Italian geography

Geography inspires travels, daydreams by giving many clues about the people who live in far and away lands. And Italian geography is an integral part of Italian culture and language because as all students of Italian 101 learn within the first week of class: the Italian spelling is done with the Italian cities. And all native Italians know all the Italian cities, where they are located and their wider regions.

People educated in Italian schools learn their own geography in elementary and middle school and like most Europeans, they know the major facts about the 20 regions that make up the boot. However, many non-Europeans who plan to visit or move to Italy judge Italian geography useless and most even refuse to learn the few Italian cities whose first letter make up their full name.

Unfortunately, when you can't spell your name with Italian cities, you can't book or make any reservations and Italians have no clue about non-Italian sounds, even more so when you have a non-Italian spelling...

One extra reason to savor Italian geography is that it comes with its diverse history, costumes, dialects, specific words, expressions and use of the grammar typical of only specific areas.

In fact, despite the stereotypes: Italy isn't a monoculture and the Italian friendliness you perceive is in most cases just a façade. This is even truer in business situations like long term renting, buying properties and doing business.

Therefore be aware of any Italian language class that doesn't teach the alphabet with the names of the Italian cities because you'll be missing a useful part and won't be able to spell your name properly. Plus, you'll be missing all the Italian culture bits that come with it...

Take private Italian classes with us: turinepi@gmail.com

the Turin University founded in 1404

Italy is often divided into 3 main areas because more or less culturally, i.e. the mindest, the habits, the flavors, the products and the local pronunciation / use of the grammar is more or less the same.

However, within each one of the 20 Italian regions there are some differences as wide as blindfolded natives can tell where they are just by one detail! 

Picture Italy like a quilt where each region is made up of a colorful quilt of its own. Northern, Central and Southern Italy become a galaxy of multiple local realities where the wider region or closer lager town are a symbol of the whole locality.

Turin's pedestrian Via Garibaldi if full of specialty shops and café

As per the Italian constitution, since 1946, Italy has been a republic with a president, a prime minister and a parliament. From 1861 to 1946, Italy was a kingdom with a king and its royal family: the Savoy dynasty or Savoia in Italian. 
Yes, like the French region because the Savoy kingdom that birthed Italy as a unified nation started in the 10th century and to these days, it is one of the oldest dynasties in Europe. Up to 1861 the Savoy kingdom had different borders and it comprised some French areas like Nice where Giuseppe Garibaldi who unified the rest of the boot was born and Savoie or the current Savoy, Alpine French region bordering Italy.

When Italy got unified in 1861, all the smaller kingdoms, city states, duchies, the papal state, the foreign protectorate of the kingdom of the two Sicilies, as they had existed for centuries, merged into one nation whose capital was Turin. This is because the need for a unified nation started within the intellectual circles of Turin and because unlike the rest of the boot, Turin's wider region: Piedmont hadn't been under a foreign power - in fact, Napoleon governed Northwest Italy only for 3 years. Back then and up to the 1970s, Piedmont was also the most advanced Italian region, the real economical capital where FIAT had ignited the post WWII boom. 

Turin's mayor parading on St John's Day 2025

Italy is organized in 20 regions, each one with a regional president and a regional capital, plus other cities acting as 'provinces' and towns. There are no counties in Italy and if you live in a small town you'll have to refer to the closest large town or city for all your Italian documents.

The major lakes are located up North and Lake Como is just one of the many, where the most popular ones among native Italians are Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda, Lake Iseo. In Piedmont, we also have gorgeous and quaint Lake Orta around where the Italian percolator was born, as well as its famous Italian brand Bialetti. Famous Italian design company, Alessi is also from this great area because this is where steel was produced. 

We can easily say that Piedmont and Lake Orta gifted Italy their famous moka pot allowing Italians and the world to enjoy their espresso wherever they are, especially at home!

