Southern Italy

Regional statistics
Largest city	Naples
Regions of Italy	Apulia, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Sardinia and Sicily
Area  - Total	47,504 mi² (123,036 km²)
Languages	Standard Italian (official); Neapolitan, Sicilian, and Sardinian Italian dialects; minorities of Griko and pockets of Franco-Provençal and Arbëresh.
Population  - Total (2006)  - Density	20,755,621[1] 168.6 people/km²
GDP (nom.)  - Total   - Per capita	2003 estimates[2][3] $0.369 trillion (17h) $17,924 (26th)
GDP (PPP)  - Total   - Per capita	2003 estimates[4][5] $0.365 trillion (24th) $17,724 (32th)

The Mezzogiorno is generally viewed as encompassing Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, and Sicily, which lie in Italy's south, as well as Molise and Abruzzo, which are geographically in central or south-central Italy. Some would also include Sardinia and the southern half of Lazio in the Mezzogiorno. Eurostat and the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT) exclude Sicily, Sardinia and southern Lazio in their definition of the Mezzogiorno but do include Abruzzo and Molise. Image File history File links Mezzogiorno. ... For other uses see, Naples (disambiguation) and Napoli (disambiguation) Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... The Regions of Italy were granted a degree of regional autonomy in the 1948 constitution, which states that the constitutions role is: to recognize, protect and promote local autonomy, to ensure that services at the State level are as decentralized as possible, and to adapt the principles and laws... This article is about the Italian region. ... Abruzzo is a region of Italy bordering Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the east. ... Basilicata is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Puglia (Apulia) to the east, Calabria to the south, it has one short coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea and another of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea to the south-east. ... For other uses, see Calabria (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Campania (disambiguation). ... Molise is a region of central Italy, the second smallest of the regions. ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... Neapolitan (autonym: napulitano; Italian: ) is a Romance language spoken in the city and region of Naples, Campania (Neapolitan: Nàpule, Italian: Napoli); close dialects are spoken throughout most of southern Italy, including the Gaeta and Sora districts of southern Lazio, parts of Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, northern Calabria, and northern and... Sicilian (, Italian: ) is a Romance language. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Italian people generally indicates as Italian dialects all vernacular idioms spoken in Italy other than Italian and other recognized languages. ... Griko, sometimes spelled Grico, is a Modern Greek dialect which is spoken by people in the Magna Graecia region in southern Italy and Sicily, and it is otherwise known as the Grecanic language. ... Franco-Provençal is a Romance language consisting of dialects that can be found in Italy (Valle dAosta, Piemonte, Calabria, Apulia), in Switzerland (cantons Fribourg, Valais, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva, non-German speaking parts of Bern, but not Jura, where the dialects spoken are French) and in France (Dauphinois... Arbëreshë are an Albanian-speaking community living in southern Italy. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... PPP is an abbreviation for: In real estate: prepayment penalty, a penalty paid when property is sold before an agreed-upon date. ... Basilicata is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Puglia (Apulia) to the east, Calabria to the south, it has one short coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea and another of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea to the south-east. ... For other uses, see Campania (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Calabria (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Italian region. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... Molise is a region of central Italy, the second smallest of the regions. ... Abruzzo is a region of Italy bordering Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the east. ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... For the football club, see S.S. Lazio Lazio (Latium in Latin) is a regione of central Italy, bordered by Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzi, Marche, Molise, Campania and the Tyrrhenian Sea. ... The Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) is the statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union and promoting harmonisation of statistical methods across the member states. ... Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT) is the Italian national statistical institute, roughly corresponding to the United States Census Bureau. ...

The term Mezzogiorno ("mèzzo" /'mɛddzo/ or half in English and "giórno" /'dʒorno/ or day) first came into use in the 19th century. The term was popularized by Giuseppe Garibaldi who refered to all of Italy to the south of Rome as well as the Abruzzi (although part of that region lay to Rome's north) as "Il Mezzogiorno". Italians often refer to Southern Italy as Il Meridione (the South) and the terms Meridione and Mezzogiorno are often used interchangeably. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Garibaldi in 1866. ...

