Italy is located in southern Europe and comprises the Italian Peninsula, the Alps, and islands like Sicily and Sardinia. Rome is Italy's capital and the largest city. Vatican City, an independent city-state located within Rome, is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world. Italian is the most widely spoken language, but regional dialects vary significantly across the country. Some of Italy's major cities include Florence, Milan, Venice, Verona, and cities in Sicily like Palermo. Famous landmarks include St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and canals of Venice.

2. 
Italy is located in southern Europe and
comprises the long, boot-shaped Italian
Peninsula, the southern side of Alps, the
large plain of Po Valley and some islands
including Sicily and Sardinia.
Corsica, although belonging to the
Italian geographical region, has been a
part of France since 1769.

3. Southern Italian Peninsula at Night

4. Italian is the official
language spoken by the
majority of the
population, but as you
travel throughout the
country you will find that
there are several distinct
Italian dialects
depending on the region
you're in. The current
population of Italy is
estimated in 61.321.000
people. Italy is using the
euro as it’s a member of
the Eurozone since
1999.The capital of this
country is Rome. Rome is
the only city in the world
to contain in its interior a
whole state; the enclave
of Vatican Rome has a
status of the global city.
Rome is the 3rd most
visited city in Europe and
the most popular tourist
attraction in Italy.

5. 
The name "Vatican" predates
Christianity and comes from the
Latin Mons Vaticanus , meaning
Vatican Mount. The Vatican City is
the smallest internationally
recognized independent state in
the word both by area and
population. In the city are cultural
sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, the
Sistine Chapel and the Vatican
Museums. They feature some of
the world's most famous paintings
and sculptures. The unique
economy of Vatican City is
supported financially by the sale
of postage stamps and tourist
mementos, fees for admission to
museums, and the sale of
publications.

The military defense of Vatican
City is provided by Italy and its
armed forces, given the fact that
Vatican City is an enclave within
Italy. Vatican City has no armed
force of its own, the Swiss Guard
being a corps of the Holy See are
responsible for the security of both
the Pope and the Vatican City
issues its own coins. It has used the
euro as its currency since 1
January 1999, owing to a special
agreement with the European
Union Euro coins and notes were
introduced in 1 January 2002—the
Vatican does not issue euro
banknotes. Issuance of eurodenominated coins is strictly
limited by treaty, though
somewhat more than usual is
allowed in a year in which there is
a change in the papacy.

6. The Cathedral of the Bishop of
Rome is the great Basilica of St
John Lateran, which dates from
the time of the Emperor
Constantine, under whose reign
the
The marvellous basilica of St
Peter was rebuilt progressively
throughout the 16th century and
beyond, to replace the ruinous
earlier building dating from
Constantine’s time. The names of
Michelangelo, Pope Julius II and
Bramante stand out most
prominently among those
responsible for the huge project.
The dome was a particular focus
for attention, Michelangelo's
design replacing Bramante’s,
though it is interesting to note
that its width did not quite equal
that of the ancient Pantheon!
The Vatican Museums were
founded by Julius II but
developed by a sequence of
subsequent scholar popes whose
varying interests are reflected in
the wide and eclectic range of
the holdings. It ranks, without
question, as one of the world's
greatest museums. Included
within it is the Vatican Library,
founded in 1475, which holds
probably the world's largest
collection of manuscripts (i.e
books written by hand, not
printed). It has always been a
semi-public library, whose
resources have been made
available to scholars of all faiths.

7. It’s the biggest church worldwide.

8. 
It’s been designed by
Italian architect Nicola
Salvi and completed
by Pietro Bracci. It is
the largest Baroque
fountain in the city
and one of the most
famous fountains in
the world. In Trevi
fountain is a coin
throwing meant to be
thrown using the right
hand over the left
shoulder.

9. 
The Colosseum or
Coliseum, also known as
the Flavian Amphitheatre is
an elliptical amphitheatre
in the center of the city of
Rome, Italy. Built of
concrete and stone, it was
the largest amphitheatre of
the Roman Empire, and is
considered one of the
greatest works of Roman
architecture and
engineering. It is the largest
amphitheatre in the world.

10. 
Florence is the capital city of the
Italian region of Tuscany and of
the province of Florence. It is the
most populous city in Tuscany.
Florence is famous for its history. A
centre of medieval European
trade and finance and one of the
wealthiest cities of the time,
Florence is considered the
birthplace of the Renaissance,
and has been called "the Athens
of the Middle Ages". A turbulent
political history includes periods of
rule by the powerful Medici family,
and numerous religious and
republican revolutions. From 1865
to 1871 the city was also the
capital of the recently established
Kingdom of Italy

11. 
Milan is the second-largest city in
Italy and the capital of Lombardy.
Milan is the main industrial,
commercial and financial centre
of Italy and a leading global city.
Its business district hosts the Borsa
Italiana and the headquarters of
the largest national banks and
companies. The city is a major
world fashion and design capital.
Thanks to its important museums,
theatres and landmarks (including
the Milan Cathedral, the fifth
largest cathedral in the world, and
Santa Maria delle Grazie,
decorated with Leonardo da
Vinci paintings, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site) Milan attracts more
than two million annual visitors.

It hosts numerous cultural
institutions and universities, with
185,000 enrolled students in 2011,
percent of the national total .The
city is also well known for several
international events and fairs,
including Milan Fashion Week and
the Milan Furniture Fair, the largest
of its kind in the world,and will host
the 2015 Universal Exposition.
Milan is home to two of the world's
major football teams, A.C. Milan
and F.C. Internazionale Milano.

13. 
Venice s a city in
northeastern Italy sited on
a group of 118 small islands
separated by canals and
linked by bridges. It is
located in the marshy
Venetian Lagoon which
stretches along the
shoreline, between the
mouths of the Po and the
Piave Rivers. Venice is
renowned for the beauty
of its setting, its architecture
and its artworks.The city in
its entirety is listed as a
World Heritage Site, along
with its lagoon.

14. The gondola inside Venice.

15. 
Verona is one of the
most popular cities in
Italy. It is most known
for Shakespeare's
tragedy : Romeo and
Juliet. It is about two
young star-crossed
lovers whose deaths
ultimately reconcile
their feuding families. It
was among
Shakespeare's most
popular plays.

16. 
Sicily is the largest island in
the Mediterranean Sea;
along with surrounding
minor islands, it constitutes
an autonomous region of
Italy, the Regione Siciliana.
Sicily has a rich and unique
culture, especially with
regard to the arts, music,
literature, cuisine and
architecture. It also holds
importance for
archeological and ancient
sites such as the Necropolis
of Pantalica, the Valley of
the Temples and Selinunte.

17. 
By Mallopoulou Anastasia and
Maragkou Spyridoula!
3rd Lyceum of Pyrgos(Pierre De
Coubertin), Greece .
Class: B’3