Italy
History
Italic peoples settled the peninsula before Rome's rise.
Tradition dates the founding of Rome to this year.
Ostrogoths, Lombards and Byzantium divided the peninsula after Rome fell.
Venice, Florence, Genoa and Milan grew rich as independent city-states.
The Kingdom of Italy emerged, giving the area a defined monarchical state structure.
Italy began acquiring colonies on the Red Sea.
A referendum abolished the monarchy and created the republic.
Part ofEuropeMore countries, cities and routes.Short facts
RegionSouthern Europe
LanguageItalian, Catalan
Time zoneCET (UTC+1)
Drives onRight
Worth seeing
- Rome: The Colosseum, Vatican and Trevi Fountain concentrate millennia of history.
- Venice: A city of canals, gondolas and Byzantine-Gothic architecture, slowly sinking.
- Tuscany: Renaissance art in Florence, Chianti wine and rolling hills of cypress trees.
Find a city in Italy
Showing all cities
Rome
VenicePlanning questions
What is Italy known for?Rome, Venice, Tuscany.
What is the capital?Rome.
Which language is useful?Italian, Catalan.
When is the national day?2 June.
Upcoming events
Festa della Repubblica2 Jun 2026 · Italy
Venice Film Festival27 Aug - 12 Sep 2026 ·Use Rome as the first planning anchor for Italy, then compare the city, food and worth-seeing notes on this page.
Food & drink
Pizza
EspressoKnown for
RomeThe ColosseumVaticanVeniceA city of canalsgondolasslowly sinking.Tuscany
Music & Culture