Italy

Italy is a country in south-central Europe. Borders to the north with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. Italy is surounded with Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian seas and has many islands but the Sicily and Sardinia are the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. Country has more than 60 million inhabitants. The climate of Italy is highly diverse and can be far from the stereotypical Mediterranean climate, depending on location. In the ancient times Italy was known as the Roman Empire which covered the land all around the Mediterranean sea and to the Germany and Britain in the north. Italy has many world famous landmarks and one of the most famous is the Colosseum in Rome, others are the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral in Florence, which has the biggest brick dome in the world, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Milan Cathedral, the Florence cathedral and many more. More than 45 million tourists visit Italy every year and the popular city are Milan, Bologna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Vatican city as the center of Roman Catholic church. Italy's notable artists are Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Bernini, Titian and Raphael. Notable writers are Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Giacomo Leopardi, Alessandro Manzoni, Torquato Tasso, Ludovico Ariosto, and Petrarch. Italian fashion has a long tradition, and is regarded as one of the most important in the world, along with French fashion, American fashion, British fashion and Japanese fashion. Italy's cuisine is famous around the world and some famous dishes and items include pasta, pizza, lasagna, focaccia, and gelato.