Italian Facts for Children
When children are first learning about different cultures, it is important to share fun and interesting facts with them to enlighten and interest them in history and the way people live. Because the United States is a melting pot of cultures, children will most likely recognize popular cuisine such as spaghetti and pizza, which they may not have known are Italian. Sharing both familiar and unfamiliar Italian traditions and culture will intrigue children without overwhelming them.
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Pizza
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The world's first pizzeria opened in Naples in 1830. The first pizza delivery occurred when an Italian restaurant owner was told to make a special dish for Queen Margherita Teresa Giovanni. He made a pizza with the colors of the Italian flag: white mozzarella cheese, green basil and red tomatoes. The dish was called the Margherita pizza. Because the queen did not want to leave the palace, the pizza was delivered to her. The first American pizzeria opened in 1905.
Location and Geography
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Italy is a peninsula, meaning it is surrounded by water on three sides. It is located in southern Europe and is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The capital of Italy is Rome. Over 75 percent of Italy is mountainous or hilly. Italy's three active volcanoes are called Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli. It also experiences more earthquakes than any other European country.
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Famous Italians
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Born in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was a famous Italian artist, inventor and scholar. His most famous paintings are "The Last Supper" and the "Mona Lisa." He also experimented with building military weapons and a flying machine.
Michelangelo is another famous Italian artist, born in 1475. His most famous sculptures are "David" and "La Pietà." He is famous for painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Galileo Galilei was a famous Italian astronomer born in 1564. He created a telescope that allowed him to observe the sky, and he made a microscope that allowed him to see small organisms. He was the first to discover that Earth orbited around the sun.
Historical Facts
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Italian societies were formed in 1200 B.C. In A.D. 117 the Roman empire was at its largest and stretched from Portugal to Syria and from Britain to North Africa. Between A.D. 1300 and 1600, Florence and Rome experienced the Renaissance, or rebirth. Italy experienced innovation in art, as many artists painted, sculpted and sketched pieces that are considered masterpieces today, such as the Sistine Chapel and the Statue of David. Innovations were also made in architecture and science.
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References
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