Italians

Italians are an ethnic group and nation from the Italian geographical region. They share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. Their ancestors include various Italic peoples, especially the ancient Romans.

Most Italians speak Italian, a language that comes from Vulgar Latin. Some also speak regional or minority languages. Besides the Italians living in Italy, there are Italian-speaking communities in nearby countries like Switzerland, France, Istria, Dalmatia, and San Marino.

Because of historical events like Italian unification and World War II, many Italians moved to other parts of the world. Today, many Italian citizens live outside Italy, and more than 80 million people worldwide have Italian ancestry. Large Italian communities can be found in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, and France.

Italians have made important contributions to many areas, including the arts, music, science, technology, fashion, cinema, cuisine, sports, law, banking, and business. They often have strong ties to their local regions or towns.

Name

Further information: Name of Italy

The name "Italia" might have come from an old word meaning "land of calves." Ancient writers told stories about how Italy got its name. At first, the name "Italia" was used only for the southern part of Italy, but later it came to mean a larger area.

As Rome grew, the land south of the Alps became known as Italy. More land was added, including islands in the Mediterranean Sea like Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. People from these places were called Italic and Roman. The word "Italianus" started to be used in the middle ages to describe people from Italy.

History

Main article: Population history of Italy

Further information: History of Italy

Roman era

Further information: Roman Italy, Ancient peoples of Italy, List of ancient Italic peoples, Etruscan civilization, Roman people, Italic peoples, Magna Graecia, Cisalpine Gaul, and Ancient Rome

The Italian peninsula had many groups before the Romans took control in the 3rd century BCE. The Latins, with Rome as their main city, became the most powerful group by 218 BCE. They conquered lands beyond Italy, such as Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. By the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE, Rome had defeated Carthage and became the strongest power in the Mediterranean.

Rome began as a city-state but changed its government after big conflicts. After these changes, Octavian became the first Roman emperor in 31 BC.

During a difficult time called the Crisis of the Third Century, the Roman Empire almost fell apart. In 284 CE, Emperor Diocletian helped by splitting it into a Western and an Eastern part. Christianity became the official religion of Rome in AD 380. The Western Roman Empire ended in the late 5th century when a German leader took over.

The Middle Ages

Further information: Italy in the Middle Ages

After the Western Roman Empire ended, Odoacer became the first king of Italy. Later, the Byzantine emperor Justinian I took control of Italy back from another group, but soon after, the Lombards invaded and took most of the land.

For the next two hundred years, popes worked to oppose foreign rulers in Italy. With help from two Frankish kings, Pepin and Charlemagne, they created the Papal States in central Italy. Charlemagne was crowned Roman Emperor by the pope in 800. Italy became part of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th century.

The Renaissance and the Age of Discovery

Further information: Italian city-states and Italian language § Origins

From the 11th century, Italian cities became very important and independent. Cities like Florence, Rome, Genoa, Milan, Pisa, Siena, and Venice grew powerful. They were centers of banking, trade, and new ideas. The Renaissance began in Florence in the 14th century, bringing amazing art, music, and science.

Italian explorers helped start the Age of Discovery. They wanted new trade routes and discovered new lands. Famous explorers included Christopher Columbus, who found the New World, John Cabot, who reached Newfoundland, Amerigo Vespucci, who showed that the New World was a new continent, and Giovanni da Verrazzano, who explored the Atlantic coast of North America.

The French Revolution and Napoleon

Main article: Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy

The French Revolution began in 1789 and many Italians supported it. In 1796, Napoleon led a French army into Italy and took control from Austrian rulers. Napoleon became emperor in 1804, and he united parts of Italy under the name of the Kingdom of Italy. French rule lasted less than 20 years but brought new laws and ideas, helping Italians see the possibility of a united country.

Italian unification and the Kingdom of Italy

Main articles: Italian unification, Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, and Kingdom of Italy

After Napoleon was defeated, Italy was controlled by the Austrian Empire. Italian nationalists like Giuseppe Mazzini worked for many years to unite Italy. Finally, in 1861, Victor Emmanuel II became the king of the Kingdom of Italy.

Italian troops took Rome in 1870, and it became the capital in 1871. The full unification of Italy was finished during World War I.

The Italian Republic

Main article: History of the Italian Republic

In 1946, Italy voted to replace its monarchy with a republic. A new democratic constitution was created in 1947.

Italy joined NATO in 1949 and received help to rebuild its economy through the Marshall Plan. In 1957, Italy became a founding member of the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union.

