Regions of Italy Quiz Challenge - How Much Do You Know? | Europe

Answer: Liguria

In addition to tourism, Liguria is also known for its agricultural products, which include olive oil and flowers. Genoa, the capital and Christopher Columbus' hometown, is the largest port in Italy in terms of imports and exports. Politically speaking, Liguria is one of the most important swing regions in Italy as it is very populous. Which ever way Liguria votes is usually the way the election turns out.

Portofino is a small harbor that is best known for it scenery. The houses and buildings along the harbor are brightly colored. It used to be a fishing village in ancient times but it is now primarily a honeymoon location and many wealthy people stay there for rest.

The five villages of the Cinque Terre are: Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore and Vernazza. They too are known for the brightly colored houses and fish. The Cinque Torre can easily be accessed by train as there are not many paved roads leading into them.

Answer: Calabria

If Calabria is the toe then Puglia is the heel. Calabria is so hilly that half of its land area is covered with mountains. However, much of the terrain is still fertile enough for agricultural purposes with citrus fruits grown in the valleys and olives grown in higher elevation. One of Calabria's most famous crops is the Diamante citrus.

Historically, Calabria is one of the oldest settled regions in Italy. In fact, the country's name is derived from the Itali tribe that once lived there in 3500 B.C.

Answer: Lazio

Lazio is one of the most visited regions in Europe because of its capital city: Rome. Many of the ancient sites of Ancient Rome still stand today such as the Coliseum and parts of the Via Appia, one of the first roads constructed in Ancient Rome. Historically, Lazio was a contentious region in Europe.

It was frequently fought over amongst France, Papal States and other empires/countries. Lazio has firmly been in Italian hands since the Kingdom of Italy was unified in 1870.

Answer: Piemonte

Piemonte, called Piedmont in English, is nearly the most northwestern region in Italy except for Aosta, the smallest in the country. Piemonte is known worldwide as a popular Alpine ski resort destination, even before the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. Torino is probably most famous for housing the Shroud of Turin, which is allegedly the burial cloth of Jesus.

The Ferrero chocolate company is famous for producing Nutella and Ferrero Rocher.

Answer: Friuli Venezia Giulia

Venice's Italian name is Venezia, which is part of the name Friuli Venezia Giulia. The reason for this is because the region was once part of the Kingdom of Venice. the region's name is sometimes seen with a hyphen (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) but this was officially removed in 2002. The region held a special status until for a decade after becoming part of Italy in 1953 because the city of Trieste and other areas were considered disputed with Yugoslavia. Tourists to Friuli Venezia Giulia say the region does not feel Italian because of the large German and Yugoslavian influence. However, very few people speak a language other than Italian.

The region is one of the smallest geographically and population-wise in Italy but it does have a strong economy rooted in tourism, exports and coffee. Most of the businesses here are small, which has been called the "Northeast Model" by Italian economists.

Answer: Toscana

Toscana is better known as Tuscany in English. During the Renaissance, Toscana was considered the hub of cultural reawakening. Florence was dominated by the banking de Medici Family who funded many of the arts being produced. Some of the famous Renaissance artists and writers who lived in Toscana were Botticelli and Machiavelli.

The Uffizi Gallery is a famous art museum that houses such famous works as "Madonna and Child" by Fra Filippo Lippi, "Adoration of the Magi" by Gentile de Fabriano and "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli. Michelangelo's David is located in a different Florentine museum called Galleria dell'Accademia.

Answer: Campania

Campania is home to the cities of Naples and Salerno. It is also home to the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, cities destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. The Amalfi Coast lies on the Mediterranean Sea and is a popular tourist destination. It is also a center for limoncello production. The island of Capri is another island resort destination and has been since ancient times. The most famous place in Capri is the Blue Grotto, a sea cave the emanates blue water when the sunshine reflects off it.

Pizza is believed to have been invented in Naples, but historians cannot be certain. What is known is that the first pizzas in Campania were small and fried. A calzone is essentially a pizza but folded into a pocket. Zeppole are fried dough balls and struffoli are tiny fried dough balls smothered in honey and served at Christmas time.

Answer: Lombardia

Da Vinci's "Last Supper" is a fresco painting on a wall of the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church in Milan, which was nearly destroyed in World War II. La Scala opened in 1778 and quickly earned a reputation as one of the most prominent opera houses in Italy, though some patrons often complained that the opera often took a background role among the businesses transactions conducted by other theatergoers. Ossobuco is a dish made with veal braised in white wine. Gorgonzola cheese is a blue cheese made from cow's milk.

It is named after Gorgonzola, a comune or town, in Milan.

Answer: Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is known for its beautiful countryside and a boom in agritourism has made it one of Italy's most visited regions. It is there that the different varieties of parmigiano cheese and prosciutto di Parma are made. Technically, those two foods can only be made within the city of Parma. Emilia-Romagna is also known for its transportation systems and automobile factories.

Italian luxury cars such as the Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati were all founded and headquartered in Emilia-Romagna.

The University of Bologna was founded in 1088, although it was not chartered until 1158. It was mostly attended by foreign students who had to hire their own professors.

Answer: Umbria

The Orvieto Cathedral has an interesting story involving a mircale that is said to have occurred there. It is said that a local priest began to doubt that the communion host was indeed the body of Jesus until one day a host started bleeding uncontrollably on the altar. Now the cathedral, which still displays the cloth, is a popular pilgrimage destination. Assisi is another city for religious pilgrims. Two popular saints, Francis of Assisi and Claire of Assisi, were from that city and founded religious orders.