Travelling through Italy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Venice

Venice is found in northeastern Italy and is a city built on many small islands. Nicknamed the "Queen of the Adriatic", Venice is connected by waterways instead of roads, making boats and gondolas the main mode of travel. From 726 to 1797, the city was ruled by a Doge, an elected official who was the head of the Republic of Venice.

The role declined in importance towards the end of the 18th century and was abolished completely when Venice fell to Napoleon.

Answer: Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy. According to legend, it was named after the founder of the city, Romulus. The original city was built in 753 BC on the Palatine Hill. Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Quirinal, Capitoline, and Viminal are the remaining six hills which together make up the seven hills of Rome.

The nickname of "Eternal City" was coined by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC.

Answer: Verona

Verona is located on the banks of the Adige river in northeastern Italy. Shakespeare used the city as a setting for two of his plays - "Romeo and Juliet", probably his best known work about a pair of star-crossed lovers, and "The Two Gentlemen of Verona".

Answer: Florence

Located in the central part of Italy, Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region. In medieval times, it was the centre of trade and finance in Europe. It was also known for its academic institutions earning, it nicknames like the "Birthplace of the Renaissance" and the "Athens of the Middle Ages". The Historic Centre of Florence is now a UNESCO designated World Heritage site.

Answer: Milan

Milan is the capital of Lombardy and the city with the second largest population, after the Italian capital of Rome. Along with Paris, New York, and London, Milan is considered one of the Fashion Capitals of the World. Major Italian brands like Gucci, Prada, Versace, and Armani all have their headquarters in this city.

Answer: Vigata

Inspector Montalbano is a creation of the Italian writer, Andrea Camilleri. The Sicilian detective first appeared in the novel "La forma dell'Acqua" ("The Shape of Water") that was published in 1994. Since then he has appeared in numerous books and short stories with the 2012 novel "The Potter's Field", thirteenth in the series, winning the Crime Writers' Association International Dagger. The books are written in Italian with Sicilian words and phrases liberally interspersed. They have since been translated into English and other languages.

The books are set in the fictional Sicilian town of Vigata. Camilleri based Vigata on his own home town of Porto Empedocle in southwestern Sicily. For a brief period from 2003 to 2009, the town was known as Porto Empedocle Vigata, in honour of the fictional series.

Answer: Naples

Naples is the regional capital of Campania and one of the most densely populated cities in all of Europe. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world with a history dating back to the second millennium BC when the region was first inhabited by the Ancient Greeks. Given its long history, Neapolitan cuisine derives inspiration from many different sources, reflecting the different cultures that have flourished there.

The modern day pizza is believed to have been invented in Naples.

In 2017, UNESCO added the art of making this pizza to its intangible cultural heritage list.

Answer: Bologna

Originally founded by the Etruscans, Bologna is located in the northern part of Italy. The University of Bologna was established in 1088 AD and is considered to be the oldest university in the world that is still in operation. It is also believed to be the first educational institution to use the term 'university'. Notable alumni and staff include various Roman Catholic popes, the Italian poet, Petrarch, and Giovanni Domenico Cassini, the astronomer who discovered the rings of Saturn.

Answer: Parma

Parma shares its name with a river that splits the city into two. Located in northern Italy, it is associated with both cheese and ham. Parma ham is a type of prosciutto. The dry cured ham is served raw in thin slices. While prosciutto is prepared in many regions of Italy, the one from Parma is considered the finest and has a specially protected status.

Answer: Pompeii

Pompeii was a thriving city in Ancient Rome. In 79 AD, the entire city was buried under ash when the nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted. The burial under ash resulted in the city being preserved in its original state. Modern day excavations at the site have enabled historians to better understand life in Ancient Rome.

The city is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.