header

Welcome to Italy

Italian highlights - Practical information to help organize you journey in the best possible way...allow plenty of room for the unplanned...this is  Italy you are traveling to.
​
In this page and the ones linked to it, I will try to provide basic essential information for those visitors seeking suitable means of transportation
(by road, rail, air or sea) along with a brief introduction to this country's rich cultural history, traditions and  artistic patrimony scattered thought the country.

Links  to other pages  will guide you on a chronological itinerary taking in different historical and artistic periods, covering principal achievements, monuments and artists who have left their mark.

 

 
BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT ITALY AND ITS REGIONS
Italy's history is long and great. The Etruscans in Tuscany and Umbria were the first major power in the Italian peninsula and Italy was first united politically under the Romans in 90 B.C.E.
Romans used the name Italia to refer to the Italian peninsula (in ancient times, Calabria was knows as Italia).
 
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century C.E. , Italy became merely a "geographic expression" for many centuries. Additionally, Italy has been invaded and settled by many different peoples.
Mediterranean peoples (Greeks, North Africans, and Phoenicians)
 
entered the south. Jews entered the country during the period of the Roman republic, and Germanic tribes came after the fall of Rome.

Arabs invaded the mainland from their strongholds in Sicily and North Africa. In the south, the Lombards claimed sovereignty, where they established a separate government, until they were replaced by the Normans in the eleventh century. 
The Byzantine Empire ruled the southern part of the peninsula for five hundred years, into the ninth century. Sicily had many invaders, including Saracens, Normans, and Aragonese.
 

 
In 1720, Austrians ruled Sicily and at about the same time
controlled northern Italy. There is a continuing ethnic mixing.  

The majority of the people are ethnically Italian, but there are other ethnic groups in the population, including French–Italians and Slovene in the north and Albanian, Greek Italian  in the south.
 
This ethnic presence is reflected in the languages spoken: German is predominant in the Trentino–Alto Adige region, French is spoken in the Valle d'Aosta region, and Slovene is spoken in the Trieste–Gorizia area.

The most important of the islands are Sicily in the south and Sardinia in the northwest. The Mediterranean Sea is to the south, and the Alps to the north. A chain of mountains, the Apennines, juts down the center of the peninsula.
The fertile Po valley is in the north (Pianura Padana  mainly in the region of Lombardia and Emilia Romagna). 
It accounts for 21 percent of the total area; 40 percent of Italy's area, in contrast, is hilly and 39 percent is mountainous.
 

 
Italy is divided into 20 regions which are the first-level administrative divisions of the state. Each region (except for the Aosta Valley) is divided into provinces.
Regions are autonomous entities with powers defined in the Constitution.
 
Italian Constitution grants to five regions (namely Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) home rule, acknowledging their powers in relation to legislation, administration and finance.

These regions became autonomous in order to take into account linguistic and cultural differences, such as the linguistic minorities in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily and Sardinia.​
 
Autonomous regions with special statute:

The Italian Constitution grants to five regions (namely Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) home rule, acknowledging their powers in relation to legislation, administration and finance.

Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol constitutes a special case.
The region itself is nearly powerless and the powers granted by the region's statute are mostly exercised by the two autonomous provinces within the region, Trentino and South Tyrol.
In this case, the regional institution plays a merely coordinating role.
 
 
Largest region : Sicily 25.708 Km²
Smallest region : Valle d'Aosta-3.263 Km²
Most populated region : Lombardia 9.826.000 hab
Least populated region : Valle d'Aosta 127.900 hab.
Region with higher density : Campania 429 hab/Km²
Region with less density : Valle d'Aosta 39 hab/Km²
 
Liguria
Piemonte (Piedmont)
Valle d'Aosta
Lombardia-(Lombardy)
Trentino Alto Adige
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Veneto
Emilia Romagna.   
Liguria
Piemonte (Piedmont)
Valle d'Aosta
Lombardia-(Lombardy)
Trentino Alto Adige
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Veneto
Emilia Romagna
Toscana (Tuscany)
Marche
Umbria
Lazio
Abruzzo
Molise
Campania
Basilicata
Puglia
Calabria
Sicilia
(Sicily)
 

Sardegna
(Sardinia)
 
 
The term "Southern Italy",  "Lower Italy", "Mezzogiorno",    Meridione,  is a non statistical geographical and historical term referring to all the South of Italy, comprising the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia.
 

