 Italy
is situated in Western Europe its borders touch those of
France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia and
is nearly completely surrounded by the Mediterranean and
Adriatic Seas. Rome once the capital of the Roman Empire
is Italy’s capital and Italian is the official language,
although French, English and German are also spoken in
tourist centers.
Italy also boasts some beautiful islands such as Sicily
with its still active Volcano Mount Etna, Sardinia with
a mountainous landscape and beautiful off shore islands
in turquoise waters, as well as Capri and Elba, to name
a few.
Italy’s landscape ranges from the Alps and Apennines
boasting some of the highest mountains in Europe,
offering excellent skiing and hiking, central Italy with
the picturesque Tuscan valleys, lush country side and
sandy coastline and the south with its expanse of olive
trees, forests, beaches and rocky coastline.
Italy’s rich historical past is represented with the
magnificent examples of architecture and art found
throughout the country in cities such as Rome, Venice,
Florence, Siena, Naples just to name a few. From the
Etruscans through to the Roman Empire and on to the
Florentine Renaissance, Italy has an incredible cultural
heritage of famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo and Botticelli as well as splendid
buildings, notably the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel,
St. Mark’s Basilica amongst the thousands of others.
The climate varies from the north to the south, with
higher temperatures during summer in the south and a lot
of snowfall on the mountains; the north has heavier
rainfall especially from October to November.
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