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Cultural Analysis of Italy

Cultural Analysis of Italy

I. INTRODUCTION

Italy is one of the most crowded nations in Europe with a population of roughly 58.2 million. As country, it has much to offer its citizens and visitors. The capital of Italy is Rome (also known as the Eternal City) and is almost 3,000 years old. It has been the capital since 1871 and is home to the Dome of St. Peter's, the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, and the famous Trevi Fountain. They are well known for their culture and food, along with their easily recognizable shape as a boot.

They are passionate about many things, including their food. When McDonald's opened in 1986 in Rome, food purists outside the restaurant gave away free spaghetti to remind people of their culinary heritage. The richness of its past and the 'live-life-to-the-fullest' attitude combine to make Italy a must-see travel destination.

II. RELEVANT HISTORY

Evidence of civilization has been found on the Italian peninsula dating far into pre-history. Thousands of rock drawings discovered in the Alpine regions of Lombardy date from around 8,000 BC. There were sizable settlements throughout the Copper Age (37th to 15th century BC), the Bronze Age (15th to 8th century BC) and the Iron Age (8th to 5th century BC). In the north of Italy, the Etruscan culture took hold around 800BC, while Greeks settled in southern Italy from 700 to 600BC, namely in Apulia, Calabria and Sicily (then known as Magna Graecia).

The Roman Empire (5th Century BC to 5th Century AD)

The Roman Empire was one of the largest and most enduring in world history. The saying "All Roads Lead to Rome" alludes to this central hub of technology, literature, culture and architecture in the ancient world. The engineers of the Roman age created an unparalleled network of roads in ancient history.

Approximately 50,000 miles of roads spread Roman civilization, influence and the mighty legions throughout the western world. They built strong arched...