The history of Italy

When we were on our journey in Italy we had a little bit information about the history of Italy. It’s divided in plural parts.

Prehistory Italy

Throughout Italy Excavations reveal a Neanderthal presence dating back to the Paleolithic period, some 200,000 years ago, modern Humans arrived about 40,000 years ago.

Middle ages

After the fall of Rome, Italy was conquered by the Germanic tribe of the Ostrogoths, but in the 6th century the East Roman Emperor Justinian reconquered it. The invasion of another Germanic tribe late in the same century reduced the Byzantine presence to a strip of land between Ravenna and Rome plus other lands in southern Italy, breaking the unity of the peninsula until 1870.

Early modern

The Black Death pandemic in 1348 left its mark on Italy by killing one third of the population. The recovery from the disaster of the Black Death led to a resurgence of cities, trade and economy which is stimulated by the successive phases of Humanism and Renaissance, cultural movements born in the peninsula, and later were spread in Europe.

Liberal Italy & Fascist regime

The creation of the Kingdom of Italy was the result of Efforts by Italian nationalists and monarchists loyal to the House of Savoy to establishment a united state encompassing the entire Italian Peninsula. The turbulence that followed the devastation of World War I, inspired by the Russian Revolution, led to turmoil and anarchy. The liberal establishment, fearing a socialist revolution, started to endorse the small National Fascist Party, led by Benito Mussolini.

Italian Republic

Italy Became a republic after a referendum held on 2 June 1946, a day celebrated since as Republic Day. Also this was the first time That Italian women were entitled to vote. Victor Emmanuel III's son, Umberto II, was forced to abdicate and exiled. The Republican Constitution was approved on 1 January 1948.