My Photo Treks

  Italy is the fourth-most populous member state of the European Union. Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures.  Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy, while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively. The Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC, which eventually became a republic. By the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural, political and religious centre. During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured sociopolitical collapse and barbarian invasions. Furthermore, centuries of infighting between the Italian city-states, such as the Italian Wars of the 15th and 16th centuries, left the region fragmented. Italy was almost entirely unified in 1861, establishing the Kingdom of Italy.  Italy became a republic after a referendum held on 2 June 1946, a day celebrated since as Republic Day.  The Republican Constitution was approved on 1 January 1948.