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Italy, despite its small size, has a big, well-known name. Its unique culture attracts
millions of tourists each year making it one of the most toured countries in the world. Famous for
its many attractions, high-end clothes, and historic attributes, makes this a very distinctive
country and culture. The Italian culture was chosen because we both come from Italian decent.
We wanted to know more about the culture we come from and the many interesting facts about
it.
The history if Italy dates back to 450 B.C. during the rule of the Roman Empire. In
Europe, the Lombards ruled for several years but it did not work out, passing the power to the
Franks to rule. Ironically all of these rulers are from non-Italian decent. By the year 1860 Victor
Emmanuel II, Garibaldi, Mazzini, and Cavour took over the country, all of Italian decent. The
name Italy, derived from the ancient name Vitalia, comes from the Latin phrase “Land of
Cattle.” This area of Vitalia was rich with cattle influencing the people living there to identify
with their land. After the Lombard invasions and the fall of the Western Roman Empire, “Italy”
and “Italian” became the collective name. Between the years 1900 and 1915, Italians immigrated
to the United States to make more money or start a more meaningful life. Some of them moved
back to Italy once they made the amount of money that would sustain them in Italy. Italy is
located in Europe and bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The water bodies
surrounding it are the Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea and Ionian Sea. The Mediterranean Sea is the
biggest water body among those surrounding Italy. This famously “boot-shaped” country is the
5th most populous country in Europe and home to an estimated population of 60,891,838 in
2013. Rome is the capital city of Italy, also the historic capital of the Roman Empire, and the
country’s largest and most populous city. Venice, Florence, Milan, Naples, Turin, Verona,
Bologna, Palermo, and Genoa are also some major cities.
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The official language of Italy is Italian. Standard Italian is what is spoken all throughout
Italy. There are numerous dialects spoken all throughout the country, nearly one per city, which
is known as the regional dialect. Some of these dialects include Siciliano, spoken in Sicily,
Neapolitan, spoken in Campania, and Veneto, spoken in Venice. There is only one form of
written Italian which includes 21 letters of the alphabet. It does not include the letters J, K, W, X,
and Y. Theses only appear in foreign names and cities, not in the standard Italian vocabulary.
Education is regarded very highly in Italy. It is split up into three distinct sections. The first is
known as scuola elementare, this takes place when a child is ages six through eleven. The second
is called scuola media, which is a three year period- when this is completed, the students receive
a Diploma di Licenza di Scuola Media and have the opportunity to continue their education.
When a child turns fourteen and has completed scuola media, they are no longer required to
attend school. At this point, they are offered additional four or five years of study. There are a
range of different types of licei, or high schools, that an Italian teen can choose from including:
classical, linguistic, artistic, or scientific- or they can choose to attend an istituto, preparing them
for elementary school teaching, technical, commercial, or industrial careers. When completed,
the students take a state exam to have the right to attend a university. Academic autonomy and
freedom are a big part of the Italian culture, and also included and guaranteed in Italian law.
There are state universities, private universities, technical universities, and university institutes
with “special status”, educating more than 1.25 million students total. In Italy, literacy is defined
as being age 15 or older, and being able to read and write and 98.6 percent of the Italian
population are considered literate by definition.
Italy is known as the fashion capital of the world. During the Renaissance in the 14th
century, the Italian fashion reached its climax. Its expensive and one- of- a- kind fashion reached
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many other regions of Italy; Milan being the fashion capital of Italy. It is among the top three
fashion countries of the world, competing with New York City and Paris There are many major,
high-end, Italian fashion labels recognized all over the world. These include Gucci, Prada,
Versace, Valentino, Armani, and Dolce and Gabbana. Appearances are very important to
Italians. Their dress indicates social status, family background and education level. Modern day
Italian men typically wear well-fitted suits, sport jackets and jeans that are tailored. They do not
wear short shorts, socks with shorts or socks with shorts. Italian women wear dresses or nicer
jeans paired with a solid color shirt. They refrain from wearing strapless or tank tops and wear
natural looking make-up. They follow the concept of “bella figura,” which literally translates to
“the beautiful figure.” It is their way of life emphasizing beauty, good image, and proper
behavior. “In some creative fields the dress code may be a bit more relaxed, but relatively
speaking, Italian businessmen and women are elegant and well-put together.”(Culture Crossing,
2014)
Food is one of the biggest parts of the Italian culture. For Italians, food is not just a means
of survival, but a definition of who they are. Breakfast or Colazione is never an elaborate meal. It
usually consists of a cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino, and maybe something sweet along
with it. Lunch or pranzo is typically the main meal of the day. In many Italian cities, all
restaurants and businesses close for a few hours and most people go home to eat with their
families. Lunch usually consists of at least two meals, the primo- pasta of some variety, and the
secondo- meat or fish with vegetables or salad, usually followed by fresh fruit or maybe a dessert
of some kind. Dinner or cena is typically a lighter meal, only selecting one of the two courses
served at lunch. In Italy, dinner is served much later than what Americans are used to- the
earliest being 7:30 PM.
