Pass The Passport

Places / Europe

Italy

Visited

At a glance

Region
Southern Europe
Capital
Rome
Population
58.9 million (2025)
Area
301,336 km²
Languages
Italian
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Drives on the
right
Calling code
+39
Visited: Italy

Country visited City visited Still to go Click a pin or country to read more. Zoom with + and −, a double-click or a pinch.

Before you go

Overview

The Italian Republic is a country situated in south-central Europe. Italy is a unitary parliamentary republic. The county is unique because its capital Rome controlled most of the Europe region and European culture and customs backdate to the Roman era.

The country recorded a population of 60.36 million in 2019 and covers an area of 301,340 km2.

The capital city is Rome. Rome is the home to the world’s smallest country; Vatican City.

The richest Italian city is Milan which is the capital of Lombardy territory in Northern Italy.

The Rialto Bridge In Venice

History

Italy joined the First World War siding with the Allies in 1914. Benito Mussolini formed a government and who ruled by Neo dictatorship in 1922.

Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. Mussolini formed a union with Nazi Germany in 1936.

A new constitution was formed in 1948 whereby the Christian Democrats won.

Food & culture

The country’s culture is based on the Roman culture which is demonstrated through art, architecture, music, literature, opera, design, film and food.

The main crops are rice, wheat, corn, tomatoes, oranges, barley, apples, sugar beets and potatoes.

The popular dishes in the country include Bolognese, pizza, lasagna, ossobuco, risotto, truffles and Fiorentina steak.

Wildlife

Common wildlife animals include the European snow vale, Eurasian lynx, Italian wolf, Marcin brown, Gray wolf and small alpine marmot.

Festivals & events

The festivals celebrated include Carnevale, Palio di Siena, Battle of oranges, Infiorata Festival, Patron Saint Feast Day and Game of the Bridge.

Things to see

There is the Colleseum, which is a very large amphitheatre in Rome built during the rule of Flavian Emperors.

Also, people like visiting the Venice Canals, one of the main water-traffic corridors in Venice city.

There is also the famous Pompeii, a large archaeological site that was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It has preserved objects and houses that tourists can explore.

Other places to visit are Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Lake Como and Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The magnificent Colosseum of Rome

Interesting facts

It is the largest producer of wine in the world.

It is home to Europe’s active volcanoes such as Mount Etna and Stromboli.

It is ranked as the world’s fifth most visited country.

Majority of the population in Italy are Roman Catholics.

Italy’s official language is Italian.

City guides

Cities & towns I’ve visited

Famous hikes in Italy

Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop

Distance
About 10 km
Time
3 to 4 hours
Best time
June to October

How to do it: A loop around three famous Dolomite peaks from the Auronzo hut. There's a toll road to the car park, or a summer bus from Misurina.

Path of the Gods

Distance
About 8 km
Time
3 hours
Best time
April to June, or September to October

How to do it: Walk from Agerola to Nocelle high above the coast, then take the steps or a bus down to Positano.

Run a marathon in Italy

Rome Marathon

Rome · usually March

Starts and finishes by the Colosseum and passes St Peter's, the Spanish Steps and the Circus Maximus. Watch out for the cobbles.

I ran it in March 2026

Dates move from year to year, so check the race website before you book.

Races I've run in Italy

  • Mar 2026 Rome Marathon Fun Run · Rome, Italy 37:01
  • Mar 2026 Rome Marathon · Rome, Italy 3:17:50

All my races

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy

13 of 61 visited. See every site I've been to.

My videos from Italy

  • Lago di Braies, Dolomites
    Lago di Braies, Dolomites, Italy

My photos from Italy

From 7 trips, newest first, so you can see which places each set of photos came from.

March 2026 Rome Marathon

Rome

Whole trip gallery
  • The curved stone arches of the Colosseum in Rome rising behind green trees under a blue sky.
  • The baroque Trevi Fountain with marble statues and turquoise pool in front of a palace facade.
  • Runners gathering on a street with St Peter's Basilica behind during the Rome Marathon.
  • Trajan's Column and the ruins of the forum in Rome.

