Discover your Italian roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Italy did our family come from? Was it near Milan, Naples, Turin?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Italy, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Italy were cooked at home? Did anyone make Pizza margherita or Spaghetti alla carbonara?
4. Does anyone in the family still speak Italian, or use a few words of it?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Italy that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Italy? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Italy together, where would you go first?

A short history of Italy

Italy is one of the oldest centres of European civilisation, but one of its youngest nations: the country we know today was only united in the 1800s.

1. 753 BC

   Legendary founding of Rome

   According to legend, the twins Romulus and Remus founded Rome on 21 April 753 BC. Romans later counted their years from this date.

2. 27 BC

   Augustus becomes the first emperor

   After years of civil war, Octavian took the name Augustus and became the first Roman emperor. The empire would last in the west for about 500 years.

3. AD 476

   The Western Roman Empire falls

   The last emperor in the west, Romulus Augustulus, was removed from power. Over the following centuries Italy broke up into many kingdoms, duchies and city-states.

4. 1492

   Columbus reaches the Americas

   Christopher Columbus, a sailor from Genoa, reached the Caribbean while sailing for the Spanish crown.

5. 1861

   The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed

   After the wars of the Risorgimento, led by figures such as Garibaldi and Cavour, most of the peninsula was united under King Victor Emmanuel II. Turin was the first capital.

6. 1922

   Mussolini takes power

   Benito Mussolini and his Fascist party took power after the March on Rome. His dictatorship led Italy into the Second World War.

7. 1957

   The Treaty of Rome is signed

   Italy and five other countries signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community, which grew into today's European Union.

8. 2002

   The euro replaces the lira

   Euro notes and coins replaced the Italian lira, which had been used since the country was united.

Family recipes to cook together

Spaghetti alla carbonara 25 min · serves 4Trofie al pesto 20 min · serves 4Tiramisù 4 h 30 min · serves 6Bruschetta al pomodoro 15 min · serves 4

Italian words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Rome, Lazio: The Colosseum, The Roman Forum.
• Milan, Lombardy: Milan Cathedral, La Scala.
• Naples, Campania: Pizza, Mount Vesuvius.
• Turin, Piedmont: The Egyptian Museum, Fiat.
• Florence, Tuscany: The Duomo, The Uffizi Gallery.
• Venice, Veneto: Gondolas, St Mark's Square.
• Bologna, Emilia-Romagna: The oldest university in continuous operation, Porticoes.
• Genoa, Liguria: Pesto, Focaccia.
• Palermo, Sicily: Street food, Arab-Norman churches.
• Verona, Veneto: The Arena, Romeo and Juliet.
• Pisa, Tuscany: The Leaning Tower, Piazza dei Miracoli.