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Italy Facts and Figures The Republic of Italy Name : Italy/Italia | Italian Republic/Repubblica Italiana AREA : 116,348 square miles – 301,000 sq. km (world comparison: 73) 97.6% land, 2.4% water Land use: agriculture - 47.1% (2018 est) forest - 31.4% (2018 est) Other - 21.5% (2018 est) Border line 1,148 mi (1,836 km) -Austria (253 mi/404 km), France (298 mi/476 km), Vatican (2.1 mi/3.4 km), San Marino (23 mi/37 km), Slovenia (136 mi/218 km), Switzerland (436 mi/698 km) POPULATION : (Jan-2022 est.) : 61.1 million World rank: 23 Birth rate: 6.95/1,000 Death rate: 11.3/1,000 Ages 13.5% less than 15 yrs. old 64.5% ages 15 – 65 22% over 65 Life expectancy (at birth) male: 80.3 yrs​ female: 85.1 yrs Total: 82.6 yrs 72% Urban, 29% Rural (2022 est) Rome: 4.3 mil, Milan: 3.2 mil, Naples: 2.2 mil, Turin: 0.9 mil, Palermo: 0.9 mil​ 488 People/sq mile (189/ sq. Km) Ethnic Groups Italian, small minorities German, French, Slovene, Albanian and Greek LANGUAGES : I talian (small sections speak German or Slovene) CAPITAL, REGIONS AND MAJOR CITIES (2019 est.) Rome – 2.9 million (Capital) Milan – 3.1 million Naples – 2.2 million Turin – 1.8 million 15 regions Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto​ 5 autonomous regions ​Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardegna (Sardinia), Sicilia (Sicily), Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German), Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley)​ ECONOMY / GDP : $2.3 trill (GDP/ capita; Agriculture-9%; Industry & Commerce-32%; Services Exports $496 B Partners Germany 12.5% France 10.3% US 9% Spain 5.2% UK 5.2% Switzerland 4.6% Imports $ 433 B Partners Germany 16.3% France 8.8% China 7.1% Netherlands 5.6% Spain 5.3% Belgium 4.5% Tourism $ 24 B National Budget Revenues – $903 B Expenditures – $948 B RELIGION Christian – 80.8% (mostly Roman Catholic) Muslim – 4.9% Unaffiliated – 13.4% ​Other – 0.9% EDUCATION Education expenditure: 4.3% of GDP Literacy (2020 est.) ​Education is free and compulsory for ages 6-13 99.2% of adult population is literate 90 Universities (2017 est.) ​ ​HEALTH Hospital Beds – 3.12 per 1,000 population Physicians – 4 per 1,000 population (2020 est.) Infant Mortality – 2.43 per 1,000 population GOVERNMENT Parlamentary Republic Capital: Rome (standard time: 6 hours ahead of New York) Cabinet President (Chief of State) : Sergio Mattarella (independent) – born 7/23/1941, elected on January 31, 2015, succeeding President Giorgio Napolitano, who resigned on 1/14/2015. The President is elected for a 7-year term by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives. President Mattarella was re-elected on January 29, 2022 Cabinet Prime Minister (Head of Government) : Giorgia Meloni , born 15 January 1977, has been serving as the prime minister of Italy since 22 October 2022, the first woman to hold this position. A member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2006, she has led the Brothers of Italy (FdI) political party since 2014, and she has been the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party since 2020. Governing Coalition (2022) Giorgia Meloni FdI Matteo Salvini LN Silvio Berlusconi FI Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi are Deputy Prime Ministers, each with the official title of Vice President of the Council of Ministers. Cabinet Referred to as Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister and approved by the President. ​ Legislature Bicameral Legislature or “Parlamento” consists of the Senate or “Senato” holding 326 seats, 315 elected by popular vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected by regional proportional representation, and 11 senators are appointed for-life. Members serve five-year terms. ​ Chamber of Deputies or “Camera dei Deputati” holding 630 seats, 475 members are elected directly and 155 are elected by regional proportional representation. Members serve five-year terms Political Division ​20 regions with, some autonomy, divided into 95 provinces. ​ Political Parties (2022 elections 9/25/2022, next on 9/30/2027) Governing Coalition (Center Right) : Brothers of Italy (FdI 65 seats) - Giorgia Meloni, Council Chair/Prime Minister), Northern League (Lega Nord 30 seats or Lega) - Matteo