Italy has had a long and colorful history. For much of its history, Italy has been divided into many small and often warring city states. This occurred after the break up of the Roman Empire when much of Europe became feudal. In 476, Odoacer defeated the last emperor of ancient Rome, Romulus Augustulus. Odoacer ruled for 13 years after gaining control. He was then attacked and defeated by Theodoric, the king of a Germanic tribe named the Ostrogoths. Both kings, Theodoric and Odoacer ruled jointly until Theodoric murdered Odoacer. Theodoric continued to rule Italy with a government comprised mostly of Italians and an army composed of Ostrogoths. During his rule, he brought peace to the country but after his death in 526, the kingdom began to grow weak. In 553, Justinian, the Byzantine emperor who ruled the eastern part of the Roman Empire, defeated the Ostrogoths and expelled them. For a time, the Old Roman Empire was united again. Byzantine rule in Italy collapsed as increased attacks from Germanic tribes weakened the empire. Byzantine rule collapsed in 572 when the Lombards invaded.
In the 400's and 500's the popes increased their influence in both religious and political matters in Italy and elsewhere. The popes were usually the ones who made attempts to protect Italy from foreign invasion or to soften foreign rule. The popes for almost 200 years had opposed attempts by the Lombards, who controlled most of Italy, to take over Rome. The popes defeated the Lombards with the aid of two Frankish kings, Charlemagne and Pepin the Short. The papal states were created out of land won for the popes by Pepin.
From the 10th century on, Italian cities began to grow rapidly and became increasingly independent of one another. They flourished because of their access to the Mediterranean trade routes and almost had a complete monopoly on all spice and silks coming into Europe. They became centers of political life, foreign trade and banking. At this time, the church grew in power also. The Italian popes became increasingly more involved in the European political scene. Many of these city states became extremely wealthy and powerful and resisted the attempts of noblemen and emperors to control them.
During the 1300's, one of the greatest eras in human history occurred, The Renaissance. The Renaissance occurred primarily in Italy in the various city states. Many great artists and philosophers lived during this period and enhanced Italy's prestige.
The kingdom of Italy was formed in 1861. Five years later, in 1866, Venetia became a part of that kingdom. Rome became its capital in 1871.
Benito Mussolini became premier in 1922. In 1940, Italy entered World War II on the side of the Germans. Italy surrendered in 1943 and established a new republic in 1946.
Culture and Customs
The population of Italy is approximately 58 million people, most of whom live in the urban cities. The four largest cities in Italy, in order of population are Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin. The most densely populated areas of the country are the industrialized regions of Lombardy and Liguria in the northwest region of Campania in the south. The areas with the lowest population density are the mountains of both the north and south.
More than two thirds of Italy's population reside in cities. Most live in large, concrete apartment buildings. A few of the more wealthy people live in single-family homes. The oldest sections of an Italian city are made up o low buildings that have apartments around a central courtyard. Newer parts of the city often have larger apartment buildings. Poor neighborhoods are usually found on the outskirts of the city.
Most unmarried children live with their parents. Parents often help an adult son or daughter purchase an apartment near their own. Many young women work outside the home, and grandparents often help care for the children of working mothers. Many urban areas provide public child-care centers.
City growth and the increased use of the automobile have led to some serious problems with urban pollution in Italy. In large cities, the air pollution poses a health hazard and has damaged priceless architecture. Many cities have banished private cars from the city centers.
Most rural communities in the past consisted of a compact settlement surrounded by a large area of agricultural land. The farmers usually lived in town and traveled to work in the fields each day. This pattern of living was especially common in southern Italy, in northern Italy the farmers usually lived on their land.
Italians take great pride in the quality of their cooking. They traditionally eat their main meals at midday. Large meals usually consist of a past course, followed by a main course of meat or fish. Italian foods vary greatly by region. In the north, flat, ribbon-shaped pastas served with cream sauces are most popular. In the south, macaroni served with tomato-based sauces is the favorite type of pasta.
Italians enjoy a wide variety of sports. Soccer is the most popular sport in Italy. Every major city has a professional soccer team. But soccer is not just a spectator sport - on weekends Italy's parks are filled with children and adults playing the game. Basketball is also very popular, and some cities have more than one professional basketball team. Other popular sports include fishing, hunting, cycling, roller skating, and baseball.
Major Religions
About 95 percent of the population in Italy is Roman Catholic. Most religious ceremonies such as baptisms, weddings and funeral services are held in church. Only about 30 percent of all Italians attend church regularly. Many others occasionally attend church. An agreement called the Lateran Pact governs the relationship between Italy and the Roman Catholic Church. For example, the pact exempts priests and other members of religious orders from military service and gives tax exemptions to Catholic organizations.
The Roman Catholic Church has had a strong influence on laws in the past, but that influence has weakened. For example, until 1970, the church was able to block attempts to legalize divorce in Italy.
Vatican City, the spiritual and governmental center of the Roman Catholic Church, lies entirely within the city of Rome. But Vatican City is independent from Italy and has its own diplomatic corps.
There are several small religious groups in Italy. The other groups include Protestants, Muslims and Jews.
Political Systems
Italy set up its present form of government in 1946. That year, the people voted to change their nation from a monarchy ruled by a king to a republic headed by a president. King Humbert II immediately left the throne.
The president of Italy is elected to a seven-year term by both houses of Parliament. The president must be at least 50 years old. He or she appoints the premier, who forms a government. The president has the power to dissolve parliament and call new elections. The president is the commander of the Italian armed forces, and can declare war.
The premier determines national policy and is the most important person in the Italian government. The premier is selected by the president from the members of Parliament and must be approved by Parliament. The premier has no fixed term of office, and can be voted out by office by Parliament at any time. Members of the Cabinet are chosen by the premier and are usually chosen from among the Parliament.
The Parliament consists of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. Both of these houses have equal power in passing laws. The Senate has 315 elected members and the Chamber of Deputies has 630 members. All former presidents become Senators for life.
In elections for the Chamber of Deputies, the country is divided into 32 constituencies. The number of Deputies to be elected from each constituency is determined by its population. Each political party presents a list of candidates for the position of deputy from the district. The deputies selected from a party are chosen in the order of number of preference votes each receives. Senators are chosen in much the same way, but are elected from twenty regions instead.
Italy has a complicated system of election to parliament based on proportional representation. In the Parliament, the percentage of seats held by each political party is about the same as the percentage of the total votes received by the party's candidates.
Since 1948, Italy has experienced frequent Cabinet changes. Most Cabinets have lasted less than a year, but many members of one Cabinet have remain in the new one. If some of the parties in the Cabinet are disagreeing with the Cabinets policies, they may withdraw support and require the formation of a brand new Cabinet.
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Overview of Italy
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