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Italians celebrate 11 major holidays. To start off the year, Capodanno(New Year) is
celebrated on January 1. Most things are closed, but some major events take place in the main
squares of top cities, and entertainment can be found. Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas
season for Italians on January 6. This is the day that Befana, a lady similar to a benevolent witch,
visits children and leaves them gifts. In Vatican City, hundreds of people process to the Vatican
to deliver gifts to the Pope, symbolic of the Wise Men bearing gifts for Jesus. The date for Easter
Sunday changes every year, but the celebration is always the same. It is the most important
Catholic celebration. Bells ring throughout the country all day to mark this special event, and
while an Easter Bunny is not seen, big chocolate eggs are a common occurrence. Liberation Day,
Festa della Liberazione, represents the end of World War II in Italy on April 25. Labor Day is
celebrated May 1. Festa della Repubblica, or Republic Day commemorates the day that the
Italian republic was born, celebrated June 2. Ferragosto, or Assumption Day is a Catholic
celebration for the Virgin Mary, celebrated August 15. Many Italians are on vacation and
traveling at this point, but it still celebrated and a good excuse for family and friends to gather.
Ognissanti, or All Saints Day is a day honoring all the saints and usually celebrated by going to
mass on November 1. L’Immacolata Concezione, or the Immaculate Conception is celebrated
December 8 every year and is a day entirely dedicated to the Virgin Mary and her purity. This
also marks the start of Italy’s winter holiday season. Natale, or Christmas is celebrated on
December 25, the day Jesus Christ was born. Christmas is Christmas everywhere, and many of
the same traditions are used-including decorations such as Christmas trees and nativity scenes
can be seen around. The last official holiday of the year is Santo Stefano, Saint Stephan’s Day
celebrating the first martyr of the Church on December 26. Many of the national holidays in Italy
are based on the Roman Catholic faith.
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Northern Italy is more prosperous than in the south. The north is dominated by private
companies and is well-developed in all aspects. Its prominent sectors include fashion, car
manufacturing, tourism, and food and drink sales. The south, however, is less-developed, has
high unemployment, and is well-fare dependent and are dependent on agriculture and farming.
“This is a region rich in luxuriance of its vegetation but poor in resources.” (Valbonne, 1973)
Because the majority of Italy only speaks Italian and is one of the top tourists spots in the
world, English teachers are in high demand. The most common jobs are in construction, vehicle
sales, furniture wholesales, and food.
This imbalance of the north and south it leaves the country suffering. They do not help
each other in the aspects in which they are not strong in. 4% of the gross national products come
from agriculture including wheat, vegetables, fruit, olives and grapes, while meat and dairy
products are imported. Italy is a member of the Group of Eight. The G8 is a group of eight
leading industrialized countries.
Italy is a democratic republic powered by President Giorgio Napolitano who was elected
in 2006. Recently elected was Matteo Renzi as the Prime Minister.
When it comes to personal space, Italians do not give much. An arm’s length distance is
the furthest apart they will be, tending to be much less when engaging with a family member or
friend. Italians tend to touch quite a bit in their interactions with each other. Again, the closer one
is with the other, the more touching there will be. It is not uncommon to see public displays of
affection around Italy, and this is considered normal- within certain limits, of course. Direct eye
contact is expected and appreciated by Italians. It may be considered extremely rude to not look
someone in the eye while speaking with them, or especially while shaking their hand.
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Family is the heart of Italian culture. It is the center of the social structure and provides a
stabilizing influence for its members. Not only does the immediate family have a very close
bond they also form close relationships with their neighbors and friends of the same area or
region. This is called a paisano. In the north, the nuclear family lives together while in the south
the extended family lives in the same house. In the past marriages used to be arranged but now it
is just as free as it is anywhere else. Almost all Italians get married and have very big families.
