The Shape of Italy, Land of Pasta

Most people think of Italy as one country united by language, religion and pasta! True, everybody speaks Italian, but in a multitude of dialects. True, most are Catholics, though church attendance has been declining. And true, pasta is eaten almost everywhere, but regional variations in the recipes are enormous. Italy is a country of diverse regions, each with their own traditions, customs and cuisine. In fact Italy has only been one nation since 1861, the first time that the country was united since Roman times. It was Garibaldi (a biscuit fame) who drove the Spanish out of the south and the Austrians out of the north and installed a Royal Family that reigned until the end of World War Two.

The Shape of Italy

The North and the South Though there are 21 regions in present day Italy there are, in reality, just two Italy's - North and South. The North is the industrial heartland of the country, driving Italy to maintain its position as one of the top industrial and economic nations in the world. The largest and most modern cities of Milan and Turin are home to world-famous Italian corporations among them FIAT, Olivetti, and Sanussi. It has a GDP per head equal to the most prosperous areas of northern Europe. There is in marked contrast to the South - Ill Mezzogiorno, The Land of Midday Sun - whose industry remains firmly rooted in agriculture with the consequence that it is among the poorest regions in the European Union. In some places the land ownership system is still feudal.

Some changes have been made through the EC funded infrastructure investment programmes of the 1960's and 1970's. These resulted in such projects as the Alpha Sud factory near Naples, stell works at Taranto and numerous motorways and municipal plants dotted around Campania, Calabria and Puglia. But there is still a vast gulf between North and South, which has led to the emergence of the Northern League, a political party seeking independence for the northern half from its southern counterpart.

Rich in Geography The shape of Italy, a long boot which stretches from Switzerland to close to Northern Africa, have given the country its rich diversity of climate, soils and peoples. Mountains and hills are everywhere, from the Alps in the north to the Apennines which run the full length of the country. The scheduled valleys and isolated hill towns which they shelter have jealousy guarded ancient traditions and customs.

The geography has also continued to the diversity of richness of Italy's foods. In the wealthier north, meat and diary products are in abundance whilst in the south the staples are the more basic, and healthier, vegetables, rains, pulses and fish.

Rich in Culture Italy's rich culture spans from ancient ruins and excavations, to architecture and art spanning over 1,000 years, and one of the greatest classical music genres, opera. It is estimated that there are well over 100,000 sites of historical significance - indeed, there are more ancient monuments in the region of Tuscany alone that in any other country in Europe. Through these sites, buildings and monuments have been regarded in the past as a costly indulgence, the value of tourism today to the nation's economy cannot be ignored and increasingly they are seen as a sound investment. The result is that more monuments than ever before are open to the public. Italy is renowned for music too. Opera is especially associated with the country and even the smallest town or city can proudly boast an opera festival, if not its own opera house.

Rich in Atmosphere For most visitors, the biggest draw is the ambience of the bards, restaurants, cafes and street life of Italy and the famous Italian hospitality. Whether it is the hustle and bustle of the local festival, or the quieter contemplation of the 'passeggiata' where the whole family, young and old, from Aosta in the north to Siracusa in the South, stroll in the cool of the evening, Italy just oozes a love for life which captivates even the most jades traveller.