Immerse+Yourself+in+Italy+(Book+1)

** __Facts about Italy (Courtesy of the__ U.S. Department of State__and the__ CIA __)__ Italy is largely homogeneous linguistically and religiously but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the fifth-highest population density in Europe--about 200 persons per square kilometer.

Greeks settled in the southern tip of the Italian Peninsula in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.; Etruscans, Romans, and others inhabited the central and northern mainland. **
 * The Roman Catholic Church's status in Italy has been determined, since its temporal powers ended in 1870, by a series of accords with the Italian Government. Under the Lateran Pacts of 1929, which were confirmed by the present constitution, Vatican City is recognized by Italy as an independent, sovereign entity. While preserving that recognition, in 1984, Italy and the Vatican several provisions of the 1929 accords. Included was the end of Roman Catholicism as Italy's formal state religion. [[image:St._Marks_Cathedral.jpg width="95" height="130" align="left" caption="St. Marks Cathedral"]]

Unemployment is a regional issue in Italy--low in the north, high in the south. The overall national rate is at its lowest level since 1992.

Europe's Renaissance period began in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries. Literary achievements--such as the poetry of Petrarch, Tasso, and Ariosto and the prose of Boccaccio, Machiavelli , and Castiglione--exerted a tremendous and lasting influence on the subsequent development of Western civilization, as did the painting, sculpture, and architecture contributed by giants such as da Vinci , Raphael , Botticelli, Fra Angelico, and Michelangelo. (Click here for an incredible virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel**).


 * The musical influence of Italian composers Monteverdi, Palestrina, and Vivaldi proved epochal; in the 19th century, Italian romantic opera flourished under composers Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini. Contemporary Italian artists, writers, filmmakers, architects, composers, and designers contribute significantly to Western culture.

Places Elizabeth visits while in Italy:

The Spanish Steps and the Pizza del Popolo (page 35) The Villa Borghese Fountain (page 37) The National Museum of Pasta (page 63) Caravaggio paintings: The martyrdom of Saint Peter and The conversion of Saint Paul (page 73) Tiber Island and The Temple of Aesculapius (page 73) Trastevere, Pizza Navona (to the left) (page 74) The Pantheon (to the right) (page 74) The Augusteum (page 74) Naples (page 78) Pizzeria de Michele (page 79)

Delicious Italian Recipes: No Carb Left Behind! Ancient Roman Cheesecake Lombrichi alla Gambara » ( Pasta w/ sausage) Asparagus al forno

Miscellaneous: Links to information on Dante and his Divine Comedy**