Geography

Depending on just what one includes as being in the Mezzogiorno, it forms the "boot" of the Italian peninsula, containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and sometimes southern Lazio), the toe (Calabria), and the heel (the southern half of Apulia). Separating the two is the Gulf of Taranto, named after the city of Taranto, which sits at the angle between heel and "sole". It is an arm of the Ionian Sea. The rest of the southern third of the Italian peninsula is studded with smaller gulfs and inlets. The Gulf of Taranto (Italian: Golfo di Taranto, Latin: Sinus Tarentinus) is a gulf of the Ionian sea, in southern Italy. ... Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... The Ionian Sea. ... Satellite view of the Peninsula in spring The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Italian: Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the greatest peninsulas of Europe, spanning 1,000 km from the Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. ...

On the eastern coast is the Adriatic Sea, leading into the rest of the Mediterranean through the Strait of Otranto (named after the largest city on the tip of the heel). On the Adriatic, south of the "spur" of the boot, the peninsula of Monte Gargano (Policastro), the Gulf of Salerno, the Gulf of Naples, and the Gulf of Gaeta are each named after a large coastal city. Along the northern coast of the Salernitan gulf, on the south of the Sorrentine peninsula, runs the famous Amalfi Coast. Off the tip of the peninsula there is the world famous isle of Capri. A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Map showing the location of the Strait of Otranto. ... Gargano landscape. ... Salerno is a town in Campania, south-western Italy, the capital of the province of the same name. ... Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples is located off the southwestern coast of Italy. ... Gaeta (ancient Latin name Caieta) is a city in Province of Latina, in Lazio, Italy. ... The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy (Province of Salerno), extending from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east. ... Capri (Italian pronunciation Cápri, usual English pronunciation Caprí) is an Italian island off the Sorrentine Peninsula. ...

The climate is classic Mediterranean (Köppen climate classification Csa), except at the highest elevations (Dsa, Dsb) and the semi-arid eastern stretches in Apulia, along the Ionian Sea in Calabria, and the southern stretches of Sicily (BSw).  Areas with Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate is a climate that resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin. ... The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. ... Semi-arid generally describes regions that receive low annual rainfall (25 to 50 cm /10 to 20 in) and generally have scrub or grass vegetation. ...

The largest city in the Mezzogiorno is Naples, a title it has historically maintained for centuries. Palermo and Bari are the next largest cities in the area. For other uses see, Naples (disambiguation) and Napoli (disambiguation) Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... For other uses, see Palermo (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bari (disambiguation). ...

