MrWeb's MR-a-thon

Italy was the centre of the Roman world from their conquest of it in the third century BC until the barbarian conquest of the fifth century AD; of the Roman Catholic world from the fourth century onwards; and of the Renaissance from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries. As such, it holds a central place in the history, religion, science and culture of the modern world.

Between the sixth century AD and the nineteenth, Italy was fragmented into a number of small territories - it was re-united by the efforts of the statesman'Cavour and the March of Garibaldi in 1860-61, dallied briefly with colonialism and fascism, and since WWII has gone through phases of rapid growth (until the 1960s); and economic crisis (until the early 1980s). Recovery followed, but at the cost of running up huge debts - politics remains fragmented and the only real constants have been right-wing magnate Silvio Berlusconi, PM for eight of the last eleven years; corruption, exemplified by the organised crime of the Mafia but pervading many organisations and walks of life; division - whether between extreme left and right in politics, or poor south and rich north; and......lets face it, style. Italians write great operas, and sing them very well; make and wear great clothes; cook and eat good food; and design and build Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Even if they are running Greece close - and some say leading - for the biggest economic problems and biggest potential threat to the Euro, you have to hope technocratic fixer PM Mario Monti can turn Italy round, and doesnt end up like his predecessor, leaving the post amid a crowd of people singing the Hallelujah chorus.