Italian National Day 2006 [1st June 2006]

[1st June 2006]

Italy was home to many well-known and influential European civilizations, including the Etruscans, Greeks and the Romans. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced migrations and invasions from Germanic, Celtic, Frankish, Byzantine Greek, Saracen, Norman, and the French Angevin, and Lombard peoples, and was divided into many independent states until 1861 when Italy became a nation-state.

Italy is called "il Belpaese" (Italian for beautiful country) by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes and for having the world's largest artistic patrimony.

Lord Taylor of Warwick, Carrie, Livia and Sheila were invited to celebrate this year's Italian National Day at the Italian Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London.

Livia commented: "I enojoyed being in the Italian embassy for this great national celebration and it has particular interest to me because I come from southern Italy"