Italy At-A-Glance

Region: Europe 1045px-france_flag_map-svg
Capital: Rome
Largest City: Rome
Language: Italian
National Day: June 2 (Republic Day)
Government: Unitary parliamentary republic
Population: 60,674,003
Ethnic Groups: Italian (mostly)
Area: 116,347 Sq Miles (301,338 km2)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Timezone: UTC+1 (CET) / UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling Code: +39
Internet TLD: .it
Typical Dishes: Typical Italian Pizza, Spaghetti, Lasagna, Parmigiana and Risotto.
Soft Drinks: Chinotto, Aranciata, Sanbittèr and Sanbittèr.
Hard Drinks: Limoncello, Grappa, Galliano, Campari, Prosecco and Aperol.

Welcome to Verona!

The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century B.C. It particularly flourished under the rule of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. Verona has preserved a remarkable number of monuments from antiquity, the medieval and Renaissance periods, and represents an outstanding example of a military stronghold.

Three of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Taming of the Shrew. It is unknown if Shakespeare ever visited Verona or Italy at all, but his plays have lured many visitors to Verona and surrounding cities many times over. The city has been awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture.