What to know about Italy!

1. Italy
Benvenuto in Italia!

2. Fact!
Origin of the Name 'Italy' The name Italy (Italia)
is an ancient name for the country and people of
Southern Italy. Originally is was spelled Vitalia,
probably from the same root as the Latin vitulus
(a one-year-old calf), thus literally meaning 'calf-
land' or "Land of Cattle".

3. Geography
Italy is a Mediterranean country
located in southern Europe. It is
bordered by the Adriatic Sea on
the east coast, the Tyrrhenian
Sea on the west or
Mediterranean coast, and the
Ionian Sea to the south. In the
north, Italy is bordered by the
countries of France, Switzerland,
Austria, and Slovenia.

4. The Italian mainland is a long peninsula that resembles a tall
boot, so much so that the country is often referred to as "the
boot," with the Puglia region in the southeast being the "heel of
the boot" and the Calabria region in the southwest being the
"toe of the boot.”
Italy only became a unified country in 1861, although the
peninsula has several thousand years of history before that.
Italy is known for its Mediterranean climate, which is found
mainly on the coast. Inland it is generally cooler and wetter but
usually hotter during the summer. Southern Italy has a hot and
mostly dry climate while the north has more of an Alpine
climate, getting lots of snow in winter.

6. • The area of Italy is 116,305 square miles (301,230 square
kilometers), including the islands of Sardinia and Sicily,
making it just slightly larger than the state of Arizona in the
United States. The tiny sovereign nations of Vatican City and
San Marino are enclaves within Italy.
• The largest Italian city is Rome, with a population of nearly
3 million people. Rome is also the capital
• Italy's population is a little over 60,000,000 people. Although
the Italian birth rate is low, the population is increasing due to
immigrants entering the country. The population density is
about 200 people per square kilometer. While Italian is
spoken throughout the country, many regional dialects are
still spoken.

7. • Minority Languages of Italy
A number of minority languages are also spoken in Italy. Many of
them have been classified as historical language minorities by
the government of Italy, including French, Greek, German,
Sardinian, Albanian, Occitan, Croatian, Slovene, Ladin, Friulian,
Catalan, and Franco-Provencal.
Languages spoken
• Other Languages Spoken in Italy
A number of other languages are spoken in Italy as well, 31 of
which are considered to have varying degrees of vulnerability
according to UNESCO. Severely endangered languages of this
country include Griko (in both Calabria and Salento), Gardiol,
Vastese, Toitschu, and Molise Croatian.

8. Communication Style
Italian is the official language of Italy, but there are also
hundreds of different dialects. Greeting family and friends
consists of hugging and a kiss, while shaking hands with
strangers. It is important to greet elderly first formerly by
addressing their names of titles. Italians tend to be highly
expressive of joy, sadness and grief. Conversation among
family are loud and passionate, this style is normal in family
communication. Italians like to use their whole body to express
themselves. Direct eye contact shows sincerity, indirect eye
contact is seen negatively; boredom, dishonesty, disrespect.

9. Italians usually have three main meals during the day: la
colazione, il pranzo, la cena.
For breakfast, Italians usually have cereal (cereali), toast with
jam (pane tostato con la marmellata) or a kind of rusk called
fette biscottate. They usually accompany the food with coffee
(caffè), milk (latte) or fruit juice (succo di frutta).
Lunch and dinner can vary: some people like to have only one
course, while others like to have more than one. Pasta or rice-
based dishes are called primi piatti, or simply primi (“first
courses”). Meat or fish-based dishes are considered secondi
piatti, or simply secondi (“second courses”).
Dietary practices

10. Secondi piatti usually come with sides (contorni). On a restaurant
menu you will see antipasti (starters), primi, secondi, contorni e
dolci (desserts). Pizza is usually considered a main dish (piatto
unico). Italians usually have lunch sometime between 12:00 and
2:00pm and dinner between 7:00pm and 9:00pm, although meal
times vary between north and south, with the north eating slightly
earlier than the south.As well as the three main meals, Italians
sometimes have a mid-morning snack (spuntino) and children
usually have a snack mid-afternoon (merenda), which can be
sweet or savoury. Moreover, adults often have an aperitivo before
dinner, consisting of a cold drink and crips (patatine) or savoury
snacks (salatini) such as mini-pizzas (pizzette) to share.

