People and Society of Italy

Nationality

noun: Italian(s) adjective: Italian

Ethnic Groups

Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north, Albanian-Italians, Croat-Italians, and Greek-Italians in the south)

Population

58,090,681

Population (Male / Female)

male: 29,414,065 female: 31,550,866

Population Distribution

despite a distinctive pattern with an industrial north and an agrarian south, a fairly even population distribution exists throughout most of the country, with coastal areas, the Po River Valley, and urban centers (particularly Milan, Rome, and Naples), attracting larger and denser populations

Urban Population

urban population: 72% of total population rate of urbanization: 0.27% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

4.316 million ROME (capital), 3.155 million Milan, 2.179 million Naples, 1.802 million Turin, 913,000 Bergamo, 850,000 Palermo

Age Structure

0-14 years: 11.9% (male 3,699,167/female 3,531,734) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 19,378,160/female 19,958,137) 65 years and over: 23.6% (male 6,336,738/female 8,060,995)

Median Age

total: 48.4 years male: 47.4 years female: 49.4 years

Sex Ratio at Birth

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female

Medical facilities are available but may be limited outside urban areas. Public hospitals, though generally free of charge for emergency services, sometimes do not maintain the same standards as hospitals in the United States, so you are encouraged to obtain insurance that would cover a stay in a private Italian hospital or clinic. It is almost impossible to obtain an itemized hospital bill from public hospitals, as required by many U.S. insurance companies because the Italian National Health Service charges one inclusive rate for care services and room and board. In parts of southern Italy, the lack of adequate trash disposal and incineration sites has led to periodic accumulations of garbage in urban and rural areas. In some cases, residents have burned garbage, resulting in toxic emissions that can aggravate respiratory problems. The U.S. Navy initiated a public health evaluation in the Naples area in 2008. After finding levels of bacterial and chemical contamination of potential health concern, particularly in samples of area well water, the Navy recommended all personnel living off-base in the Naples area use only bottled water for drinking, cooking, ice-making, and brushing teeth.

Life Expectancy at Birth

total population: 83 years male: 80.7 years female: 85.5 years

Infant Mortality Rate

total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 99.9% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0.1% of population

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population

Tobacco Use

total: 23.1% male: 26.6% female: 19.5%

Alcohol Consumption

total: 7.65 liters of pure alcohol beer: 1.99 liters of pure alcohol wine: 4.83 liters of pure alcohol spirits: 0.83 liters of pure alcohol other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Total School Life Expectancy

total: 16 years male: 16 years female: 17 years

Classroom

The school system in Italy is free to all children. Textbooks are free for primary school, but students must buy their books beginning with the secondary level of school at age 12. The teachers are motivated to be good instructors, and the classes are about the same size as most classes in the United States, averaging about 25 students per class in primary school, and 21 students in secondary school. Italian schools try very hard to keep up with the latest technologies. An important part of their courses includes instruction in both general technology as well as information technology, which focuses on ways to handle modern information, such as with the Internet. Unlike schools in North America or some other areas of the world, Italian schools do not provide lunch for their students. Instead, children return home to eat in the early afternoon. Throughout Italy, the midday meal is the main family meal.

Education Culture

All children in Italy, regardless of their family’s original nationality, are required to attend school between the ages of 6 and 14. More than 90% will attend public schools, with private schools making up the rest. The classes, including the books and educational policies, were originally established and regulated by the national Ministry of Education, but Italy has begun transferring control to the schools themselves. This is a big change for the school system, but one that many people have wanted for a long time. It gives local teachers and leaders control over how their children are taught. Children attend school for five to six hours daily, often six days a week, from September to mid-June. Primary school is for students from 6 to 11 years of age. Here the schooling and books are free. Students aged 12 through 14 attend the next level of school, which is called lower secondary school. Although attending school is free, students must buy their own textbooks. Several years ago, children were only required to attend school until they turned 14, but that has increased in recent years to 16 and will continue to be raised over time until it reaches age 18. After three years in lower secondary school, a student must pass an exam that allows entrance into higher secondary school, which lasts four or five years, depending on the courses the student studies. Each higher secondary school focuses on a particular area of study, such as science, teaching, language, the classics, technical school, or professional school. Art schools are also divided into various disciplines, including art, dance, music, and the dramatic arts. These higher secondary schools do charge tuition, and the courses of study differ with each school. At the end of higher secondary school, students must pass an exam to graduate. After successfully doing so, they will either begin their careers or begin studies at one of Italy’s 63 universities.

