The Alternative Guide to… Italy
Five things you never knew about Italy
The Italians are an inventive bunch: the battery, the typewriter, the telephone, spectacles, the piano, the thermometer, and — unsurprisingly — the ice-cream cone, are all Italian creations.
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You won't be short on carbs on a trip to Italy: the average Italian consumes half a pound of bread a day. Not to mention plenty of pasta.
The average Italian consumes 26 gallons of wine a year. Fortunately, they also invented the espresso machine to fend off those pesky hangovers.
Italy has the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the World; a whopping 51 in total.
It is illegal for a man to wear a skirt on the streets of Italy. You have been warned!
National dish
A toss-up between ragu alla bolognese and the good old margherita pizza. Let's go with the latter, which was invented in Naples in 1889 to honour Queen Margherita of Savoy visiting the city.
If you see one thing in Italy, make sure it's...
... Cinque Terre, which translates as “Five Lands” and comprises the villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso, and Corniglia. This coastal region in northwestern Italy is home to some of the country’s most incredible hiking and landscapes.
You can also read more about:
Our favourite Italian lakes.
Where to go for a long weekend in Italy.
Travelling Italy by water.
Italy's best cycling routes.
When's the best time of year to visit different parts of Italy.
Where Italy's best beaches are.
Italy's best places for food and drink.
Our Italian wine guide.