SALVINI, Forza Italia (FI 18 seats) - Silvio Berlusconi. Center - Left-Coalition: Democratic Party (PD 40 seats) - Valentina Cuppi Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (AVS 3 seats) - Angelo Bonelli/Nicola Fratoianni Muovimento 5 Stelle (M5S 28 seats) - Beppe Grillo Italia Viva (IV 9 seats) - Matteo Renzi Südtiroler Volkspartei (South Tyrolean People’s Party / SVP 2 seats) - Philipp Achammer Sud chiama Nord (South calls North/SCN 1 seat) - Cateno De Luca Other Parties and Parliamentary Groups: Action (Azione/A o Az) - Carlo Calenda Article One (Articolo Uno/Art.1 ) - Roberto Speranza Associative Movement of Italians Abroad (Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero, MAIE ) - Ricardo Antonio Merlo August 24th Movement (Movimento 24 Agosto/M24A) - Pino Aprile Base Camp (Campobase) - Micheal Rech Centrists for Europe (Centristi per l'Europa/CpE) - Pier Ferdinanco Casini Courage Italy (Coraggio Italia/CI) - Luigi Brugnaro Democratic Center (Centro Democratico/CD) - Bruno Tabacci Fassa Association (Associazione Fassa/Fassa) - Francesco Pitscheider Free and Equal (Liberi e Uguali/LeU) - Pietro Grasso Green Europe (Europa Verde/EV) - Marco Boato/Fiorella Zabatta Italian Left (Sinistra Italiana/SI) - Maria Gabriella Branca Italy in the Center (Italia al Centro/IaC) - Giovanni Toti It is Alive (èViva) - Francesco Laforgia More Europe (+EU/Piu Europa) - Emma Bonino New Italian Socialist Party (Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano/NPSI) - Stefano Caldoro Popular Civic List (Civica Populare/CP) - Beatrice Lorenzin Possible (Possibile/Pos) - Beatrice Brignone Progressive Party (Partito Progressista) - Massimo Zedda Solidary Democracy (Democrazia Solidale/Demo S) - Mario Giro Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party (Partito Autonomista Trentino Tirolese/PATT) - Franco Panizza Union of the Center (Unione di Centro/UdC) - Antonio de Poli Us with Italy (Noi con L'Italia/NcI) - Maurizio Lupi Valdostan Union (Union valdôtaine/UV) - Christina Machet Will Become very Beautiful (Diventerà Bellissima) - Nello Musumeci Political Influencers The Roman Catholic Church; Workers Union (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro/CGIL) , left wing, Italian Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions (Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL) , Catholic centrist (Centristi Cattolici) Italian Labor Union (Unione Italiana del Lavoro/UIL) , Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confederazione Industria, Confederazione Commercio) ; Organized farm groups (Confederazione Coltivatori, Confederazione Agricoltura) Voting Qualification Universal voting rights for all citizens age 18 and older ​ Judicial Branch/Highest Court Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Costituzionale, composed of 15 judges One-third appointed by the president One-third elected by Parliament One-third elected by the ordinary and administrative supreme courts Armed Services​ (2021 est) Mandatory 12-month service by men ages 18 -25 Budget: $32 B (1.5% of GDP) Army – 97,000​ Navy – 29,500 Air Force – 40,500 Paramilitary – 174,000 (Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza) Reserve: 18,300 Transportation​ Air (2017 est.) : Airports – 134 Paved – 98 Unpaved – 31 Heliports – 5 Registered Air Carriers Scheduled airlines - 3 (Air Dolomiti, ITA Airways, Neos) Charter airlines - 39 (Aer Sicilia, Aeroitalia, AF Air, Air Corporate, Air Four, Air Panarea, Air Service Center, Air Walser, Airaia, Airgreen, Alba Servizi Aerotrasporti, Alidaunia, Alieurope, Aliparma, Aliven, Avionord, Avioriprese, Benair, Compagnia Generale Ripreseaeree, Eas Aeroservizi, Elicar, Elilario Italia, Elitaliana, Elitellina, Elilombarda, Elimediterranea, Eliossola, Elifriulia, Eurofly Service, Fly Jet, Icaro Aero Taxi, Jetcom, Jet-Ops Europe, PeopleFly, Professione Volare, Sardinian Sky Service, Sirio, Sirio Executive, Star Work Sky) Cargo Airlines - 4 (AirCargo Airlines, Cargolux Italia, Poste Air Cargo, Sw Italia) Annual passengers on registered aircraft – 26 million Annual freight on registered aircraft – 945 million metric ton kilometers Air Traffic through busiest Italian airports (2020 data reflecting a 60% decrease impact due to pandemic) ​​ Rome - 9.7 mil Milan (MXP) - 7.2 mil