Learning

School uniforms are not required for children in Italy, which is known as being a very fashion-conscious country. Thus, what a child wears to school is more likely to reflect what the other kids think is popular (or what their parents like!) and by local fashion than rules set by a school board or government agency. Typical primary schools teach Italian, English, geography, math, science, music, art, physical education, technology (including information technology), and Catholicism. It might seem odd to have a religion class in school to many children in the world, but the Catholic Church has had a big influence on Italy for many, many centuries, and it is still the religion of 90% of the Italian population. Lower secondary schools build on the classes that were taught in primary school, but they become more specialized. These courses are usually religion (Catholicism), Italian, English and other foreign languages, history, geography, science, math, technology, information technology, art, music, and physical education.

To School

Students often walk, ride bikes, or ride special school buses, depending on the distance from the school and individual circumstances. School begins at around 8:30 in the morning, and will last until approximately 1:30. Although there is time between classes to have a quick drink and visit the bathroom as needed, students return home for their midday meal, which is the main meal throughout Italy.

• Roman Catholic65.0%
• Other (est.)17.0%
• Protestant (est.)8.0%
• Jewish (est.)6.0%
• Muslim (est.)4.0%

Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German-speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)

Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German-speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area), Croatian (in Molise)

• Italian
• German
• French

• Gioacchino Antonio Rossini

  Composer

  Gioacchino Antonio Rossini, Italian composer was born in Pesaro, Italy.

• Francesco Petrarca

  Italian scholar, poet, and humanist, a major force in the development of the Renaissance, famous for his poems addressed to Laura, an idealized beloved whom he met in 1327 and who died in 1348.

• Leonardo da Vinci

  Artist · 1452

  Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter and sculptor, was born in Anchiano, Italy, near the town of Vinci on April 15, 1452.

• Amerigo Vespucci

  Explorer · 1454

  Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer, was born in Florence, Italy on March 9, 1454.

• Galileo Galilei

  Scientist · 1564

  Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer was born in Pisa, Italy on Feb. 15, 1564.

• Antonio Vivaldi

  Composer · 1678

  Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer was born in Republic of Venice. [now Venice, Italy] on March 4, 1678.

• Giuseppe Verdi

  Composer · 1813

  Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer, was born on Oct. 10, 1813 in Roncole, Italy.

