Italy 101 | Italian History 101, Brief History of Italy, Italy Government History, A Short History of Italy, History of Modern Italy

This overview intends to give a framework snapshot of Italy's history.

Overview
1500 to 800 BC: the Bronze Age
800 BC: the first 'Italians' are called Etruscans
800 to 500 BC: the Iron Age
500 BC to 500 AD (circa): The Roman Empire
500 AD to 1400 AD (circa): The Middle Ages
15th and 16th Centuries AD: The Italian Renaissance
1559 to 1814: Period of Foreign Domination and wars
1814 to 1861: Risorgimento; working towards a unified Italy
1861 to 1922: Italian Monarchy
1922 to 1945: Mussolini, fascism and WW2
1945 to today: Italian republic

Top ten dates in Italian History (in chronological order)
1. 753 BC: Foundation of Rome (not of the Roman Empire)
2. 327 BC: Empire of Alexander the Great attacks India
3. 202 BC: Hannibal is beaten by Rome
4. 27 BC: Foundation of the Roman Empire
5. 312 AD: Roman Emperor Constantine converts to Christianity - spreads across Europe
6. 476 AD: The Roman Empire falls in the West and modern Europe begins.
7. 1088: First university founded in Bologna
8. 1492: Christopher Columbus discovers the New World
9. 1861: Italy becomes a unified country
10. 1948: The Italian Republic is born with the signing of the Constitution