The Magna Graecia is the area located in the southern part of the Italian peninsula that was colonized by the Grecians from the eighth century BC.

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.

Italy holds within its borders an immense artistic heritage, a huge museum that over the centuries has increasingly enriched thanks to the great civilizations and the genius of artists who today are celebrated worldwide.

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).

Italy is a republic founded on tourism, that is certainly one of the most developed and profitable sectors oh its economy: an immense inheritance that includes historical, artistic, archeological and natural beauties, without forgetting also the gastronomic goodness.

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.