5 Fun Facts about Italy

1. The meaning behind the Italian flag

Italy's flag is green, white and red. It represents hope, faith and charity. Green is hope, white represents faith and red is the colour of charity. Inspired by the French flag, it's often called Il Tricolore.

2. Tourists throw around 1,000,000€ into the Trevi Fountain each year

The legend: Toss a coin into Trevi and you'll return to Rome. With tourists tossing around 3,000€ into the fountain each day, it amounts to roughly 1,000,000€ each year, which is all donated to charity!

3. 13 of Shakespeare's 38 plays are set in Italy

Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona and you can even visit "Juliet's balcony" in the city.

Julius Caesar takes place in Rome. Othello and The Merchant of Venice are both set in Venice. And Much Ado About Nothing is based in Messina.

Even though Shakespeare is surprisingly accurate about Italy, there is no proof he ever visited the country.

4. All of Europe's three active volcanoes are based in Italy

Mount Etna in Sicily celebrated its 50th recorded eruption in 2021.

Mount Stromboli is based on a small island near Sicily. If you plan to visit, check its current activity and go with experienced guides.

Vesuvius in Naples has been dormant since 1944. But a visit to nearby Pompeii lets you see the effects of the devastating 76AD eruption

5. Italy's last king ruled for only 36 days

After WWII Italy became a republic and King Umberto II only ruled from 9 May to 12 June 1946. In a nod to his unusually short reign, he's known as, "the May King".