1 Abruzzo
2 Molise
3 Campania
4 Apulia (Puglia)
5 Basilicata
6 Calabria
7 Sicily
8 Sardinia
 
 
The quickest way to get to and from the airport to the centre of Rome to the main Termini train station is to take the Leonardo Express train which departs every half hour and takes about 30 minutes.
 

Getting between Roma Termini and Fiumicino Airport 
 
 
Flying to and around Italy

Italy's main airports for intercontinental  and international arrivals are 'Leonardo da Vinci' (Rome Fiumicino) and Malpensa
(Milan)..
There are plenty of connections from one city to another, with frequent services from Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa to all the other airports in Italy, and it is also simple and convenient to reach Sicily, Sardinia and the smaller islands from the mainland, with frequent services available.

There are almost forty other small and medium-sized airports in Italy, present in every region except Molise and Basilicata.
 
Roma Fiumicino
Intercontinental Airport (FCO)

The airport is 30 Km from the City Centre.
Trains from Roma Trastevere,Roma Ostiense, Roma Tuscolana,Roma Tiburtina.
Time required about 40 minutes.
Departures every 20. Links with Ciampino Airport:
daily Air Pullman service-every hour.

 
Milano (Milan) Malpensa
Intercontinental Airport - ( MXP)
 
The airport is 45 km from the city centre of Milano. Bus from the square beside  Milano Central Railway Station-Every 30 minutes.
Links with Linate by Air Pullman.
 
Roma Ciampino
 
International Civil Airport - (CIA)
The Airport is 15 km from the city centre.
Bus from Anagnina Underground Station-Time required 15 minutes.

Milano Linate
 
International Airport - (LIN)
Located 10 km from city centre. Bus from square beside Milano Central Railway Station to and from  every 20 minutes.
Links with Malpensa .
Bus from departure level.
 
Pisa International Airport
 
Pisa International Airport  formerly Galileo Galilei Airport and San Giusto Airport .
It is the main airport in Tuscany.

A main hub for low cost flights within Europe.>>


The leading Italian airlines are:

Alitalia: www.alitalia.it
Meridiana:www.meridiana.it
Airone: www.flyairone.it
Airdolomiti: www.airdolomiti.it
Air Valle: www.airvallee.com
Blu Express: www.blu-express.com
Skybridge Airops:
www2.skybridgeairops.com


 

 
The Italian rail network extends for over
17,000 km, covering an impressive 
landscape of extraordinary beauty.

Links to France are along the coastal line  Genova-Ventimiglia-Nice or through the Frejus tunnel via Turin, Bardonecchia and Modane.

The Sempione tunnel is the most important and most used link to Switzerland and central Europe, together with the Milano-Como-Chiasso line which continues in Switzerland up to the St Gotthard tunnel.

The Brennero and Tarvisio lines lead into Austria and the eastern countries.

Train ferries leaving from Civitavecchia , in the central region of Lazio and Villa San Giovanni in Calabria, link the two main islands, Sicily and Sardinia, to the mainland.

SPECIAL TARIFF  : Groups, people over 60, young under 26, students can benefit from special reduction. ASK.

Links.

Treni Italia

Info's on trains from:

Spain
France
Germany
Switzerland
 
1  |  2
 
By Sea


 
Shipping companies which make connections among the Italian ports.

 
 www.grimaldi-ferries.com 
Spain, France, Sicily, Sardinia,
Malta,Tunisia and Corsica.    