Bergamo - 3.8 mil ​ Catania - 3.6 mil Venice - 2.7 mil Rail (2014 est.) : 12,541 mi (20,182 km) tracks Standard Gauge – 11,663 mi (18,770 km) Narrow gauge – 76 mi (122 km) Roadways (2007 est.) : 303,000 mi (487,700 km) Waterways (2012 est.) : 1,490 mi (2,400 km) Merchant Marine (2019 est.) : 1,353 Bulk carrier – 48 Container ships – 9 General cargo – 116 Oil tankers – 120 Other – 1,060 Ports and Terminals (2017 est.) : Major seaports Augusta (East coast of Sicily) Cagliari (Sardegna) Genova (province of Liguria) Livorno (South West of Pisa) Taranto (Southern Italy – bay inside the “boot”) Trieste (close to Venice, bordering Croatia) Venice Oil Terminal Melilli (East coast of Sicily) Sarroch (near Cagliari, Sardinia) Container Ports (in twenty-foot equivalent unit, also referred to as TEU or teu) Genova – 2.6 million Gioia Tauro 2.5 million (province of Reggio Calabria) LNG Terminals (Liquefied Natural Gas) La Spezia (North East of Florence) Panigaglia (South of La Spezia) Porto Levante (South of Venice) Refugees and Illegal Immigration Given its geographic location and long coastlines, especially to the South facing North Africa, Italy has historically been a favored destination for refugees, embarking often on unsafe small vessels attempting to make their journey from or via North Africa to the Southern coast of Italy. Many attempts result in fatalities. Between 2015 and 2018, an estimated 504,000 refugees and migrants landed at the Southern Italian coast, predominantly originating from Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Somalia, Gambia, Ukraine, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, and Eritrea. References: CIA World Facts, www.governo.it Home

Risorgimento The repressive and reactionary policies imposed on Italy by the Austrian leader Klemens, Fürst von Metternich, and the Congress of Vienna aggravated popular discontent, and the expansion of Austrian control in Italy stimulated intense anti-foreign sentiment. ​ A series of unsuccessful revolts led in the 1820s by the Carbonari, a conspiratorial nationalist organization, and in the 1830s by Mazzini’s Young Italy group, provided the background for the Revolution of 1848, which developed in every major Italian city and throughout Europe. These conditions gave rise to the Italian unification movement known as the Risorgimento. Revolutionaries and patriots, especially Giuseppe Mazzini, began to work actively for unity and independence. Italy's History

Italian Unification (detailed version) 1672-1803 Muratori, Alfieri and Genovesi ignite the fire of revolution. 1796 Milan is occupied by the French under French General Napoleon Bonaparte who founds the Cispadane Republic (including Modena, Bologna, and Ferrara). 1797 Pope submits to Bonaparte; Uprisings against French in Verona; French enter Venice; Cisalpine Republic established in Lombardy; Venice given to Austria. 1798 Roman Republic declared; Ferdinand IV enters Rome (later retaken by French); Abdication of Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy. 1799 French occupation of Naples; Milan taken by Russians; Austrians enter Turin; Naples capitulates to Bourbons. 1801 Napoleon occupies Milan; Kingdom of Etruria founded by Napoleon in Tuscany; Treaty of Florence between France and Naples. 1802 Cisalpine Republic called Italian Republic; France annexes Piedmont. 1805 Napoleon crowns himself King of Italy; Ligurian Republic annexed to France; also Parma and Piacenza. 1806 Venetia annexed to Kingdom of Italy; Joseph Bonaparte declared King of the Two Sicilies. 1808 Joachim Murat becomes King of Naples; Papal States partly annexed to Kingdom of Italy. 1809 Napoleon annexes Rome and Papal States to French empire. 1814 Napoleon defeated; banished to Elba. 1820 Revolt in Naples. 1821 Revolt in Piedmont. 1831 Revolution in the Papal States; King Charles Albert becomes King of Sardinia; “Young Italy” founded by Mazzini. 1845 Pius IX becomes Pope. 1848 Uprisings in Palermo; Constitutional edict in Naples; Constitutional monarchy proclaimed in Piedmont; Constitution granted in Rome, Republic proclaimed with Mazzini as head. Successful revolution in Milan; Venice proclaimed a Republic; Charles Albert [Piedmont and Sardinia] invades Lombardy; Tuscan forces invade Lombardy; Naples constitution denied; Union of Venetia and Piedmont declared, soon overthrown; Battle of Custoza, Charles Albert defeated. 