Italy: Prepared By: Joan Marie R. Beronio
Italy: Prepared By: Joan Marie R. Beronio
Italy: Prepared By: Joan Marie R. Beronio
The world Italy is from the Latin world “Italia”. The name
Italia originally pertained to a part of what is now Southern
Italy according to Antiochus of Syracuse.
GOVERNMENT
Italy has a very interesting, eventful but long history. Italy is inhabited by such groups
of People as Umbrians, Latins, Vlosci, Samnites, Celts and Ligures in the North.
History has it that first major power in the Italian Peninsula were Etruscans.
It was first politically united during the Roman Empire in 90 CE.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Germanic tribe conquered Italy, but was brought
back to the realm to fold through the efforts of the East Roman Emperor Justinian.
Late in the same century, the Lombards reconquered Italy but was absorbed into the
Frankish Empire by Charlemagne who restored order and centralized governments and
brought Frankish Culture to Italy.
In 1348, majority of European nations were stricken by the Black
Death pandemic. It left its marks in Italy by killing one-third of the
population.
It was during the 14th and 15th centuries that Italy was divided into a great
schism of warring city-states; the rest of the peninsula being occupied by
Pepal states and Naples.
The period of fifteenth to mid-eighteenth centuries were marked periods
of divisiveness among warring clans and families.
Under the leadership of Victor Emmanuel, Count de
Cavour, and Giuseppe Garibaldi, the various city-states
moved toward unit. The creation of the kingdom of Italy is
undeniably made possible through the efforts of Italian
monarchists and nationalists.
Italy underwent a surge of political and economic events during
the World War I and II. More than 650, 000 Italian soldiers
sacrificed their lives on the battlefield during the World War.
Around 500,000 Italians died in the war and the Italian economy
collapsed.
LANGUAGE
The official language is Italian which was adopted after Italy was
unified in 1946. Italian is Florentine-based from the Tuscan
variety.
Several dialects are spoken all over the country, but Italian is
used as a medium of communication.
RELIGION
In the past, women are relegated to home chores. In Italian culture, men
were given privileged position and treatment.
Women are the “soul” of the family and men were the “head” of the family.
After World War II, there was a marked change in their status. Today women
take part in every aspect of political, economic, and social life.
In the past, marriage were arranged and women brought a dowry to the
marriage but today marriage is endeavor except for the members of the
clergy.
Appearances matter in Italy.
The manner of dressing can indicate your social status, family
background, and education level.
The term “bella figura” or good image is important to Italians.
Bella figura is more than dressing well. It extends to the aura
you manifest- i.e confidence, mode, character, etc.
LITERATURE
Italian literature has wide-ranging, rich, and varied origin and development.
It began after the founding of Rome in 753 BC. The early writings of the
Italians are essentially based on the early works of Roman writers who left
indelible marks in Italian literature such as Pliny the Elder, Virgil, Horace,
Ovid, Livy and Propertius.
Italian literature has a close affinity with the Roman and Greek literature.
Until about the thirteenth, century Italian literature was a written in Latin.
The modern Italian literature in the Italian language was molded and
fashioned into classical works through the efforts of the “ great triumvirate
in Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio and Petrarch.