Destination: ITALY
Things To Know Bella Italia Diverse Regions The People Country of Contrasts Exploring Italy Culinary Traditions Pastimes The Etruscans	Country of Contrasts A rich historical and cultural past has shaped the townscape in Italy. Cities, towns and villages are crammed with fine buildings, churches and works of art, a legacy of pre-Unification days. But over the past century, and notably since World War II, there has been huge development and growth in urban areas, with unattractive spreads of industrial buildings and blocks of soul-less apartments on the outskirts of countless towns. Every town still retains its central piazza, with civic buildings and a church grouped around or near it. In many rural areas, people have traditionally lived in villages rather than on the land they work, traveling daily to the fields, so in some areas isolated country farmhouses are rare. There has always been a huge gulf between the urban and rural populations, possibly due to the very early development of Italian towns. The middle class was a late arrival in Italy and only really emerged during the great economic boom of the '50s and '60s. Even now there are still large numbers of contadini, peasant farmers and small shareholders, working the land as it has been worked for centuries, while their cousins may be employed in hi-tech industries.	COUNTRY Introduction Things To Know Survival Guide TimeLine Essential Info REGION Tuscany & Florence CITIES Rome Florence Naples Venice MAPS World Europe TRAVEL BOOK