Interesting facts on Italy

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Read here to know a few facts on Italy and its residents. The best-known places in Italy are mainly some of the big cities, what about the rest?

Where do they live?

Of nearly 57 millions, only 23 Italians out of 100 (about 13 millions) live  in relatively big cities with more than 100,000 residents (still not comparable with other really big cities in the world!).

A few less, 11 millions (18 out of 100) live in small villages up to 5,000 residents. There are twenty regions with 8101 municipalities and these villages are over 5800.

Then the majority of people, 33 millions (about 60 out of 100) live in small/medium sized towns having from 5,000 to 100,000 residents. Source

Curiosities

Here are some interesting, or rather curious, facts about Italy. Italian municipalities vary a lot in size and population, ranging from the

  • most populated municipality with over 2,500,000 residents (Rome) to the
  • least populated municipality with oly 33 residents (Morterone LC) Source
A piece of Italy, Campione d'Italia, is actually in Switzerland.

Italy is the only country in the world to include two other states in its territory: the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican State.

  • The most northern municipality of Italy is Predoi in Trentino-Alto Adige, province of Bolzano
  • The most eastern municipality of Italy is Otranto in Puglia, province of Lecce
  • The most western municipality of Italy is Bardonecchia in Piedmont, province of Turin
  • The most southern municipality of Italy is Lampedusa in Sicily, province of Agrigento (it’s below Tunis).

Italy is about 1800 km (1,118 miles) long and has about 7500 km (4,660 miles) of coasts. Italy’s territory grows a little bit every year. This is due to the soil deposited by rivers when they reach the sea and also to the construction of things like airports in the sea, which actually creates more territory.

In Italy there is the highest mountain of Europe, the Monte Bianco (4810 metres, 15,780 ft), the highest volcano of Europe, Mount Etna (over 3300 metres, 10,827 ft, although its heigth changes continuously, following the eruptions), which is in Sicily and the southernmost glacier in Europe, the Calderone, which is in the Abruzzi.

We have a temporary national anthem!

What everybody (at least in Italy) knows as the Italian national anthem, as a matter of truth, has never been officially declared such. Infact, in 2006, taht is sixty years after the bith of the Italian Republic, a group members of parlament presentato a bill to modify the Costituzion (the main law), to add a short sentence to oficialise that Italy's national anthem is the Inno di Mameli. Better late than never, but it's not yet been approved! here is the official document.

Volcanoes of Italy

In Italy there are four volcanoes. Mount Etna is in Sicily and is the highest volcano in Europe and it’s very active. In Sicily there are two more volcanoes, smaller but active too: Vulcano and Stromboli (they are two little islands).

Then there is another volcano which is active but “sleeping”, as they say. It is Mount Vesuvius, near Naples in the Campania region, whose last eruption was in 1944. Its most famous eruption was in 79 AD, when it caused the destruction of Pompeii and Ercolano. A lot of people and myself hope it doesn't suddenly wake up and start erupting again, there are so many people living on its slopes!

Discover your favourite place in Italy, big or small, sea or mountain, read more interesting facts on Italy and its patron saints celebrations in all other pages. Go and visit Italy and enjoy all its beauties!

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When you contact these comuni let them know you found them on www.calendar-of-patron-saints-and-cities-in-italy.com

All the above numbers are from the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) official website and from the 2001



14th General Population and Housing Census

Go from Facts on Italy to the Catholic Saints Calendar

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