Country of the Month - Italy

We have interviewed our lovely student Alice Arrigo about her mother country, Italy.

Thank you, Alice, for giving us the opportunity to explore Italy through your words. [B1 Level]

• What is the capital of Italy? Which language(s) do you speak?

The capital of Italy is Rome. It is a large, cosmopolitan city with an artistic, architectural and cultural history that has influenced the whole world, and dates back to almost 3,000 years ago. The language we speak in Italy is Italian.

• What is the food speciality of Italy?

Italian cuisine is really varied. For this reason, I will list only some of our delicious, typical Italian dishes. Pizza is considered the queen of typical Italian dishes, and can now be found throughout Italy, but to savour it in its purest and most original form we suggest going to Naples, Campania. Mozzarella di bufala is another typical Italian dish, and spaghetti carbonara is a typical dish of Rome, the capital.

• Can you briefly describe Italy? (What makes Italy famous? National sport? Do you have sea or/and mountains in Italy?)

Football in Italy is a real craze, but passion influences other sports too, such as Formula One and cycling.

When we think of Italian art, we almost always refer to Renaissance painters and sculptors, extending the period to the late Renaissance and Baroque. The works, for example, of Raffaello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Bernini, Brunelleschi, Tiziano, Caravaggio, Donatello, Piero della Francesca, Antonello da Messina, are so renowned as to represent a real pride.

The Italian soil is partly mountainous, partly hilly, partly volcanic. The highest point is Mont Blanc, 4,810.90 m.

Drawing up a ranking of the most beautiful beaches in Italy is practically impossible.

We boast many beaches in Sicily, such as:

- Isola Bella (Taormina), a small islet wrapped in the crystal-clear waters of the bay, nature reserve since 1998. The place has always been a source of inspiration for writers, from Goethe, to Byron, to Dillon.

- Cala Pulcino (Lampedusa). To reach it you need to walk on a path between rocks and Mediterranean scrub for about half an hour. You will be rewarded with white sand and the intense blue of the Mediterranean in front.

- Scala dei Turchi (Realmonte), an immense white rock wall shaped by the erosion of the wind and water.

Other famous beaches can be found in Sardinia, such as:

- Cala Granada, which can be mistaken for a tropical island. Like other beaches in Sardinia it is not surrounded by rocks and cliffs, but palm trees and lush vegetation.

- Cala Mariolu. Pebbles, rocks and landslides, lapped by a transparent water.

Amalfi is an ancient maritime republic in the province of Salerno, characterized by suggestive stretches of coast, full of beaches that attract thousands of tourists every year, especially during the summer.

We can also enjoy excellent beaches around Puglia, Calabria, Liguria, Lazio, and many other regions.

• Why did you come to the UK? What do you like the most in London?

I came to London mainly to learn English, the most spoken language in the world, and therefore one of the most essential to know. In London you feel free. I love this city without prejudices, with the opportunity to grow thanks to meritocracy, and full of people from all over the world.