Ethnogenesis

Further information: Genetic history of Europe, Genetic history of Italy, Italic peoples, and List of ancient peoples of Italy

Because of changes in where people lived in Italy over time, and where Italy is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, people from Italy today come from many different backgrounds.

Bronze Age

Further information: Prehistoric Italy and Indo-European migrations

People in Italy, like most people in Europe, mostly come from three groups: hunters and gatherers who lived in Italy as long as 35,000 to 40,000 years ago; farmers who moved from Western Asia and the Middle East about 9,000 years ago; and people from the steppes of Ukraine and southern Russia who moved into Europe about 5,000 years ago.

The first groups of people from Central Europe moved into Italy during the Bronze Age, including people from the Bell Beaker culture. Later, groups such as the Italo-Celts arrived. Studies show that people from the steppes arrived in Northern Italy by at least 2000 BCE and in Central Italy by 1600 BCE. During the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age, groups like the La Tène and Hallstatt cultures lived in much of Italy. Many different groups, such as the Latins and Falisci, called Italy home.

Iron Age

Before the Romans ruled Italy, the land was home to many different groups of people. Some of the groups living in Italy and its islands included:

• Etruscans (such as the Camunni, Lepontii, Raeti);
• Sicani in Sicily
• Elymians;
• Ligures (including the Apuani, Bagienni, Briniates, Corsi, Friniates, Garuli, Hercates, Ilvates, Insubres, Orobii, Laevi, Lapicini, Marici, Statielli, Taurini);
• Italics (such as Latins, Falisci, Marsi, Umbri, Volsci, Marrucini, Osci, Aurunci, Ausones, Campanians, Paeligni, Sabines, Bruttii, Frentani, Lucani, Samnites, Pentri, Caraceni, Caudini, Hirpini, Aequi, Fidenates, Hernici, Picentes, Vestini, Morgeti, Sicels, Veneti);
• Iapygians (such as Messapians, Daunians, Peucetians);
• Celts (including Allobroges, Ausones, Boii, Carni, Cenomani, Ceutrones, Graioceli, Lepontii, Lingones, Segusini, Senones, Salassi, Veragri, Vertamocorii);
• Greeks of Magna Graecia;
• Sardinians (such as Nuragic tribes), in Sardinia

By the start of the Iron Age, the Etruscans were the main group in Italy. They lived in areas such as Tuscany, western Umbria, and northern Lazio, as well as parts of the Po Valley, Emilia-Romagna, southern Lombardy, southern Veneto, and western Campania. Researchers believe the Etruscans were local people who lived there for a long time.

The Ligures were among the oldest groups in Italy and Western Europe. They lived in areas such as Liguria, Piedmont, northern Tuscany, western Lombardy, western Emilia-Romagna and northern Sardinia.

Starting in the 8th century BCE, Greeks arrived in Italy and created cities along the coast of southern Italy and eastern Sicily, known as Magna Graecia ("Greater Greece"). Though sometimes at war with local groups, the Greeks influenced many people in eastern Sicily and the southern coast of Italy.

The Gauls moved into northern Italy in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, settling in an area called Cisalpine Gaul. Though named after the Gauls, this area was mostly home to local groups such as the Ligures, Etruscans, Euganei, and Veneti. Some Gauls settled in north Italy, though the numbers were smaller compared to the local people.

Roman

Main article: Colonia (Roman)

The Romans, originally made up of groups such as the Latins, Sabines and Etruscans, went on to take over all of Italy. During Roman times, many cities and towns were built across Italy, such as Florence, Turin, Como, Pavia, Padua, Verona, Vicenza, Trieste and many others. After the Romans took over Italy, the culture and language became more like Rome’s. The Romans also took control of areas north of Italy and set up towns there, such as Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, Piacenza, Cremona and Forlì.

Middle Ages

Groups such as the Sciri, Heruli, Turcilingi, and Rugians, led by Odoacer, moved into Italy in 476 CE. Before them, groups like the Alemanni and Burgundians had also settled in parts of Italy. The Ostrogoths, led by Theodoric the Great, took control of Italy and mixed their culture with Roman culture to fit in with the local people. After wars that caused damage, the Ostrogoths were defeated but were allowed to live in Italy peacefully.

In the sixth century, the Longobards moved into Italy, which was then under control of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Longobards were fewer in number than the local people. Later groups such as the Bavarians and Franks also took control of parts of Italy. Some groups of Slavs and Bulgars settled in northern Italy between the 7th and 8th centuries.

After the Romans, places like Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia were taken over by groups such as the Vandals, then the Ostrogoths, and finally the Byzantines. Sicily was later taken by Arabs in the 9th century and then by Normans in the 11th century, creating a unique culture in Sicily.