History

See also: Kingdom of Sicily, Kingdom of Naples, and Kingdom of Two Sicilies

Ever since the Greeks colonised Magna Graecia in the eighth and seventh centuries BCE, the south of Italy has, in many respects, followed a distinct history from the north. After Pyrrhus of Epirus failed in his attempt to stop the spread of Roman hegemony in 282 BC, the south fell under Roman domination and remained in such a position well into the barbarian invasions (the Gladiator War is a notable suspension of imperial control). It was held by the Byzantine Empire after the fall of Rome in the West and even the Lombards failed to consolidate it, though the centre of the south was theirs from Zotto's conquest in the final quarter of the 6th century. Amalfi, an independent republic from the seventh century until 1075, and to a lesser extent Gaeta, Molfetta, and Trani, rivalled other Italian maritime republics in their domestic prosperity and maritime importance. Flag The Kingdom of Sicily as it existed at the death of its founder, Roger II of Sicily, in 1154. ... Capital Naples Government Monarchy King  - 1285-1309 Charles II  - 1815-1816 Ferdinand I History  - Established 1285  - Union with Sicily 1816 The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of southern Italy after of the secession... The Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (Italian: il Regno delle Due Sicilie) was the new name that the Bourbon King Ferdinand IV of Naples bestowed upon his domain (including Southern Italy and the island of Sicily) after the end of the Napoleonic Era and the full restoration... Magna Graecia around 280 b. ... “BCE” redirects here. ... Pyrrhus of Epirus Pyrrhus (318-272 BC) (Greek: Πύρρος) was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic era. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC - 280s BC - 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 287 BC 286 BC 285 BC 284 BC 283 BC 282 BC 281 BC 280 BC 279... Human migration denotes any movement of groups of people from one locality to another, rather than of individual wanderers. ... Spartacus, who was believed to be a Thracian (born in what is now Sandanski in present-day Bulgaria), was enslaved by the Romans and led a large slave uprising in what is now Italy during the period 73 BC to 71 BC. His army of escaped gladiators and slaves defeated... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... “Byzantine” redirects here. ... This article is about the historiography of the decline of the Roman Empire. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus The Western Roman Empire in 395. ... The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence comes the alternative name Longobards found in older English texts), were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire. ... Zotto (also Zotton or Zottone) was the military leader (Latin dux) of the Lombards in the Mezzogiorno. ... The 6th century is the period from 501 - 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Amalfi is a town and commune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, 24 miles southeast of Naples. ... ( 6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ... Events Revolt of the Earls. ... Gaeta (ancient Latin name Caieta) is a city in Province of Latina, in Lazio, Italy. ... Molfetta is a city and comune of the province of Bari in the southern Italian region of Puglia, on the Adriatic coast, at sea-level. ... Trani is a seaport of Apulia, southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, in the province of Bari, and 40 km by railway west northwest of that town. ... The Repubbliche Marinare ( ) is the collectie name of a number of important city-states which flourished in Italy and Dalmatia in the Middle Ages. ...

Kingdom of Sicily in 1154. The borders remained virtually unchanged for the next 700 years.

From then to the Norman conquest of the 11th century, the south of the peninsula was constantly plunged into wars between Greek, Lombard, and the Caliphate. The Norman conquest of southern Italy completely subjugated the Lombard principalities, integrated the Islamic element, and overwhelmed the Byzantines from all but Naples, which ultimately gave in to Roger II in 1127. He raised the south to kingdom status in 1130, calling it the Kingdom of Sicily. The Normans retained harmonious control of their territory, and ran the kingdom of Sicily efficiently. However, it lasted only 64 years before the Holy Roman Emperors long-held designs on the region came to fruition. The Hohenstaufen rule ended in defeat, but the conquering French of Charles of Anjou were themselves forcibly pushed out in the event immortalized as the Sicilian Vespers. Hereafter, until the union in Spain, the kingdom was split between the principalities of Naples on the mainland and of Sicily over the island. The Aragonese rule left its impression on Italy and the Renaissance through such figures as Alfonso the Magnanimous and the Borgia clan. With the unification of the crowns of Castile and Aragon in the late 15th century, southern Italy and Sicily ceased to have a local monarch and were ruled by viceroys appointed by the Spanish crown. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Flag The Kingdom of Sicily as it existed at the death of its founder, Roger II of Sicily, in 1154. ... Norman conquests in red. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. ... The Kingdom of Sicily (in green) in 1154, representing the extent of Norman conquest in Italy. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... For other uses see, Naples (disambiguation) and Napoli (disambiguation) Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... Roger II (1093-1154), son and successor of Roger I, began his rule in 1112. ... Conrad III establishes the Hohenstaufen dynasty when he is crowned antiking to the Holy Roman Emperor, Lothair II. First coalition of the Norman princes against Roger II of Sicily. ... Events February 13 - Innocent II is elected pope An antipope schism occurs when Roger II of Sicily supports Anacletus II as pope instead of Innocent II. Innocent flees to France and Anacletus crowns Roger King. ... The following is a list of monarchs of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily: // Hauteville Counts of Sicily, 1071–1130 Roger I 1071–1101 Simon 1101–1105 Roger II 1105–1130 Hauteville Kings of Sicily, 1130–1198 Roger II 1130–1154 William I 1154–1166 William II 1166–1189 Tancred... The following list of German Kings and Emperors is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ... Arms of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty The Hohenstaufen (or the Staufer(s)) were a dynasty of Kings of Germany, many of whom were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor and Dukes of Swabia. ... Charles I (March 1227 - January 7, 1285) was the posthumous son of King Louis VIII of France, created Count of Anjou by his elder brother King Louis IX in 1246, thus founding the second Angevin dynasty. ... Sicilian Vespers (1846), by Francesco Hayez The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to a rebellion in Sicily in 1282 against the rule of the Angevin king Charles I, who had taken control of the island with Papal support in 1266. ... Coat of arms of the King of Aragon, 15th century. ... The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 14th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. ... Alfons V of Aragon (also Alfons I of Naples) (1396 – June 27, 1458), surnamed the Magnanimous, was the King of Aragon and Naples and count of Barcelona from 1416 to 1458. ... Borja (better known by the Italian spelling of the name, Borgia) was an influential Spanish family during the Renaissance. ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ... The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish and Galician: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ...