October 2024 Courmayeur

Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Palleusieux, Cogne

Whole trip gallery
  • Golden larches and snow-capped peaks in the Italian Alps in autumn
  • Dan smiling in front of snowy Alpine peaks and golden larches
  • A group of friends taking a selfie with rugged snowy mountains behind.
  • Red three-storey alpine house with wooden balconies and a green lawn under a cloudy sky.
  • Close-up of a cheeseburger with a sesame seed bun and melting cheese.
  • Mountain valley with pine trees in the foreground and snow-capped peaks under clouds.
  • Jagged rocky peak beside glaciated mountains with autumn trees in the valley below.
  • Road winding through autumn trees towards a snow-capped mountain under a blue sky.
  • Walkers on a trail through golden autumn woods near Courmayeur.
  • A mountain valley with autumn trees and a village below near Courmayeur.
  • The snowy Mont Blanc massif above a road near Courmayeur.

July 2023 Dolomites

Prags, Venice, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Auronzo di Cadore, Longarone, Dolomites, Treviso, Lago di Braies and 3 more

Whole trip gallery
  • The emerald waters of Lago di Braies beneath steep Dolomite peaks
  • A smiling man raising a glass of red wine in front of green mountains.
  • A man in sunglasses taking a selfie beside a canal lined with old buildings in Venice.
  • Four friends posing on a jetty with the lagoon and a bell tower behind.
  • A man sitting in a wooden rowing boat on a turquoise mountain lake.
  • A group of friends in a wooden rowing boat on a lake surrounded by mountains.
  • A man in a red T-shirt standing on the shore of a turquoise lake beneath mountains.
  • The tall brick bell tower in St Mark's Square beside ornate arcaded buildings under a blue sky.
  • A narrow Venetian canal lined with old buildings, moored boats and laundry hanging out to dry.
  • A green valley with jagged mountains rising behind it under blue sky and white clouds.
  • Hundreds of small stone cairns on a rocky shore with pine trees and a turquoise lake behind.
  • A turquoise alpine lake surrounded by pine forest and mountains, framed by overhanging branches.

July 2018 Malta, Italy, San Marino Summer Holidays

Manarola, Florence, Siena, Rimini

Whole trip gallery
  • The striped marble façade and bell tower of Siena Cathedral
  • Dan above the colourful cliffside village of Manarola in the Cinque Terre
  • The striped marble facade of Siena Cathedral.
  • A round stained-glass window in Florence.
  • Piles of fresh fruit and vegetables at a Florence market.
  • A man in sunglasses taking a selfie in front of the colourful clifftop houses of Manarola.
  • The colourful houses of Manarola stacked on the cliffs above the sea.
  • The marble dome and facade of Florence Cathedral.
  • A man on a rope swing hanging between poles in the shallow sea.

October 2016 Venice

Venice

Whole trip gallery
  • St Mark's Clocktower and the arcades of Piazza San Marco in Venice
  • The domes of St Mark's Basilica and the piazza seen from the bell tower.
  • Snowy Alpine peaks poking through clouds seen from a plane.

February 2015 Rome

Rome, Colosseum, Sistine Chapel

Whole trip gallery
  • The arches of the Colosseum glowing in late afternoon sun
  • The Colosseum under a blue sky with a green lawn in front.
  • Looking across the arena floor and tiers inside the Colosseum.
  • The grand white steps and colonnade of the Vittoriano in Rome.
  • The carved stone facade of the Trevi Fountain behind scaffolding.
  • A gilded painted ceiling stretching down a long gallery in the Vatican Museums.
  • Looking down the Bramante spiral staircase in the Vatican Museums.

July 2011 Italy Road Trip

Capri, Sorrento

Whole trip gallery
  • Whitewashed Anacapri spread across the green island with the sea behind.
  • The single chairlift to Monte Solaro rising above Capri.
  • Pastel houses clinging to cliffs above the sea on the Amalfi Coast.
  • A small beach and colourful village below the cliffs on the Amalfi Coast.

Plan your trip to Italy

Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.

Neighbours

Bucket List goals in Italy