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Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern and Western Europe. It consists of a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land border, as well as islands, notably Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and two enclaves: Vatican City and San Marino. It is the tenth-largest country in Europe by area, covering 301,340 km² (116,350 sq mi), and third-most populous member state of the European Union, with a population of nearly 60 million. Its capital and largest city is Rome; other major urban areas include Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Bologna, Florence, and Venice.

In antiquity, Italy was home to numerous peoples; the city of Rome, founded as a Kingdom, became a Republic that conquered the Mediterranean world and ruled it for centuries as an Empire. With the spread of Christianity, Rome became the seat of the Catholic Church and the Papacy. During the Early Middle Ages, Italy experienced the fall of the Western Roman Empire and inward migration from Germanic tribes. By the 11th century, Italian city-states and maritime republics expanded, bringing renewed prosperity through commerce and laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. The Italian Renaissance flourished during the 15th and 16th centuries and spread to the rest of Europe. Italian explorers discovered new routes to the Far East and the New World, leading the European Age of Discovery. However, centuries of rivalry and infighting between city-states left the peninsula divided. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Italian economic importance waned significantly. ( Full article...)

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Modigliani c. 1918

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani ( US: /ˌmoʊdiːlˈjɑːni/; Italian: [ameˈdɛːo modiʎˈʎaːni]; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the École de Paris who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and figures — works that were not received well during his lifetime, but later became much sought-after. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, where he studied the art of antiquity and the Renaissance. In 1906, he moved to Paris, where he came into contact with such artists as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brâncuși. By 1912, Modigliani was exhibiting highly stylized sculptures with Cubists of the Section d'Or group at the Salon d'Automne.

Modigliani's oeuvre includes paintings and drawings. From 1909 to 1914, he devoted himself mainly to sculpture. His main subjects were portraits and full figures, both in the images and in the sculptures. Modigliani had little success while alive but after his death achieved great popularity. He died of tubercular meningitis, at the age of 35, in Paris. ( Full article...)

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Image 1The Forma Urbis Romae is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between 203 and 211.
Image 2 Youth of Moses by Sandro Botticelli, 1481-82, Sistine Chapel
Image 3Porta Soprana is the best-known gate of the ancient walls of Genoa.
Image 4A section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo
Image 5Dome of Florence Cathedral
Image 6View of Piazzetta San Marco toward Grand Canal of Venice, at dawn, with Doges' Palace on the left and Biblioteca Marciana on the right.
Image 7Interior of the Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome
Image 8 Sellajoch, South Tyrol and Trentino (seen from Pordoi Pass), Langkofel on the left, Piz Ciavazes on the right
Image 9South face of the Tofana di Rozes in the Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo

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...that within a tomb in the town of Bergamo, Italy there is a statue dedicated to the life of Enrico Rastelli, the world's greatest juggler?

...that Italy's 1957 Eurovision entry, " Corde Della Mia Chitarra", was so long that it resulted in the introduction of length restrictions for competing songs?

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Fettuccine Alfredo (Italian: [fettut'tʃiːne alˈfreːdo]) is a pasta dish made with fettuccine, butter, and Parmesan cheese. As the cheese is mixed with freshly cooked, warm fettuccine and ample butter, it melts and emulsifies to form a smooth, rich cheese sauce coating the pasta. Originating in Rome in the early 20th century, the recipe is now popular in the United States and other countries. Outside of Italy, cream is sometimes used to thicken the sauce, and ingredients such as chicken, shrimp, salmon or broccoli may also be added when it is served as a main course.

The dish is named after Alfredo Di Lelio, a Roman restaurateur who is credited with its invention and popularisation. Di Lelio's elaborate tableside service was an integral part of the recipe's success. Fettuccine Alfredo is a richer variant of standard Italian fettuccine al burro ('fettuccine with butter') or pasta burro e parmigiano ('pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese'). It is a kind of pasta in bianco, that is, without added sauce. Italian recipes do not include cream and are not topped with other ingredients, nor is the dish generally called "Alfredo" in Italy. ( Full article...)

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Italian cuisine Pizza Ancient Roman cuisine Pasta Roman cuisine Parmigiano-Reggiano Sicilian cuisine Mozzarella Acquacotta Carbonara Gelato Marron glacé Minestrone Pizza di Pasqua Chianti Food and dining in the Roman Empire Espresso Italian wine Testaroli Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale Latte

