Italy

A short trip to Italy…

ITALY. Officially the Italian Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic in Southern Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea and many other smaller islands.

• The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate

• With 60.8 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world

History of Italy Rome, the capital of Italy, has for centuries been a

political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Through much of its post-Roman history, Italy was fragmented into numerous city and regional states, but was unified in 1861. In the late 19th century, through World War I, and to World War II, Italy possessed a colonial empire.

Emblem of Italy

Flag of Italy

The most beautiful Italian city…

• Taormina - a small town located in Sicily. The city spreads over the steep slopes of the surrounding mountains. Taormina's greatest monument is well preserved Greek theater and is located above the city castle.

• Rome - the capital of Italy. One of the most important tourism centers of the world with its monuments derived from antiquity and the Middle Ages. The largest Roman monuments include the ruins of the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter's Basilica, Basilica St. John of Lateran, Capitol, Castel Sant'Angelo.

… the Colosseum in Rome - is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, built of concrete and stone. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Panthenon -is a building in Rome, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.

• Palermo - the capital of Sicily. Tourists willing to come to Palermo, because it is a place rich in culture, history and art. The biggest attractions include Palermo built in the eleventh century, the Royal Castle and the Cathedral of S. Rosalia.

• Venice - the world famous Venice is a very important Italian tourist center. Gondolas, water, romantic cruises among stylish - age houses.

• Positano - a tiny town in which they live less than 4 thousand people. Looking at photos of Positano, it's easy to understand why it is a place frequented by tourists.

• Milan - not impress with their charm and even Rome. But that Milan is one of the world's fashion capitals, and it was in Milan is a paradise for shoppers. If you are not a fan of shopping, to visit Milan and visit the museums, their number is impressive.

• Florence - known as the pearl of Tuscany. The perfect place to get acquainted with Italian culture and history. Renaissance city is a monument in itself.

Italian TraditionsThe Italians who came to Canada brought with them the language, customs, the music, and religious

traditions. Family Family is very important for Italians. The adjustments that the first generation of immigrants made

sometimes had devastating results. They became neither Italian nor Canadian. The second generation combined the aspects of both cultures and lifestyles. The third and the fourth generations became more Canadian than Italian.

Visiting Visiting friends and relatives is very popular among the Italians. Intricate networks of friendship and

fellowship are developed as they share their joys and their sorrows.

Christmas Italian traditions in Italy are based heavily on the religion ofChristianity. Christmas starts eight days before Christmas and laststill after the Feast of Epiphany. Musical salutes are made at the shrineof the Virgin Mary and songs are played at the homes of carpenters inhonor of St. Joseph. Eight days before Christmas, a special Novena ofprayers and church services begin. It all ends on Christmas Day.A strict fast is observed 24 hours before Christmas after which a mealwith many dishes (but no meat) is served. The traditional Christmasdinner, Cenone, is made up of spaghetti and anchovies, anassortment of fish, fresh broccoli, tossed salad, fruits, and sweets.

FOOD in ItalyItaly has 20 regions, and each region has its own traditional food and wine. Italian food

does not consist of only pizza and spaghetti, and the menu is as varied as the Italianregions. Italians use a variety of vegetables, such as tomatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic,peas, pepper in their cuisine. Italian food and wine are well known in Canada and NorthAmerica.

Famous food :1. Pizza

The modern day pizza's birthplace was Naples, Italy. The original and most popular variety is Margherita, which has only tomato, mozzarella, and basil. These colors represent the Italian flag colors. Pizza is famous on all world.

2. Gelato

Italy's version of ice cream. It contains many of the same 2ingredients as

other frozen dairy desserts, but has a lower butterfat and sugar content. It is made and frozen in small batches versus

the process of making most commercial ice creams in the United States.

3. Risotto

Risotto originated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Risotto dishes are made with short-grain rice and include a broth that creates a creamy final product. Producing a

good risotto is not often that easy and an improperly cooked one can resemble a crunchy rice soup.

Risottos are often found in fine Italian or even gourmet French restaurants around the world.

4. Mortadella

Mortadella originated in Bologna and is a large sausage made from finely ground pork sausage that is heat-cured. It also has small cubes

of pork fat incorporated in it. Mortadella is spiced and sold in a variety of ways -- popular varieties include olives, pistachios, pepper,

and jalapenos.

5. Tiramisu

A popular dessert found on nearly every Italian restaurant menu in the United States. It is made of biscuits soaked in coffee with layers of

whipped mascarpone and egg yolks. It also contains cocoa and liquor flavors.

There is quite a bit of debate as to where and when Tiramisu originated, but it comes from Italy.

6. Spumoni

This is a molded Italian ice cream dessert. It has different layers of color and flavor and contains nuts and candied fruits. Spumoni is believed to have originated in Naples, Italy. Traditional spumoni is often hard to find in some restaurants outside of Italy, but you can

often get spumoni ice cream at your local grocery store.

7. Cannoli

Cannoli from Sicily. They are small pastry tubes filled with a sweet, creamy cheese filling.

8. Mozzarella

Not surprisingly, this versatile and gourmet cheese came from Italy. Good mozzarella is the key to many Italian dishes and of course the Caprese salad. Mozzarella is actually the term for several different

kinds of cheese made by spinning and cutting. The name comes from the Campania region of Italy where mozza means "cut".

9. Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Another cheese that we have Italy to thank for is Parmigiano-Reggiano, often referred to as Parmesan elsewhere in the world.

• Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano has an unmistakable taste that is essential in many Italian dishes and pairs extraordinarily well with numerous red wines.

10. Spaghetti

Is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water.

When I was in Italy…When I was in elementary school I participated in projectCOMENIUS. First, came to me girl from Italy – Fiorenza. She is fromme a year younger. She was in my house for a few days. We becamefriends despite complications with different language. I met otherfriends who too came to Poland. Through the Comenius project I metmany wonderful Italian friends. For me and Fiorenza was hard for usto say goodbye. Fortunatelly for next year I had the opportunity to go toItaly.I was in a small town – Pontecorvo on 5 days. I was living in Fiorenza’s home. Her sister- Flavia is 4 years older than me. In their house I felt verycomfortable, because from the beginning welcomed me very nice. Hermother and father were very cordial to me.

A few photos from my trip in Italy…

We visited the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, Monte Casino, and many other.

I will never forget this wonderful trip to Italy!

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

I will want to meet new friends again… Małgorzata Błasiak, 2a