ABRUZZO4U

Web Site For English Speaking Tourists

About Italy

Annual Holidays

Most Italians take their annual holiday in August, so shops and businesses often close for at least part of that month. The Setimana Santa (Easter Week) is another busy holiday period, and many places have their own special celebrations at this time. Festivals Almost every town and village in Italy has its own saint's feast day (check with local tourist offices for dates) The Weather Check it out on the BBC .... Weather in Rome Generally, the weather is great in September, an ideal time to travel in Italy and also, you will take advantage of lower airfare rates.

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Italy (A Potted History) As soon as we mention "Italy", it conjures up a rich spice of emotions ranging from food, a passion for life, beautiful landscapes, Leonardo de Vinci, fine wines, world cup winners, ice cream and more. Today, Italy is a member of Nato but certainly no great military super power in its’ own right. But let’s not forget that Italy is the birthplace of one of the greatest ever military machines ever seen on earth. Legend has it that Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus, twin brothers who claimed to be sons of Mars (the God of war), and to have been raised as babes by a she-wolf. Romulus and Remus fell out over most things, especially the naming of the new city, resulting in Romulus killing his brother and declaring himself to be the first king of "Rome" …. BUT If you want a more reasonable account of the origins of Rome then try a search on Wikipedia! At the time of Christ, Rome was actually a pagan country and it was only in the second century AD that Rome had its first Christian Emperor (Constantine 1) and even that may have been more a political necessity rather than a true belief. He was certainly not a role model with all his dastardly deeds! In the Nineteenth Century, Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi (with the backing of Napoleons France), led a popular movement that took over much of Italy ending in 1870 with the fall of Rome and complete unification of Italy. But the new Kingdom of Italy was no Roman Empire, greatly weakened and still divided, it was only a matter of time until frustration took hold and someone stepped forward to force changes for the "greater good of Italy". In 1922, a politician named Benito Mussolini and his supporters (called Fascists, derived from the Italian word Fascio loosely meaning bundle or union), became impatient with electoral politics, and so marched on Rome to seize power directly through a coup. The Italian king was too weak to argue and hence allowed Mussolini to become what was in effect, dictator of Italy. Mussolini did indeed spur on economic development but it was his dreams of leading a new Roman Empire that led to his downfall when, in the 1930s, he invaded Ethiopia and Albania. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Italy and Germany remained "politically friendly" and Mussolini’s Italy remained neutral. The fall of France however, convinced Mussolini that Germany would come out on top and so he joined Hitler and immediately rushed off to invade Greece, the Balkans, and North Africa. However, over optimistic, overextended and unprepared, Italy quickly ran out of steam and in the end had to go cap in hand to ask Hitler's help and military support. The Allies prised him out of Northern Africa and then slowly out of southern Italy itself. Alienated from Hitler, despised by many of his own people, he and his lover were captured and executed by Italian partisans. After the Second World War, the Italian monarchy was abolished and Italy became a republic. The economy was rebuilt and Italy once again emerged as a major European force becoming a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) and also the European Community.

ABRUZZO4U

Web Site For English Speaking Tourists

About Italy

Most Italians take their annual holiday in August, so shops and businesses often close for at least part of that month. The Setimana Santa (Easter Week) is another busy holiday period, and many places have their own special celebrations at this time. Festivals Almost every town and village in Italy has its own saint's feast day (check with local tourist offices for dates) The Weather Check it out on the good old BBC .... Weather in Rome Generally, the weather is great in September, an ideal time to travel in Italy and also, you will take advantage of lower airfare rates.

Annual Holidays

Italy (A Potted History) As soon as we mention "Italy", it conjures up a rich spice of emotions ranging from food, a passion for life, beautiful landscapes, Leonardo de Vinci, fine wines, world cup winners, ice cream and more. Today, Italy is a member of Nato but certainly no great military super power in its’ own right. But let’s not forget that Italy is the birthplace of one of the greatest ever military machines ever seen on earth. Legend has it that Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus, twin brothers who claimed to be sons of Mars (the God of war), and to have been raised as babes by a she-wolf. Romulus and Remus fell out over most things, especially the naming of the new city, resulting in Romulus killing his brother and declaring himself to be the first king of "Rome" …. If you want a more reasonable account of the origins of Rome then try a search on Wikipedia! At the time of Christ, Rome was actually a pagan country and it was only in the second century AD that Rome had its first Christian Emperor (Constantine 1) and even that may have been more a political necessity rather than a true belief. He was certainly not a role model with all his dastardly deeds! In the Nineteenth Century, Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi (with the backing of Napoleons France), led a popular movement that took over much of Italy ending in 1870 with the fall of Rome and complete unification of Italy. But the new Kingdom of Italy was no Roman Empire, greatly weakened and still divided, it was only a matter of time until frustration took hold and someone stepped forward to force changes for the "greater good of Italy". In 1922, a politician named Benito Mussolini and his supporters (called Fascists, derived from the Italian word Fascio loosely meaning bundle or union), became impatient with electoral politics, and so marched on Rome to seize power directly through a coup. The Italian king was too weak to argue and hence allowed Mussolini to become what was in effect, dictator of Italy. Mussolini did indeed spur on economic development but it was his dreams of leading a new Roman Empire that led to his downfall when, in the 1930s, he invaded Ethiopia and Albania. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Italy and Germany remained "politically friendly" and Mussolini’s Italy remained neutral. The fall of France however, convinced Mussolini that Germany would come out on top and so he joined Hitler and immediately rushed off to invade Greece, the Balkans, and North Africa. However, over optimistic, overextended and unprepared, Italy quickly ran out of steam and in the end had to go cap in hand to ask Hitler's help and military support. The Allies prised him out of Northern Africa and then slowly out of southern Italy itself. Alienated from Hitler, despised by many of his own people, he and his lover were captured and executed by Italian partisans. After the Second World War, the Italian monarchy was abolished and Italy became a republic. The economy was rebuilt and Italy once again emerged as a major European force becoming a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) and also the European Community.

Currency

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