1849 Charles Albert abdicates in favor of Victor Emmanuel II; Sicilian revolution crushed by Naples; Austrians take Florence; Venice surrenders to Austria. 1850 Cavour becomes Prime Minister in Sardinia-Piedmont (Piemonte). 1852 Napoleon III becomes emperor of France. 1858 Meeting of Cavour and Napoleon III. 1859 War between Austria and Sardinia Piedmont; Austria defeated by Piemontese and French; Sardinia gains Lombardy. 1860 Tuscany and Emilia declare for union with Sardinia-Piedmont; Revolution in Sicily, Garibaldi lands and is victorious; invades Italy and gains victory; enters Naples Piemontese army under Victor Emmanuel take over from Garibaldi; Marche and Umbria vote for annexation to Piedmonte. 1861 Sicily and Naples vote to join Kingdom of Italy; Kingdom of Italy proclaimed. 1866 Italy joins Prussia in War against Austria; gains Venetia; 1870 Italian troops occupy Rome when French abandon city; 1871 (July) Rome made Capital of Kingdom ​ During the 18th century, intellectual changes began to dismantle traditional values and institutions. Liberal ideas from France and Britain spread rapidly, and from 1789 the French Revolution became the genesis of “liberal Italians”. A series of political and military events resulted in a unified kingdom of Italy in 1861. The settlements reached in 1815 at the Vienna Congress had restored Austrian domination over the Italian peninsula but had left Italy completely fragmented . The Congress had divided the territory among a number of European nations and the victors of the Napoleonic Wars. The Kingdom of Sardinia recovered Piedmont (Piemonte), Nice, and Savoy and acquired Genoa. ​ There were three major obstacles to unity at the time the congress took place, i.e. (a) the Austrian occupation of Lombardy and Venice in the north, (b) the principality under the sovereignty of the pope, i.e. the Papal States that controlled the center of the Italian peninsula; and (c) the existence of various states that had maintained independence, such as the Kingdom of Sardinia, also called Piedmont-Sardinia, which located at the French border had slowly expanded since the Middle Ages and was considered the most advanced state in Italy. The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia and the region called Piedmont in northwestern Italy. The Kingdom of Sicily that occupied the island of Sicily and the entire southern half of the Italian peninsula . Other small states were the duchies of Toscana (Tuscany), Parma, and Modena. In each of these states, the monarchs (all relatives of the Habsburgs, the ruling family of Austria) exercised absolute powers of government. Giuseppe Mazzini Giuseppe Mazzini, an Italian patriot spearheaded a national revolutionary movement. Mazzini’s ideology of an independent integrated republic spread quickly among large segments of the Italian people. Revolutionary cells formed throughout the Italian peninsula. Massive reforms that took place during the 1840s in the Papal States, Lucca, Tuscany, and the Kingdom of Sardinia were intended to slow the revolutionary movements, instead these reforms (1846 and 1847) only intensified the resolve of the revolutionary cells culminating in the Revolutions of 1848, that spread to Germany, the Austrian Empire, France, and parts of northern Italy. ​ The first revolution on the Italian peninsula took place in the Kingdom of Sicily, which resulted in a constitution for the whole kingdom. An insurrection in 1848 caused pope Pius IX to flee Rome and a republic was proclaimed. King Charles Albert of Sardinia mobilized his army and marched to the assistance of Lombardy and joined in the war to drive the Austrians from Italian soil. ​ ​While it initially looked as if the independence and unity of Italy was a realistic possibility, the Austrians defeated the Piedmontese and Charles Albert had to abdicate. His son, Victor Emmanuel II, succeeded him in 1849. A new revolutionary leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi, could not avoid Rome’s destruction by the French in 1849. Only Sardinia held firm to their constitutional government. Count Camillo di Cavour became prime minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia