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.
May 3rd 2008Europe » Italy » Veneto » Padua I slept in today and got up at 6.45. I had breakfast and packed my bags. We left the hotel at 8.30 and went to Padua. We visited the church Chiesa degli Erementani for a short time. This 13th century ... 38 photos[full story]
February 26th 2008Europe » Italy » Veneto » Padua We awoke to another fog bound day…so we set out on an adventure with Joan & John Stone and Janet & Carl Sten. We boarded the train in Mestre headed to Padua (this was fairly easy and the ticke ... 12 photos[full story]
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