20 curiosities of Italy. Land of pasta, pizza and Roman civilization

Italy is one of the countries that attracts the most tourists from all over the world every year. Not in vain, the Italian culture is one of the richest we can find in all Europe . Both his story and his culture and its gastronomy they are focal points of interest for all those who decide to visit Italy. However, despite the fact that Italy is a world-known country, it is also one of the countries with the most surprises and anecdotes of all. Next, we bring you 20 curiosities of Italy that perhaps you ignored and that, without a doubt, will surprise you.

20 curiosities of Italy

Italy, the country where the Roman Empire emerged, came to conquer most of Europe and today concentrates in it the largest number of places considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In particular, he has 53 of them in his lands.

Not only stands out for its cultural heritage, but also as we said for its cuisine. Did you know that it is the largest wine producer in the world? Keep reading to discover more fascinating curiosities of Italy !

1. The Italian language

The Italian language as we know it is actually the dialect spoken in the city of Florence , that has happened to become the official language of the whole country.

curiosities of italy, town

Despite this, Italian has a large number of variants and dialects, almost as many provinces as the country has.

2. Spoken beyond the Italian borders

In addition, Italian is a language spoken in several countries beyond the borders of Italy itself. Naturally, it is the official language of countries like San Marino and Vatican CITY (completely surrounded by the Italian border). However, it is also one of the official languages ​​of Switzerland , colonial language in African countries such as Somalia, Libya, Eritrea and Ethiopia, and an especially significant language in Malta, Albania, Monaco, Montenegro and Croatia.

3. But in Italian

One of the characteristics of the Italian language is that, despite having a common origin, it has many differences with Spanish and other European Romance languages. One of them is the way you can say "but", where we find formulas like "però" or "ma" . Both are perfectly valid and are used interchangeably, although one more reminds Spanish and the other one more to the French.

4. The world of pizza

One of the curiosities of Italy that most attracts tourists is its gastronomic wealth and, of all the dishes we can find, pizza is by far the most consumed dish by Italians in their traditional day to day life.

curiosities of Italy

In fact, all of Italy is full of Pizza stalls that are called "pizza al taglio" , which translates to "pizza cut". These establishments offer pieces of pizza to consume directly on the street, which serves to make lunch without the need to sit down to eat at a restaurant.

5. Typical food of Italy

However, although pizza is one of the star dishes of Italy, the most famous food of Italy is the pasta , which can be prepared in hundreds of different ways. In fact, each Italian region has its typical dish, which is always composed of some type of pasta that is seasoned with some kind of seasoning that is cooked in pan .

curiosities of Italy, pasta

In this way, we can find pasta with meat, with vegetables, with fish and seafood, with fine herbs or almost any form and taste that we imagine.

6. The leaning tower of Pisa

One of the most visited monuments in Italy is the famous leaning tower of Pisa . This building is actually the bell tower of the cathedral of the city of Pisa . It is a bell tower that is not linked to the main building, which causes it to be confused with an independent tower. Its most famous feature is that, until 2008, it was slightly twisted, which was a danger and was the cause of the closure to the public since 1990.

curiosities of italy, pisa

However, just in 2008, there were engineering works to improve the foundation , which managed to ensure its stability at least another 200 years in the words of the engineers who carried out this process.

7. Italian women

One of the curiosities of Italy that can most attract the attention of foreigners is the close relationship that children have with their mothers. It is said that the good Italian always has the divided heart , one half belongs to the "mamma" and the other half to his wife.

8. The Trevi Fountain

One of the most visited monuments of the eternal city is the Fontana di Trevi , which name literally means "fountain of the three streets" . There is a custom of throwing coins into its waters since there is a legend that by doing so, the visitor is assured of his return to Rome. It is estimated that, daily, about 3,000 euros are thrown to the source . Every so often, the coins are cleaned and, with the money collected, social work is undertaken to help the needy.

9. The climate in Italy

One of the curiosities of Italy is found in its climate. Due to its geography and the variety of its regions, we can find a wide variety of climates , highlighting Mediterranean climates and almost tropical in the southern and continental zones and high mountains in the northern zone.

curiosities of Italy

In fact, this climate is so varied that we can find tropical fruit crops on islands such as Sicily and regions of perpetual snow in some of the points of the Alps.

10. Land of volcanoes

Another of the curiosities of Italy that can most attract attention is its high rate of earthquakes. This is because, without being a country with extreme seismic activity, it is located in an area with a considerable geological activity . A good example of this is found in the fact that currently has three active volcanoes : Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius.

11. The surname Ferrari

The surname "Ferrari", although in the world we usually relate it to the car company, is very common in Italy and refers to the trade of blacksmith. There are those who equate this surname with the popular "Smith" of the Anglo-Saxons.

12. The oldest University in Europe

The oldest and still functioning European University is Italian. It is the University of Bologna and was founded in 1088.

13. The Christ of the Abyss

In Italy you will find the so-called "Christ of the Abyss". A bronze statue plunges 25 meters deep into the Bay of San Fruttuoso.

14. The lake with a bell tower

The Lake of Resia, in Italy, is one of the most amazing places in the world because of the bell tower that rises from its waters. This construction dates from the 14th century.

15. A restaurant in a grotto

In Italy there is a really curious restaurant, built inside a grotto and with incredible views of the Adriatic Sea! His name is Grotta Palazzese and the only thing you can miss is 4 walls.

16. The Italian giant stuffed animal

At the top of Mount Coletto Fava art collective "Gelitin" placed a huge stuffed rabbit that surprises visitors. The creators calculate that by 2025 it will have degraded.

17. From Italy to Argentina

The Italian genes traveled a lot. It is estimated that 62.5% of the Argentine population has at least one Italian immigrant ancestor.

18. The longest tunnel

The longest tunnel in the world, the San Gotthard Base Tunnel, connects Italy with Switzerland and measures 57 kilometers and a half.

19. Number 17 gives bad luck

Instead of number 13 it is 17 which, in Italy, is considered bad luck.

20. The bridges of Venice

Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy, famous for its canals and, of course, for its bridges. There are 417 in total, but there are 72 that you can not access because they are private. Can you imagine having a house with a Venetian bridge just for you? Awesome!

What do you think about these curiosities about Italy? Was there any that you already knew or were completely new? In any case, Italy is one of the most interesting and attractive countries to visit . In fact, it is one of the countries where more curiosities and anecdotes can be brought by travelers, so do not miss the chance to travel all its geography from north to south and discover each of its corners, where you will find history, culture, nature and gastronomy in equal parts.


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