In 2008, Italy spent $65,000,000 to bail out the Parmesan cheese industry.
23
2
Italy
Italy is giving away more than 100 historic buildings…
Italy is giving away more than 100 historic buildings – including castles, houses, and towers – in a bid to boost ‘slow tourism’ and tempt visitors away from the overcrowded city centers. To get your hands on the sites, you need to have a clear plan of how they’d be transformed into a tourist facility. Successful applicants will get the rights to the property for nine years, with the option to renew the contract for a further nine. And entrepreneurs with a proposal for turning the sites into a tourist facility could be given a 50-year lease in some cases.
16
2
Italy didn’t have tomatoes until 1548…
Italy didn’t have tomatoes until 1548, which is why traditional Italian food doesn’t use tomatoes.
27
6
The Italian government is offering all 18 year olds…
The Italian government is offering all 18 year olds a €500 ‘culture bonus,’ which can be spent on books, concert tickets, theatre tickets, cinema tickets, museum visits and even trips to the country’s national parks.
15
2
In Italy, it is not a crime to steal food…
In Italy, it is not a crime to steal food if you are hungry and have no other means of nourishment.
26
0
Since 1968 a man would wake up at sunrise..
Since 1968 a man would wake up at sunrise every morning and rush to the Trevi Fountain in Rome. There, he collected coins with a rack. Allegedly, in 15 minutes of work, he used to gather up to $1000. He was caught only in 2002.
7
1
The largest Chinese community in Europe is found in the…
The largest Chinese community in Europe is found in the Tuscan city of Prato. Prato’s Chinese community consists of an estimated 20,000 legal and 30,000 illegal migrants, many working in sweatshops that provide affordable “Made in Italy” textiles for China’s emerging middle class.
3
3
In 1968 a man built an island off the coast of Italy and declared himself…
In 1968 a man built an island off the coast of Italy and declared himself the President. He ran a restaurant, a bar, a nightclub, and a post office on the island. The Italian government didn’t like this, seized control of the island, and literally blew it up the next year.
7
4
In Italy, old people “adopt” students, …
In Italy, old people “adopt” students, who can’t afford rent, to their homes in exchange for company and a little help around the house.
6
2
37% of Italians have never used the inte …
37% of Italians have never used the internet (as of 2012).
11
2