothing fashion hub in Italy with Quadrilatero d’Oro, the city’s top notch shopping district headquarters the largest brands in the world. Gucci, Prada, Armani, Versace, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana are some of the top designer clothing based in the city.
Learn Some Common Italian Words
- Buon giorno (bwohn-johr-noh) - Hello/Good morning
- Buon pomeriggio (bwon po-meh-reej-joh) - Good afternoon
- Buona sera (bwoh-nah-seh-rah) - Good evening
- Buona note (bwoh-nah-noht-teh) - Good night
- Ciao (chee-ah-oh) - Hello/Goodbye (informal)
- Arrivederci (ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee) - Goodbye
- Sì (see) - Yes
- No (noh) - No
- Per favore (pehr fah-voh-reh) - Please
- Grazie (grah-tsee-eh) – Thank you
- Prego (preh-goh) – You’re welcome
- Scusa (skooh-zah) – I’m sorry/Excuse me
- Parla inglese? (pahr-lah een-gleh-zeh) – Do you speak English?