Italy: 10 things you didn’t know

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When it comes to going on holiday, there are plenty of places we want to go. But, on the whole, one thing that we require is sun and that feeling of ultimate relaxation.

A country filled with beauty and so much to see or do, it’s not surprising that Italy has become an extremely popular tourist destination. One of the best things about Italy is it doesn’t just have one type of holiday either, from city breaks or one of the ‘art holidays’ that are growing in popularity to camping holidays in Italy, there’s really no end to the possibilities.

If you’re still thinking about visiting Italy on your next holiday, we’ve compiled a list of 10 interesting things you didn’t know about the country to whet your appetite.

Wine fountain

Thought that would grab your attention. Italy is known for fabulous wine, and in the region of Abruzzo, sitting in the small Dora Sarchese vineyard, you’ll discover a fountain that has red wine flowing 24 hours a day.

UNESCO

Although Italy isn’t the biggest country in the world by a long stretch, it does have more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other. In fact, there are 53 in total, including the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and the Historic Centre of Rome.

Old education

Did you know that Italy is actually home to the world’s oldest university? Well, the University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and still operates to this day.

Protected cats

While you’ll find plenty of historic sites, you’ll also discover an army of cats throughout Italy. In Rome alone, there are an estimated 300,000 wild cats that are actually protected as they are considered sentient beings. In fact, cats are the only beings allowed to roam the ancient ruins.

Rich cats

Speaking of cats, Italy was home to probably the world’s richest cat. Following his death, a multi-millionaire left his $13 million fortune to his cat.

A ghostly island

Sitting in the Venetian Lagoon, in-between Venice and Lido, you’ll find the island of Poveglia. Once the home to a quarantine station for 160,000 plague-infected people, it then became an asylum. Abandoned since 1968, the island is thought to be haunted and is still closed to visitors today.

The exorcist

While Italy is known for being religious, it’s more religious than you think, with over half a million people visiting exorcists each year.

Low internet

Because the internet now dominates the world, you may be surprised to learn that in Italy, one-third of residents have never accessed the internet.

The Olympics

While being closely associated with the Olympic Games, Italy has only held the games once in Rome in 1960.

Giant truffles

Do you like truffles? Well, Italy is the home to a world record-breaking truffle. Discovered in 2007, it weighed 3.3 pounds and sold for $330,000.

As you can see, Italy is a place filled with so much history and interesting facts, no matter what kind of holiday you go on, you’re sure to have a great time.