Background: Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.
February 17th 2008Europe » Italy » Lazio » Tivoli Friday after lunch, the girls and I set out for a walk around Rome. We found the famous Key Hole and the Orange Garden (two must-see views of Rome). We also visited La Bocca della Verità and Circus ... [full story]
February 16th 2008Europe » Italy » Lazio » Tivoli Saturday, February 16
DAY TRIP! We decided to take a day trip to Tivoli to visit the famous Villa d'Este (its the garden of fountains in the Lizzie McGuire Movie). We had to walk to the Metro stop at ... [full story]
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