2. History 750 B.C. Latins est. Rome on Tiber River Romans conquered Italy & expanded their rule to other lands Roman Empire Stretched from Spain/Portugal to Asia & from England to North Africa Roman laws, roads, engineering, & Latin lang. were found throughout empire Built aqueducts, domes & arches Trade prospered
3. A.D. 200 Roman Empire weakened Divided into two parts Roman influences still present today Latin lang., Roman laws, Christianity
4. The Renaissance 1300s Rebirth of Italy Rediscovered the work of ancient Roman and Greek writers Artists painted using new techniques (Leonardo da Vinci) Galileo Galilei perfected the telescope & experimented w/ gravity Christopher Columbus opened the Americas to European colonization
5. Government Until 1800s Italy was made up of many small states Democracy today w/ elected parliament No single party has won majority Coalition governments formed Government made when several parties join together to run the country
6. Culture Culture influenced by many people Religion & Food Roman Catholic X-Mas & Easter are important holidays Food is influenced by history & crops of each area Olives, bread, fish, lemons, spices, tomatoes, pizza, rice, butter, cheeses, & mushrooms The Arts Roman glassware & sculptures Renaissance paintings & sculpture Italian writers & composers Designers, actors, & filmmakers are celebrated worldwide
7. Italy Today 58 million people Shared lang. & Roman Catholic Church unite Italy Economy Industries rebuilt after WWII Rich soil & good water supply Grapes are very important crop (largest producer of wine) Tourism Industrialization is increasing
8. Cities Milan, Turin, & Genoa are important industrial cities Venice: famous for canals & buildings Florence is the center of art & culture Rome is the capital Naples is a major manufacturing center & port
