Riassunti Italy (in inglese), Appunti di Inglese

Scarica Riassunti Italy (in inglese) e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! GEOGRAPHY The peninsula of Italy, in central-south Europe, borders: -Switzerland and Austria to the north; -France and Ligurian Sea to the north-west; -The Tyrrhenian Sea to the west; -The Mediterranean Sea to the south-west; -The Ionian Sea to the south; -The Adriatic Sea to the east; -Slovenia to the north-east. The north of Italy is dominated by the Alps (Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Brenner Pass, the Dolomites with Mount Marmolada). The other major mountain range, the Apennines, runs down through central Italy (Gran Sasso Mountain). RIVERS AND LAKE The longest Italian river is the River Po with its 652km; it starts in the western Alps and flows into the Adriatic Sea. The River Arno crosses Florence, starts in the north central Apennines, and flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The River Tiber crosses Rome and flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the north of Italy, we can find the largest lakes that are Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda. ISLANDS Sicily and Sardinia are the largest island of Italy. Sicily, the biggest, is situated in the south and is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina; off the coast we can find the Aeolian Island, the Aegadian Island and Lampedusa. Sardinia, the second largest island, off the coast we can find the Campanian Archipelago with Capri and Ischia, the Pontine Islands with Elba. On the Adriatic coast, there are the Tremiti Island off the coast of Puglia. CLIMATE Italy has a temperate climate. The Nord have more severe climate: -winters are cold with a lot of snow; -summers are hot and humid. The South: -winter is less intense; -summer is hotter. The extreme South and the island: -during the whole year the temperatures are higher; -winter is short and mild. VOLCANES In the central and southern Apennines, seismic activities are more frequent. The most famous is Vesuvius, and two others, Etna and Stromboli. POLITICAL SYSTEM Italy is a democratic republic, it is a parliamentary republic where the power is divided between the executive (the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister), legislative (two chambers) and judicial branches (independent). The President of the Republic is voted by Parliament and representatives from the 20 regions. He nominates the President of the Council. Autonomous regios with special statute-> Sicily, Sardinia, Valle d’Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli- Venezia Giulia. Explore Italy BRING The type of clothes you need to bring will depend on the season, destination and activities planned. When it’s hot, you will need, sunglasses and sun cream, insect repellent. To visit a church, you must have your shoulders and knees covered. For sightseeing, it is recommended to bring comfortable shoes. For trendy clubs and upmarket restaurants, it is recommended to bring some suitable clothes to help you fit in with the well-dressed and fashionable clientele. Don’t forget to bring an adaptor for your electrical items, a camera or phone and charger and some euros. TRAVEL Most intercontinental flights arrive at Rome, Milan and Venice airports. There are good rail links with France, Austria and Switzerland. There are also road tunnels and mountain pass for those prefer to drive, the scenery is exquisite, but you need to be prepared for bad weather in winter when some passes might be closed due to snow. There are high-speed rail connections between major cities like Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples. The motorways are toll roads. In the city centers take public transports. Sicily and Sardinia can be reached by plane and regular ferry services (catamaran or hydrofoil service for the smaller islands). Venice, Bari, Civitavecchia, Triest and Geova are some of the major ports of call for cruise ships. SLEEP In small town or city, choosing a B&B, it is a great idea for can try local food in lots of different restaurants. Self-catering is another popular choice, for try the local specialties and fresh produce at local market. Agritourism and Country houses for tourist staying in rural location but close to important cities (Toscana, Umbria, Marche). They offer a rustic and traditional style of the accommodation and tranquil environment. Accommodation in high season is much more expensive and you need to book well in advance. EAT AND DRINK Italian cuisine is one of the main attractions for tourists, each region and often each town within the region, has its own traditional product, dish or variation. The brodetto (fish soup) change as you travel between every coastal town on the Adriatic coast. Cheeses and cured meats are a mainstay of many regions, for example buffalo mozzarella from Campania, Parma ham, San Daniele ham from Udine, sheep’s cheese from Sardinia, Parmigiano