EXPLORING ITALY

Welcome to italy

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Geography

BORDERS AND MOUNTAINS

The peninsula of Italy, in central-south Europe, protrudes in a south-easterly direction into the Meditteranean sea. Across the north it has land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia, while the rest of the country borders the Adriatic Sea to the north-east, the Ionian Sea to the south-east, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south-west and the Ligurian Sea to the north-west.

Geography

BORDERS AND MOUNTAINS

The north of the country is dominated by the Alps: the western Alps with Gran Paradiso; the central Alps with Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn (on the Swiss border) + Mont Blanc (on the French border); the Dolomites with Mount Marmolada in the east. The other major mountain range, the Apennines, runs down through central Italy from the western end of the Alps to the end of the peninsula in Calabria and into Sicily. The highest peak of the Apennines is the Gran Sasso Mountain.

The Italian Alps

Geography

RIVERS AND LAKES

The River Po, the longest Italian river at 652 km, starts in the western Alps and flows through a fertile plain to the Adriatic Sea. The River Arno starts in the north central Apeenines, then flows through Florence to end in the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pisa. The other major river in Italy is the Tiber which passes through Rome on its way to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The north of the country has several subalpine lakes: the largest are Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda.

Lake Como

Geography

VOLCANOES

Many elements of the Italian territory are of volcanic origin. Most of the small islands and archipelagos in the south, like Capraia, Ponza, Ischia and Pantelleria, are volcanic islands. There are also active volcanoes such as Stromboli and Vesuvius near Naples. Etna, in Sicily, is the largest active volcano in Europe.

Italy has two major islands. Sicily, the biggest, is situated in the south and is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina. Off the coast of Sicily there are several groups of islands: the Aeolian Islands to the north, the Aegadian Islands to the west and Lampedusa and the other Pelagian Islands between Sicily and Tunisia.

ISLANDS

Sardinia, the second largest island, is to the west of the mainland and the Maddalena Archipelago is located off its north coast. There are also other archipelagos and smaller islands off the coast of Italy, including the Campanian Archipelago with Capri and Ischia in the Gulf of Naples and, further north, the Pontine Islands off the coast of Lazio, and the Tuscan archipelago, including Elba. On the Adriatic coast, there are the Tremiti Islands off the coast of Puglia.

Geography

CLIMATE

Italy has a temperate climate but, given the length of the peninsula, there are marked differences between the north and south of the country. The north has a more severe climate with cold winters and snow, although there can be sudden snowfalls in central and southern areas too. The summers are hot and often humid. The winter season becomes less intense the further south you go and the summers become hotter, with temperatures in the coastal areas often more bearable than inland. The extreme south and the islands tend to have short, very mild winters, with much higher average temperatures than the rest of Italy during the whole year.

The political system

The first article of the Italian constitution, in effect from 1st January 1948, states that the country is a democratic republic, founded on labour, and that sovereignty belongs to the people. It is a parliamentary republic where the power is divided between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Executive power lies with the Council of Ministers, led by the Prime Minister. The legislative branch is formed by the two chambers of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The judicial branch is independent from the other two branches. Elected by Parliament and representatives from the 20 regions for a seven-year term, the President of the Republic is responsible for nominating the Prime Minister (President of the Council), who is usually the leader of the major coalition party which won the election. Five Italian regions - Sicily, Sardinia, Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia - are autonomous regions with special statute.

Around Italy

Mountains

The Aosta Valley, the smallest region in Italy, is home to some spectacular mountain peaks, ski resorts and valleys. Courmayeur is perhaps one of the region's most popular ski resorts- from here you can take a cable car to the heart of the Mont Blanc Massif. The Grand Paradiso National Park, in the valleys at the foot of the homonymous mountain, is popular especially in summer with walkers and trekkers who follow the well-marked trails.

Across the other side of Italy, the spectacular Dolomites and its highest peak, Marmolada (3,343m), attract both summer and winter visitors. In the summer, hikers and climbers have the opportunity to choose different trails in the Tre Cime National Park. In winter, places like Canazei, Arabba, Ortisei, Madonna di Campiglio and Cortina D'Ampezzo welcome crowds of skiers, professional as well as amateur, given that several races of Ski World Cup take place in Alta Badia every year.