The Turin's City Hall on June 24th

Italy has two mountain groups: a crown of Alps up north and the Apennines - Italy's spinal cord running along the boot. In winter, people can ski virtually everywhere in Italy, but in the South, given the milder to warm climate, most buildings don't have any heating. This is why despite its fascinating and diverse landscape, ALL Southern Italy is the epitome of the glamorous summer.

... and also why most 1€ dilapidated houses are located in quasi ghost villages up in the hills or mountains of the South. 

Yet, all foodies and history nerds will love learning how the multi-layered history of Italy brought us sorbet, gelato, and most of our food specialties!

Sorbet was brought over to Sicily during the Arab dominion that lasted to the 11th century when the Scandinavians chased them. Back at the times of the Arab domination, the winter snow was collected, topped with the juice of the citrus grown on the island, and enjoyed as a slushy!

Turin's famous for her chocolate and cream based gelatos

Generally speaking, Italy's major islands and archipelagos are located in the South of Italy and like Sicily, most minor islands are volcanic. This is an important  detail for all lovers of Italian wine as the soil composition, sun exposure, winds and water composition are key in the winemaking business.

The geographical extension of each Italian region also gives you other clues about the amount of wine produced: starting from the size of the vineyards, the vinification processes and the grape varieties  grown in each wine district.

For example, the steady growing popularity of Prosecco forces the Veneto producers to import chardonnay grapes from Piedmont, where even without volcanic soil, the Erbaluce di Caluso Passito DOCG variant is produced in a grossly similar way to the more famous Zibibbo di Pantelleria, made in Pantelleria - uber chic Sicilian island located halfway between Tunisia and Sicily, where Sting and other celebrities have a summer villa!

Piedmont Alta Langa DOCG and plin raviolis

Italy has also many rivers, the major ones run across the major cities: Arno in Florence, Tiber in Rome and Po originating in the Piedmont Alps, running through Turin and crossing all Northern Italy, irrigating our famous rice paddies and ending in a picturesque estuary on the Adriatic Sea.
Over the centuries many artists portrayed the Italian rivers yet, today, if besides food and wine, you are into cycling and nature, riding along the Po River provides you with a unique natural experience through the incontaminated Italian wildlife, ecosystem and diverse landscapes. 

Most non-Italians are fascinated by the idea  that Italy has rice paddies but that's just because they can't picture a country where Venice and her beauty are a way of life and not an exception. Following the Po River to its estuary on the Adriatic Sea, you'll find some gorgeous fishing villages with canals and tiny bridges: miniature Venices where the locals breed, cook, serve and eat: eels!

Don't worry though, our Italian eels aren't electric and traditionally, native Italians discriminate between genders (!) and include in the Christmas Eve feast only the male! The 7 Fish Christmas Feast is just an Italian-American thing as Italy has a very diverse cuisine and endless culinary traditions!

Turin's elegant Art Nouveau palazzos where real people live

Geography is intertwined with history, even more so in Italy where locality speaks of craftsmanship and art, besides flavors, colors and materials. The Southern volcanoes have always inspired Italian writers and painters; Napoleon was exiled to Elba Island - a very popular summer destination among Italians, yet undetected by most international tourists. Sardinia's emerald waters are on the map of the wealthiest of our planet, but most vacationers are still Italian. And as much as Venice is loved and overcrowded, very few international tourists are aware of its glass blowing workshops, International Film Festival and Art Biennale. 

When interested in Italy, always scratch the surface, learn its history and geography and you'll find a kaleidoscopic nation with an endless reservoir of treasures.

If you are already familiar with the usual places, keep digging and googling, find out about Le Marche region by Umbria: its towns will blow your mind away!!

Let the less touristy places allure you over... Turin and Piedmont will never disappoint you and are the real hidden gems of Italy!

Real people live and work in Turin's Roman lanes and downtown aristocratic palazzos

Italy is literally 'like a chocolate box': each place you go 'you never know what you are gonna get' besides beauty, art, history and great food & wine culture!

It all started in Turin, so let it bring you back where the Italian nation and the Italian national sense were born.

Email Lucia: turinepi@gmail.com

for your private tours, tastings, private classes, concierge, consulting and more!