Reggiano from Parma…). Genoa is famous for its pesto, Modena for balsamic vinegar… The ice cream is fantastic anywhere. The pizza is best in Naples. A good local wine all over the country for example Chianti in Tuscany, Prosecco in Valdobbiadene… BUY Designer clothes: Via Montenapoleone in Milan and Via Condotti in Rome Wine, olive and other foodstuffs (taralli cured meats…) are great to take back home. There are lots of galleries and shops where you can buy original artwork (for example water colours and sketches of famous landmarks). Survival guide There are traces of Paleolithic and Neolithic civilizations in Italy and some rock drawings which represents scene oh hunting and social life. There are some civilizations which developed in the Bronze Age; the built villages beside rivers and work metal to make tools. In he north of Italy there were some civilizations who farmed and raised livestock and built the nuraghi (conical-shaped stone huts). GREEKS & ETRUSCANS In the 8th century BC, Greeks settlers colonies in the area known such as Magna Graecia and they dominate trade in the Mediterranean. During the same period the Etruscans create settlement in the area north of the Tiber& around Arno. They were also good artists, especially with terracotta sculptures, pottery, bronze objects and decoration of tombs. The Etruscans became the most powerful population in central and northern Italy. ROMAN EMPIRE The myth of Rome’s birth says that it was founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus. After about 2 centuries of monarchy, in 509 BC, a Republic was established by the Romans. The Roman Empire was born under the Emperor Augustus and during the following years, the romans, became a dominant power: they taking control of Greece, Asia minor, Spain and North Africa and invading much of Europe. They also made innovations in architectures (learning how to use and construct arches) and engineering. FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE The fall of the Roman Empire starts with invasions and civil wars which disrupt it. Emperor Diocletian divided the empire and began a persecution of Christians but Constantine, his successor, reunited the 2 empires and declared Christianity the religion’s state. In the 5th century there was the Sack of Rome by the Goths and in 476 Germanic troops deposed the last emperor, Facius Odoacer, such as the first king of Italy. MIDDLE AGE Period of invasions for domination between the conquerors and the popes who had built an independent papal state. Genoa, Pisa, Amalfi and Venice, the 4 maritime republics, thanks to trade routes became important political and commercial powers. Same Italian cities set up local governments called comuni. THE REINASSENCE Period of intellectual and artistic ideas which went from the late 14th century to the 16th century. The Medici, a wealthy family, in Florence, was patrons of art coupled with the popes and they financed paintings, architectural projects and sculpture to artist such Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. There were also progress of science, philosophy and literature. FOREIGN RULES From the 16th to 18th century, Italy was “hit” by invasions and wars by the French and Spanish and later the Austrians. Thanks to trade routes, Italy lost a lot of its importance and went into economic decline. Then Napoleon invaded Italy and in 1814 the Congress of Vienna divided Italy into 10 States. UNIFICATION Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi (2 nationalists) was very important for the Risorgimento (movement to reform and unite country). The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed on 17th March 1861. ITALY AND THE UE The EU is an organization that brings together 27 European countries. This organization was born on 25 March 1957 with the treaty of Rome. These 27 European countries made the European economic community (CEE). One of the greatest benefits of staying within the European Union is definitely freedom of movement, there are no controls or restrictions between one European border and another, you don’t have to have a passport or visa to travel within the EU. Other advantages may be that the goods can move smoothly without having to pay for customs and for us young people it is possible to study out, have cultural exchanges. Like everything else, also the EU has some negative sides that can be for example that with the introduction of the new currency, the Euro, in 2002, prices got higher or; another example can be selfishness because so many European countries don’t welcome immigrants who leave their country due to wars or internal struggles. There are many benefits in staying in the EU but unfortunately there are also some disadvantages, in my opinion it is better to stay inside the EU, one of the reasons may be for example health care because for example if you feel bad, they before cure you and after they ask to you the credit card (if it is necessary).