How old is southern italy

The integration of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies into the Kingdom of Italy changed the status of the south forever: "Abject poverty meant that, throughout Naples and Southern Italy, thousands were forced to leave in search of a better future. The exodus The majority of Italians still today do not know the truth, and the debate continues. Benvenuti in Southern Italy. Sicily and Sardegna. Of these, Abruzzo and Molise, despite being geographically located in central Italy are considered historically, linguistically, culturally, demographically and economically as part of Southern Italy Sicily Sardinia.

Glimpse of Southern ltaly - Visitors to southern ltaly find a rich array of archaeological remains. Although the Roman ruins at Pompei are the most famous of all, Greek ruins are found in Sicily and the southern coast , not to mention Sardinia's mysterious ancient structures called nuraghe.

The regions of Campania', Puglia, and Sicily are admired for their architecture, while breathtaking landscapes, wildlife, and endless opportunities for outdoor activities can be found across the whole Southern peninsula.

The lost kingdom:. First railroad and railway station in Italy Napoli-Portici railroad ;. One of Europe's and Italy's biggest foundry and iron work complex. At Mongiana in Calabria, also a army manufacturing Centre, cannons, rifles. First gas -fuelled lighting system; First electric telegraph, in function since ; First network of lighthouses with lenses system; Largest engineering industry in Italy , at Pietrarsa; First locomotive steam engine built in Italy.

Pietrarsa means literally scorched stone in english. Bring the children along, they will love it. It is closed on saturday and sunday. Engraver Marcantonio Raimondi ca. The close collaboration of the two masters results in some of the finest prints of the period, many of which promote a revival of mythological subject matter derived from the study of ancient art and literature.

A friend and follower of Michelangelo, Sebastiano combines the sculptural grandeur characteristic of the elder master with a rich palette inspired by his earlier training in Venice. It is also about this time that Raphael undertakes the design of a tapestry series , the Acts of the Apostles , for the walls of the Sistine Chapel. At the orders of Charles V, an imperial army sacks Rome. The city is devastated by the weeklong pillage and destruction; in its wake, many artists flee to safer and more prosperous cities.

Polidoro da Caravaggio ca. Renowned in his earlier career for facade frescoes—chiaroscuro friezes imitative of classical sculptural reliefs—when in Southern Italy Polidoro turns to sacred images for an ecclesiastical setting. Removed from the Roman preoccupation with classicism, he develops a style that is deeply emotional and often darkly expressive, and much akin to the Northern works widely popular in Southern Italy during this period.

The Campidoglio is left incomplete until the seventeenth century. The Farnese summon Titian to Rome, where he enters their service for several months. He designs a hemispherical dome, left unfinished at his death. The structure is again modified, and the dome completed ca. Florentine architect and sculptor Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli ? Among the first fountains for an urban setting to incorporate marine motifs, they serve not only a functional purpose but, through their mythological iconography, are intended to glorify the city and secure its link with a classical past.

Depicting stories from the life of the biblical king David, this stunningly complex and richly ornamental decorative program marks the high point of Roman Mannerism, particularly in its inventive use of illusionism and the elongated, gracefully articulated nude form.

The order, founded in by Spanish cleric Ignatius of Loyola — , is dedicated to teaching and reform, and is a major proponent of the Counter-Reformation. Papal architect Giacomo da Vignola — designs the structure, and Giacomo della Porta provides a dramatic facade that effects a sense of unity and impressive verticality.

In the interior, small chapels take the place of aisles; paintings for these chapels, including The Lamentation ; MMA Federico Barocci ca. Also profoundly influential to Barocci are the preachings of Filippo Neri — , a religious reformer active in Rome and founder of the Oratorian congregation.

You'll rarely be short of a conversation south of Rome. Southern Italians are naturally curious, famously affable and quick to share their opinion. Family and friends are sacred, and time spent laughing, arguing or gossiping is as integral to southern life as lavish Sunday lunches and long, sizzling summers. One minute you're picking produce at a street market, the next you're in the middle of a feverish discussion about who grows Italy's sweetest pomodori tomatoes — Sicily or Campania?

No one is a stranger for long, and a casual chiacchiera chat could easily land you at the dining table of your new best friend. Rugged mountains, fiery volcanoes and electric-blue grottoes — southern Italy feels like a giant adventure playground waiting to be tackled.

Crank up the heart rate rafting down Calabria's river Lao, scaling Europe's most active volcano, Stromboli, or diving into prehistoric sea caves on Puglia's Promontorio del Gargano. If you need to bring it down a notch, consider slow pedalling across Puglia's gentle countryside, sailing along the Amalfi Coast or simply soaking in Vulcano's healing geothermal mud. The options may be many, but there is one constant: a landscape that is beautiful, diverse and just a little ethereal.

Guiscard and his younger brother, Roger Bosso, fought with the Arabs in the siege of Palermo, a decisive battle which led to the Normans taking full control of Southern Italy by the 11th century. By , the whole of Sicily was his, along with Malta. The Norman line would not last long. Through Frederick II, the crown passed to the Hohenstaufen dynasty. The revolt resulted in Sicily separating from the mainland, ruled by the Spanish House of Aragon, who took part in the rebellion to take the territory from the French.

In the years of struggle between Sicily and Naples, barons gained more power, and feudalism became the prevailing system in the two kingdoms. In , the Kingdom of Italy was born. The Northern and Southern Italian divide persists, with a political party, Lega formerly the Northern League , running on a platform of separating the north from the country.

Southern Italy is seen as lagging behind economically, and its young population are moving north to find better opportunities — in a smaller scale mirroring the massive immigration in the s of impoverished Southern Italians to the United States. But hope still blooms in Southern Italy: the small town of Matera in Basilicata, for example, went from being one of the poorest places in Italy, to the European Capital of Culture for along with Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Travellers seeking a more laid-back pace and a thinner holiday crowd fly to Southern Italy to bask in its sunshine, try its diverse cuisine, and view its historic sites. The city of Matera in Basilicata is famous for its sassi or cave dwellings, a network of human settlements carved into limestone, first inhabited during the Paleolithic era.

Later dwellings consisted of homes, shops, churches, and monasteries built into the natural caves of the Murgia Plateau. Born from a volcanic eruption, the islands are very popular among tourists during the summer for their beaches and clear, blue water.

The islands also produce a naturally sweet wine called Malvasia delle Lipari, named after the largest Aeolian island.

The island of Vulcano, aptly named, still has an active volcano, as does Stromboli. Sitting 23 kilometres southeast of Naples is the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, destroyed, along with nearby Greco-Roman communities Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, by the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The eruption was described in vivid detail by Pliny the Younger in his two letters to Roman historian Tacitus. My uncle soothed the fears of his companions by saying that they were nothing more than fires left by the terrified peasants, or empty abandoned houses that were blazing. He went to bed and apparently fell asleep, for his loud, heavy breathing was heard by those passing his door.

But, eventually, the courtyard outside began to fill with so much ash and pumice that, if he had stayed in his room, he would never have been able to get out.