During the 12th century, Italy became a great center of culture for Europe while under the rule of Roger II. During the 15th century, the popes had tremendous influence over the diplomacy of Italy, and this period began to bloom in art and culture, thus causing the Italian Renaissance. Writers such as Aristio, Guicciardini and Machiavelli came to surface, and popes supported artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.

From the 16th century to the 18th century, the Spanish began to influence Italy more than the French with Milan, Sicily and Naples being dominated by the Hapsburgs. Smaller states in Italy changed hands frequently, but the large states kept their independence.

Following the Enlightenment of the 18th century, Hapsburg rule was opposed. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II was crowned as the first King of Italy, and Florence became the capital. Venice and Rome were not annexed completely until ten years later. Italy was declared a republic in 1946, with the Christian Democrat Party (DC) being the dominant party over the years.

Political and Economical Status of Italy Today

Italy today elects a President for a seven-year term. A Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is usually the leader of the dominating party. Since 1945, Italy has grown rapidly in engineering and manufacturing. Agriculturally, wheat, tomatoes, sugar beet, grapes and maze are key crops in Italy today. Italy is a leading wine producer in the world. Italy also conducts trade with European Union partners as well as other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Canada, Russian Federation, United States and parts of Latin America.