• Florence Nightingale

  Reformer · 1820

  Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing, was born in Florence, Italy on May 12, 1820. Early Years Named for the Italian city in which she was born, Florence Nightingale was raised in affluence. Throughout her gentle, shy, yet playful childhood, she dreamed of someday becoming a nurse. In her youth, Florence began restoring sick animals back to health at her family’s summer estate, Lea Hurst. She used a corner of the estate greenhouse for her hospital. Weekly, Florence was sent by her mother to deliver food to poor and ailing neighbors. During her visits she gave them advice on how to handle their colicky babies. Back home in London, Florence unhappily tolerated the fashionable parties her parents gave. To her, books were more interesting than parties. Private tutors provided some of her education, but her most influential teacher was her father, William. His strict instruction in Greek, Latin, mathematics and philosophy further refined the already orderly young girl. Her mother taught her in the social graces of Victorian England and the management of a large household. But her parents worried about the solemn, sensitive Florence. When told that she could not change all of the sadness and poverty in the world, the girl challenged her father: "... I will change it. I will make the world better." To her mother’s displeasure, she turned down parties and declined suitors, spending her time studying and planning reforms for the poor and suffering - unheard-of behavior for a wealthy sixteen-year-old girl. Florence’s parents shunned the idea of their daughter becoming a nurse. There were no schools in England to train nurses, and only disreputable women who could find no work elsewhere toiled in the dirty, crowded atmosphere of hospitals. Nevertheless, Florence would not give up her purpose in life. By now Florence was a very attractive young woman, and one of the most eligible bachelors in England, Richard Milnes, begged her to marry him; but when she couldn’t give up her "foolish ideas," he gave her an ultimatum: "Choose your work - or me." Florence tearfully replied: "I was not born to choose, I was born to do a special work." Faced with such determination, Florence’s parents finally relented and allowed their daughter to study in a Paris hospital and then to go to the Institute of Protestant Deaconesses in Kaiserswerth, Germany. There she happily accepted the long hours and primitive conditions heaped upon her. She exhibited extraordinary skill, intelligence, empathy and enthusiasm. "We learned to think of our work, not ourselves," she later wrote. Health-Care Advancements England and France soon went to war with Russia in the Crimea. Reports circulated of thousands of soldiers wounded in battle, dying under terrible conditions. Sir Sidney Herbert, a friend of the Nightingales and head of the War Department, petitioned Florence, who was by then supervising a London woman’s hospital, to take charge of the nursing effort. "If this succeeds," his letter said, ". . . a prejudice will have been broken through, and a precedent established, which will multiply the good to all time." Florence accepted, and, with the help of her parents, purchased supplies and uniforms for a contingent of 40 nurses. A parade was planned to see them off, but Florence demured: "I am not afraid to go to war, but I am not brave enough to stand a fuss." On the night of October 12, 1854, clad in ugly gray uniforms, the company, made up of rugged and experienced nurses and some Catholic sisters, slipped on board a ship. For over a month they braved cold, harsh storms - and seasickness. When the assemblage disembarked at the muddy harbor at Scutari, the ship’s captain pointed to a hulking, shabby, wooden barracks on a steep hill. This was their hospital. Overrun by rats and cockroaches, it was the shelter for scores of wounded troops. None of the women were prepared for the grisly sight they saw: soldiers lay on the icy ground, many with bloody bandages, most too sick and blue with cold to move. There were no beds or blankets, there was no fire for heat, and if a man’s ration of half-cooked meat happened to consist of bone or gristle, that was his bad luck. If he was too weak to feed himself, he went hungry. "The Army has never needed women. We do not need them now," muttered the officer in charge of the hospital when he saw them. "Perhaps they would like women cooks!" Florence persisted. The nurses set out scrubbing pots and pans, made soups and hot tea, and went through the hospital feeding the grateful soldiers: "Sometimes a few spoonfuls of hot food can save a man’s life." The perseverance of the women and their dedication to the swelling tolls of wounded amassed into the grim quarters, finally won the officers over. Word came that five hundred new troops would be shipped in the next day, casualties from the Light Brigade’s famous and tragic Battle of Balaclava. The nurses worked all day and all night stuffing sackcloths with cut straw for matresses. All the following day the bleeding men were carried in. Many were already beyond help. Amputations and the removal of bullets were performed at the patients’ beds, usually without anesthetics. The next crisis came when the ship carrying the bulk of needed supplies to Scutari was destroyed in a hurricane. Winter winds froze many of the half-naked men. Not a stick of wood remained to be burned. And still, more filthy, gaunt skeleton-soldiers kept pouring in. Florence, with most of her personal funds depleted, requested emergency relief from a Mr. Macdonald of the London Times. She soon became "supply officer" for the hospital, dealing in socks, shirts, knives, forks, towels and soap. In time, Florence Nightingale herself was serving as the administrator for all the Crimean hospitals and their 12,500 wounded soldiers. When Florence found men well enough, she set them to cleaning the barracks. Even then it was overrun by lice and fleas. And having been constructed over a vast cesspool, undrained for years, the unventilated building reeked with indescribable fumes. Her most difficult task was prodding the injured men into giving up their shirts and covers to be washed. (They said that they preferred to keep their own lice rather than swap with someone else.) She frequently wrote letters for soldiers until her fingers were cramped by cold. Sometimes she wrote to families with the painful news that sons or husbands had died. The British people, and Queen Victoria herself, read Florence’s published petitions to the War Department for desperately needed supplies, and soon food, blankets, medicines and gifts poured into the hospital. In mid-winter, more than five hundred new patients were on their way to Scutari. There was no room for five, let alone five hundred! Florence went against Turkish labor laws and hired two hundred workmen, who in a matter of weeks added a new wing onto the barracks. The wounded called this type of bold action "Nightingale Power." Florence was seemingly everywhere at once. At night her lamp burned as she walked the four miles of corridors among the rows of feeble men, whispering words of courage. She became "The Lady of the Lamp." "What a comfort it was to see her... " one soldier wrote. "She would speak to one and nod and smile to as many more; but she could not do it to all, you know. We lay there by hundreds. But we could kiss her shadow as it fell, and lay our heads on the pillow again, content." One night her oil was depleted and the lamp went out. Just then, hearing the sound of crying, Florence found a homesick lad who had lied about his age to join the Army. She promised the boy that when he was well he could stay there at the hospital and run errands. His proudest duty was to polish Florence’s lamp and keep it filled with oil. It never went out again. When spring’s warmth arrived, Florence demanded action. A three-man Sanitary Commission arrived from England: The sewer under the hospital was drained, the floorboards disinfected, the rats driven out, the thawed water supply purified. The death rate in the hospital immediately dropped from 420 out of a thousand to 22. She fought - and won - a battle concerning wages for soldiers who were ill but not injured. ("A man half-frozen and half-starved to death in the line of duty," she reasoned, "deserved as much as a man who had actually stopped a bullet.") And when the hospital was running well, classes were organized to teach convalescent soldiers how to read and write. At last the war was near an end. But as the exhausted "Nurse Nightingale" visited the Crimean battlefields, she collapsed with fever. When, after days near death her condition suddenly turned for the better, many claimed it was due to the countless prayers - that were offered on her behalf. Florence resisted the doctors’ urgings to return to England. "I can stand out the war with any man," she firmly replied, and she returned to nurse the remaining soldiers at Scutari hospital. Mother Bermondsey, a Catholic sister, remembered: "... Miss Nightingale never seemed tired. Her voice was always soft. Her smile was always beautiful. She kept us all working together." When "the great heroine of the battlefields" finally sailed home in 1856, she used a $150,000 gift to open "The Nightingale Home for Nurses" at St. Thomas Hospital in London. "When I learned to be a nurse in Germany," she said, "I only learned to work. These girls must learn to study, too." As a result of her influence, almost over night new nursing schools opened in many countries of the world. In 1859 Nightingale published her "Notes on Hospitals," and also found time to write "Notes on Nursing." The strain and illness suffered during the war, however, finally left Florence a semi-invalid who seldom left her room. But she never considered giving up her work; she simply changed her methods. Dignitaries still came seeking her counsel; by correspondence she continued making studies of hospitals around the globe. Her 800-page report to the War Department brought about the formation of the Royal Commission on the Health of the British Army. The United States petitioned and received her recommendations for setting up military hospitals during the Civil War. And, many years later, the founding of the Red Cross was brought about by her basic common-sense advice: "Give the people better food; teach them to be clean, then they will be healthy." Although Florence Nightingale’s ninety-year-old mind remained clear, her frail body was tired. She died in her London apartment in 1910. This "saintly woman" was unquestionably one of the most stalwart and able individuals of all time. Among countless other honors, she was the first woman to be awarded the British Order of Merit for her army and hospital reforms. But likely her greatest pleasure was derived from the enduring cheer and care she gave thousands in the "trenches" of hospital work as "The Lady of the Lamp."

