The increase of population in various cities of ancient Greece, with the consequent need to find new opportunities for livelihood, combined with the interest for the possibility of developing trades, drove between the eighth and seventh century BC to a considerable number of farmers, peasants, craftsmen and merchants from Greece to head towards the Italic coasts (to put it better, to the coast of present Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Campania). This intense migration culminated with the establishment of numerous coastal and inland colonies, cities which then grew and reached high levels in the social, cultural and economic field, so as to encourage the formation and development of a civilization that was called Magna Graecia, to indicate evolution and overcoming compared with the ancient homeland.

Sicily requires special remarks, because despite having numerous colonies of Grecian origin is not properly part of Magna Graecia: if the Roman historian included Sicily in this great civilization the ancient Grecians were not of one mind.

Many reports of the glorious times past are found in archaeological sites and museums in several cities of southern Italy, calling today a huge number of tourists. Among the cities that owe their origin to the Grecians one can list: Canosa, Gallipoli, Taranto (Puglia); Ferrandina, Metaponto, Nova Siri, Pisticci, Policoro, Tursi (Basilicata); Cirò, Crotone, Gioia Tauro, Marcellina, Nocera Terinese, Reggio Calabria, Rosarno, Vibo Valentia (Calabria); Cuma, Ischia, Napoli, Pozzuoli (Campania); Acireale, Agrigento, Camarina, Catania, Gela, Giardini-Naxos, Imera, Lentini, Messina, Milazzo, Selinunte, Siracusa (Sicily). Among the most interesting monuments: the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento (declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO), the Temple of Poseidon at Taranto, the Temple of Hera in Metaponto, in addition to numerous exhibits kept inside the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria.

A travel to Italy offers the chance to start exploring the countless number of monuments and works preserved both in large art cities such as Rome, Florence and Venice as in each of the other cities of the peninsula: every region of Italy is able to offer pleasant surprises to their visitors, with marvels in all the various fields where it can be divided art (architecture, sculpture, painting but also music, literature and filming).

From prehistoric times until today, Italy has always been one of the most active areas with regard to culture and art. Following a historic route you can start from prehistoric Italian art (up to the Bronze Age) and what is called Italic Art, produced by the many civilizations that lived in the Italian peninsula during the period proto-historic, namely between the beginning of Iron Age (around the twelfth century BC) and the complete domination of Rome (first century BC), these must be added the testimonies of Magna Graecia and the particular case represented by Etruscan art.

The traces of prehistoric art in Italy are concentrated in two main areas: the Po Valley, in contact with the northern Europe and Danube area, and the central-southern area overlooking the Mediterranean. Admirable are the examples of rock art of civilization Camuna (in the Val Camonica in Lombardy), terracotta vases of civilization Villanovian (from Villanova near Bologna), elegant ornaments on metal pots of civilization Atesina (from Este in the province of Padua ).

Among the most typical examples of Italic art there are the magnificent limestone statues and tombstones produced by populations allocated along the coasts of the Adriatic Sea (such as Piceni and Daunians), as the “warrior of Capestrano” (preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo, Chieti) or “stele of Siponto” (in northern Puglia).

All the peoples of the world are characterized by a food culture deeply linked to geographical and climate context, on this basis then overlap the socio-economic, religious traditions and so forth.
The Mediterranean Diet is the food model that has marked Italy, nutrition based on natural foods, rich in grains and legumes, vegetables and fresh fruit, with little meat and preferably white or blue-fish, limited presence of fat, thanks of the large use of extra-virgin olive oil. The wine is also absolute protagonist in the Mediterranean Diet.

This particular diet has its origin in the eating habits of the peasants, with a range of different typologies as regards the preparation and cooking of foods that are able to provide the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins, also characterized for the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber. The wide availability of products also allows the possibility of make an infinite variety of matchs, with a combination of tastes and flavours able to meet every requirement.

The elements of the Mediterranean Diet are widely present on the tables of the Italians, although today there are some substantial differences compared to the time of our grandparents: first, ithe increase of the availability of meat has changed the daily protein intake and introduced a greater amount of saturated fats, secondly (with the complicity of publicity rather harmful) are likely to impose unbalanced food models in which the genuineness gives way to the gluttony and the priority is given to food with a strong presence of chemical additives, finally must be considered that one of the aspects basic in Mediterranean Diet is linked to physical activities: in the world of peasants this was pretty intense, lifestyle today instead tends to be much more sedentary, with consequent negative effects not only on the physical form but also on health.

Other aspects to consider are the progressive increase in the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and increased imports of food whose provenance does not offer sufficient guarantees of safety. These factors are likely to undermine even one of the main features of Italian food: that is being a healthy product. In this however is possible to remedy giving always much attention to labels but especially addressing preferably to the products of organic farming or in possession of certificates of origin. Perhaps the worry is to spend more … but in fact you spend better and earn healthy.

The tourist attractions that Italy can offer are numerous and very varied, thanks to art cities, seaside resorts, mountain areas and wonderful landscapes proposed by plains and hills. The huge artistic and archaeological heritage of Italy is mainly kept in its cities, the first among all Rome, Venice and Florence (which receive each year millions of tourists from all over the world) but also Milan, Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Ravenna , Pisa, Naples, Lecce, Palermo, Agrigento, to name a few.

The coastal extension of Italy (considering the peninsula and its islands) is about 7458 km, characterized by a remarkable variety of shapes and really rich of beaches: not surprising then that tourism resort in Italy is able to offer excellent opportunities for fun and relaxation: the Riviera Romagnola (with Rimini and Riccione), Costa Smeralda (with Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo), the seacoast of Veneto and Friuli (Jesolo, Bibione, Lignano Sabbiadoro), the seacoast of Liguria (Alassio, San Remo and the Cinque Terre), the Tyrrhenian Coast (with the Versilia and the Argentario), the Salento (with Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca), the Amalfi Coast (with Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano), Sicily (Catania, Messina , Taormina), in addition to numerous other islands kissed by a hot and bright sun (including the Elba, Ponza, Ischia, Capri and so forth). The beauty of the mountains Italian greatly enriches the tourist offer of Belpaese, with breathtaking views and localities largely equipped to ensure unforgettable stays starting from the Alps (from Courmayeur to Cortina, through the Trentino-Alto Adige and continuing until Karst) and then down to travel all the Apennines.

Also the landscapes of the countryside, of the woods and the hills are characterized by a great charm: an incredible variety of scenarios that has no equals in the world, accompanied by a cultural diversity that is also reflected in the culinary traditions, with products and specialities that have made Italian food and wine the most celebrated and beloved in the world.