Italy Destination Italy, “Bella Italia” – BEAUTIFUL ITALY, as many Italians love to call their country. The Adriatic Sea borders the peninsula in the east, the Sea of Sicily in the south, the Ionian Sea in the southeast, the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, makin Italy surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Two of the largest Mediterranean islands belong to Italy, Sardinia in the west and Sicily in the south. The country covers an area of 301,318 km². ITALY is very known for its more than 3,000 years of history, in 753 BC. Rome was founded. Italy was a centre of ancient Greco-Roman culture, and in the 15th-century, they invented the Renaissance. Caesar, Galileo and Columbus were Italians. The world’s first bank was in Genoa, Italy; the first casino was in the Palazzo Dandolo in Venice. The first public opera house opened in Venice in 1637. ITALY IS FAMOUS for: its food, like pizza, pasta, prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, salami, wine and gelato (ice cream). There are several types of Italian coffee (espresso, capuccino etc.) Venice, was one of the first European ports to import coffee beans in the 16th century. The country is also famous for fast and amazing sports cars, Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Alfa Romeo. Italian art, with some of the world’s most important artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Raffaello, Botticelli, Bernini and Modigliani. The antique architecture of the Romans, Italian Renaissance gardens, the Italian cities of Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, and Italian landscapes like the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, Sicily, the Dolomites, Sardinia, Tuscany, the Riviera, and the Adriatic Sea coast. Volcanic Activity, Mt. Vesuvius, Mt. Stromboli, Etna, the Solfatara and Pompeii. Italian style, Vespas, shoes, fashion, film, football, & “La Dolce Vita,” a life of exuberant pleasure and luxury! UNESCO world Heritage Sites – ITALY is the country world having most a TOTAL of 58 Sites.