About Italy:

                 Italy is in southern Europe. On a map it looks like a boot sticking out into the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily and Sardinia are islands that are part of Italy.

                 About 100 years ago, 20 areas joined up to make Italy. There are still two places inside Italy that are not part of it. They are the Vatican City and San Marino.

Italy Landmarks:

One of Italy’s famous buildings is the LearningTower of Pisa. It is over 800 years old. There are 294 steps to the top!

The Vatican City is like a small, separate town inside Rome. It is the home of the Pope. There are lots of beautiful works of art by famous artists here.

About Italy land:

                 Most of the land in Italy is mountains or hills. These have only thin soil. Farming is difficult here. Many plants cannot grow in thin soil.

                      The highest mountains are in the north of Italy. They have snow on them all year round. In the south it is much hotter and there is very little rain.

Homes in Italy:

                  Most people in Italy live in towns or cities. This is the city of Naples. It grew up around a busy port. People left the countryside to come here for work.

                  In the country most houses have a small area of land around them Here people can grow food for themselves or to sell.

Food in Italy:

Most families enjoy eating together .For lunch they might eat cold meats with salad , pasta ,bread and cheese.

Many delicious foods came from Italy. Pizzas first came from Naples but now most towns have pizzeria.

Clothes:

Young people wear casual or sports clothes. Some of the people wear black because they are mourning.

Work:

               Some people work in farming. They grow grapes, wheat, fruits and vegetables. This farm in Sicily is growing oranges.

                 In central and southern Italy many people work in shops and offices. They close for siesta because it is so hot. Most of Italy’s products, like cars and engines are made in the north.

Transport:

             Italy has good roads and toll motorways. It also has a very good train service. There are ports and airport too. Many young people ride scooters. A more unusual transport is the gondolas in Venice. You need them to get around this city which has canals instead of streets.

Language:

              Italy’s official language is Italian. But different regions have their own dialect. Italian is based on two old languages.

                 The other main language is Sardinian. This is spoken by people on the island of Sardinia. These Sardinia children are wearing special clothes for a procession.

School:

            Primary school is for six to eleven year olds. School starts at 8.30 am and finishes at about 1.00 pm .Pupils go to school six days a week.

               Middle school is for 11 to 14 year olds. Their day is longer and they usually have sports after school hours. Some pupils go to high school.

Free Time:

             Most Italians love football. People of all ages talk about it and play it. There are big matches on Sunday afternoons.

            In the early evening it is usual for people to meet up and walk around the main square or street in their town. This walk is called the passeggiata’ (pa-se-jarta).