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Italy is acknowledged all over the world as a “paese meraviglioso”, with an outstanding heritage of history, culture and humanity, which has developed over the centuries in natural settings and landscapes that are absolutely unique in the world. Its heritage consists of great civilisations, myths, genius minds, masterpieces in art and architecture, and it is a heritage that belongs to all humanity and is the foundation of universal culture.

Italy has about two-thirds of the world’s artistic heritage, an incredible wealth of masterpieces that makes it a sort of large open-air museum stretching from the Alpine ranges in the North to the Mediterranean Sea in the South, which, as its name suggests, is like a natural bridge leading to the nearby lands of Africa. You can visit this immense museum by going to the great cities of art, but also to small towns and villages which all house their own wealth of artistic and historical treasures.

The Belpaese is extraordinarily variable, not only geographically but also - and especially from a cultural point of view. Over the centuries a number of different civilisations have left their mark, one on top of the other. And we can see the outcome of this today in the unique richness and incredible complexity of its languages and dialects, and the customs of the various peoples that live there. A richness and diversity, that have matured and developed over the centuries and been preserved to bear witness to the magnificence of the past, out of love for tradition and, perhaps, out of the natural instinct and feel for art and beauty that characterises all Italians.

Italy is among the top tourist destinations in the world. Nowadays, just as in the 1800s at the time of the Grand Tours, millions of visitors are left awestruck by all the beautiful treasures of Italy: Rome, the Eternal City, the merletti of Venetian architecture reflecting in the waters, Renaissance Florence, the perfectly conserved archaeological remains in Pompei, the romantic ruins of the Temples of Agrigento, outstanding architectural masterpieces in the historical centres of famous cities of art, characteristic Mediaeval towns and museums that are renowned the world over.

A unique and extraordinary network of artistic and architectural masterpieces that accompany the visitor on his journey making it a quite unforgettable one.

Italy: an incomparable wealth of culture but also an unrivalled gastronomic paradise. It comes as no surprise that Made in Italy food is equally appreciated on all continents as its fashion: it’s trendy and it’s a favourite with stars, VIPs, aristocrats and sophisticated food connoisseurs but also with a large international group of consumers, who have made Italian products and cuisine their favourite food.

The Italian Mediterranean diet (a balanced mixture of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins and abounding in fish, fruit, vegetables, pulses and pasta accompanied by extra-virgin olive oil and herbs) is all the rage not only because it is a joy for the palate, but also for its excellent healthy value; Italian chefs are marvellous cooks making Italian restaurants a must for gourmets from all around the world.

There is nothing better than discovering this rich, valuable universe directly at its source; Italy’s thousands of flavours offer a variety of truly amazing products and recipes with the added value of absolute quality and genuineness, which are a necessary requirement of Italian food.

It is an incredible blend of gastronomic traditions and cultures originating from the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spanish, Germans and French and from all those who over the centuries have dominated the peninsula; Italian cuisine owes a lot to local but first and foremost to regional traditions, as well as to the cities and towns that enrich it with an extraordinary kaleidoscope of flavours.

It’s a popular, simple, genuine and seasonal cuisine that implements limitless imaginative recipes based on the products offered by the land and the sea; recipes which have been handed down from generation to generation, and which have contributed to developing the noble and sophisticated cuisine of the courts and the great lords on the peninsula.

This is a true civilisation based on food, which has been woven into the culture of its peoples over the centuries, and has been passed down over time to become what it is today. It is a civilisation tourists encounter during every leg of their holiday in Italy and a vital and mouth-watering expression of the culture of the places visited.

Spa Baths in Italy provide a unique experience that is unrepeatable anywhere in the world. You can discover this experience among the ruins of Pompeii where the Roman Baths are still intact or visiting the magnificent architecture of Caracalla in Rome or simply by warming yourself by the “Stufe di Nerone” baths at Bacoli near the Phlegraean Fields, not far from Naples; you could also pamper yourself in the boiling Saturnian waters, where Etruscan priests celebrated the rites of the body, or purifying yourself in the steaming caves on the Island of Ischia, renowned throughout the world for its splendid thermal parks.

Spa baths is one of the most up-to-date legacies we have inherited from Roman civilisation and Italy is quite rightly acknowledged internationally as the home of spa baths and wellbeing, not only because of a tradition lasting thousands of years, but because wherever you go from North to South, you find beneficial spring waters.

