Now that’s Italian
Most people today, I estimate 99.9%, associate pizza and pasta with Italy. In fact pasta is their national dish. I’ve heard that both really originated in China but I think those were just rumors spread by the Chinese to promote tourism. I personally never think of the Chinese when I say or eat pizza or spaghetti. Coming to think of it I think New York and Chicago style when I hear the word pizza, but neither of those places have anything to do with this article.
We know that Naples is in Italy and that most of the people there are Catholic. That’s because the Catholic church has a micro state there, Vatican City, where the Pope lives and people just don’t want to make the Pope mad. There is also another micro state in Italy, it’s called San Marino and it’s the oldest constitutional republic in the world. We know that Christopher Columbus was from Italy and that he discovered America, or did he. A guy named Leif Erikson may have something to say about that.
Italy also gave us Marco Polo who may have been responsible for trading with China and has a game named after him. Additionally, Amerigo Vespucci, who charted much of the South American coast, was the first to draw a map depicting Cuba as an island, and yes he was Italian. The ladies will know that Milan is the home of fashion and may not know that it is also the home of finance. After Rome, it is the second largest city in Italy.
Now, when you eat an ice cream cone, what do you think of besides Rocky Road and brain freeze? Italy of course. NO? Me either, and maybe that’s because I don’t taste tomato sauce when I eat ice cream. But actually, the ice cream cone was invented by an Italian and so was espresso, eyeglasses (to see the little parts in the Fiat) and cologne. I’ll bet that you didn’t know that the nuclear reactor was invented by an Italian, Enrico Fermi.
One of the earliest sewage systems in the world, Cloacus Maximus (Greatest Sewer) was built in Rome and is considered an engineering marvel of the ancient world. Italy or Italians also gave us the thermometer, barometer, electric battery, nitroglycerin, the telephone and the typewriter. Some of the produce that comes from Italy includes potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, olives, beef and grapes. The grapes are needed because the average Italian drinks 26 gallons of wine a year.
Shakespeare choose Italy as the setting for Romeo and Juliet and, at least partially, for 11 other stories. Pinocchio was written by Carlo Collodi, you guessed it, an Italian and I thought Walt Disney wrote that.
If you are thinking of visiting Italy or just trying to look smart, then remember these facts; there are over 3,000 museums in Italy and they have more hotel rooms than any other European nation. Around 70% of their economy comes from the service industry. That’s probably because they are the 4th most visited country in the world. WOW!!
If you want even more information, so that you can look even smarter, then visit my Italy Vacation site and read the latest articles and ads. If you like what you see go to my blog for more information and facts on a wide range of subjects. Ciao!