Modern period

Leaders like Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi played important roles in helping Italy become one country.

Many people from Lombardy moved to cities such as Naples, Rome, and Palermo in the 16th and 17th centuries because there was not enough space in the north. Small groups of Slavs and Arbereshe also settled in Italy, as did Scottish soldiers who worked for the French king and settled in Piedmont.

Because of its closeness to Southern Italy, Albanians crossed the Strait of Otranto, especially after leaders such as Skanderbeg and areas of the Balkans were taken over. The king of Naples invited Arbereshe soldiers to move to Italy, promising them land and lower taxes.

Arbereshe and Schiavoni were used to refill villages that had lost people because of disasters. Albanian soldiers also helped control rebellions in Calabria. Groups of Slavs settled in parts of eastern Friuli, Sicily and Molise.

Between the late Middle Ages and the early modern time, many Albanians moved to Italy, and some still speak the Albanian language today.

Italian Surnames

Most Italy’s surnames, except in areas with different language groups, come from the Italian language. Many surnames describe a person’s looks (like Rossi, meaning red-haired, or Bianchi, meaning white), their job (like Ferrari, meaning blacksmith), or where they came from (like Padovano, meaning from Padua). Some show people came from far away places (like Greco, meaning Greek, or Tedesco, meaning German).

Italian diaspora

Main articles: Italian diaspora and Oriundo

Many Italians moved to other countries over time. A large number left after Italy became one country in 1861 and before the First World War. They left because Italy had hard economic times, while other places offered better jobs. This movement continued in the 1920s and after the Second World War. Today, more Italians are moving abroad because of money problems in Italy.

Over 80 million people today have Italian roots but live outside of Italy. Most of them, around 50 million, are in South America. Brazil has the most, and in Argentina, more than half of all people have at least one Italian ancestor. In North America, about 23 million people have Italian ancestors, mostly in the United States and Canada. Smaller groups live in Europe, like in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and also in places like Australia and New Zealand.

Some people with Italian ancestors can become Italian citizens if they have an ancestor who was born in Italy and passed that citizenship on before becoming a citizen of another country. There is no limit to how many generations can claim this right.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Italy

Further information: National symbols of Italy, Traditions of Italy, and Folklore of Italy

Italy is a country where many important parts of Western civilization began. Italian culture is rich and different in each place across the Italian peninsula, including Sardinia and Sicily. Important moments in history, like the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, happened here.

Italy was the first place in Europe to have a university with the University of Bologna. Many famous artists, scientists, and writers lived in Italy during the Renaissance and Baroque times. Today, cities such as Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, and Naples are known for their history, art, and culture.

Philosophy

Main article: Italian philosophy

Italian ideas have influenced the world for a long time. From ancient Greeks and Romans to today, Italy's stories and thoughts have been important. During the middle ages, Italian thinking focused mainly on Christianity. A famous teacher, Saint Thomas Aquinas, helped combine ideas from Aristotelian philosophy with Christian beliefs.

Big cities like Rome, Milan, Venice, Padua, Bologna, and Naples were places where clever people shared ideas. Italy was home to many great thinkers, such as Giambattista Vico, and scientists like Alessandro Volta and Luigi Galvani. Cesare Beccaria spoke out against unfair punishments.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Italy helped develop new ways of thinking like anarchism, communism, socialism, futurism, and Christian democracy. Important philosophers from this time were Antonio Rosmini, Giovanni Gentile, and Antonio Gramsci. Early thinkers about fairness include Sibilla Aleramo, Alaide Gualberta Beccari, and Anna Maria Mozzoni. Maria Montessori created a special way of teaching children called the Montessori philosophy of education.

Literature

Main article: Italian literature

Italian literature has a long and rich history. It started in 240 BC in Rome with the first play. Romans were good poets, writers, speakers, thinkers, and historians. Famous names include Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Virgil, Horace, Propertius, Ovid, and Livy.

In the Middle Ages, important poets like Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Giovanni Boccaccio wrote well-known books. During the Renaissance, writers such as Leonardo Bruni, Coluccio Salutati, and Niccolò Machiavelli shared their ideas.

More recently, writers like Giacomo Leopardi, Alessandro Manzoni, Italo Svevo, and Luigi Pirandello became famous. Many Italian writers have won important awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Italy

The politics of Italy work through a system where people choose their leaders by voting. Since June 2, 1946, Italy has let people pick their leaders instead of having kings rule. The main leader is called the Prime Minister or "President of the Council." This leader heads a group that helps run the country.

