No, this is not Tuesday; it is Monday. Yes, I know my Travel the World card series usually takes place on Tuesday; however - I have another commitment on my blog tomorrow, so we're Traveling the World a day early this week.
I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.
This week's country is...
Italy
Many people simply refer to the country as Italy but technically it is called the Italian Republic.
If you take a look at a map, Italy is known for looking like a high-heeled boot.
The colors of the Italian flag represent hope (green), faith (white) and charity (red).
Italy is one of the most popular places to visit in the entire world; in fact, it is the fifth most visited country in the world. Tourism accounts for over sixty percent of Italy’s national income.
Roughly €3,000 of change is thrown in the Trevi Fountain every day – that's a million pounds a year (which is approximately 1,225,000 US dollars). It is then collected and donated to charity.
Italy is home to the world’s oldest university, the University of Bologna founded in 1088.
There are over 1,500 lakes in Italy.
The national flower of Italy is the lily, but many people still consider the traditional symbolic flower of Italy to be the rose.
Rising 15,774 ft above sea level, Mont Blanc is Italy's highest mountain. It stands on the border between France and Italy and is also the highest mountain in the Alps.
One-fifth of the entire country is either hilly or mountainous.
Fourteen billion espressos are consumed in Italy each year.
Many Italians consider placing a loaf upside down to be bad luck, but the origins of this superstition have been lost. Some historians say that in the Middle Ages bread destined for the town executioner was placed this way, and it might be that the superstition started there.
According to Italians, placing a hat on a bed is bad luck. Traditionally, when priests visited the dying to give them their last rights, they would remove their hat and put it on the bed.
The fork was popularized in Italy. In Europe, the fork was not a popular eating utensil until the Italians started widely using it.
Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo (famous explorers) were Italian.
Pinocchio was first published in an Italian newspaper!
In the city of Turin, dog owners must walk their pooch at least three times a day or risk being fined.
Eat or drinking while sitting on church steps or within a church courtyard is against the law in Italy
In 2012, the town of Falciano del Massico in Campania made it illegal for residents to die because the town’s cemetery is full.
On the beaches of Eraclea on the Venetian Lido, it’s illegal to make sandcastles or any other kind of sand structure..
I decided to let this Italy fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Although the exact date is not certain, it's thought the first pair of glasses with corrective lenses were made in the late 13th century.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Stamp Set: Stamping Bella Nice to See You Petunia stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers
Papers: Recollections 110# White and SU Ballet Blue CS and SU DP
Die: MFT Wonky Stitch Rectangle
Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Enamel Dots and SU Ribbon
If you take a look at a map, Italy is known for looking like a high-heeled boot.
The colors of the Italian flag represent hope (green), faith (white) and charity (red).
Italy is one of the most popular places to visit in the entire world; in fact, it is the fifth most visited country in the world. Tourism accounts for over sixty percent of Italy’s national income.
Italy is home to the world’s oldest university, the University of Bologna founded in 1088.
There are over 1,500 lakes in Italy.
The national flower of Italy is the lily, but many people still consider the traditional symbolic flower of Italy to be the rose.
One-fifth of the entire country is either hilly or mountainous.
Fourteen billion espressos are consumed in Italy each year.
Many Italians consider placing a loaf upside down to be bad luck, but the origins of this superstition have been lost. Some historians say that in the Middle Ages bread destined for the town executioner was placed this way, and it might be that the superstition started there.
According to Italians, placing a hat on a bed is bad luck. Traditionally, when priests visited the dying to give them their last rights, they would remove their hat and put it on the bed.
Many of the finest pasta dishes have been created and perfected in Italy. What you may not know is that the use of pasta in Italy dates back to ancient history. Historians have been able to place people using pasta dishes in Italy as far back as the 4th century.
Most people eat pasta at least once a day in Italy.
While in many countries a plate of salad acts as an appetiser, in Italy it's commonly eaten after the main course. This is because the roughage in salad is thought to aid digestion. Olive oil is the only acceptable “condiment” in Italy; they do not serve salad dressing on salad.
The first ever pizza pie was made in Naples at some point back in 1860.
On average, Italians eat half a pound of bread a day. Bread is not meant to be an appetizer. Rather, Italians use it to wipe the remaining sauce off their plate.
The first thermometer was designed by an Italian inventor. Batteries were also invented in Italy.
According to Italian culture, you must respect your elders. One should always stand when an elder person enters the room.
Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the entire western world. People are waiting longer to have children than they used to in the past and many couples who do have children are having fewer.
Italians are known for communicating with hand gestures and facial expressions. They’re also known for being late!
All three of Europe's active volcanoes are in Italy. Italy also has more earthquakes than other European countries.
Around eighty-five percent of all Italians identify as belonging to the Roman Catholic church. This means that the country is very much skewed towards Catholicism. There are people who practice other religions in the country but they are a minority.
Most people eat pasta at least once a day in Italy.
While in many countries a plate of salad acts as an appetiser, in Italy it's commonly eaten after the main course. This is because the roughage in salad is thought to aid digestion. Olive oil is the only acceptable “condiment” in Italy; they do not serve salad dressing on salad.
The first ever pizza pie was made in Naples at some point back in 1860.
On average, Italians eat half a pound of bread a day. Bread is not meant to be an appetizer. Rather, Italians use it to wipe the remaining sauce off their plate.
The first thermometer was designed by an Italian inventor. Batteries were also invented in Italy.
According to Italian culture, you must respect your elders. One should always stand when an elder person enters the room.
Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the entire western world. People are waiting longer to have children than they used to in the past and many couples who do have children are having fewer.
Italians are known for communicating with hand gestures and facial expressions. They’re also known for being late!
All three of Europe's active volcanoes are in Italy. Italy also has more earthquakes than other European countries.
Around eighty-five percent of all Italians identify as belonging to the Roman Catholic church. This means that the country is very much skewed towards Catholicism. There are people who practice other religions in the country but they are a minority.
Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo (famous explorers) were Italian.
Pinocchio was first published in an Italian newspaper!
In the city of Turin, dog owners must walk their pooch at least three times a day or risk being fined.
Eat or drinking while sitting on church steps or within a church courtyard is against the law in Italy
In 2012, the town of Falciano del Massico in Campania made it illegal for residents to die because the town’s cemetery is full.
On the beaches of Eraclea on the Venetian Lido, it’s illegal to make sandcastles or any other kind of sand structure..
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Papers: Recollections 110# White and SU Ballet Blue CS and SU DP
Die: MFT Wonky Stitch Rectangle
Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Enamel Dots and SU Ribbon
Cute, cute card! Love that image too.
ReplyDeleteLynn
What a fun and fabulous card Jeanette - and a treasure trove of facts about Italy.. loving it, especially being illegal to die there in one town!!
ReplyDeleteStay safe
Blessings
Maxine
Looks like these guys are searching high and low for each missing u!! LOL! So cute!
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