Gnv - Grandi Navi Veloci 
www.gnv.it 
Sardinia, Sicily, Spain,
Tunisia, Malta, Morocco    

EneRmaR 
-  www.enermar.it - 
Sardinia    
 
Moby Line 
 
 
www.moby.it - 
Sardinia-Corsica-Elba
Livorno-Civitavecchia    

Tirrenia 
www.tirrenia.it - 
Sardinia-Sicily    

Snav 
www.snav.it - 
Sicily-Sardinia-Greece/Croatia-Aeolian Islands-Marocco-Tunisia_Malta-Spain   

TTT Lines 
www.tttlines.it - 
Naples-Catania  
(Campania-Sicily)

DiMaio Lines
www.dimaiolines.it - 
Sardinia    

Emilia Romagna Lines  
www.emiliaromagnalines.it - 
Croatia - Slovenia    

Toremar 
www.toremar.it
 Elba Island
Capraia-Giglio    

Siremar 
www.siremar.it 
Aeloian Islands-Aegadian Islands -Pelagie Islands-Pantelleria-Ustica    

Saremar   
www.saremar.it 
Corsica-Sardinia    

Caremar   
www.caremar.it - 
Capri-Ischia-Procida    

Linee Lauro   
www.alilauro.it - 
Naples Bay- Aeolian Islands 

Blu Cruises   
www.blucruises.it - 
Naples Bay 

Capitan Morgan
 
   
 
www.capitanmorgan.it 
Naples, Salerno e Gaeta    

Sea Shuttle   
www.seashuttle.it 
Naples Bay    

Metrò del Mare 
 www.metrodelmare.com - 
Naples-Salerno-Cilento    
 
 
Meridiano Lines
 
 www.meridianolines.it - 
Reggio Calabria
Messina 
(Calabria-Sicily)   

Caronte &Tourist 
 
 
 
www.carontetourist.it - 
Salerno - Messina 
(Campania-Sicily)   

Vetor  
www.vetor.it - 
Ponza and
Ventotene  Islands

Mare Giglio 
www.maregiglio.it 
Santo Stefano Island,
Giglio Island, Giannutri    

Med Mar 
www.medmargroup.it 
Naples BAy,
Aeolian Islands
Sardinia and Tunisia    

Consorzio
Marittimo Turistico 5 Terre 
 
 
www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it - 

Navigazione Libera del Golf  
www.navlib.it - 
Naples Bay
Tremiti Islands/Amalfi 

Coast Snap Navigazione
 www.snapnavigazione.it - 
Pontine Islands 
   
Traghetti delle Isole 
 
 
www.traghettidelleisole.it - 
Sicily    

Tripnavi   
www.tripmare.it 
Trieste (Friuli Venezia Giulia)   

Ustica Lines 
www.usticalines.it  
Aegadian Islands,
Pantelleria, Lampedusa,
Linosa, Ustica, Tunisia,
Naples, Venice 
 
Around and about
 
 
 
 
 
Ai  nostri  visitatori piace il Sud Italia, vuoi  dire loro qualcosa?
Il nostro obiettivo e' quello di promuovere prodotti tipici del Sud in un contesto di marketing globale, e allo stesso tempo proporre 
il nostro Meridione come alternativa turistica, ben consapevoli che il successo dell'uno è essenziale per il successo dell'altro.​
Paesi di provenienza dei  visitatori in ordine numerico
Stati Uniti - Canada - Italia - Gran Bretagna - Australia - China - Germania - Francia - Nuova Zelanda - Olanda

Coloro interessati ad inserire la loro attivita'/azienda/ nel sito   
sono pregati di  mettersi in contatto  usando il  modulo sottostante .
Per saperne di piu'...

 
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO?...suggested links..
HOME  
Top of the page
Abruzzo
Molise
Campania
Basilicata
Apulia
Calabria
Sicilia
Sardegna
 
 		 Italian Regions
North West - North East  
Central - South Italy 


Artistic Italy
 

Italy's villages and towns you should know of - Touring Venice's Grand Canal 


Made in South Italy Today.com-2014-Hamilton-Ontario-Canada ||||||||   CMS by AlboDigital  |||||||| Copyrights issues



La vetrina ideale per promuovere i vostri prodotti e servizi sul mercato Nord Americano ma che potrebbe essere un punto di visibilità anche nei vari mercati internazionali.


AZIENDE - PRODUTTORI - STRUTTURE RICETTIVE - GUIDE TURISTICHE - TOUR OPERATORI 
 
First Name
Last Name
Email Address
Tel
Country
Comments