| General Information |
Geography
Italy consists predominantly of a great peninsula that extends towards the Mediterranean Sea, where next to its two main islands, Sicily and Sardinia, creates important aquatic masses, like the Tirrenean Sea to the northwest, the Adriatic Sea to the northeast and the Sea Jónico to the Southeast.
The mountain range of the Apennines forms the spine of the peninsula, going from the northwest to where they are united in the Alps, the mountainous chain that soon forms an arc which locks up to Italy from the north. There is also a great alluvial plain, the Padana plain, drained by the Po river and its several originating affluents of the Alps, the Apennines and Dolomitas.
Its higher point is Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) to 4,810 ms of height, but Italy is associated more easily with two famous volcanos: at the moment the inactive Vesubio near Naples and the very active Etna in Sicily.
Climate
The Italian climate is very warm in summer, mainly in the south of the peninsula, with high nocturnal temperatures, whereas in the north of Italy usually there are storms of thunders. Invier to us they are very cold and humid in the north and the mountainous zone. In spring and autumn the Sirocco, an originating warm wind of Africa, raises the temperature of the peninsula. For the summer he is advisable to wear light clothes of cotton and linen, whereas the winter demands to take to something more windbreak, although also can think about articles of average station if it goes away to the south.
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Gastronomy
Although what it is distinguished as eaten Italian typical they are the pastes, pizzas and the inlays, his gastronomy is a world to explore. From the south of the peninsula, with his simple and perfumed flavors with abundant olive oil, to the mountainous north of sharp plates, Italy it offers to the visitor his exuberante kitchen. In the south the food usually consists of preparations with a great amount of vegetables, like eggplants, marrows, coliflor or peppers, decorated with aromatic plants, wild mushrooms and asparagus. Also the stuffed cheese of cow of mozzarela - buvino -, and the filling of mantequilla - burrino -, is two specialties of the south. In the center of Italy the meat and the vegetables are basic ingredients. Also we can honor the sepia of the Lazio and the carp to the grill of Umbria. In the mountainous zones the plates are decorated with much sharp, as it forms to fight the cold. The typical cheese of the zone is the pecorino of ewe milk, with an also sharp flavor. Italy is a great consumer of all type of cheeses. The most known they are the reggiano parmigiano and granna padano. In Venice the specialty is risotti, although also the paste is very good. The vinegar or balsamic aceto of Módena is most expensive of the world, as much by its incomparable quality as by the long process of natural maturing that entails. The Italian cold cuts, like zampone - foot of stuffed pig of meat that is used to cook lentils and porotos- mortadela, salami, prosciutto I gave Parma - jamón crude Italian or the cured meat world-wide are known.
Celebrations
The habitual excuse usually is to festejar santo of the town or city, celebrated with a parade by the streets. Also historical commemorations of miracles and facts are celebrated, or it becomes a local fair of talents and products. The Carnival is one of the celebrated celebrations more, being the one of the most famous Venice, although other great celebrations of Carnival in Viareggio in the Toscana and Acireale in Sicily can also be found. Between the religious festividades it excels festejo of Easter, specially in Asis, Palermo, the Vatican and Florence, where a match becomes of engalanadas Carts. Other festejos that are worth the trouble to visit are: the Match of horsemen with armor in fight with the Moors, festejo that comes from century XIII (the first Sunday of September in Arezzo); the procession Sagra I gave Santifisio, one of greatest and colorful of the world (1ro of May in Cagliari); the Gioco of Calcium, a fight that comes from century XVI and is made with period customes (June in Florence); in the Festa I gave San Gennaro people reune in the cathedral to be prayed before the blood of santo who becomes liquid (19 of September in Naples); and, finally, the procession of gondo them in Venice in the middle of July. |
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