Italy, officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Italia, IPA: or Repubblica Italiana, IPA: ), is a Southern European country. It comprises the Italian Peninsula, the Po River valley, and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The country also shares a sea border with Croatia, and France. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory. It is shaped like a boot, and for this reason it is commonly called lo stivale (Italian for the boot).
Italy was home to many well-known and influential European civilizations, including the Etruscans, Greeks and the Romans. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced migrations and invasions from Germanic, Celtic, Frankish, Byzantine Greek, Saracen, Norman, and the French Angevin, and Lombard peoples, and was divided into many independent states until 1861 when Italy became a nation-state.
Italy is called "il Belpaese" (Italian for beautiful country) by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes and for having the world's largest artistic patrimony; the country is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (41 as of July 13 2006).
More on [ Italy ]
Travel and Tourism :: Italy
Turismo :: Italia
Diari di Viaggio :: Viaggi

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Travelling Hopefully - Two Australians share their travels around Italy in early 2002. Presented in a book format.
Meta Description: [ Stringers in Italy, 2002: middle age has its joys. ]
A Venetian Journal - A narrative and photographic journal by two Americans who visited Venice for ten days in the spring of 2002. Includes photographs of the gondoliers blocking the Grand Canal to protest unlicensed street vendors.
Meta Description: [ A Venetian Journal by Robert Eakin with Photography by Alvis Hendley. ]
Best of Rome and Venice - Travel journal with photographs from the authors' tours of Rome and Venice.
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Bill Thayer's Diary - A multitude of travelogues resulting from four stays in Italy totalling eleven months. Separated into chronological and geographical indexes.
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Italy - Personal account of a cycling trip to Rome. Includes overview of the preparation, itinerary and photographs.
Italy - Journal and photographs of three trips to Italy between 2001 and 2004. Includes travels to Tuscany, Rome, Sicily, and the Almafi Coast.
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Jeff and Tam - Italia 2002 - Photo galleries and personal accounts from a trip around Italy in May 2002. Includes the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, Florence, Lake Como, Milan, Pisa, Pompeii, Rome, Siena, and Venice.
Meta Description: [ Jeff Shih ]
Roman Holiday. - A record of a two week trip to Italy to see the ruins at Pompeii. Features pictures and information on archaeological sites around the Vesuvius volcano, Herculaneum and Oplontis.
Meta Description: [ Roman Ruins. The archaeology of the Vesuvius eruption, including; Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Boscoreale, Hadrian's Villa and other sites. ]
Rome-mania - An account of a trip to Rome by 4 students from Bristol University.
Meta Description: [ An account of 4 Bristol University students trip to Rome during Easter 2005 ]
Sicily - Journal with photographs of a holiday trip to Sicily in 2002.
Meta Description: [ travelogue Sicily, largest island of the Mediterranean ]
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