Italy's History
- Italy is a very old country, it dates back to B.C. times. At that time, the Roman Empire was very strong, it was a world power. It was at its greatest extent in 117 A.D. and it controlled much of Asia and Europe.
- During the Middle Ages, Italy fell victim to the Black Death. It killed 50,000 people in Venice alone. 1/3 of Italy's population died from the disease.
- Rome, Florence and Venice prosper during the Renaissance, a period of renewed interest in culture between 1200 A.D. and 1600 A.D.
- In 1861, Italy became a unified country under King Victor Emmanuel II.
- During World War II, Italy sided with Germany