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Italian, the official language, is spoken by the vast majority of people. While each region has its own dialect, Tuscan, the dialect of Tuscany, is the standard dialect for Italian. French is spoken in parts of Piedmonte and in Valle d'Aosta, where it is the second official language; Slovene is spoken in the Trieste-Gorizia area. German is widely used in Bolzano Province, or South Tyrol (part of the Trentino-Alto Adige region), which was ceded by Austria in 1919; under agreements reached between Italy and Austria in 1946 and 1969, the latter oversees the treatment of these German-speakers, who continue to call for greater linguistic and cultural autonomy.

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The Euro

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Major Cities of Italy include:

Rome

Milan

Naples

Genoa

Trieste

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Rome is the capital city of Italy and of the Lazio region (Latium). It is also the historic capital of the Roman Empire and Italy's largest and most populous city, with about 2.8 million inhabitants.

- Tips for a trendy and off-the-beaten path weekend in Rome
- Top 7 museums in Rome
- Top 7 most famous cafes of Rome

See also: Combining Rome sightseeing with a trip to the picturesque island of Ponza .

City world-famous for its canals, its and for its palaces built on water. The Serenissima offers a multitude of different impressions: with its busy canals, labyrinthine back streets and some off-the-beaten-track areas, such as its authentic gondola workshops still in activity.

See: Squero San Trovaso , where the Venetian gondolas are born .

Venice is the Capital of the region, with a population of over 260,000.

Capital city of the Tuscany region. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Today's Italian is based on the Tuscan language of Florence of the 14th century.

Once in Florence you may want to follow in the footsteps of the film directors and artists who filmed in the City of Lilies: Top 10 movies filmed in Florence .

See also:
- Top 9 historic cafes in Florence : coffee, charm and cultural heritage
- Florence Baptistery .
- New Florence Opera house .

If you tour a little bit around Tuscany we recommend you visit the most beautiful piazze of Tuscany .

Famous worldwide as one of the capitals of fashion and design, Milan is also home to a cathedral of an unrivaled beauty, the second largest catholic cathedral in the world and the fourth largest one in the world. - See more at: Top 10 most unique churches in Italy .
Milan is also the capital of the Lombardy region.

For an off-the-beaten track itinerary of Milan, see: 20 unconventional ways to see a different Milan

An important business and cultural center in Northern Italy and headquarter of the Fiat company, Turin is also the capital of the second largest region of Italy, Piedmont. With a population of close to 900,000 inhabitants, it is also, both historically and architecturally an important city of Italy, as it was the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The city boasts a wealth of monuments and a surprisingly rich artistic and cultural life. Read more: 10 reasons why Turin should be on your Italy bucket list

Read more: famous historic cafés of Turin .

Third-largest city in Italy and capital of the Campania region, Naples is also the second most populated metropolitan area in Italy. Its name derives from the Greek Neapolis, the "new city". At the center of an aercheological zone extending from Cumae to Pompei, the city is endowed with a superb heritage of monuments and artistic collections.

The tradition of representing the Holy Family as true art lives on in this narrow street, which is crowded on both sides with hundreds of artisan workshops with colorful displays of Nativity scenes.

Read more about Naples: 20 Things you can only do in Naples

See also: the three poets' islands of the Gulf of Naples: Gulf of Naples, Capri, Ischia and Procida

Verona, a city of the Veneto region in Northern Italy, is mentioned by Dante in Canto 18 of the Purgatory in the Divine Comedy and in the travel diaries of Goethe, Stendhal and Paul Valéry. It is also the setting of the story of Romeo and Juliet, made famous by William Shakespeare.

See also: top 8 romantic destinations in Italy .

Capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region and home of the oldest continually operating university of the Western world , founded in 1088. One of the top cities in Italy in terms of quality of life. The name of the city presumably comes from Bononia, name of the Roman colony founded in c.189 BC that was named after the Boii, a Gallic tribe.

See also: 9 art cities in Emilia Romagna .

Nicknamed La Superba ("the Proud one") due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks, Genoa is the capital of the Liguria region. It is also one of Europe's largest cities on the Mediterranean Sea and the largest seaport in Italy. The city is also the hometown of the explorer Christopher Columbus, composer Niccolò Paganini, Italian patriot Giuseppe Mazzini and actor Vittorio Gassman. Read more: 10 reasons to visit Genoa next time you are in Italy .

Capital of Sicily and, just like Rome, a city with nearly three millenia of history, Palermo is noted for its gastronomy, history and large architectural heritage. It is also the region of Italy with the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

See also: Secret and unusual Sicily

Photo credits: Rome © TTstudio; Venice, Rialto bridge © S. Greg Panosian; Venice, Grand Canal © Deejpilot; Milan © elisalocci; Arco della Pace © Faber1893; Naples Via San Gregorio © efesenko; Verona, House of Juliet © Alxpin; Verona, skyline © S. Greg Panosian; Bologna © Bernotto; Genoa © luiginophoto.

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Rome is the capital city of Italy and of the Lazio region (Latium). It is also the historic capital of the Roman Empire and Italy's largest and most populous city, with about 2.8 million inhabitants.

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Italy's climate varies with elevation and region, in the Alps there are cold winters, and rainy springs while in in the Medditerranean there are cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.

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In 1998, the overwhelming majority (85%) of native-born Italian citizens professed the Roman Catholic faith. Roman Catholicism, affirmed as the state religion under the Lateran Treaty of 1929, lost that distinction under a concordat with the Vatican ratified in 1985. However, the Catholic Church continues to hold a privileged status with the state. Jehovah's Witnesses form the second-largest denomination among native-born Italian citizens, with about 400,000 adherents. However, if immigrants are counted, the second-largest religion is Islam, with an estimated one million followers. About 100,000 people are Scientologists, 60,000 are Buddhists, 30,000 are Waldensians (a Calvinist sect), 30,000 are Jewish, and 20,000 are Mormons. The Orthodox and Protestant Churches have small communities. Hinduism is also represented.