Culture of Italians

Country of Contrasts A rich historical and cultural past has shaped the townscape in Italy. Cities, towns and villages are crammed with fine buildings, churches and works of art, a legacy of pre Unification days. But over the past century, and notably since World War II, there has been huge development and growth in urban areas, with unattractive spreads of industrial buildings and blocks of soulless apartments on the outskirts of countless towns. Every town still retains its central piazza, with civic buildings and a church grouped around or near it.

In many rural areas, people have traditionally lived in villages rather than on the land they work, traveling daily to the fields, so in some areas isolated country farmhouses are rare. There has always been a huge gulf between the urban and rural populations, possibly due to the very early development of Italian towns.

The middle class was a late arrival in Italy and only really emerged during the great economic boom of the '50s and '60s. Even now there are still large numbers of contadini, peasant farmers and small shareholders, working the land as it has been worked for centuries, while their cousins may be employed in hi tech industries.

Rome Palermo Naples Florence Venice Turin Pisa Milan Verona Vicenza History Culture Map Travel Tips Arriving Hotels Restaurants Attractions Borghese The Pincio The Spanish Steps Campo Marzio and Pizza Navona The Pantheon St.Peter's Square St Peter's Basilica Vatican Museums Courtyard of Belvedere The Stanzas The Sistine Chapel The Ceiling The Final Judgement The Library The Quirinal Trevi Fountain Piazza Venezia The Capitol The Forum The Colosseum San Paolo fuori le Mura Santa Maria Maggiore S-Pietro in Vincoli Scala Santa and San Giovanni in Laterano Baths of Caracalla and the Ancient Appian Way The Catacombs Hadrian's Villa Villa d'Este