Hey everyone, this year for a change I will be writing articles about different countries and their cultures so that you can get an overview of different cultures and perspective around the world.

Let’s begin to talk about the modern home of the Roman Empire, the Italian Peninsula, which has been influenced and shaped by a variety of cultures over the centuries.

Italy is home to more than 62 millions people, and about 96% of the population of the country is Italian, although there are many other inhabitants with different cultural roots that live in this country. People originally from Northern African countries, Albanian, German, Austrian and some other European groups call Italy home. Many neighboring countries, such as France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia, have influenced Italian culture. Therefore some of those country’s languages are often spoken in Italy. However, the official language of Italy is, of course,  Italian, and according to Zimmermann, about 93% of the Italians speak Italian. However other languages that may be spoken by native Italians include Albanian, Bavarian, Catalan, Cimbrian, Corsican, Croatian, French, German, Greek, Slovenian and Walser. These languages are learned at school as part of the second language program.

Italians greatly value their relationships within their family. The family is the centre of social structures, and provides a stabilizing influence on its members. Interestingly, in the north of Italy, most families live separately, while in the south, the extended family often live all together in one house. As a ritual and as part of  their culture, a lot of Italian families attend the mass at the church on Sunday mornings. The primary religion in Italy is Roman Catholic, but of course it isn’t forbidden that other religions practice in this country.

Italian cuisine is very famous and admired around the world. Who has not fallen in love with pizza or pasta? For Italians, food is an art they have successfully mastered,  and their gatherings are centered around food. In central Italy, spaghetti and pizza are popular. However, in the north, the most common dishes are comprised of fish, potatoes, rice, sausage, pork, pasta, polenta and risotto. In the south, tomatoes are a staple, either served fresh, or cooked into sauce with capers, peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic, artichokes, eggplant and ricotta cheese.

Art is a very beautiful aspect of the Italian culture as well! Let’s take Leonardo da Vinci as an example; he was an art historian that created remarkable pieces and combinations in his designs, theories and paintings, resulting in many beautiful products. Examples of famous pieces of artwork he had created include the  Mona Lisa and Salvador Mundi. There are also many various types of music that have been popular in Italy over the ages, such as classical music, instrumental, pop, religious and, last but not least, opera music.

As you can maybe see, Italy has developed over the years where a lot of new things have come and made this country pure and cultural… after reading this article, do you want to visit Italy?

Zimmermann, Kim Ann. “Italian Culture: Facts, Customs & Traditions.” LiveScience, Purch, 13 Sept. 2017, http://www.livescience.com/44376-italian-culture.html.

“Italy: Culture and Tradition.” Globalization Partners International Translation Blog, blog.globalizationpartners.com/italy-culture-and-tradition.aspx.