The history of Italy

“Lalalalala…lalalalala”, why is it, that I always start humming this song while entering Italian grounds? I do not know, I just think it is a country that makes everybody happy. It seems so peaceful and looks so familiar here. I can not wait to find out some more about its history. Its history is perhaps one of the most important ones for the cultural and social development of the Mediterranean area and for Europe. Maybe that is why I feel so at home here.

The first civilization in Italy was not the Romanian, as you all might think, but was the Etruscan. They settled in central Italy around 800 BC. We all know the Romans as the ‘empire builders’, ‘road builders’,… but the truth is, the Etruscans also founded cities which still exist today (such as Arezzo, Chiusi, Cortona,…) They were influenced by the Greeks, with whom they traded a lot. Even now, you can still see the similarity between Italian and Greek grounds. By 600BC the Etruscans ruled central Italy, including Rome. However, the Romans rebelled and laid siege to each and every Etruscan city. The last Etruscan city fell to the Romans in 265 BC. From then on, the Romans started building their empire and started ruling the Mediterranean area.

They ruled Italy and most parts of the Mediterranean area until 476. Then, there was the ruin of the Roman Empire. After the ruin, Italy went into a decline. It knew a lot of different tyrants such as the Lombards, Ostrogots,… In central Italy, the papal state was established and northern Italy was ruled by Charlemagne. In the 11th century, trade started flourishing again and the renaissance started developing with great artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and many others. The golden ages ended in the 16th century.

After the second World War, the republic was established after a referendum. Nowadays, Italy is led by Sergio Mattarella. However, the Italian Republic is known for its many and rapid changes of government. None of the governments has led Italy for 5 years. Nevertheless, Italy has a politically stable environment.

Sources:

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/culture/history

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0107658.html

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/history

http://www.infoplease.com/country/italy.html

http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/italyandthecitystates/a/cpitaly.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Italy