Newlywed couples often live in the bride’s parent’s house before buying their own. It is
customary to remain unmarried to care for their aged parents. When it comes to the roles of men
and women in the Italian culture, men and women are very equal. Men and women who have the
same job are paid equally. “Women are equal under the law and attend universities and work in
the labor force in numbers commensurate with their share of the population.” (Salmone, 2007)
The roles within the household essentially depend on the family and how they go about certain
aspects of home. The father is normally the one who makes the final decision on things but the
mother has been known to make decisions as well. About 90% of Italian families are Roman
Catholic while the other 10% is Protestant or Jewish. In the center of Rome is Vatican City. This
is the center of the Roman Catholic religion where Pope Francis resides and many cardinals,
bishops, monsignors, and priests follow and serve for him. Rome is known for its thousands of
relics, shrines, and churches. They are located all throughout Italy, but are most prominent in
Rome. Recreation in Italy consists mainly of music, cinema and sports. “The immigrants’ pride
in their Italian heritage and their natural assumption that to be Italian is to be Catholic also kept
many near the church.” (Mercadonte, 2010) Classical music is the most common type of music
among Italians. In the 1600s the violin was invented in Italy followed by the piano in the early
1700s. Many well-known singers came from Italy including Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra
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whose music still is famous today. In the early 1900s, the Italian film industry began with three
companies: Societa Italiana Cines, Ambrosia Film and Itala Film. Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro
are among the many famous actors to be of Italian decent. In Italy, the most popular sport played
is football, or as we know it soccer. The other recreational sports range from basketball and
volleyball to fencing, motor biking and rugby.
The view of time in Italy seems to be somewhat flexible. It is common to show up late
for a social engagement; however it is necessary to be prompt when in a business situation.
Appointments and deadlines are usually kept and almost all transportation runs on a schedule-
which is on time.
One stereotype of physical traits of Italians is saying that they all have a tan complexion
and dark eyes. Because of thousands of years of immigration, Italians have all hair and eye
colors. A trait that may be surprising to some is that a common hair color, second to brown, in
Italy is red. Sicilians are known to have the darkest skin tones due to sun exposure.
Among Italians, illnesses and diseases such as High cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory
illness, and type 2 diabetes exist most of which are due to diet, lack of exercise, and smoking and
drinking. One out of ten Italians suffer from obesity. Italy offers inexpensive healthcare to all
European countries that stared in 1978. This system is called Servizio Sanitario Nazionale. This
provides even the lowest income families with health coverage. This also allows more people to
get the adequate amount of health care they need without worrying about the cost. Since Italians
grow their own olives, they are used in several home remedies to help cure or make better things
like aches and pains, softer skin and burns, and dry skin and hair. One major belief they have is
that some people have “healing hands.” They believe that these people are able to heal soreness
and broken bones by touch and manipulation. Another belief or value of the Italians is the
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concept of “bella figura,” previously mentioned. They will not even invite people over to their
house unless it is perfectly clean. Lastly and most importantly is the value of respecting elders.
They only informally address them unless told otherwise, even from all ages. Italians are firm
believers in an afterlife. They believe the good are rewarded by going to heaven and the evil are
punished by going to hell. After a person dies a funeral will take place at a funeral parlor. Failure
to attend the wake or viewing and funeral services of a family member or friend will cause a
breach in the relationships among the family unless there is a valid reason.
When caring for Italian patients, they will expect for all doctors and medical staff to
speak to them equally and not down to them. Since the majority of Italians are Roman Catholic
they do not have and restrictions when it comes to certain health care practices.
Italy is a very interesting culture with much diversity. They are high-end fashion, but
with a very humble outlook on life. The relationships they have with their immediate and
extended family and friends is one to be looked upon. They cherish their religion and their
beliefs and have many different holidays and traditions to celebrate. Completing this cultural
assessment has allowed us to see more into the cultural background we come from.
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Works Cited
Culture Crossing (2014) Retrieved from
http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student.php?id=102
Mercadonte, L. (2010) “Italian- American Immigrants and Religious Conversions.” Pastoral
Psychology Volume 60, June 24, 2010 DOI: 10.1007/s11089-010-0304-9
Salamone, F. (2014) Retrieved from
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Italy.html
Valbonne, J. (1973) “Italy” Geneve: Crown, 1973.