In 1852 . It was his leadership and accommodating policies that led to the unification of Italy in little more than a decade. ​ Count of Cavour Cavour was able to persuade Napoleon to a secretly planned war against Austria. By early 1859, Cavour had caused a crisis that provoked the Austrians to send an ultimatum demanding Piedmontese disarmament. As part of the “plan”, Cavour rejected the ultimatum which led to the subsequent war with the Austrians.The French came to the aid of the Piedmontese and the Austrians were defeated in the two major battles of Magenta and Solferino. The Austrians were forced to surrender Lombardy, with its great city of Milan (my home town), to Napoleon III. Finally, in 1859, Napoleon transferred Lombardy to the sovereignty of Victor Emmanuel II. Following elections during 1859 and 1860, all northern states (of the Italian peninsula), except Venetia, which was still part of Austria, joined the Kingdom of Sardinia. Napoleon’s growing concern with respect to the sudden (large) size of his neighbor was resolved in part by the cessation of the Sardinian provinces of Savoy, near the Alps, and Nice, on the Mediterranean coast to France in 1860 . After 1860, the only French presence on the Italian peninsula was in the city of Rome, where French troops remained at the request of the pope. Giuseppe Garibaldi Italian nationalist revolutionary hero and leader in the struggle for Italian unification and independence. Born in 1807 in Nice, France, he joined Mazzini’s movement in 1833. In 1834 Garibaldi was ordered to seize a warship, but the plot was discovered by police and he was condemned to death. Giuseppe Garibaldi He escaped to South America, where he lived for 12 years. There he displayed unusual qualities of military leadership while participating in the revolt of the state of Rio Grande do Sul against Brazil, as well as later in a civil war in Uruguay. In 1848, Garibaldi traveled to the United States settled in Staten Island, New York, and later became a US citizen. ​ During the same year he returned to Italy and participated (again) in the movement for Italian freedom and unification, which became widely known as the Risorgimento (Italian for “revival”). Italy's History

Italian Anthem Fratelli d'Italia [ official title: Il Canto degli Italiani ] The music was composed by Michele Novaro in 1847 (born: 12/23/1818 in Genova - died: 10/21/1885 in Genova) Michele Novaro The Lyrics to the songe were written by Goffredo Mameli , a very young poet (born: 9/5/1827 in Genova died: 7/6/1849 in Rome) and patriot, who played a major role in the risorgimento. Goffredo Mameli The song is also known as “L’Inno di Mameli”. Beginning in 1861, when Italy became a united nation, the song was known as the “March of the House of Savoy” and it became the official Anthem in 1948 when Italy finally was proclaimed a Republic. “Fratelli d’Italia, l’Italia s’è desta” translates to “Italian Brothers, Italy has Arisen”. The words are meant to remind the battles for freedom waged by the Lombard towns, the Florentine republic, the Genovese, together with the young Balilla, against the Austrians, and the Sicilians against the French in the so-called Sicilian Vespers. There are different versions of how Mameli actually came to write the anthem. One reports that Mameli took the anthem to the musician Michele Novaro a friend, who lived in Turin. Novaro composed the music, and Mameli returned to Genoa where he presented words and music to his friends. Shortly thereafter, Fratelli D’Italia was played for the first time, at a popular assembly. The tune began to run like wildfire throughout the peninsula. It was on everyone’s lips, in defiance of the Austrian, Bourbon and Papal police. ​ The other and equally persuasive story goes that one evening in 1847, in the house of the American consul, the center of discussion was the uprisings of the day. Urged by many of the consul’s guests, Mameli improvised a few lines on the spot and later wrote the rest. A few days later a friend took the poem to Turin and read it aloud at a nobleman’s party. The composer Michele Novaro, who was a guest at the same party, tried a few notes on the piano and then, went home to compose the sequel. The anthem was sung for the first time the next day by a group of political exiles in the Caffè della Lega Italiana of Turin.