Italy is often stereotyped as the home of delicious Italian recipes, famous opera singers and lengthy words ending in vowels. When you dig deeper into the true identity of Italy, you find all sorts of tasty tidbits worth extensive savoring. Here are some facts about Italy you probably did not know.
The Number of Pasta Varieties in Italy Will Blow Your Mind
At this point in time, more than 500 types of pasta are consumed in Italy. How many can you name?
Italy has the Tallest Mountain in all of Europe
This mountain is called Mont Blanc, meaning white mountain. It is a section of the famous Alps mountain range. The mountain is in Italian territory next to the French border.
Italy is More Populated Than Most Think
Italy is one of Europe’s five most populous countries. The nation has the fourth most people in all of Europe thanks to its low death rate and high birth rate. Though Italy has about the same amount of space as Arizona, it has 10 times as many people as the Grand Canyon state.
Italy’s Empire was Once Quite Expansive
When the Roman Empire reached its height around A.D. 117, the Romans had conquered land stretching from North Africa to Britain, Syria and Portugal. The Italians ruled over 2.3 million miles of space, equaling the amount of land in India. This equates to around one-third of all the land in the United States. The Roman Empire ruled over 120 million people across four centuries.
Tomato Sauce Wasn’t Added to Pasta until the 1600s
Italians did not eat pasta with tomato sauce right away. The two ingredients were combined in the 1600s. Prior to this time, Italians ate pasta with sugar and honey.
Italy Rests on a Fault Line
Italy’s positioning on a fault like has resulted in numerous earthquakes. Making matters worse is the eruption of three volcanoes in the past century: Vesuvius, Stromboli and Etna.
Every Musical Notation is in Italian
Think of the musical notations that come to the top of your head. Adagio, Allegro and so on are all Italian words that stand for music tempo. These words were created by an Italian man named by Guido d’Arezzo.
Italy Hasn’t Been Around That Long
The nation of Italy originated as the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. This means Italy is only a century and a half old.
Italy’s Name is a bit of a Mystery
No one is exactly sure how the country’s namesake came about. Though it is known Italy stems from the root word that means an area of young cattle, this does not explain how the territory received its name. Some historians believe the name “Italy” was selected as the earliest southern Italian tribes used the bull as their symbol. Others are adamant the name is derived from one of the region’s first kings named Italus.
To discover a little taste of Italy, visit L’Amore today.
