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The Italian Republic is a beautiful country that gave birth to the most earnest and determining movement of Renaissance. A reservoir of olive oil, pasta, culture and ancient roman heritage, this country has been inspiring others time and again because of it's free spirit. Italy is situated in Southern Europe and has France, Slovenia, Austria and Switzerland as her neighboring countries. Italy is the hometown for Etruscans and Romans and native place for the followers of Roman Catholic Church. The Latin word for Italy is 'Italia', which is further borrowed from a Greek word, which means 'the land of cattle'.
Official Language
Standard Italian is the official language in the Italian Republic. It belongs to the Indo-European language family and therefore is called as 'Romance Language'. Italian has been derived from the classic language Latin. The influence of Latin is obvious as over 75% of citizens of Italy have Latin ascendants. The language is a polished version of Tuscan dialect. With the advent of printing press and spread of literary movements like Renaissance, Tuscan shaped into the Standard Italian.
Republic and Government
Around 1945, anti-fascist movement gained immense popularity. With the co-operation of Germans, the anti-fascist overthrew the monarchy of Benito Mussolini, who was on the throne since 1922. With the effect of an election in 1945, a constituent assembly, which paved way for the Italian Republic. Finally, the D-day came and Italy was declared as the Italian Republic on 2nd June, 1946 and since then this day is celebrated as the Republic Day of Italy.
Soon after Italy became a republic nation, in 1948, Constitution Of Italy formed a bicameral parliament called as 'Parlamento'. This Parlamento is further divided into Chamber Of Deputies and a Senate, which include Councils of Ministers and is operated under Prime Minister. And it is the President who selects the Prime Minister with the advice of regional representatives. The roots of Italian judicial system are embedded into the Roman law.
Top Cities In Italy
Rome - The capital of Italy is full of historical monuments. The city of Rome has a rich culture and heritage that is reflected in contemporary infrastructure as well. As you roam around the place, it reminds you of the great Renaissance movement, which are loud and clear in each and every thing there. On the other hand, the place is lively with the prevalence of modern culture. The famous Vatican and St. Peter's is a major tourist attraction.
Florence - Situated in the middle of Tuscany, the place offers exotic beauty, good food and elegant hotels for tourists. Some of Italy's best cathedrals, monasteries, churches and Renaissance museums are located in Florence. The oldest building existing in Florence is the Baptistery of John the Baptist and belongs to the 11th Century. The reservoir of history Piazza Della Signoria is another best thing to visit in Florence.
Milan - Counted as one of the richest city of Europe, Milan or Milano is the fashion capital of not only Italy but for the whole world. Amongst the effervescent culture of the city the culture and heritage highlight the peculiarity of it. While this is the best place you can go shopping, Milan is widely known for it's ancient buildings. The famous and the largest Gothic Cathedral is in the same city. The city was heavily destructed in a bomb attack during the World War II, but shows no sign of decay. It shines with all it's glitters brightly.
Venice - This place is the favorite for honeymoon goers. The city is unique as it is built on the water in a lagoon. It is interesting to note that Venice has 117 land bodies over 150 canals that are connected to each other via 400 bridges. Venice has many old churches and cathedrals that add to the charm of the place.
Culture and Heritage
Italians seems to have possessed a free soul that would accept anything that they liked. Thus, Italian culture is a blend of many cultures of different civilizations. After the breakthrough movements of Renaissance and Baroque, the country was rich in artistic heritage in comparison to any other civilization in the world. Masterpieces made by legendary personalities like, Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Bernini, Titian, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello and others are some of the great assets the country can boast of to possess.
Italy has always been one of the pioneers in the aspect of literature too. Some of the greatest aork of arts were written during the Middle Ages. Among the writers who were followed by writers from across the world for forthcoming centuries were Boccaccio, Petrarch, Tasso, Giacomo Leopardi and many others. The Renaissance Movement changed the scenario of the world in various aspects like philosophy, religion and other important school of thoughts. This paved way for an 'Anthropomorphic world', where the prominence is paid to mankind.
Piano and violin find more importance in Italian music. Classical musical composers like Rossini and Paganini are loved by ardent music lovers. Not only in mental activities Italians have attained an excellent record but they are also great sport lovers. A variety of sports exist in Italy, which include football, volleyball, basketball, rugby, water polo, ice hockey and many more to list.
Tourism
Italy is any tourist's delight. There is a perfect fusion of happening contemporary life and a display of rich culture and heritage. While Venice offers an aura of serenity and romance, the walls of Rome enlighten your mind over the era of Renaissance as well as the fall of Roman empire. People come during the winter season, in order to enjoy the ice sports in the mountain ranges of Alps.
Tourism is a very important source of income in Italy. A huge flock of over 37 million tourists visit the country per year. It has also been ranked as fifth major country in the aspect of attracting maximum tourists.
For more interesting facts on the Republic of Italy keep flipping through the pages of countriesandcapitals
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