Much like its cuisine, Italy is a subtle blend of distinctive tastes - small states, principalities and kingdoms, at one time fiercely independent, now held together by a colourful national identity. Greeks settled in the southern tip of the Italian peninsula in the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Etruscans, Romans and others inhabited the central and northern parts of the mainland, before the whole peninsula and the neighbouring islands were unified under the Romans, at the core of the Roman Empire. With the collapse of that empire political fragmentation returned and the peninsula frequently became a battleground for ambitious rival factions.
It was only with the arrival of commercial prosperity in the cities of the north and the great cultural Renaissance of the middle ages that some semblance of a single Italian identity began to take shape. By the 1860s the country was reunited – with Rome becoming Italian again in 1870.
Culturally rich, Italy has produced the world's best in art, architecture, music and literature. The renaissance, or re-birth of learning based on classical sources, began in Tuscany in the 14th century, spread to the rest of Europe and lasted until the 17th century. Italy today is an open textbook on the great artists and thinkers who shaped the modern world and brought art, architecture, music and literature to sublime new heights that have seldom been surpassed.
But Italy's greatest wealth is its people: the Italians are gregarious, charming and welcoming. They love life, food, their families, their music and their heritage and they exude confidence and charisma.
Today, Italy combines art, history and contemporary fashion with stunning natural landscapes littered with beautiful and historic architecture. From the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean coastlines to the magical hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria; from the snow-covered slopes of the Dolomite mountains in the north to the sun-baked, arid landscapes of Calabria and Sicily in the south, the country exudes style, culture and above all - la dolce vita!
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Unspoilt and welcoming, Calabria – the “toe” of Italy – is one of the country’s best kept secrets, with perfect weather all year round. The Calabrese people are noted for their warmth and hospitality. They will be eager to introduce you to the many delights of their region, which is steeped in history and noted for the fire and colour of its culture
Tuscany is a land shaped equally by man and nature, and often by the combined efforts of both. The vineyards are bounded by single files of darker green cypress trees; sandy roads snake past moss-coated castles; symmetrically rounded hilltops are surmounted by towns so homogeneous as to seem like a single building.
East of Tuscany, north of Rome and west of the Marches, landlocked Umbria is the ‘calf muscle of Italy’. As interesting as Tuscany but far less crowded, the many hills and mountains cast long dark shadows over river valleys which are already darkened by lush chestnut groves and elm forests. It’s a beautiful land, where rolling hills are dotted with castles, fortresses, watchtowers and ancient hill towns. The region's overwhelmingly medieval character harkens back to the mysticism of the Dark Ages.