The region remained a part of Spain until the War of the Spanish Succession, when Duke Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia took Sicily. It was soon exchanged with Austria for Sardinia. It became an independent kingdom for Charles of Bourbon and experienced a period of enlightenment with a local, flourishing royal court. In 1798 the French revolutionaries captured southern Italy and created the short-lived Parthenopaean Republic. Eventually, France created the Kingdom of Naples for the benefit of Napoleon's marshal Joachim Murat. An object of irredentism and the Risorgimento, the land was conquered by Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Redshirts in 1861 and, with the north, formed the modern state of Italy. Combatants Habsburg Empire England (1701-6) Great Britain (1707-14)[1] Dutch Republic Kingdom of Portugal Crown of Aragon Duchy of Savoy [2] Kingdom of France Kingdom of Spain Electorate of Bavaria Hungarian Rebels [3] Commanders Eugene of Savoy Margrave of Baden Count Starhemberg Duke of Marlborough Marquis de Ruvigny... Victor Amadeus II. Victor Amadeus II, Italian Vittorio Amedeo II (May 14, 1666 - October 31, 1732) was the Duke of Savoy (1675-1730). ... Charles III of Spain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Year 1798 (MDCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Parthenopaean Republic formed a brief interlude in the history of the Kingdom of Naples, the result of activities of France in the aftermath of Jacobinism to export revolution . Origins of the Republic On the outbreak of the French Revolution King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Queen Maria Carolina did... Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to Napoléon Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica – 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... Joachim Murat, King of Naples, Marshal of France. ... irredentism is position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity and/or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. ... Italian unification (called in Italian the Risorgimento, or Resurgence) was the political and social process that unified disparate states of the Italian peninsula into the single nation of Italy. ... Garibaldi in 1866. ... For other uses, see Redshirt. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Garibaldi’s Redshirts were supported by most southern Italians; however, to many others the "northern regime" of Victor Emanuel II was "a hostile invasion which looted the treasury of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, devastated the heavily protected local industries, and reduced Naples from the fourth largest city in Europe and the capital of a kingdom to a provincial town".^[6] King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy Victor Emmanuel II (Italian: Vittorio Emanuele II; March 14, 1820—January 9, 1878) was the King of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia from 1849–1861, and King of Italy from 1861 until his death in 1878. ...

The transition to a united Kingdom of Italy was not smooth for the South. The Southern economy was much more agrarian and feudal than the industrial northern economy. Poverty and organized crime were persistent problems in the Mezzogiorno as well. Because of this, the South experienced great economic difficulties resulting in massive emigration leading to a worldwide Southern Italian diaspora. Many natives also relocated to the industrial cities in northern Italy, such as Genoa, Milan and Turin. Anthem Marcia Reale dOrdinanza (Royal March of Ordinance)¹ The Kingdom of Italy at the height of its power in 1940. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ... Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ... The term Italian Diaspora refers to the large-scale migration of Italians away from Italy in the period roughly between the unification of Italy in 1861 and the beginning of World War I in 1914. ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... “Torino” redirects here. ...