​ Click to Play Fratelli d’Italia | Italian brothers ​L’Italia s’è desta | ​Italy has arisen ​Dell’elmo di Scipio | With Scipio’s helmet S’è cinta la testa | binding her head. Dov’è la Vittoria? | Where is Victory? ​Le porga la chioma ; | Let her bow down, ​Chè schiava di Roma Iddio la creò | For God has made her the slave of Rome ​Stringiamoci a coorte , | Let us gather in legions ​Siam pronti alla morte : | Ready to die ​Italia chiamò | Italy has called Noi siamo da secoli | We for centuries ​Calpesti e derisi | downtrodden and ridiculed Perchè non siam popolo , | Because we are not a people ​Perchè siam divisi ; | Because we are divided ​Raccolgaci un’unica Bandiera, un speme | Let one flag, one hope Di fonderci insieme ; | Bring us together ​​Già l’ora suonò . | The hour has struck ​Stringiamoci a coorte , | Let us gather in legions ​Siam pronti alla morte: | We are ready to die ​​Italia chiamò | Italy has called Uniamoci, amiamoci; | Let us unite and love one another L’unione e l’amore | the union and love Rivelano ai popoli | Reveal to peoples Le vie del Signore | The ways of the Lord​ Giuriamo far libero | Let us swear to free ​​Il suolo natío | Our native soil​​ Uniti per Dio | united under God​ Chi vincer ci può? . | Who can conquer us​ ​Stringiamoci a coorte , | Let us gathe|r in legions​​ ​Siam pronti alla morte : | We are ready to die Italia chiamò | Italy called Dall’Alpi a Sicilia | From the Alps to Sicily ​Dovunque è Legnano | Everywhere it is Legnano​ Ogni uom di Ferruccio : | Every man of Ferruccio​ Ha il cuor e la mano . | has the heart ​​and the hand​ I bimbi d’Italia | ​The children of Italy​ ​Si chiamano Balilla : | ​Are called Balilla​​ Il suon d’ogni squilla | ​Every trumpet blast ​​I vespri suonò . | ​Sounded the Vespers ​​Stringiamoci a coorte | Let us gather in legions Home

Piemonte Capital: Torino Area: 25,387 km2 | 9,802 mi2 Population: 4,252,279 (2019 est) Provinces: Alessandria | Asti | Biella | Cuneo | Novara | Torino | Verbano-Cusio-Ossola | Vercelli ​ Italy Rivers/Bodies of Water: Banna Belbo Bormida Bormida di Millesimo Bormida di Spigno Chisone Chiusella Comba Dora Baltea Dora Riparia Ellero Elvo Germagnano Luissa Orba Orc Pellice Pesio Rio Casotto Sesia Stellone Stura Stura di Lanzo Stura di Ala Stura di Viù Tanaro Toce Regions

Veneto Italy Capital: Venezia Area: 18,345 km2 | 7,083 mi2 Population: 4,854,633 (2019 est) Provinces: Belluno | Padova| Rovigo | Treviso | Venezia | Verona | Vicenza ​ ​ Rivers/Bodies of Water: Agno Astico Bacchiglione Livenza Loncon Musone Piave Sile Tagliamento Tartar Vanoi Regions

Sardegna Capital: Calgari Area: 24,099 km2 | 9,305 mi2 Population: 1,579,181 (2019 est) Provinces: Cagliari | Nuoro | Oristano | Sassari | Sud Sardegna ​ Rivers/Bodies of Water: Cedrino Cixerri Coghinas Flumendosa Liscia Mannu Posada Taloro Terno Tirso Italy Regions

About this Website This website provides useful information about Italy and its rich history. I am also periodically adding general information related to my family, general historic events, and business related information. My original website crashed thanks to an update by the web design platform I used when I first built the site in the late 1990s. I have re-built and updated my original arcaini.com site, which now is arcaini.net . According to plan, the arcaini.com site will automatically be re-directed to this arcaini.net site. Please let me know if you are experiening ay issue with visiting or navigating the site. About Me I was born in Milan, Italy (let’s say, long time ago), to my mother "Marianne (Mädy)", originally from Munich, Bavaria, Germany, and my father, Prof. Ferruccio Arcaini, a true Milanese Italian. I completed my early education at a Jesuit Boarding school in Austria and attended high school in Germany. I graduated from a state business school in Frankfurt, Germany. ​ Prior to immigrating to the United States in 1983, I spent over 10 years in various executive capacities in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and The Netherlands, where I joined Robex International Recreatie Groep (Resort Development Group) as Executive Vice President. Robex was the largest European multi-national resort development company at the