People of Italy

Italy is largely homogeneous in language and religion but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the fifth-highest population density in Europe at 196 people per square kilometre. Almost 2 million immigrants live legally in Italy, according to ISTAT, Italy's official statistics office; according to the report of Caritas for 2005, the figure is near 3 million.

According to the 2005 Almanac, the population is 96.0% Italian (one of the most homogenous in Europe), 0.9% Arab-North African, 0.8% Italo-Albanian, and smaller numbers of other groups.

Roman Catholicism is the majority religion: 90% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic, although the figure is based on infant baptism and masks persons who have become agnostics and atheists by choice in later life. There are also communities who adhere to the Protestant Church, as well as the Bené Roma who have been practicing Judaism in Italy for thousands of years. There is also a Muslim immigrant community. (See also: Islam in Italy).

According to stranieriinitalia.org, the largest foreign groups are: Albania (270,383), Morocco (253,362), and Romania (177,812). There are also much smaller numbers of Chinese, Filipino, Ukrainian, Serbians, and Macedonians.

Italy is well-known for its art and culture. It has many famous works of architecture, among them the leaning tower of Pisa, the Roman Colosseum, the Greek temple of Neptune of Paestum. It is renowned for its food (pizza, pasta, etc.), wine, lifestyle, elegance, automobiles, bicycles, visual art and design, cinema, theatre, literature, poetry, music (notably Opera), holidays, and generally speaking, taste.

Europe's Renaissance period began in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries. Literary achievements, such as the poetry of Dante, Petrarch, Tasso, and Ariosto and the prose of Boccaccio, Machiavelli, and Castiglione exerted a tremendous and lasting influence on the subsequent development of Western culture, as did the painting, sculpture, and architecture contributed by giants such as Filippo Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Melozzo da Forlì and Michelangelo. Modern artists include the sculptor Tommaso Geraci.

The musical influence of Italian composers Palestrina, Monteverdi, Corelli and Vivaldi proved epochal; in the 19th century, Italian romantic opera flourished under composers Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini. Contemporary Italian artists, writers, filmmakers, architects, composers, and designers continue to contribute significantly to Western culture.

Football (Italian: calcio; American English: soccer) is the most popular sport; the Italy national football team has won the Football World Cup three times, in 1934, 1938 and 1982. Formula One and Cycling are also very popular. Rugby is important in the north-east of Italy.

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