Today, the South remains considerably less economically developed than the North. Southern Italian secession movements have developed, but have gained little, if any, significant influence.

North-South Divide

Naples

The Mezzogiorno has historically been an economically underdeveloped area, roughly coextensive with the former Kingdom of Naples. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples played a major role in European affairs and exhibited many signs of prosperity. However, by the middle of the 13th century, due to fiscal policies that prevented the growth of a strong merchant class, the region became economically backward compared to the northern Italian states.^[7]. Unlike the rest of Italy, which experienced the rise of many small, independent and prosperous city states, all enterprise in the comparatively large kingdom centred on the capital city of Naples. The outlying areas, cursed with generally poor agricultural conditions, fell further behind. Sicily's trade fell primarily under Catalan control. In spite of economic repression, the Mezzogiorno did experience periods of cultural flowering. With the Spanish conquest, however, the kingdom continued to be repressed and exploited by foreign rule until the late 18th century and when Bourbon rule meant a native court and a time of enlightenment. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses see, Naples (disambiguation) and Napoli (disambiguation) Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... Capital Naples Government Monarchy King  - 1285-1309 Charles II  - 1815-1816 Ferdinand I History  - Established 1285  - Union with Sicily 1816 The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of southern Italy after of the secession... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ... Catalan can refer to: Catalan people Catalan language An inhabitant of Catalonia A Catalan speaker, whether or not from Catalonia proper (see Catalan Countries). ... Bourbon (from French) or Borbón (from Spanish) can refer to people, places, food and drink, political events, and popular culture. ...

Following unification with the rest of Italy in 1861, the southern aristocracy began to deal with northern industrialists- a practice that may have had the adverse effect of continuing the repression in the south well into the 20th century^[8]. Southern Italy was in terrible shape prior to and during Giovanni Giolitti's tenure as Prime Minister between 1892 and 1921. During this time most southern Italians were illiterate, there were large numbers of absentee landlords, rebellions were common, and poverty continued.^[9] Corruption was such a large problem that Giolitti himself admitted that there were places "where the law does not operate at all".^[10] One study released in 1910 examined tax rates in north, central and southern Italy indicated that northern Italy with 48% of the nation's wealth paid 40% of the nation's taxes, while the south with 27% of the nation's wealth paid 32% of the nation's taxes.^[11] There were also several natural disasters (earthquakes and landslides) during this period, often killing hundreds of people with each disaster. Giolitti's poor response to a major earthquake in Messina in 1908 was blamed for the high number of deaths. The Messina earthquake infuriated southern Italians who claimed that Giolitti favoured the rich north over them. Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Business magnate. ... Giovanni Giolitti (October 27, 1842–July 17, 1928) was an Italian statesman. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Absentee landlord is an economic term for a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the propertys local economic region. ... Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Into the 1930s, illiteracy and poverty in southern Italy were still among the highest in western Europe. During the 1950s the regional policy, the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno was set up to help raise the living standards in the South to those of the North. The Cassa aimed to do this in two ways: by land reforms creating 120,000 new small farms, and through the "Growth Pole Strategy" whereby 60% of all government investment would go to the South, thus boosting the Southern economy by attracting new capital, stimulating local firms, and providing employment. As a result the South became increasingly subsidized and dependent, incapable of generating growth itself. Cassa per il Mezzogiorno was an effort pushed by the government of Italy to stimulate economic growth and development. ...

Today, in spite of increased affluence and a much improved economy, the regional disparities persist. Southern Italy continues to be the least prosperous area of Italy. Problems continue to include corruption, organized crime and relatively high unemployment^[12]. Southern Italy includes 37% of Italy's population, occupies 40% of its land area, but only produces 24% of its GDP. This does not, however, include the large underground informal economy, reported to be as high as 30% of GDP.^[13] Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ...

