Italy gave the world pizza, the Renaissance, the piano, and opera, but there's much more to the country than pasta and the Colosseum. From a country inside a city to a volcano that never sleeps, here are 20 fun facts about Italy to read before your trip.
Fun Facts About Italian History and Culture
1. Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than almost any country
Italy has around 60 World Heritage Sites, level with China for the most in the world, from the historic center of Rome to the Dolomites and the trulli of Alberobello.
2. It's the birthplace of the Renaissance
The Renaissance began in 14th-century Florence, producing artists and thinkers such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Galileo.
3. There's a country inside Rome
Vatican City, the world's smallest country, sits entirely within Rome. Italy also surrounds a second independent country, San Marino, one of the oldest republics in the world.
4. Italy is home to Europe's oldest university
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world.
5. Classical music speaks Italian
Musical terms such as piano, forte, allegro, and crescendo are Italian, because Italy led the development of Western music and opera in the 17th and 18th centuries.
6. Italians use their hands to talk
Italians are famous for expressive hand gestures, and researchers have counted around 250 used in everyday conversation.
7. The flag is called Il Tricolore
Italy's green, white, and red flag was adopted in its modern form when the country unified. Popular legend says the colors stand for the plains, the snowy Alps, and the blood of independence.
8. Italy has one of the world's oldest populations
Italy has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, and nearly a quarter of its people are over 65.
Fun Facts About Italian Inventions
9. Italians invented eyeglasses
The first wearable eyeglasses appeared in Italy, probably near Pisa, in the late 13th century.
10. The piano is Italian
Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the piano in Florence around 1700. Its original name was the gravicembalo col piano e forte, the harpsichord that plays soft and loud.
11. So is the espresso machine
Angelo Moriondo patented an early espresso machine in Turin in 1884, and Italian inventors refined it in the early 20th century into the machines we know today.
12. The battery, the barometer, and the radio have Italian roots
Alessandro Volta invented the electric battery, Evangelista Torricelli the barometer, and Guglielmo Marconi pioneered radio.
Fun Facts About Italian Food
13. There are hundreds of pasta shapes
Italy has more than 350 shapes of pasta, each matched to particular sauces, from orecchiette (little ears) to farfalle (butterflies).
14. Modern pizza was born in Naples
Pizza as we know it comes from Naples, where pizzerias have been serving it since the 18th and 19th centuries. The art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo is now on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
15. Gelato has Renaissance roots
Florentines credit the Renaissance artist and architect Bernardo Buontalenti with creating an early version of gelato for the Medici court in the 16th century.
Fun Facts About Italian Places
16. Venice has more than 400 bridges
Venice is built on more than 100 small islands, linked by around 150 canals and more than 400 bridges.
17. Mount Etna is Europe's most active volcano
Sicily's Mount Etna erupts frequently and is also the tallest active volcano in Europe.
18. Pisa isn't the only leaning tower
Italy has many leaning towers, including the two towers of Bologna and the bell towers of Venice's Burano island and Pisa's own San Nicola church.
19. The Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheater
Completed in 80 CE, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman world, with room for around 50,000 spectators.
20. The Trevi Fountain raises money for charity
Visitors throw well over a million euros into the Trevi Fountain every year. The coins are collected and donated to charity.
Plan Your Trip to Italy
Ready to see it for yourself? Start with our Italy travel guide, the best places to visit in Italy, and our fun facts about Rome. Stay connected with an egoViet Italy eSIM, and compare options in our Italy eSIM guide.
FAQs: Fun Facts About Italy
What is Italy famous for?
Italy is famous for its food, art, history, fashion, and landscapes, from Rome and Venice to the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany.
How many UNESCO sites does Italy have?
Around 60, level with China for the most of any country in the world.
What did Italy invent?
Italian inventions include eyeglasses, the piano, the electric battery, the barometer, and the espresso machine.
How many pasta shapes are there in Italy?
More than 350.