• Carlo Lorenzini (Carlo Collodi)

  Author · 1826

  Carlo Lorenzini (Carlo Collodi), Italian author of Pinocchio, was born in Florence, Italy on Nov. 24, 1826

• Giacomo Puccini

  Composer · 1858

  Giacomo Puccini, Italian composer, was born Dec. 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy.

• 

  Guglielmo Marconi

  Inventor · 1874

  Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor and electrical engineer. He is recognized for his development of wireless telegraphy, also known as radio. Prior to Marconi’s work, telegraph signals were sent through wires. Marconi was born on April 25, 1874 in Bologna, Italy. He showed an interest for science early in his life. Much of his studies were done privately. In 1894 Marconi began experimenting with wireless telegraphy. He based his work on Heinrich Hertz’s work with electromagnets. Beginning with transmitting signals across a room, Marconi eventually was able to transmits signals across miles by grounding the transmitter and receiver. The Italian government was not interested in his work, so Marconi moved to England. During this time, he received his first patent regarding radio. Marconi’s next goal was to send a message across the Atlantic. This was accomplished on December 12, 1901. He transmitted the letter "S" in Morse code. The success of this transmission opened scientific study in the atmosphere and the idea of an ionosphere. This technology became more well known as it was used in saving many lives aboard the troubled ships the Republic and the Titanic. This wireless technology became required on passenger ships. Marconi then began working on short-wave and microwave transmissions. Short-wave signals were cheaper and easier to operate. In 1909 Marconi was awarded the Noble Prize in physics, which he shared with Karl F. Braun. In 1914 King George gave Marconi an honorary title of Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order. Marconi also received John Fritz Medal, an American engineering award. He died on July 20, 1937.

• Amedeo Modigliani

  Artist · 1884

  Amedeo Modigliani, Italian artist, was born on July 12, 1884 in Livorno, Italy.

• Enrico Fermi

  Scientist · 1901

  Enrico Fermi, Nobel Prize-winning physicist was born in Rome, Italy on Sept. 29, 1901.