Laws are made mostly by two groups of elected people called Parliament. The leader's group can also suggest new laws.

Italy has many important leaders who help guide the country. Women in Italy have gained more rights over time. They can vote and have laws to keep them safe and treat them fairly. Today, women in Italy have the same chances as men to work, learn, and start businesses.

Law and justice

Since the Roman Empire, many important ideas about law in the West came from Roman lawyers. During the Middle Ages, a man named Saint Thomas Aquinas mixed ideas about natural law with ideas from the Bible. Later, during the Renaissance, a teacher named Alberico Gentili wrote the first book about international law and helped separate everyday laws from religious laws.

In more recent times, great thinkers like Cesare Beccaria, Giambattista Vico and Francesco Mario Pagano became famous for their work on laws, especially about crime. Another important lawyer, Francesco Carrara, worked to end the death penalty in Europe. Many Italians have also become well-known as important judges and lawyers today.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Italy

The economy of Italy is strong and well-developed. It is the third-largest economy in the European Union and one of the biggest in the world. Italy is part of important groups like the European Union, the Eurozone, the OECD, the G7, and the G20. The country exports many goods and is one of the top exporters globally.

After World War II, Italy changed from an economy based mostly on farming to becoming a leader in global trade and exports. Today, Italy is known for making and selling many things, including machinery, vehicles, medicines, furniture, food, and clothing. The country has many smaller businesses that help its economy.

Visual art

Main article: Italian art

Roman art was inspired by ancient Greek art. Most Roman paintings that survive are wall paintings from villas in Campania, in Southern Italy. These paintings sometimes show clever tricks, like making flat walls look real.

The Italian Renaissance is often called the golden age of painting. Many talented artists lived in Italy during this time. They included Paolo Uccello, Fra Angelico, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna, Filippo Lippi, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Giovanni Bellini, and Titian. These artists studied how things looked from different angles and carefully observed the human body.

Later, in the 1500s and 1600s, a style called mannerism appeared. Mannerist artists liked to create paintings that felt unstable and full of emotion.

In the 1600s, Italian Baroque painting became popular. Artists such as Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi created dramatic and powerful works. The 1700s saw the Italian Rococo style, influenced by French art, with artists like Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

In the 1800s, Italian artists explored new styles like Romantic painting and later Impressionism, brought from France. The 1900s brought exciting changes with the Futurism movement, led by artists such as Umberto Boccioni.

Music

Main article: Music of Italy

Italy has a rich musical history. Important instruments like the piano and violin were created there. Italian musicians helped shape classical music with forms such as the symphony and concerto. Italian opera began in cities like Mantua and Venice and has influenced opera worldwide.

Famous Italian composers include Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Claudio Monteverdi, who created beautiful operas and symphonies. In recent times, Italy has been home to talented conductors and musicians who have performed internationally. Jazz became popular in Italy in the 1920s, and the country later embraced rock, electronic music, and pop, with events like the Sanremo Music Festival inspiring others across Europe.

Theatre and dance

Main article: Theatre of Italy

The traditions of Italian theatre began in the ancient Greek colonies of Magna Graecia in Southern Italy and the theatre of the Italic peoples and ancient Rome. During the Middle Ages, Italian theatre included religious services, performances at royal courts, songs by musicians, and public festivals.

From the 16th to 18th century, commedia dell'arte became a popular form of improvisational theatre. Traveling performers entertained people with juggling, acrobatics, and funny plays. Actors made up their shows using simple stories, and they used characters like old men, servants, and soldiers.

Important Italian theatre actors and writers include Jacopone da Todi, Angelo Beolco, Isabella Andreini, Carlo Goldoni, Eduardo Scarpetta, Ettore Petrolini, Eleonora Duse, Eduardo De Filippo, Carmelo Bene, and Giorgio Strehler.

The ballet dance style started in Italy. It began as entertainment at weddings for royalty. At first, ballets were part of operas. By the 17th century, Italian ballets were performed between opera acts, and by the 1800s, they became a popular dance form.

Cinema

Main articles: Cinema of Italy, List of Italian film directors, and List of Italian actors

Italian cinema started in the late 1800s, soon after the Lumière brothers began showing movies. The first Italian film was made in 1896 by Vittorio Calcina, who filmed Pope Leo XIII. In 1914, the famous silent film Cabiria was directed by Giovanni Pastrone and was shown in the White House, making it a very important movie.