time, with headquarters in Amsterdam the Netherlands, and subsidiaries in 9 countries. The company was a joint venture of three publicly traded companies, who appointed me to the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1981. I eventually acquired the company in a leveraged buyout, and subsequently led the expansion of the company’s operations to the United States. I immigrated to the US with my family in 1983 (the best decision I have ever made), where I took residence in Jacksonville, Florida (another luckily great choice). ​ I have been Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of multiple companies, both domestic and overseas since 1981. I retired in September of 2020 from my position as Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Duos Technologies Group, Inc., and its operating subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc., a high-tech solutions provider with focus on the security and transportation industries. Earlier that year, my capable team and I completed the company's uplisting to NASDAQ, a national public exchange (NASDAQ: DUOT). ​ During my tenure at Duos, I have been the primary inventor of eleven (11) technology patents and a myriad of non-patented technology solutions currently being commercialized in various applications. ​ When Katheryne Chappell Drennon, the owner of Chappell Early Learning Centers, and one of my closest friends, passed away in 2015, I followed her wish to join the board of Trustees of her Family trust, who is the owner of Chappell Schools. After some reorganization I also joined the Board of Directors of Chappell Schools, LLC, who's Chairman I remain today. ​ I see myself as a visionary with a deep understanding of the realities of building and growing companies with ties to both sides of the ocean. I function best and am most effective when faced with complex challenges. ​ I am fluent in German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and English and conversational in French, so feel free to write your emails in any of these languages.

Cinque Terre Italy Cinque Terre is the most southern part of the Ligurian Coast. The name “Cinque Terre” originally stems from the 5 (in Italian 5 is “cinque”) villages located on the rocks and mountains along the Levantine Riviera (Riviera di Levante), i.e., Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore,. The 18 kilometer (app. 11 miles) stretch of paradise is not only known for its natural beauty, but also for its original Roman architecture, castles and, let’s not forget, an extraordinary wine known as “sciacchetrà”. Cinque Terre's most significant landmark is the village of “Monterosso al Mare”. It is the largest of the five towns. Originally a fortified village, it is especially known today for its splendid beaches, the only town in Cinque Terre hosting beaches. Monterosso Monterosso al Mare is home to the historic remains of the castle “Castello dei Fieschi”, the bell tower of the church of “San Giovanni Battista” (St. John the Baptist), my name patron, and the 16th century capuchin monastery, home to significant art treasures attributed to Van Dick, Piola and Ren​ Vernazza at Night The ancient Roman port of Vernazza and the origin of the name of the village of Corniglia (“Cornelia”, a Roman tribe) are settled evidence that the region of the Cinque Terre was inhabited by Romans who later founded the villages known to date. Manarola The village of Manarola is notorious for its exceptional scenic vistas and picturesque houses.facing the sea. It is a sub-division of the municipality of Riomaggiore, and hosts a small harbour. This is the actual birthplace of the revered desert wine “sciacchetrà”. Riomaggiore Riomaggiore is the most southern town of the Cinque Terre region. The colorful houses hug a small harbour, which is the center of the local fishing trade, and rental of small boats and kayaks. Not far from the harbour is a tiny pebble beach, however, swimming is not allowed there. The road from Riomaggiore to Manarola is also known as the “Promenade of Love. ​ Cinque Terre can be reached by train or car, although, by enlarge the villages are off limits for cars, subject to some exceptions for local residents. If you travel to Cinque Terre by car, you will have to park outside the villages, only Monterosso has parking lots inside the village. ​ One of the most important specialties of the Cinque Terre are the culinary varities. Each town/village has its own specialty, mainly centering on seafood and variances of the famous Ligurian cusine. Distance Cinque Terre To >> GENOA 88 Km/55 mi MILAN 225 Km/140 mi FLORENCE 204 Km/127 mi ROME 456 Km/283 mi Regions