Crime Information

Italy has a moderate rate of crime. You should exercise extra caution at night and at train stations, airports, nightclubs, bars, and outdoor cafes. If you are drinking heavily, your ability to judge situations and make decisions may be impaired, making you a target for crime. Young drinkers are particularly vulnerable to robbery and physical and sexual assault. Petty crimes such as pick-pocketing, theft from parked cars, and purse snatching are serious problems, especially in large cities. Pick-pockets sometimes dress like businessmen. You should not be lulled into a false sense of security by believing that well-dressed individuals are not potential pick-pockets or thieves. Most reported thefts occur at crowded tourist sites, on public buses and trains, and at the major railway stations: Rome's Termini; Milan's Centrale; Florence's Santa Maria Novella; and Naples's Centrale at Piazza Garibaldi. For more information on trains and security, please see the Italian railway police’s advice for travelers. You should also be alert to theft in Milan’s Malpensa Airport, particularly at car rental agencies. Clients of Internet cafes in major cities are also targeted. Be careful with your bag or purse, as thieves on motor scooters are very quick and can snatch a purse off of your arm from a moving scooter. Resisting these thieves can be hazardous, as some tourists have suffered broken arms and collarbones. Thieves in Italy often work in groups or pairs. Pairs of accomplices or groups of children are known to divert tourists' attention so that another can pick-pocket them. In one particular routine, one thief drops or spills something on the victim; a second thief assists the victim in cleaning up the mess; and the third discreetly takes the victim's belongings. Criminals on crowded public transportation slit the bottoms of purses or bags with a razor blade or sharp knife removing the contents. Some travelers in Rome, Florence, and Naples have reported incidents where criminals used drugs to assault or rob them. These incidents have been reported near Rome’s Termini train station; at bars and cafes near Rome’s Colosseum, Colle Oppio, Campo de Fiori, and Piazza Navona; and at bars and cafes in the center of Florence and Naples. Criminals using this tactic “befriend” you at a train station, restaurant, café, or bar, and then offer you a drink laced with a sleeping drug. When you fall asleep, criminals steal your valuables and may sexually assault you. Some victims of these assaults in Rome have required hospitalization and two cases resulted in death. Thieves are also known to have impersonated police officers in order to steal. The thief shows you a circular plastic sign with the words "police" or “international police" and then in perfect English asks to see your identification and your money. U.S. citizens should be aware that local police will generally exit their own vehicles when speaking with members of the public. Also, plainclothes undercover units rarely attempt to pull over vehicles without a marked car accompanying them. If this happens to you, you should insist on seeing the officer's identification card (documento) before handing over your wallet as impersonators tend not to carry forged documents. You should immediately report thefts or other crimes to the actual police. Be alert to the possibility of carjackings and thefts while you are waiting in traffic or stopped at traffic lights. This has been a particular problem in Catania, Sicily. Use particular caution while driving at night on highways, when thieves are more likely to strike. U.S. citizens have reported break-ins of their rental cars during stops at highway service areas; thieves smash car windows and steal everything inside. The theft of small items such as radios, luggage, cameras, briefcases, and even cigarettes from parked cars is prevalent. Vehicles parked near beaches during the summer can be broken into and robbed of valuables. Lock car doors whenever you park and do not leave packages in your car in plain view. The U.S. Secret Service in Rome is assisting Italian law enforcement authorities in investigating an increase in the appearance of ATM skimming devices. These devices are attached to legitimate bank ATMs, usually located in tourist areas, and capture the account information stored electronically on the card’s magnetic strip. The devices consist of a card reader installed over the legitimate reader and a pin-hole video camera mounted above the keypad that records the customer’s PIN. ATMs with skimming devices installed may also allow normal transactions to occur. The victim’s information is sold, traded online, or encoded on another card, such as a hotel key card, to access the compromised account. Organized criminal groups operate throughout Italy, but are more prevalent in the south. They occasionally resort to violence to intimidate or settle disputes. Though the activities of such groups are not generally targeted at tourists, visitors should be aware that innocent bystanders could be injured. Don’t buy counterfeit or pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal to bring back into the United States, but if you purchase them, you may also be breaking local law. According to Italian law, anyone caught buying counterfeit goods (for example, DVDs, CDs, watches, purses, bags, belts, sunglasses, etc.) is subject to a fine of no less than EUR 1,000. Police in major Italian cities enforce this law to varying degrees. You are advised to purchase products only from stores and other licensed retailers to avoid unknowingly buying counterfeit and illegal merchandise.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Italy, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own, and criminal penalties vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in Italy, but still illegal in the United States; For instance, you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. Arrest notifications in the host country: You should try to remain aware of local laws and their implications. If you break local laws in Italy, your U.S. passport will not help you avoid arrest or prosecution. If you are arrested in Italy, Italian authorities are required to notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.