Italian Cultural Overview

Italians are the people of Italy, a nation of Southern Europe.

Geography

The majority of Italy occupies the Italian Peninsula, a narrow and mountainous land extending into the Mediterranean Sea. The Apennine mountain range runs down the length of the peninsula. To the north, the Alps mark its borders with nations like France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.

• Climate: Mediterranean and temperate

• Capital: Rome

• Total Population: 62,246,674 (2018 est.)

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History

The history of Italy has had a profound and lasting impact on the world. Around the 8th century BCE, the city of Rome developed from a background of Etruscan, Greek, and Italic influences. It was founded as a kingdom but transitioned to a republic by 509 BCE. Over the next 400 years, the Roman Republic expanded into one of the largest empires in history. Its elective system came to an end in the 1st century BCE through the ambitions of a brilliant general and statesman named Julius Caesar.

Caesar ruled only briefly before being assassinated by the Roman Senate in 45 BCE. His successor and grand-nephew, Octavian, then installed himself as Emperor Augustus. Augustus’ reign marked the high point of the empire, a period of peace and stability remembered as the Pax Romanica. From there, Rome entered a gradual decline. The empire split in two in 285 CE. While the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire flourished, Western Rome faced invasion by increasingly powerful Germanic tribes. After a turbulent period, the Italian Peninsula reorganized as a collection of autonomous city states like Venice, Florence, Genoa and Pisa.

Through a number of factors, these cities gave rise to the Italian Renaissance, a period of renewed growth in philosophy, industry, navigation, and the arts. The Renaissance would spread throughout Europe, influencing governments, merchants, artists, and scholars alike. Following the Renaissance, Italy passed into the imperial hands of Habsburg Spain, Austria, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Unification and a national identity emerged only in the 19th century. The 20th century brought two World Wars, a short-lived fascist government, and the modern Italian Republic.

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Daily Life

For centuries after the fall of Rome, the people of Italy coexisted without a strong shared identity. Because of this, the culture of Italy is still highly regional. Dishes commonly served in Palermo, for example, may be very different than those of Genoa. Similarly, the traditional lifestyles of Italian peoples have varied from farmers and fishermen to soldiers, bankers, and politicians. Since at least Roman times, common staples of the land have included breads, olive oil, pastas, seafoods, wines, and various fruits and vegetables. In the 15th century, the introduction of New World crops like tomatoes and bell peppers further contributed to Italian cooking. Today, regional differences in housing, cuisine and rhythms of life can still be seen across the country.

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Society

The Italian Peninsula has perhaps seen more diversity of government than any other region of its size. Over the last few millennia, part or all of Italy has been governed by monarchy, republic, oligarchy, dictatorship, and theocracy. Ancient Rome is best remembered for its emperors, but its true political power began with the Senate. Roman Senators elected its first kings and, when that became inconvenient, toppled them to form a republic instead. They began electing two consuls instead, who ruled jointly for a single year. The descendants of Rome’s original senators made up the patrician upper classes. When Julius Caesar threatened its power, the Senate acted more directly to end his dictatorship.

After the rise and fall of its empire, the cities of Italy experimented with many forms of government. Merchant republics, papal states, and princely cities all competed for greater wealth and influence. By the early modern era, however, Italy had fallen under empire once again. The nation eventually unified again through the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its monarchy lasted until the end of World War II, when the fascist government that had eclipsed it was defeated and dismantled. Modern Italy is now a parliamentary republic.

• Major Languages: Italian, German, French, Slovene

• Urban Population: 70.4% (2018 est.)

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Economy

The Italian Peninsula is located at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, a hub of trade since ancient times. Trade routes radiating from Rome connected areas as distant and different as England, North Africa, Persia, India, and China. Despite the commerce flowing through it daily, the economy of Ancient Rome remained relatively simple and agrarian. Its upper classes preferred to amass wealth through rural estates moreso than business. This attitude shifted during the era of the city-states, which often focused political power in the hands of merchant families. Of these, cities like Venice and Genoa grew richest and most prominent.

After its formation as a nation, Italy struggled to modernize its economy for some time. Rural poverty persisted, particularly in southern areas, which prompted a large diaspora to countries like the United States. Political instability and an eventual defeat in World War II further harmed the Italian economy. The latter half of the 20th century, however, saw recovery, growth, and industrialization. Today, Italy represents a major world economy noted for its tourism and luxury goods.

• Major Industries: Tourism, manufacturing, chemicals, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

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Beliefs

The major religion of Italy is Roman Catholicism, adopted and founded towards the end of the Western Roman Empire. Prior to the conversion of Rome, its people practiced a polytheistic faith heavily influenced by Greek worship and mythology. The Roman Catholic Church dominated much of Europe and its colonies through the Renaissance era and remains the largest Christian church in the world. It is headed by the Bishop of Rome--or the pope--a title that traces back to Saint Peter. Even as Rome declined, the Papacy retained its influence in Europe and abroad. The greatest threat to its authority came through the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, but Italy itself remained strongly Catholic.

Religious Demographics:

• Christian: 80%

• Atheist and agnostic: 20%

• Muslim: About 800,000 to 1 million

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Arts & Music

Italy is no less significant for its contributions to global art. The Ancient Romans took inspiration from their Greek neighbors, including sending students to study under Greek masters. Much of our knowledge of Greek sculpture is derived from Roman reproductions. In addition, the Romans also specialized in paintings, mosaics, and a variety of performance arts like music and theater.

Italy again became a center of the arts during the Renaissance, when old tastes combined with new techniques and technology. Renaissance artists returned to the Greek and Roman fascination with the human form, but they did so with a greater understanding of perspective and lighting. Led by a handful of brilliant painters and sculptors, Italian artists traveled across Europe and left new philosophies and styles in their wake. Modern Italy is still known for its arts and aesthetics, including a prominent role in the automotive and fashion industries.

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References

Aldrete, Gregory S. Daily Life in the Roman City: Rome, Pompeii and Ostia. Greenwood Publishing. 2004.

Crawford, Michael Hewson. The Roman Republic. Harvard University Press. 1993.

Duggan, Christopher. A Concise History of Italy. Cambridge University Press. 2014.

Jones, Philip. The Italian City-State: From Commune to Signoria. Oxford University Press. 1997.

Kelly, Christopher. The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. 2006.

Killinger, Charles. Culture and Customs of Italy. Greenwood Publishing. 2005.

“The World Factbook: Italy.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 12 July 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/it.html.

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