Lombardia Capital: Milano Area: 23,863 km2 | 9,214 mi2 Population: 9,965,046 (2019 est) Provinces: Bergamo | Brescia | Como | Cremona | Lecco | Lodi | Mantova | Milano | Monza | Brianza | Pavia | Sondrio | Varese ​ Rivers/Bodies of Water: Adda Agogna Allione Arbogna-Erbognone Borlezza Bormina Brembo Caffaro Canal Bianco Canale Acque Alte Canale Muzza Canale Quintino Sella Canale Villoresi Cherio Chiese Coppa Curone Dezzo Dugale Enna Frodolfo Gàmbara Garza Grigna Imagna Lambro Lambro Meridionale Liro Lura Màllero Màsino Mella Mera Mincio Mòlgora Naviglio Cìvico di Cremona Naviglio della Martesana Naviglio di Pavia Naviglio Grande Naviglio Langosco Oglio Ogliolo di Èdolo Olona Pioverna Po Poia Poschiavino Roasco Scurpasso Secchia Serio Serio Morto Sesia Sèveso Spol Stabina Stàffora Strone Terdoppio Ticino Toscolano Tresa Versa Italy Regions

Rome The Seven Hills of Rome Although archaeological discoveries suggest that settlements in and around Rome date back to 1000 BC, historians have agreed that Rome was founded on one of the 7 hills in 753 BC. For centuries, the term “Seven Hills” was used to describe the Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine, and Palatine hills surrounding the ancient community. In Latin: "Septimontem" or "Septem Montes Urbis Romae". Each hilltop about 50 m (165 feet) high. Monte Capitoline (Capitoline Hill) was long the seat of Rome’s government, and the Palatine Hill was the site of such great structures as the Palace of the Flavians, built by emperor Domitian. In modern days, however, most of the hills are not distinguishable from the adjacent plain. Other hills of Rome include the Pincian (Pincio) and the Janiculum.​ Palazzo Chigi - Seat of Italian's Government Monte Capitolino (Capitoline Hill) was long the seat of Rome’s government, and the Palatine Hill was the site of such great structures as the Palace of the Flavians, built by emperor Domitian. Rome is arguably the most beautiful and fascinating city in the world and retained its title as the most visited destination in Italy for decades. Named the ‘Eternal City”, in 2019, Rome welcomed over 15 million tourists of which over 9 million were international travelers. The Vatican and the Colosseum are the main destinations. With up to 20,000 visitors per day during the summer, the Vatican hosts visitors from around the world of virtually every religion and faith. Although, rumor has it that visits to the Sistine Chapel will soon be limited due to the negative impact to the art and buildings mass tourism causes. Colosseum by Night Rome City View Trevi Fountain St.PetersBasilica Images of Rome's architecture, landmarks and historic sites Saint Peter's Basilica Saint Peter's Basilica Colosseum of Rome The Colosseum is one of the most famous ancient landmarks in the center of Rome. It is an oval-shaped amphitheatre St.PetersBasilica Images of Rome's architecture, landmarks and historic sites 1/6 Altar of the Fatherland Images Source: www.governo.it , WIX stock Regions

Bronze Age By 2000 BC, immigrants from the east had brought the art of metalworking to southern Italy and Sicily, and northern Italian cultures of the same period developed strong links with cultures living north of the Alps. During the Bronze Age (c.1800-1000 BC), most of central and southern Italy had unified to a culture known as the Apennine, recognized by large agricultural and pastoral settlements. ​ Evidence, found in Sicily and along the southeastern coast of Italy, suggests the start of trading contacts with the Mycenaeans. After c.1500 BC, in the northern Italian Po Valley , the Terramare culture, known for building its villages on wooden piles, its new techniques of bronze workings, and its cremation rites, rose to prominence. By the time of the introduction of iron into Italy (c.1000 BC), regional variations were already well established. Image Source: Austrian Academy of Sciences Italy's History