 WHY ITALY?
Italy – Bella Italia – has something for everyone! No wonder people fall in love with Italy – glorious weather, stunning beaches, beautiful architecture and lazy lunches. The Italians are well known for the love of everything - family, food and wine, style, art and culture - and above all the love of life! Whatever you are looking for, you will find it in this country of extremes - from snow-iced mountains to hot Mediterranean beaches, unspoilt villages steeped into the cliffs edge to bustling cities…. welcome to LA DOLCE VITA!
GEOGRAPHY
 Italy is a boot- shaped peninsula in the South East of Europe. Most of the country is enclosed by sea. It has its toe in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Ligurian Sea, the Sardinian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea border the country on the west; the Sicilian Sea and the Ionian Sea surround the south coast and the Adriatic Sea bathes the east coast of the country.
The coast, including the islands of Sardinia and Sicily stretches 7,500 km. Italy is well known for its rugged mountains which makeup over 30% of the country, many of which descend steeply into the sea leaving houses and villages clinging picturesquely to the hillside. Its two main mountain ranges are the Alps and the Apennines. The highest peaks in the Alps are Monte Bianco, Monte Rosa, and Cervino. The Alps constitutes a natural border that separates Italy from France, Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland. The Vesuvius and other active volcanoes can be found in the Alps. Rolling hills cover just over 40% of the rest of this scenic country. Although most of the country is mountainous there are a few major river plains. The north boasts the beautiful Italian Lake District. It is no wonder Italy is renowned for its fascinating landscapes, with each region having its own character and landscape.
 THE REGIONS
North - The North of Italy is the country’s most populated and developed region. Cities like Turin, Milan, Bologna, Verona and Venice share the region's visitors with beautiful landscapes like the Lake Como area, impressive mountains such as the Dolomites and the Italian Alps and first-class ski resorts.
Central Italy breathes history and art. Rome boasts the remaining wonders of the Roman Empire and some of the world's best known landmarks such as the Colosseum. Florence is Tuscany's top attraction, whereas nearby cities like Siena, Pisa and Lucca have much to offer to those looking for the country's rich history and cultural heritage. Regions of Central Italy: Lazio, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria
Southern Italy - Bustling Naples, the dramatic ruins of Pompeii, the romantic Amalfi Coast and laidback Apulia, make this less visited region a great place to explore. Regions of Southern Italy: Abruzzo, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania and Molise
Italian islands – Italy includes the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, Capri and Elba and about 70 other smaller ones.
THE WEATHER
The climate of the costal regions is a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and generally hot and dry summers.
 Italy and the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia have very changeable weather in autumn, winter, and spring in marked contrast to the settled sunny weather of summer. The least number of rainy days and the highest number of hours of sunshine occur in the extreme south of the mainland and in Sicily and Sardinia. Here sunshine averages from four to five hours a day in winter and up to ten or eleven hours in summer.
Generally, the hottest month is July (where temperatures can reach 32°C/34°C); the coldest month is January and the wettest month is November.
THE PEOPLE
Italy has a population of over 58 million people in an area slightly larger than the state of Arizona. All Italians are gifted with the same shared outlook on life. They enjoy it! Italians are lively, sociable and have a passion for everything they do. They express emotions more freely than most other nationalities and are not afraid to hug, kiss, and show other displays of affection. Italians love to laugh and talk loudly, usually emphasizing everything with hand gestures. They love their food, their families, their heritage and life! They are quick to welcome strangers into their towns and homes, and are always ready to share a meal or a story, a good joke or a song.
THE FOOD
 Italy is well known for its food and wine. Cuisine is considered a kind of art to the Italians. Like the language and culture, food in Italy can be very different region by region. Pasta and olive oil are considered the attributes of southern Italian food, while food from northern Italy focuses on rice and butter Local ingredients and seasonal variations are also very important. In warm Naples, citrus and other fresh fruit play a prominent role in both food and liquor, while in Venice fish is obviously an important traditional ingredient. As a guideline, in the south, cuisine is focused on pasta and dessert, while in the north, it is meat! However the cuisine can be very different depending where you are.
Breakfast is small in Italy. Dinner, and especially lunch, are seen as huge social time. Lunch is seen as the most important part of the day, so much that they have one hour reserved for eating and another for sleeping (usually referred to as a Sesta) It's a time when shops usually close down and resume after the two hour break period.
GETTING THERE
Travelling to Italy has never been easier; in addition to airlines British Airways and Alitalia serving many of the key airports, several budget airlines, such as Thomson, Bmi, Ryanair and Easy Jet, are now offering regular and cost effective flights. With flights averaging between 2-3 hours, and such cheap flights available, weekend breaks in Italy are also not out of the question!
ECONOMY OF ITALY
Italy has changed from an agricultural country prior to World War II, to an Industry base. It now ranks as the world's fifth-largest industrial economy and belongs to the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations; it is a member of the European Union and the OECD. Italy is essentially a private-enterprise economy. A net importer due to the lack of natural resources suitable land for farming - most raw materials needed for manufacturing and 80% of the country's energy sources and even food is imported. However, Italy's economic strength lies in the processing and the manufacturing of goods, primarily in small and medium-sized family-owned firms. Its major industries are motor vehicles, precision machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electric goods, and fashion and clothing.
 CULTURE, ARTS AND MUSIC
From antiquity to modern times, Italy has played a central role in world culture. Italians have contributed some of the world's most admired architectural masterpieces, sculptures, paintings, literature, and music (especially opera). Italians consider themselves the descendants of the ancient Romans and are renowned for being proud of their cultural heritage. Regional differences remain mainly because of natural geographical boundaries and the different cultural heritage handed down from the Greeks, Etruscans, Arabs, Normans, and Lombards. Regional differences are evident in the local dialects, holidays, festivals, songs, and in the regional cuisine.
 ITALIAN PROPERTY
More and more people are looking for Italian property, either as an investment property, a holiday home or a permanent residence.
Italy offers something for everyone, from lakes to beautiful coastline, rolling countryside to breathtaking mountains. Compared to other Northern European countries, Italy still remains affordable and there are good investments to be made. Over the last five to ten years Italian property values have risen steadily. The recently discovered region of Calabria is considered to still have cheap property with excellent rental and investment potential. Direct2Italy offer a wide selection of cheap property for sale in Calabria.
Spanish style mass property developments are still uncommon in Italy. Small developments, existing properties and rural renovations form the bulk of the Italian properties for sale.
Buying Italian property also has tax advantages. The recent change in property taxation now means that there is no longer ‘capital gains tax’ on residential Italian property. And as with all EU countries, you can draw your UK pension in Italy.
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