Lost in Italy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Green

Both the French and Italian flags are tricolours, with the French one being three vertical bands of blue, white and red. The Italian flag is almost identical but with green replacing the blue. Both are referred to as the 'Tricolore' in their respective countries.

The flag originated in 1797 in the Cispadine Republic in northern Italy, which was governed by the French under Napoleon Bonaparte. It was officially adopted in 1948 as the flag of the Italian republic.

Answer: Milan

Usually referred to as La Scala, the theatre opened in 1778 and is among the most famous opera houses in the world. Verdi's operas 'Falstaff' and 'Otello' are among the operas to have had their first performance at La Scala. Arturo Toscanini was the principal conductor between 1898 and 1908 before returning as Music Director from 1921 until 1929.

Although the building suffered damage from bombing during the second World War it was rebuilt, with Toscanini again taking the baton for its re-opening in May 1946.

Answer: Cheese

Provolone is a full fat cheese made from cows' milk and originated in southern Italy. It is semi-hard and can be used in a variety of ways. The younger it is when eaten, the milder the taste. Italy is also known for its ham, such as Prosciutto, many forms of pasta and breads, including ciabatta.

Answer: Brothers of Italy

The words were written in 1847 by Goffredo Mameli prior to the unification of Italy. The anthem chosen on unification in 1861 was the 'Marcia Reale', the 'Royal March', but this was no longer considered appropriate when Italy became a republic in 1946. 'Il Canto degli Italiani', or the 'Song of the Italians' was provisionally chosen as the new anthem, becoming the official anthem only in 2005.

Answer: Lira

The name of the lira came from the Latin word libra, and originated from the weight of one pound of silver. It shares its roots with the English pound sterling. Due to inflation, numerous banknotes were issued with the highest value one being 500,000 lire, issued in 1997. Pesetas were used in Spain, escudos in Portugal and guilders in the Netherlands, but all these currencies are now obsolete and have been replaced by the euro.

Answer: Naples

Vesuvius is best known for burying the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in an eruption of 79 AD. It is situated on the Bay of Naples, about 6 miles east of the city with its most recent eruption being in 1944. Italy is the only European country to have active volcanoes, as it is situated near where the Eurasian and African plates meet.

The two other active volcanoes are Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, and Stromboli, on the island of the same name.

Answer: Asti

Asti, originally known as Asti Spumante, is a sweet, white, sparkling wine made from the white Muscat grape in the Piedmont region of Italy. The others are red wines. Barbaresco also comes from Piedmont and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Valpolicella is made in the area around Verona, usually from three grapes - Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara. Chianti originates from Tuscany and used to come in small bottles in straw baskets, which made it instantly recognisable, but this is less common now.

Answer: Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the campanile for Pisa's cathedral and was constructed between 1173 and 1319. The foundations were too shallow and set in weak soil but delays in construction, due to ongoing battles, allowed settlement of the ground and prevented the tower from falling completely. Work was carried out on the tower from 1990 to 2001 to reduce the lean, and stabilise the tower, although the angle was maintained due to the importance of the tower to tourism. Siena is known for the Palio, a horse race run around the streets of the town and you can see Juliet's balcony, from Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet', in Verona. Padua is known for its university, founded in 1222.

Answer: Elba

Elba is the third largest island in Italy, with only Sicily and Sardinia being bigger, and lies off the coast of Tuscany. Napoleon was exiled to Elba in May 1814 and given the title of Emperor. He escaped in February 1815 to begin his final campaign, which ended in defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

The island of Capri is in the Tyrrhenian Sea, near Sorrento, and is well known for its Blue Grotto.

Answer: Uffizi Gallery

The name of Uffizi means 'offices' and reflects the fact that the original purpose of the building was as premises for the magistrates of Florence. Building began in 1560 and was completed in 1581, and the rooms were used to display works owned by the Medici family, gradually evolving into a museum.

It was officially opened in 1765. Among the paintings on display are da Vinci's 'The Adoration of the Magi', Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus' and Gentileschi's 'Judith and Holofernes'. The Borghese Gallery is in Rome and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, specialising in modern art, can be found in Venice.

The National Museum of Capodimonte is in Naples.