Italy is a country in southern Europe, shaped like a tall boot kicking a ball (the island of Sicily). It juts into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps mountain range forming its northern border with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.

Italy holds an extraordinary place in human history. Ancient Rome, centered in Italy, built one of history's greatest empires, spreading roads, aqueducts, laws, and the Latin language across Europe. Roman engineering and architecture still influence how we build today. After Rome fell, Italy remained culturally powerful: during the Renaissance (roughly 1300-1600), Italian cities like Florence, Venice, and Rome became centers of art, science, and learning that transformed European civilization. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Galileo all worked in Italy.

Today Italy is known for its art, architecture, fashion, and cuisine. Cities like Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan contain some of the world's most famous buildings, sculptures, and paintings. Italian foods like pizza, pasta, and gelato are enjoyed worldwide.

Italy became a unified country only in 1861, before which it was divided into many separate kingdoms and city-states. Its capital is Rome, and its population speaks Italian, a language that evolved from Latin. The very small independent country of Vatican City, home to the Pope and headquarters of the Catholic Church, sits entirely within the city of Rome.