11. Concepts of Health and Wellness
Pain is greatly feared since it is viewed as evil, unnatural, and
deprivation. It is also openly discussed. Breathing difficulty is seen as a
sign of dying and fatigue is perceived as depression. Illness may
sometimes allow patients to feel guilty because they may feel they are
being unproductive.
Many Italians use alternative therapies--homeopathic medicine,
acupuncture and massage. Traditional cures are often used for instance
lemon for colds and flu, garlic for high blood pressure, and canarino, an
herbal teach by boiling a few bay leaves together with some lemon rind, to
treat a stomach ache. Some Italians believe that stomach poorly absorbs
medicine or may believe that stomach is sacred for food, and prefer
medication through injection. It is important to carefully educate patients
on medication and procedures.

12. Family Structure
The extended family is important, although in Italy the
birthrate is low. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins
are invited to share family celebrations because power
and age is greatly respected in Italian culture. It is
disrespectful to criticize elders. The father may seem the
head of the family, handling external business
transactions. However, the mother had power within the
family unit, because she runs the family finances. Italians
make an effort to include children in special events
because they have a special place in society.

13. They learn to respect women, parents, and
elderly. House hold chores, care for others,
working to help with finances (depending on
age) is all expected from children. Family
meals are very important, thus everyone is
expected to dine together. Family is one of
the most important alter of respect,
therefore an individual may sacrifice their
rights or beliefs for family honor.

14. Male/Female interactions
Italian women are encouraged to be independent and bold from a
young age. They are renowned for their confidence, which has led
them to be labelled the ‘most liberated women in Europe’ at times.
However, Italian culture continues to carry some sexist undertones.
Stereotypes that depict women as beautiful and unintelligent are quite
popular in Italy, and catcalling or wolf whistling is common. Social
attitudes are changing, but they can still present difficulties for women’s
career progression as they may not be taken seriously. They also face
other challenges in the workplace, such as lower wages and
preference for male employees in some sectors. While men and
women have equal rights in law, society is still largely male-dominated.

15. Within the family dynamic, the man is usually the patriarch and
considered the primary income earner. Traditionally, a woman
was expected to fulfill roles of matrimony and motherhood.
Today, most Italian women receive a high level of education and
work to contribute to the household income; however, they are
still expected to be responsible for the majority of the household
duties. Gender roles may vary between socioeconomic classes
as well as between rural and urban areas. For example, those
from urban areas or belonging to upper classes are more likely to
share responsibilities. It is also becoming more common for
women to choose alternate paths, such as career paths, and
there has been a decrease in fertility rates for several decades
now. Generally, however, men contribute very little to the
domestic chores.

16. Religious Practice
Most Italians are Roman Catholic. Once, the church had
a great deal of influence over the way of life of Italians.
Today that influence has declined. However, many still
allow a strong influence of the church in life. Some
churches may have daily masses. Catholics observe
baptism, communion, reconciliation, confirmation,
marriage, holy orders, and illness. Rosary beads are
often carried by older Italians for prayer. Some Italians
are Pentecostal, Jewish, or other affiliations.

17. Death and Afterlife
Death is not greatly feared, it is viewed as right of
passage. There is a belief in life after death. Families
may want to take dying member home to care for.
When death occurs, the family wants to be there and
relatives visit at homes of deceased person's family.
Families want to see the body and may want to touch
the body. Funeral home prepares the body.

18. Superstitious Beliefs
The Italian culture is very ritualistic and tends towards theatrics
during major events. Death and funerals are a major event in the
Italian culture, but most Italian funerals are times of gravity and
dignity for everyone involved without any real theatrics.
Superstitious beliefs in the Italian culture about death are varied,
but in the past there was a fear that a dead person's soul never
really leaves the earth and they might wish to come back. Different
rituals were performed to allow the deceased to leave the earth
successfully, such as burying them with their favorite objects like
cigarettes, books, jewelry, photographs, and more. Many Italians
do not speak of the dead once the period of mourning is over, as
they do not wish to summons them back to earth.

19. There are different types of premises serving food in Italy. For
example:
Ristorante - serves all foods but pizza.
Trattoria - serves all foods but pizza. This is an 'informal' restaurant
where you may be expected to share your table with strangers.
Pizzeria - specializes in pizza.
Agriturismo - a restaurant on a farm, serving home-produced food.
Tavola Calda - self-service restaurant, literally meaning 'hot table.'
Rosticceria - a 'take-away' serving roast meat, especially chicken.
Paninoteca - a sandwich shop bar.
Spaghetteria - specialises in pasta.
Kinds of Restaurants

20. THE TOP ITALIAN
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
January 1: After a long night of
ringing in the new year, many
Italians take January 1 off to
relax, get out of town… and
sleep in! Some sights will be
open, but always double-
check, since most state-run
attractions (as well as stores
and restaurants) will be closed.

