EASYROME

Italy is a country which has succeeded in cultivating the greatness of even its least noted cities, villages and hamlets. There is scarcely a place in Italy that has remained untouched by the waves of history, art, folklore and culinary tradition, where a visit does not afford a chance for reflection or even simple pleasure.

Italy as a geographical area was mentioned as far back as during the age of the highly civilised Etruscan people, as is borne out by the manuscripts kept in some museums, especially in Tuscany and Latium. These in fact were the regions where most Etruscan settlements are found, although they also populated Umbria, Campania and some zones of what is now Emilia Romagna and Lombardy. Then came the Romans who, starting from the 3rd century BC, unified the whole peninsular under their dominion.

The word Italia appears on a coin dating back to the 1st century BC which was minted by the confederation of the Italic peoples who rose up against Rome. The coin was found in the region of Abruzzo in Corfinio, the ancient Corfinium, capital of the confederation with the name of Italica. The long Roman domination (from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD) has left an indelible mark in Italy with its roads, aqueducts, temples, monuments, towns and cities, bridges, theatres and so on - all relics and memories of a past that is remote and yet also very present, a past that can be seen in every part of the country. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy was invaded and dominated for centuries by foreign populations, especially in the south and Sicily. Thanks to the success of independent city states in the Centre and North such as Venice, Florence, Siena, Genoa, and Milan, Italy nevertheless became a flourishing and civilised country of trade and the arts. Later however, the small independent states could not hold out against the invasions of the great states of Spain and Austria. Only the small kingdom of Piedmont remained independent and after the interlude of Napoleon's occupation it became the driving force behind il Risorgimento, the great movement that led to the unification of Italy in 1870 under the Royal House of Savoia.

Found almost everywhere and referring to every historical era, the artistic treasures of Italy is preserved and protected in hundreds of archaeological sites and over 3,000 museums scattered throughout the country. Tourists, visitors and academics alike may admire and study these remnants of centuries gone by. Theatres and other buildings date back to Greek and Roman times; whole cities, roads and districts once buried have today been returned to the light by patient and skilful excavations; temples, statues, coins, inscriptions, and objects of daily use. In Italy an exceptionally rich store of memories await to remind us all of Europe's past. There are so many artistic treasures, spread over the whole country, that defining Italy as an open-air art gallery is hardly an exaggeration. Currently, such treasures of art and culture make Italy the first country in the world for number of sites included in UNESCO's World Heritage List.

In Italy there are a thousand ways to use your free time: practising sports, cultivating hobbies, relaxing, developing your culture, going to a concert, a play, a traditional festival, or to watch a sporting event. Or, simply sitting in a bar and enjoying a cappuccino or a glass of good wine, or wandering around the beautiful towns admiring and visiting their churches, palaces, monuments, castles, archaeological sites, museums, galleries, squares and streets. In Italy there is no problem: just being there is already the best way to spend your free time.

Another great reason for coming to Italy is the desire to taste Italian cooking as the Italians really make it. So whether you're enticed by the food at one of the best-known restaurants in the cities famous for their gastronomy, or are quite happy to try the fare of the thousand small trattorie dotted around the country, you are sure not to be disappointed.

Rudi van der Zalm is the founder of one of Europe's most popular online car hire services to help travellers find a cheap rent a car hire in Italy. Visit rentacar-in-italy.com for a free quote for bargain car rentals in Italy and other popular travel destinations in Europe.

Article Source: Articlespan