welcometoitalia:

* Italy’s long coastline and developed economy draws many illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe and Africa, many of whom are passing through to move North to Germany, the Netherlands, or Scandinavia. Latin American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroine, and organized crime have all found an active market.

* Many single Italians, male and female, live at home with their parents until their 30s or beyond, even if they have a job. The family stands at the heart of Italian society.

* The world’s first operas were composed in Italy at the end of the 16th century. Opera reached the height of popularity in the 19th century, when the works of Rossini, Puccini, and Verdi became popular. The late tenor Luciano Pavarotti is a national celebrity, and Claudio Monteverdi is regarded as the father of the modern opera.

* The Tower of Pisa is famous for leaning over 14 feet from the perpendicular. It was built in 1173 and began to lean soon after, probably due to a poorly laid foundation. After reconstruction efforts in 2008, engineers declared the tower would be stable for at least another 200 years.

* The Arabs brought dried pasta to Italy in the 13th century (though fresh pasta was made before then). It was commonly eaten with honey and sugar – tomato sauce was not added until the 17th century. The old-fashioned way of eating pasta was with the fingers, arm held high and head tilted back. Pasta traditionally was made by the mother of the household, who passed the precious technique to her daughters. There are currently more than 500 different types of pasta eaten in Italy.