21. January 6: The Epiphany,
celebrated as a national holiday,
marks the 12th and final day of
Christmas. Especially in Rome,
one particularly popular tradition is
that of la befana, a witch on a
broomstick who brings candy and
coal to children in their stockings
the night before.

22. Carnevale: Italians prepare for
Lent (the 40 days of abstinence
before Easter) by indulging in lots
of sweet treats and throwing a
lively party. The most popular
Italian destination for Carnival is
undoubtably Venice for the lavish
costumes and masks worn even a
week before the celebration.
Dates vary each year, depending
on what date Easter falls on.

23. Easter: The date of this widely-
celebrated religious holiday varies
sometime between March and April,
based on the Gregorian calendar.
Regardless of exactly when it falls,
the week leading up to Easter
Sunday attracts tourists from around
the globe, especially to the Vatican,
making it one of the most crowded
(and potentially expensive) periods
of the year for travel to Italy.

24. • April 25: Italians remember the end of World War II with the Festa della
Liberazione. Many extend the holiday to Labor Day on May 1, taking a
vacation to enjoy the start of spring weather.
• May 1: The first of May marks Labor Day, and one of the few holidays in Italy
where almost all museums and shops in Italy are closed.
• June 2: The Festa della Repubblica marks the birth and unification of the
Italian Republic. If you can, head to Rome for this national holiday—that’s
where you can enjoy the holiday’s huge, patriotic military parade.

25. December 25: Christmas is a
wonderful time to visit Italy, thanks in
large part to the gorgeous
decorations and festive atmosphere.
Prepare for Christmas like a real
Italian with a fish dinner on la
Vigilia (Christmas Eve), followed by
midnight mass! Christmas Day is
celebrated with a large lunch with
family and almost all museums,
stores and restaurant are closed.

29. National food of Italy
A classic ragu alla
Bolognese sauce served
with tagliatelle pasta. Ragu
alla Bolognese, also known
simply as Bolognese, is
recognized as the national
dish of Italy, and it enjoys
widespread popularity by
Italians both domestically
and abroad.

30. Traditional dishes

31. Crisp and golden brown, arancini
refers to a dish of stuffed rice
balls. The rice balls are fried after
being coated in a dusting
of crunchy breadcrumbs.
These rice balls are usually filled
with ragù, tomato sauce,
mozzarella and peas. Similar to
pasta and pizza dishes in Italy,
there are a diversity of regional
variations of the arancini.
Arancini

32. Traditionally considered as cucina
povera, or poor man’s food, the
ribollita was created by servants
who collected unfinished food,
such as bread and vegetables,
from their masters before boiling
these items in water to make a
meal. The origin of this dish gives
rise to its name, which translates
to mean ‘reboiled’ in English.
Ribollita

33. Prosciutto
An Italian favourite,
prosciutto refers to dry-cured
ham, served uncooked and
cut in thin slices. The finest
and priciest prosciutto
originates from the central
and northern regions of Italy.

34. Tiramisu
Light and creamy, the
tiramisu is a well-known
dessert sought-after by locals
and travellers alike.
Ingredients such as
ladyfingers, coffee, eggs,
sugar, cocoa and
mascarpone cheese required
in the preparation of this
sweet treat.

35. Tender veal shanks,
braised slowly in white
wine, is served with an
array of vegetables. A
serving of aromatic
gremolata, a condiment
made with lemon zest,
garlic and parsley, is
added to complete the
dish.
Osso buco alla Milanese

36. Most Famous Landmarks
in Italy

37. Milan Cathedral
Also known as the Duomo di Milano, this grand building is the second largest Catholic
cathedral in the world. Only Spain’s Seville Cathedral is larger. The Milan Cathedral is a
wondrous white structure that covers an entire block. Construction on this building first
began in 1386, but — probably not surprising given its size — it took approximately five
centuries to complete.

38. The Monreale Cathedral is most famous for the gorgeous golden mosaics depicting
events from the Bible that cover its interior. And if you decide to make the climb to
the top of this cathedral, which is located high up on a slope of Monte Caputo, you
will be rewarded with beautiful views of Palermo.
Cathedral of Monreale

39. Ponte Vecchio
The much-photographed Ponte Vecchio, which spans the Arno
River, is the oldest bridge in Florence.

40. Mount Etna
Located on Sicily’s east coast, is Europe’s largest and most
active volcano.

41. Trevi Fountain
Even if you didn’t know its name, you are probably familiar with this
famous fountain that visitors throw coins in to ensure that they will return to
Rome.

42. Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is, arguably, the most famous of Venice’s many stunning
bridges. This beautiful arched stone bridge was built between 1588 and 1591
and spans the Grand Canal.

43. ColosseumThe Colosseum is located in the center of Rome, and it is one of Italy’s
most iconic sites. Construction on this impressive building began in 72 AD,
and during its heyday, this grand stone amphitheater could seat more than
50,000 spectators and was the site of brutal gladiator battles, chariot
races, fights between wild animals as well as humans battling with beasts.

44. Tower of Pisa
This famous leaning tower can be found
in Pisa, a seaside town located in
Tuscany. The tower is part of cathedral
complex known as Campo dei Miracoli.
This world-famous tower, which is more
than 180 feet tall, is actually the
freestanding bell tower for the cathedral.
It began leaning during its construction
because the soil underneath it had
shifted. For a while, it was feared that the
structure was going to collapse, but work
was done on it to stabilize it. And in
2010, the building was reopened to
visitors after it was deemed strong
enough to handle the traffic

45. Famous Italians
throughout history

46. Julius Caesar (100 to 44BC)
He was born in Rome in 100AD
and died there in 44AD. He was a
writer, politician, and Roman
general. As a tactician and political
Genius, he became most famous
for leading the Roman legions in
their conquest of Gaul (an area
which covers much of modern-day
France as well as parts of
Belguim, Germany and Italy).

47. Marco Polo (1254-1324)
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant
and explorer who was born in 1254
in Venice and died there in 1324.
Polo was one of the first Europeans
to explore Asia, and due to having
never heard of many of the flora
and fauna of faraway lands, he
wrongly believed some animals to
be mythical creatures upon sighting
them. One famous example of his
blunder is his mistaking of a
rhinoceros for a unicorn because of
its horn!

48. Christopher Columbus (1451-
1506)
Everyone knows the most famous
European explorer, Christopher
Columbus (otherwise known
as Cristoforo Colombo), but did you
know that he was Italian?
He was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy
and died in 1506 in Valladolid,
Spain. Columbus became famous
when he became the first man to
cross the Atlantic. He also became
commonly known as the first
European to discover the Americas
in 1492.

49. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Galileo is one of the greatest
European scholars of physics,
mathematics, astronomy, and
geometry. Born in 1564 in Pisa and
died in Arcetri in 1641, Galileo
(Galileo Galilei) was a pioneer of
physics. In fact, since 1680 he’s been
considered the founder of the
discipline. Furthermore, he
established the foundations of modern
mechanics.

50. Michelangelo (1475 – 1564)
Michelangelo was a Renaissance
painter, sculptor, architect, poet
and artist. Michelangelo’s major
commission was the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
(1508-1512), which made him rise
in popularity and what has made
him most famous until this day.

51. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-
1519)
Leonardo da Vinci (or Leonardo di ser
Piero da Vinci, to use his full name)
was a genius you’ll probably hear. He
was born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy and
died in 1519 in Amboise, France.A
Jack of all trades, and seemingly a
master of all, too, Leonardo da Vinci
was a painter, scientist, architect,
mathematician, poet, diplomat,
astronomer, and even a sculptor.He is
probably most famous as the artist of
the world’s most famous painting, the
Mona Lisa.

52. The Final Question
If your client were a member of this cultural group, what unique challenges
could you have when providing care ?
Due to culture differences probably challenges may occur due to:
1. Individual's health-related values, beliefs, and behaviours
2. Poorly handled cross cultural issues often result in negative clinical
consequences, patient noncompliance, delays obtaining informed
consent, ordering of unnecessary tests, and lower quality of care.
3. Coping with differences in Culture is becoming a major health care
issue.
4. There is also a possibility that Language could be a barrier in
providing quality care.

53. Interventions
• Providing care to patients and their families that is compatible with their
values and the traditions of their faiths.
• This requires awareness of one's own values and those of the healthcare
system.
• The health care provider must be aware of the cultural and spiritual values
of patients and families.
• Although knowledge of all cultures is impossible, willingness to learn about,
respect, and work with persons from different backgrounds is critical to
providing culturally competent care
• Possess a strong personal identity.
• Have knowledge of and facility with the beliefs and values of other cultures.

54. • Display sensitivity towards other cultures.
• Communicate clearly in the language of the given cultural
group.
• Awareness of social norms.
• assessing core cross-cultural issues.
• exploring the meaning of the illness to the patient
• determining the social context in which the patient lives
• engaging in negotiation with the patient to encourage
adherenc