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The following are images from various Italy-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1 Ferragosto fireworks display in Padua on 15 August 2010 (from Culture of Italy)
Image 2Clockwise from top left: Thomas Aquinas, proponent of natural theology and the Father of Thomism; Giordano Bruno, one of the major scientific figures of the Western world; Cesare Beccaria, considered the Father of criminal justice and modern criminal law; and Maria Montessori, credited with the creation of the Montessori education (from Culture of Italy)
Image 3Entrance to Cinecittà in Rome, the largest film studio in Europe (from Culture of Italy)
Image 4 David, by Michelangelo ( Accademia di Belle Arti, Florence, Italy) is a masterpiece of Renaissance and world art. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 5The Leaning Tower of Pisa (from Culture of Italy)
Image 6Folkloristic reconstruction of the Company of Death led by Alberto da Giussano who is preparing to carry out the charge during the battle of Legnano at the Palio di Legnano 2014 (from Culture of Italy)
Image 7 Carnival of Venice (from Culture of Italy)
Image 8The Uffizi in Florence (from Culture of Italy)
Image 9 John Florio is recognised as the most important Renaissance humanist in England (from Culture of Italy)
Image 10 Federico Fellini, considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers in the history of cinema (from Culture of Italy)
Image 11 Giorgio Moroder, pioneer of Italo disco and electronic dance music, is known as the "Father of disco". (from Culture of Italy)
Image 12The Altare della Patria in Rome, a national symbol of Italy celebrating the first king of the unified country, and resting place of the Italian Unknown Soldier since the end of World War I. It was inaugurated in 1911, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 13 Luciano Pavarotti, considered one of the finest tenors of the 20th century and the "King of the High Cs" (from Culture of Italy)
Image 14The statue of Italia turrita in Naples. Italia turrita is the national personification of Italy. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 15A wooden puppet depicting the Befana (from Culture of Italy)
Image 16The historic seat of the Corriere della Sera in via Solferino in Milan (from Culture of Italy)
Image 17Traditional pizza Margherita, whose ingredients, tomato (red), mozzarella (white) and basil (green), are inspired by the colours of the national flag of Italy. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 18 The Calling of St Matthew by Caravaggio (from Culture of Italy)
Image 19The Forum of Pompeii with Vesuvius in the distance (from Culture of Italy)
Image 20The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (from Culture of Italy)
Image 21 Pietà, by Michelangelo is a key work of Italian Renaissance sculpture. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 22 The Creation of Adam is one of the scenes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, painted by Michelangelo sometime between 1508 and 1512. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 23Regional seat of RAI in Cosenza (from Culture of Italy)
Image 24Pinocchio Disney film is based on The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 25The discovery of the New World by Christoper Columbus (from Culture of Italy)
Image 26The Arch of Constantine in Rome (from Culture of Italy)
Image 27The Sagra dell'uva in Marino, celebrating grapes (from Culture of Italy)
Image 28 Antonio Vivaldi, in 1723. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 29 Rai Radio 1 (from Culture of Italy)
Image 30The Sistine Chapel ceiling, with frescos done by Michelangelo (from Culture of Italy)
Image 31 Romulus and Remus, the Lupercal, Father Tiber, and the Palatine on a relief from a pedestal dating to the reign of Trajan (AD 98–117) (from Culture of Italy)
Image 32 Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (c. 1486). Tempera on canvas. 172.5 cm × 278.9 cm (67.9 in × 109.6 in). Uffizi, Florence. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 33 Alessandro Manzoni is famous for the novel The Betrothed (1827), generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 34 Dante Alighieri, one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages. His epic poem The Divine Comedy ranks among the finest works of world literature. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 35 Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana Store on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas (from Culture of Italy)
Image 36 The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, possibly one of the most famous and iconic examples of Italian art (from Culture of Italy)
Image 37 Teatro di San Carlo, Naples. It is the oldest continuously active venue for opera in the world. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 38 Italian folk dance in Molise (from Culture of Italy)
Image 39The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., reflects the president's admiration for classical Roman aesthetics (from Culture of Italy)
Image 40 Tagliatelle with ragù (from Culture of Italy)
Image 41 Dario Fo, one of the most widely performed playwrights in modern theatre, received international acclaim for his highly improvisational style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 42 Prada shop at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan (from Culture of Italy)
Image 43 William Shakespeare is an example of an Italophile of the 16th century. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 44The cover of the Corriere dei Piccoli on 11 July 1911 carries a cartoon strip in the Italian style without speech bubbles. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 45 Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in Rome is a perfect example of modern Italian architecture. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 46 Roman mosaic of Virgil, the most important Latin poet of the Augustan period and the world (from Culture of Italy)
Image 47 Palio di Siena (from Culture of Italy)
Image 48 Royal Palace of Caserta is the largest former royal residence in the world. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 49 Italian wine and salumi (from Culture of Italy)
Image 50 Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is an Italian art masterpiece worldwide famous. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 51 Gelato is Italian ice cream. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 52The espresso comes from the Italian esprimere, which means "to express," and refers to the process by which hot water is forced under pressure through ground coffee. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 53The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 54The Colosseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 55 Scrovegni Chapel. The chapel contains a fresco cycle by Giotto, completed about 1305 and considered to be an important masterpiece of Western art. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 56The Roman Empire provided an inspiration for the medieval European. Although the Holy Roman Empire rarely acquired a serious geopolitical reality, it possessed great symbolic significance. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 57The Piazza dei Miracoli, with Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Pisan Romanesque style (from Culture of Italy)
Image 58 Castel del Monte, Apulia (from Culture of Italy)
Image 59 Columbus Breaking the Egg by William Hogarth (from Culture of Italy)
Image 60 Festival of Saint Agatha (from Culture of Italy)
Image 61 Palazzo Senatorio, seat of the municipality of Rome. It has been a town hall since AD 1144, making it the oldest town hall in the world. (from Culture of Italy)
Image 62 Holographic copy of 1847 of " Il Canto degli Italiani", the Italian national anthem since 1946 (from Culture of Italy)
Image 63 Commedia dell'arte troupe I Gelosi performing, by Hieronymus Francken I, c. 1590 (from Culture of Italy)
Image 64The Trevi Fountain in Rome (from Culture of Italy)