Italy

Definition

The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three peninsulas of Southern Europe (the other two being the Iberian Peninsula and Balkan Peninsula), spanning 1,000 km from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west, the Ionian Sea on the south, and the Adriatic Sea on the east. The interior part of the Apennine Peninsula consists of the Apennine Mountains, from which it takes its name, the northern part is largely plains and the coasts are lined with cliffs.

More about: Italy

Timeline

  • 800 BCE
    Beginning of the Etruscan civilization in Italy.
  • 753 BCE
    The legendary founding date of Rome.
  • 21 Apr 753 BCE
    The traditional date of the founding of the city of Rome by Romulus, the first king, after he killed his twin brother Remus. Although the date's historicity is uncertain, it is still celebrated as Rome's birthday today.
  • 750 BCE - 510 BCE
    The (semi-mythological) seven kings of Rome: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tulus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus.
  • c. 740 BCE - c. 433 BCE
    Greek poleis or city-states establish colonies in Magna Graecia.
  • c. 600 BCE
    Paestum is founded by colonists from Sybaris.
  • 509 BCE
    Foundation of the Roman Republic.
  • 498 BCE - 493 BCE
    Rome defeats the Latins.
  • c. 410 BCE
    Paestum is attacked and conquered by the Lucanians.
  • 400 BCE
    Celts enter Italy and settle in the Po Valley.
  • c. 398 BCE - c. 380 BCE
    Plato travels in Egypt, Cyrene, Italy, Syracuse and Sicily.
  • 396 BCE
    Roman expansion begins with the capture of Veii from the Etruscans.
  • 391 BCE
    Senones besiege Clusium, an Etruscan city.
  • 343 BCE - 341 BCE
    First Samnite War (Rome vs. Samnites).
  • 340 BCE - 338 BCE
    Latin War, victory for Rome.
  • 326 BCE - 304 BCE
    Second Samnite War.
  • 300 BCE
    Agathocles of Syracuse campaigns in Italy and captures Bruttium.
  • 285 BCE - 282 BCE
    Rome defeats the Celts in Italy. Rome's dominance in central Italy is secured.
  • 280 BCE - 272 BCE
    Roman war against Tarentum. Rome conquers Tarentum. Rome's dominance in lower Italy is secured.
  • 223 BCE
    Romans successfully campaign against Celtic tribes of Cisalpine Gaul.
  • c. 177 BCE
    The Roman colony of Luna founded in northern Italy, as a millitary stronghold.
  • 89 BCE
    All poleis or city-states in Magna Graecia come under Roman control.
  • 167 CE
    Marcomanni sack Aquileia.
  • 25 Jul 315 CE
    The Arch of Constantine in Rome, a triumphal arch dedicated to Constantine the Great to commemorate his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, is officially opened.
  • 25 Mar 421 CE
    According to tradition, the city of Venice is founded at noon on 25 March 421 with the consecration of the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto on Rialto Island. Although the date of the city's founding is legendary, it is still celebrated as the city's birthday.
  • 488 CE - 493 CE
    Theodoric the Great of the Ostrogoths conquers Italy.
  • 15 Mar 493 CE
    King Odoacer is assassinated at a banquet in Ravenna, Italy by Theodoric the Great, inaugurating the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy.
  • 535 CE - 554 CE
    The Gothic War launched by Emperor Justinian I, aimed at reconquering Italy from the Goths.
  • 535 CE
    Belisarius' first campaign against the Ostrogoths in Italy.
  • 536 CE - 562 CE
    The Byzantine Empire conquers Italy.
  • 568 CE - 582 CE
    Lombards invade northern Italy.
  • 18 Jun 1053 CE
    The Battle of Civitate is fought between the Normans and the Papal Coalition in Southern Italy near San Paolo di Civitate resulting in a Norman victory and eventual alliance with the papacy, legitimizing the Norman conquest of Southern Italy.
  • 16 Jul 1228 CE
    St. Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone) is canonized by Pope Gregory IX. Among the most popular Catholic saints, Francis is patron of animals, the poor, ecology and the nation of Italy.
  • 25 Jul 1467 CE
    The Battle of Molinella is fought in the Province of Bologna between the Republic of Florence and the Republic of Venice. Although the outcome was indecisive, the engagement became famous as the first time firearms were used extensively in battle in the region that would become Italy.
  • 28 Apr 1503 CE
    The Battle of Cerignola is fought in Apulia, Italy between the forces of Spain and France (with Swiss allies), resulting in a decisive victory for Spain. The event is considered one of the first European battles won through the tactical use of gunpowder small arms.
  • 8 Sep 1504 CE
    Michelangelo's masterpiece *David* is unveiled at the Palazzo della Signoria, Florence, Italy. The statue stands 17 feet (5.17 m) tall and was sculpted from Carrara marble. It is among the most recognizable and most often copied works of art in the world.
  • 16 May 1527 CE
    The Republic of Florence, Italy is re-established when the Florentines expel the ruling medici family. It lasts until 1530 when the Medici return, marking the period as that of the Last Republic.
  • 13 Dec 1545 CE
