Italian World Heritage Sites... With a Twist Quiz

Answer: Val d'Orcia

If you have ever seen calendars or postcards depicting stunning Tuscan landscapes, with rolling hills and stately cypress rows, chances are those photos were taken in Val d'Orcia, a region in the southern part of the province of Siena that also includes picturesque towns such as Pienza (also inscribed in the World Heritage list as a separate site), Montepulciano and Montalcino. Before the advent of photography, the Val d'Orcia landscape was depicted in the works of many Renaissance and later artists. The area is also famous for its wines (such as the highly prized Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano), and its historic 19th-century railway line. Not surprisingly for such a photogenic site, the Val d'Orcia has often been used as a movie set: parts of Anthony Minghella's Oscar-winning "The English Patient" (1996) were shot near Pienza.

The three incorrect choices are also World Heritage sites: San Gimignano and the Medici Villas are also in Tuscany, while the Cinque Terre are in Liguria.

Answer: Ivrea

Founded in Roman times, the city of Ivrea (part of the Turin Metropolitan area) has a long and distinguished history, witnessed by a wealth of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. However, it owes its 2018 addition to the World Heritage List as "Industrial City of the 20th Century" to the architectural complex designed by some of Italy's leading architects and urban planners between the 1930s and the 1960s on behalf of the Olivetti company, Italy's leading manufacturer of typewriters, calculators and office computers. The complex is now an open-air museum,

Ferrara and Mantua were added to the list as examples of Renaissance architecture and urban planning, while Caserta is present because of its 18th-century Royal Palace.

Answer: Nuraghi

The archaeological site of Barumini, known as "Su Nuraxi" ("The Nuraghe" in Sardinian) is located in the province of South Sardinia. It has been part of the World Heritage List since 1997, when it was added as the finest example of "nuraghe" architecture - a form of prehistoric structure consisting of truncated conical stone towers with a corbelled vault inside. The central tower of Su Nuraxi, the oldest part of the complex, dates from the 17th century BC; the four surrounding towers, joined by a wall, were built in the Late Bronze Age. Though the exact function of nuraghi (which are unique to Sardinia) has not yet been discovered, they are generally thought of as fortress-like, defensive structures.

The Trulli di Alberobello (Apulia) and the Sassi di Matera (Basilicata) are also World Heritage Sites; "torri" is Italian for "towers".

Answer: Etruscan

The Etruscan necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia (inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2004) are both found in the Lazio region: Cerveteri is west of Rome, while Tarquinia is close to the Tuscan border. These two large Etruscan cemeteries span a period of time from the 9th to the 1st century BC, reflecting different types of burial practices. The Cerveteri necropolis, known as Banditaccia, is organized in a city-like pattern, and - much like many modern cemeteries - contains different kinds of tombs, some carved in the rock, others shaped like houses or topped by mound-like structures. The Tarquinia necropolis (Monterozzi), on the other hand, consists of 6,000 tombs with chambers carved in the rock, about 200 of which include outstanding (and overall well-preserved) wall paintings.

The Etruscan civilization may have been indigenous to the Italian peninsula, while the three remaining choices were definitely not.

Answer: Youngest

Though a site is not a person, the word "youngest" is an apt description of the the Italian village of Crespi d'Adda, as it was founded in the late 19th century. Located in Lombardy, in the province of Bergamo, the site began its life as a cotton mill, established in 1869 by textile manufacturer Cristoforo Benigno Crespi on the banks of the river Adda. a few years later, a village - provided with all necessary social services, such as a school and a clinic - was built next to the mill.

In 1906, a hydroelectric plant was built a few kilometers upriver, so that Crespi d'Adda was the first village in Italy to have public electric lighting.

The architecture of the village was inspired by the English examples of that time, while the owner's house is reminiscent of a medieval castle. Though the textile factory stopped production in 2004, the village is still inhabited by the descendants of the original workers.

Answer: Aquileia

Located in the northeastern region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, about 10 km (6 mi) from the Adriatic Sea, Aquileia was founded by the Romans around 180 BC, and by the 2nd century AD it had became one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities, with over 100,000 inhabitants. It is now much smaller, but its large archaeological area and imposing Patriarchal Basilica have earned it a place in the World Heritage List (1998). The Basilica's mosaic floor dates from the 4th century AD, while most of the extant church was rebuilt in the 11th century, and restored in the late Middle Ages. The Roman city - much of which has yet to be excavated - is considered the most complete example of Early Roman city in the Mediterranean world.

The cities of Verona, Ravenna and Modena are all featured in the World Heritage List.

Answer: Rock drawings

The world's largest collection of prehistoric petroglyphs (rock drawings) is found in Valcamonica, a mountainous area of the province of Brescia (Lombardy). This collection of over 140,000 symbols and figures was carved in the rock over a period of over 8,000 years. Many of the images are related to hunting, agriculture and fighting, while others depict geometric patterns. The most recent engravings date from the early Middle Ages, and include Christian symbols. The Valcamonica petroglyphs were first discovered in the early years of the 20th century, and have been extensively studied since then.

All the objects mentioned as incorrect choices are found in various Italian World Heritage sites.

Answer: Dolomites

Located in northeastern Italy, the Dolomites are named after a sedimentary carbonate rock, dolomite, noted for its pale colour. Though the 18 peaks that comprise the range are not as high as those in the western and central Alps, their unique conformation and the dramatic beauty of the area's natural landscape has earned the Dolomites a place in the World Heritage List (to which they were added in 2009). The Dolomites attract visitors from all over the world both in winter and in summer; the region's most important centre, the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956, and is slated to co-host them with Milan in 2026.

Though all the incorrect choices are European mountain ranges, none of them are part or the Alps.

Answer: Sicily

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has quite a few sites included in the World Heritage List. The Archaeological Area of Agrigento, with its magnificent Greek temples, was added in 1997. The Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (in the south-eastern part of the Island were added in 2002, and the ancient city of Syracuse and the Necropolis of Pantalica in 2005. Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù joined the list in 2015. The volcanic Aeolian Islands were inscribed as Natural Heritage in 2000, and Mount Etna in 2013.

Calabria and Campania are also part of Southern Italy, while Abruzzo is considered part of Central Italy.

Answer: Vineyards

The Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe/Roero and Monferrato (2014) and the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (2019) are two of the most recent Italian additions to the World Heritage List. Piedmont, in northwestern Italy, has a history of wine-growing and -making that goes back to the 5th century BC; the Vineyard Landscape site comprises five distinct areas with beautiful landscapes, as well as the medieval castle of Grinzane Cavour, formerly the residence of Italy's famed Prime Minister, Camillo Benso di Cavour. World-famous wines such as Barolo, Barbera and Asti Spumante are produced there.

The Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the northeastern region of Veneto, are characterized by grassy terraces ("ciglioni") used to grow vineyards on steep hillsides, which create a distinctive chequerboard appearance. The Prosecco sparkling wine produced there has found favour all over the world, especially as an aperitif drink.