After World War II, Italian films became popular around the world. Famous directors like Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, and Sergio Leone made well-remembered movies such as Bicycle Thieves, La dolce vita, and 8½. Actresses like Sophia Loren also became famous. The Venice International Film Festival, which began in 1932, is one of the oldest film festivals in the world. Italian films have won many awards, including the most Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

Science and technology

Main articles: Science and technology in Italy and List of Italian inventions

Italians have made many important discoveries and inventions in science and technology. During the Renaissance, Italian thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Leon Battista Alberti helped advance fields such as biology, architecture, and engineering. Galileo Galilei, a scientist and astronomer, improved the telescope, which helped us learn more about space and supported the ideas of Copernicanism.

Italian scientists have also made big steps in biology, physics, and more. For example, Francesco Redi showed that maggots come from fly eggs, and Rita Levi-Montalcini discovered a factor that helps nerves grow. In physics, Enrico Fermi helped build the first nuclear reactor and worked on quantum theory.

Some famous Italian inventors include Alessandro Volta, who created the electric battery, and Guglielmo Marconi, who invented radio. Others, like Giulio Natta, won important prizes for their work in chemistry.

Mathematics

Main article: List of Italian mathematicians

Many Italian mathematicians made important discoveries. During the Middle Ages, Leonardo Fibonacci brought a new way of using numbers, called the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, to Europe. He also created a special number pattern called the Fibonacci sequence.

Later, other Italian mathematicians made big contributions. Luca Pacioli helped create ways to keep track of money in businesses. Galileo Galilei made advances in math, and Bonaventura Cavalieri did work that helped lead to calculus. Many Italians helped shape our understanding of math by creating new ideas and solving problems.

Nobel Prizes

Italians have won many Nobel Prizes, showing their great achievements in different fields.

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Italy

See also: List of World Heritage Sites in Italy

Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country. Italians built many famous structures, like arches and domes, especially in ancient Rome. Later, during the Renaissance architectural movement, new building styles developed. One style, Palladianism, influenced later designs such as Neoclassical architecture and Italianate architecture.

During the Fascist period, new styles of building appeared, including the Novecento movement. After that, other styles like Neo-liberty and Brutalist architecture were used.

Cuisine

Main article: Italian cuisine

Italian cuisine is food from the Mediterranean area. It uses simple ingredients and focuses on their quality instead of complicated cooking. Many popular Italian dishes were made by everyday people, so they are easy to cook at home. Italian food comes from the Italian Peninsula and has spread around the world with Italian families who moved to new places. Different areas in Italy have their own special recipes, but they all share some common traditions.

Fashion and design

Italian fashion

Main articles: Italian fashion and History of Italian fashion

Milan, Florence, and Rome are Italy’s main fashion capitals. Milan is often called the fashion capital because many famous designers work there. Major Italian fashion labels like Gucci, Armani, Prada, Versace, Curiel, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Fendi, Moschino, Max Mara, Trussardi, Benetton, and Ferragamo are known around the world. Accessory and jewelry brands such as Bulgari, Luxottica, and Buccellati were started in Italy and are famous globally. The fashion magazine Vogue Italia is one of the most respected fashion magazines worldwide.

Italian design

Main article: Italian design

Italy is also famous in the field of design, especially in interior design, architectural design, industrial design, and urban design. The country has created well-known furniture designers like Gio Ponti and Ettore Sottsass. Milan and Turin lead in architectural and industrial design. Milan hosts the FieraMilano, Europe's biggest design fair, the Fuori Salone, and the Salone del Mobile, and has been home to designers Bruno Munari, Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani, and Piero Manzoni.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Italy

Italian athletes have won many medals at the Olympic games. They are very good at sports like swordsmanship and skiing, because of the mountains in Northern and Central Italy.

Italy has a strong football team and has won many big tournaments. The country is also good at cycling, with the famous Giro d'Italia race every May. Italian players often rank high in tennis, and the country has done well in basketball, volleyball, and rugby too.

Women

Main article: Women in Italy

Italy has many famous women who have done great work in many areas. Some well-known Italian women are actresses like Anna Magnani, Sofia Loren, and Gina Lollobrigida. There are also famous singers such as Renata Tebaldi, ballet dancers like Carla Fracci, and athletes including Sara Simeoni, Deborah Compagnoni, Valentina Vezzali, and Federica Pellegrini.

Other important women are writers such as Natalia Ginzburg, Elsa Morante, Alda Merini, and Oriana Fallaci. Italy also has skilled scientists like Rita Levi-Montalcini, who won a Nobel Prize, and Margherita Hack. There have been successful astronauts such as Samantha Cristoforetti, and leaders in politics like Giorgia Meloni, who became Italy's first female Prime Minister of Italy.