    The Council of Trent begins in Trent, Italy, as part of the Catholic Counter Reformation in response to the Protestant Reformation, addressing ecclesiastical corruption while clarifying Catholic doctrine and reaffirming the Church's vision and authority. The council convened for 25 sessions until December 4, 1563.
  • 9 Mar 1562 CE
    Kissing in public is banned in Naples, Italy with the "offense" punishable by death. The law was passed to stop the spread of plague but was ineffective.
  • 24 Feb 1607 CE
    Premiere of Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at the Ducal Palace, Mantua, Italy, among the earliest musical pieces recognized as an opera. It was well-received, inspired other works, and remains among the most popular operas today.
  • 22 Feb 1632 CE
    *Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems* by Galileo Galilei is published in Florence, Italy, comparing the Copernican heliocentric model with the Ptolemaic geocentric model and favoring Copernicus' claim that the earth revolves around the sun. The book was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books and resulted in Galileo's trial for heresy in Rome in 1633.
  • 27 Mar 1638 CE
    The first of the Calabria earthquakes strikes the Kingdom of Naples (modern-day Italy) with an estimated 7.1 on the Richter scale, continuing on 28 March, and resulting in up to 30,000 casualties.
  • 25 Jun 1678 CE
    Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia becomes the first woman in the world to receive a PhD when she is awarded a doctorate in philosophy by the University of Padua.
  • 4 Nov 1737 CE
    The Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest continuously active opera venue in the world, is founded in Naples, modern-day Italy, as the Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theater of Saint Charles"), commissioned by Charles VII of Naples who felt the city needed a larger and more ornate central venue. The first performance was the opera *Achille in Sciro* by Domenico Sarro.
  • 22 May 1762 CE
    The Trevi Fountain in Rome is officially inaugurated by Pope Clement XIII. Designed by artist Nicola Salvi, work on the fountain began in 1732 and took 30 years to complete.
  • 3 Aug 1778 CE
    The famous opera house La Scala is inaugurated in Milan, modern-day Italy, with the premiere performance of *Europa riconosciuta* by composer Antonio Salieri.
  • 13 Jul 1814 CE
    The Carabinieri, the national gendarmerie of Italy, is established as a branch of the Italian Armed Forces with authority over civilian and military matters.
  • 30 Mar 1815 CE
    French statesman and King of Naples, Joachim Murat issues the Rimini Proclamation calling for Italian unity and independence from Austria, beginning with the famous phrase, "Italians! The hour has come to engage in your highest destinies." Although Murat was captured and executed, the Rimini Proclamation is remembered as an early call for Italian unification.
  • 27 May 1860 CE
    The pivotal Siege of Palermo begins as Giuseppe Garibaldi leads his troops against the city during the Italian Unification Wars. The city fell on 30 May.
  • 26 Oct 1860 CE
    The Expedition of the Thousand, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, ends with the conquest of Southern Italy, making possible the proclamation of the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The event takes its name from the number of soldiers in the expedition.
  • 22 May 1874 CE
    Composer Giuseppe Verdi's *Requiem* premieres at the Church of San Marco, Milan, Italy, with Verdi as conductor, to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Italian poet and writer Alessandro Manzoni.
  • 29 Feb 1880 CE
    The official breakthrough of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel occurs, connecting Switzerland with Italy, and running 9.3 miles (15 km). The tunnel was formally opened on 1 June 1882 as the longest rail tunnel in the world.
  • 1 Mar 1896 CE
    The Battle of Adwa, fought near the town of Adwa, Tigray Province, Ethiopia, is a decisive victory for the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II against the Italian army led by General Oreste Baratieri, striking a significant blow against colonial initiatives by Italy in the region.
  • 28 Dec 1908 CE
    The 1908 Messina Earthquake strikes Southern Italy with a magnitude of 7.1 and an epicenter at the Strait of Messina, raising a tsunami with waves as high as 39 feet (12 m), and nearly destroying the cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria, killing 120,000 people. It is the deadliest earthquake in European history.
  • 29 Sep 1911 CE
    The Italo-Turkish War (Turco-Italian War) begins between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire over claims to the region of modern-day Libya. The war ended in a victory for the Italian forces in October 1912 and the establishment of Italian Libya.
  • 23 Nov 1980 CE
    The 1980 Irpinia-Basilicata Earthquake strikes near the village of Castelhuovo di Conza, Southern Italy, with a magnitude of 6.9 resulting in upwards of 2,000 people killed, over 7,000 injured, 250,000 left homeless, and causing over $20 billion in damages.
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