19 Interesting Facts About Italy

Italy is quite exquisite when it comes to the architecture and culture. Often referred to as “lo Stivale” (the boot), it is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. The place is quite fascinating with its picturesque monuments and gardens. In order to really know what’s inside, keep the following facts in mind about this boot-shaped country.

1. Beautiful Country

Italy is called Bel Paese which means “a beautiful country”. Well, apparently.
Source: travelhere.com, Image: reddit.com

2. UNESCO

Italy houses 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Source: wikipedia, Image: travelblogger.com

3. Win Wine

Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world.
Source: wikipedia, Image: tumblr.com

4. Show Me The Middle Finger

Galileo’s middle finger is on display at a museum in Italy.
Source: factslide.com, Image: dailymail.co.uk

5. Gondolas

In Venice, all the Gondolas are required to be painted black by the law.
Source: factslide.com, Image: tumblr.com

6. Haunted Island of Italy

Poveglia is said to be so extremely haunted that no public access is allowed.
Source: mymelange.com, Image: news.cc.com

7. Mr. and Mrs. Smith

“Ferrari” is the Italian equivalent of the last name “Smith”.
Source: mymelange.com

8. Pepperoni

Pepperoni, the sausage, has no existence in Italy. Pepperoni is instead referred to as bell peppers.
Source: mymelange.com, Image: yelp.com

9. Tomato Tales

Tomatoes in Italy were not introduced until 1540s.
Source: factslide.com, Image: yelp.com

10. Free Wine, Anyone?

Due to a technical error in 2008, wine started flowing through the taps of dozens of houses during a grape festival. Pretty fantastic, isn’t it?
Source: factslide.com, Image: pinterest.com

11. No Skirts For Men

A man in Italy can be arrested for wearing a skirt in public.
Source: mymelange.com, Image: youtube

12. Forks And Pasta

Forks were first to come in Italy before any other cutlery just because of pasta.
Source: factslide.com, Image: pinterest.com

13. Temperature

Thermometer is an Italian invention.
Source: wikipedia, Image: youtube

14. Most Elevators

Italy holds the Guinness Record for having the most number of elevators.
Source: mymelange.com, Image: travelblog.com

15. Oldest University

The oldest university, the University Of Bologna was founded on 1808 and is still in continuous operations.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

16. Italy Is On A Fault Line

Italy is weighed down by earthquakes because of the unfortunate positioning. Also, it has resulted in the eruption of three volcanoes – Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius.
Source: factslide.com, Image: blogspot.com

17. Christmas, The Biggest of All

Christmas is the most awaited celebration in Italy. Christmas dinner is usually on Christmas Eve, and the celebration lasts until January 6th (the Epiphany, or the date usually believed to have been when the three Wise Men found the manger of Jesus).
Source: travelhere.com, Image: eurowonder.com

18. Pesky Pasta

Pasta was not eaten with tomato sauce until 1600’s in this country. Might sound weird to some of us, but it was eaten with honey and sugar. Though presently there are more than 500 varieties of pasta in Italy.
Source: travelhere.com, Image: tarvelwuro.com

19. Pink Bunny