Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Italy's south is frequently dismissed by northerners as the land of
terroni
(peasants) -
the backward sibling to Italy's savvy north. Yet the south is terribly ancient, its his-
tory tracing back some 8000 years; writer Carlo Levi, exiled here, called it 'that other
world…which no-one may enter without a magic key'. Magical it may be, but there
has been plenty to regret during its long history - including invasions, feudalism, and
a centuries-long scourge of malaria that stunted the south's development. Venture in-
to these parts and expect to have your preconceptions of modern Italy challenged.
Get to grips with the history, peoples and wars of Ancient Greece by logging on to
www.ancientgreece.com
, which gives easy, potted histories of all the key characters and places.