Even though the standard of living is still well below that of northern and central Italy, there are districts with substantial economic production. On the whole, the Mezzogiorno's per capita income has improved to the point where it is nearing the European Union median.^[14] Northern Italy comprises of two areas belonging to NUTS level 1: North-West (Nord-Ovest): Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria North-East (Nord-Est): Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Aosta Valley are regions with a... Central Italy, encompasses six of the countrys 20 autonomous regions: Abruzzo Lazio Marche Molise Toscana Umbria Although the regions of Abruzzo and Molise are geographically located in Central Italy, the European office for statistics (Eurostat) lists these two regions within Southern Italy. ...

Culture

Palermo

Historically, the regions of the Mezzogiorno have been exposed to some different influences than the rest of the peninsula, starting most notably with the Greek colonization. Greek influence in the South was dominant until Latinization was completed by the time of the Roman Principate. Greek influences returned by the late Roman Empire, especially following the reconquests of Justinian and the Byzantine Empire. With the History of Islam in southern Italy, different parts of the South came under various influences. Sicily, and to a lesser extent Sardinia, Calabria and parts of Puglia, were almost entirely in control of Aghlabids for some 75 years in the 9th Century. The rest of the mainland was subject to a struggle of power among the Byzantines, Lombards, and Franks. Until the Norman conquests of the 11th and 12th centuries much of the South followed Eastern rite (Greek) Christianity. The Normans and other northern rulers of the middle ages significantly impacted the architecture, religion and high culture of the region. Later, the Mezzogiorno was subjected to rule by the new European nation states, such as Spain and Austria. The Spanish had a major impact on the culture of the South, having ruled it for over three centuries. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 731 KB) Palermo, panorama File links The following pages link to this file: Palermo ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 731 KB) Palermo, panorama File links The following pages link to this file: Palermo ... For other uses, see Palermo (disambiguation). ... Magna Graecia around 280 b. ... The Principate is, according to its etymological derivation from the Latin word princeps, meaning chief or first, the political regime dominated by such a political leader, whether or not he is formally head of state and/or head of government. ... Justinian may refer to: Justinian I, a Roman Emperor; Justinian II, a Byzantine Emperor; Justinian, a storeship sent to the convict settlement at New South Wales in 1790. ... “Byzantine” redirects here. ... Age of the Caliphs The initial Islamic conquests (632-732) began with the death of Muhammad, were followed by a century of rapid Arab and Islamic expansion, and ended with the Battle of Tours—resulting in a vast Islamic empire and area of influence that stretched from India, across the... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... For other uses, see Calabria (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Italian region. ... The Aghlabid dynasty of emirs ruled Ifriqiya (northern Africa), nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a century, until overthrown by the new power of the Fatimids. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence comes the alternative name Longobards found in older English texts), were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire. ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... Norman conquests in red. ...

In recent years, Southern Italy has experienced a revival of its traditions and music, such as Neapolitan song and the Tarantella. Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries not just in the music of Italy, but in the general history of western European musical traditions. ... The tarantella (tarentule, tarentella, tarantelle, tarentelle, tarantel) is a traditional dance 6/8 or 4/4 time characterised by the rapid whirling of couples. ...

See also

• Groups of regions of Italy
• Central Italy
• Insular Italy
• Northern Italy

NUTS 1 in Italy In Italy, the areas belonging to NUTS 1 level are not governed or controlled by a specific national Entity. ... Central Italy, encompasses six of the countrys 20 autonomous regions: Abruzzo Lazio Marche Molise Toscana Umbria Although the regions of Abruzzo and Molise are geographically located in Central Italy, the European office for statistics (Eurostat) lists these two regions within Southern Italy. ... Insular Italy includes two major islands (Sicilia and Sardegna) plus a great number of archipelagoes and minor islands owning to other regions. ... Northern Italy comprises of two areas belonging to NUTS level 1: North-West (Nord-Ovest): Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria North-East (Nord-Est): Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Aosta Valley are regions with a...

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