Italy

Where the name comes from

Italy comes from Italia, first a name for southern Calabria; a link to an ancient word for “bull” or “calf” is suggested but uncertain.

First people

Ancient Italic, Etruscan, Greek and other communities lived here, and Italian developed from Latin.¹

Known for

Italy is known for pizza and pasta, for Renaissance art, and for having more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.²

Outside contact

Rome grew from a city into an empire that ruled the whole Mediterranean; after it fell, Italy was split among rival states and foreign powers such as Spain and Austria.³

The modern country

Italy became a united kingdom in 1861, and Rome joined only in 1870 before becoming the capital; Italians voted to become a republic in 1946.⁴