Lakes

The most famous lakes in Italy, and those most popular with tourists, are the subalpine lakes in the north of the country: Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore.

Lake Garda

Lake Como

Lake Maggiore

Coastal destinations

Exploring the Riviera Romagnola

Exploring the Italian Riviera

Puglia

Exploring the Italian Riviera

The coast of Liguria, also known as the Italian Riviera, is divided into two parts by the city of Genoa.

The west from Genoa up to the border with France, there is the Riviera di Ponente (the coast of the setting sun)

Riviera di Levante (the coast of the rising sun) stretches out in the other direction towards Tuscany

• Portofino

• Cinque Terre National park

- Monterosso - Vernazza - Corniglia

• Finale Ligure

• Pietra Ligure

• Riviera dei Fiori

• Sanremo

- Manarola- Riomaggiore

Cinque Terre typical dishes

Exploring the Riviera Romagnola

The Adriatic coast offers several popular beach resorts and lots of leisure activities. The entire Riviera Romagnola is a paradise for those who enjoy swimming, windsurfing and the beach. This popular tourist destination offers several leisure and bathing facilities, well-known nightspots, together with the welcoming atmosphere and mild climate. Bellaria, Cesenatico, Cattolica, Misano Adriatico, Riccione and Rimini are the most famous seaside resorts in the surrounding area, are are known all over Europe for their compelling beaches, colourful beach umbrellas and sunbeds, comfortable showers and beach huts, well-stocked bars and restaurants.

What to do

Theme parks and funfairs on the Riviera Romagnola

All year round, the Riviera Romagnola offers both adults and children the possibility to enjoy all kinds of thrills with its remarkably wide choice of funfairs, theme parks and water parks such as Aquafan. Ravenna and its beaches are situated within a short driving distance from Mirabilandia, the largest funfair in Romagna.

Apulia

Apulia, the heel of Italy with the Adriatic Sea on one side and the Ionian Sea on the other, offers amazing stretches of coastline with busy tourist villages and campsites as well as quiet spots. The Gargano is a promontory with spectacular caves and bays to be discovered by boat. Popular destinations are Vieste and the nearby Tremiti Islands. San Giovanni Rotondo, the burial place of Padre Pio, is a huge centre for pilgrims with a church designed by the architect Renzo Piano. The coast between Bari and Brindisi, both important cities and ports with ferry connections to Greece, alternates sandy beaches and amazing cliffs with many popular tourist resorts.

Puglia

Apulia

Polignano a Mare is perched on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the sea and has a fascinating historical centre with Arab, Byzantine, Spanish and Norman influences, while Monopoli has a small and picturesque fishing port. If you take a short trip inland, you'll reach Alberobello where you can admire the trulli, the traditional white drystone huts with conical roofs.

Salento is the south-eastern extremity of Apulia and features interesting resorts such as the historical town of Otranto.

SARDINIA

With its crystal clear, turquoise waters, snow-white beaches and wonderful weather, Sardinia can certainly compete with the Caribbean. The peak tourist season is July and August, but the summer season can last from about May to October (without crowds that make travelling between locations and finding accommodation quite difficult). The Costa Smeralda is full of luxury resorts, marinas for mega yachts, exclusive restaurants and chich clubs Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo (the two main locations). The Maddalena Archipelago has seven main islands and the area has been a national park since 1996, to protect places like Budelli, with its pink-hued beach, and Caprera with its parkland and Garibaldi's home and museum. The former fishing village of Stintino is now a popular resort and is surrounded by golden stretches of beach such as La Pelosa and Le Saline. The area around Villasimius in the south has extensive sandy beaches, surrounded by the transparent sea and the perfumes of the myrtle, juniper and broom plants. Tourists can also visit the nuraghi, the unique stone constructions that are dotted across the landscape, remains of the prehistoric Nuraghic civilisation.

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