The vagaries of history have had their effect on the citizens of Italy. There is friction between the people of the North, who have ancestral links with their immediate neighbours in France and Germany, and those of the South who were more influenced by the Spanish and Arab cultures. It is natural that the geographical proximity and years of political influence have had an undeniable influence on the people culturally.

Italian society is based on the family, and these ties are strong deep and warm especially that between a parent and child. For centuries the Italian social set-up has been based on an agrarian feudal system. The twentieth century has changed all that and Student revolutions, labour strikes for social security and other movements gripped the nation during the sixties. These social upheavals led to better education and employment opportunities for the poor and underprivileged. This was followed in the seventies, by movements that gave more freedom to women, and made remarkable changes to their way of life. Education and opportunity helped them enter every sphere of activity often surpassing their male counterparts. Divorce law reforms and abortion were legalized in1978. This was an amazing transformation, for a country steeped in religion and religious sentiments, influenced by Vatican City.

Any visitor to Italy will find that the Italians are a race who enjoy life and can change even the most routine of daily existence into a new and exciting experience. It is this trait that makes them so creative and able to appreciate the finer things in life. They are easygoing and welcome the foreign tourist with warmth and friendship.