Baths were everything to the Romans, and it was the Romans that turned the Greek baths into an art and a lifestyle: a place for wellness, but also for socialising and meeting people and also for business. The baths were a place where you could eat, meet people, do sport and business, find yourself a wife and forge alliances.

Nowadays in Italy spa baths are a place not only for regenerating your physical health but you’re your spiritual health, as in the past: a stay at a spa baths means, most of all, being able to recreate the body’s overall harmony. And that is exactly what happens in about 150 spa bath locations, many of which house their treatment centres in buildings of outstanding architectural beauty. There are also hundreds of Spas and Beauty Farms in Italy as well as traditional baths, spa water treatments, healing mud treatments and a vast range of other therapies, relaxation techniques and seminars to regain your self-awareness and control. You can find every sort of wellness and beauty treatment, ranging from Italy’s most traditional regional treatments (eg hay baths that are typical in Alpine regions) to the currently fashionable Oriental styles and the most up-to-date treatments offered by modern technology.

Getting to know Italy is also an experience for the soul. Land of Christian roots enhanced by the testimony of apostles, martyrs and saints and enriched over the centuries by extraordinary evidence of faith and art, Italy is a real pulsating centre of spiritual life and the destination par excellence for universal Christianity. Italy is in fact the seat of the Catholic Church, with: the Vatican, in Rome.

Millions of visitors have come in pilgrimage in recent years for two grand events that have made Rome the world centre of Christianity: the Jubilee in 2000 and the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. And everyday there is a never-ending flow of the faithful who flock to the Vatican to pray with the Pope, receive his blessing and meet him on occasion of the General Audiences held Wednesdays or the Sunday Angelus prayer.

At the spiritual centre of Italy is Assisi, blessed by the birth and the works of one of the Church's most popular saints with the faithful: Saint Francis. And it is precisely thanks to its saint that Assisi has acquired world renown as a place of spirituality, and also, in recent years, for meetings between religions. It is easy to admire the magnificence of the Basilica di San Francesco di Assisi with its beautiful frescoes by Giotto in the interior, but it is perhaps more satisfying to visit the Porziuncola, the small church Francis himself built, and the hermitage with its cells where Francis, together with his monks, retired to a life of privation and meditation.

In addition to the great places of worship and devotion are the great pilgrimage routes, which cross the entire peninsula from North to South in a romantic journey throughout the regions of Christian Italy to stop at famous sanctuaries and spiritual sites: it is a profound experience of faith for believers and an extraordinary chance for everyone to encounter the beauty of the spirit and the roots of Western civilisation.

The tradition of faith continue to inspire the works and pace of social life in Italy. One cannot truly understand the peninsula’s soul without taking part in its religious celebrations or being surrounded by the tradition of its sacred representations, rites and popular devotion: events which also often pass on excellent artistic and cultural traditions from generation to generation.

Time Azzurri. Blue (azzurro) is the colour of Italy's national teams in all sports and sporting events. "Azzurri" is such a widespread term that it doesn't just indicate the colour of the national team shirt any more but the players or athletes themselves.

Time And that’s how we define the “Azzurri”, the footballers who won the World Cup for the fourth time, in 2006. Football is without a doubt the most popular sport throughout the country and also the one the majority of people get most passionate about. Their loyalty is rewarded with results: the Azzurri have won 4 World Cups, one European championship and the Olympics.

Italy also has first-rate national teams and a large following of supporters and players in other sports. In basketball, the national team has won two European championships and has twice come second in the Olympics, while in volleyball, they are much further ahead: 4 World Cups and 6 European championships. Other team sports of excellence are water polo (3 Olympic wins for the male team and one for the female team) and, over recent seasons, rugby. In individual sports, Italians have always excelled in fencing, cycling and swimming. But the individual sports Italians get most passionate about involve engines. Great Italian champions and racing teams, such as Ferrari, have forged the history of motorcycling and car racing in world championships.

For those, instead, who prefer to practice sport rather than watch it, the land of Italy offers great variety - from the sea to the mountains - and is like a host of countries all rolled into one. Mountain climbers, skiers, sailors, golfers and extreme sports enthusiasts can all find the perfect place to practice their chosen sport and stay in shape.