Food:

Where do you start? Everyone loves pasta, pizza, lasagne, ciabatta etc – unless you’re a fan of the Atkins or Dukan diet that is!

Opera:

La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, Aida. Some Italian operas can go on for hours but when you’ve got the likes of Andrea Bocelli or the late Luciano Pavarotti serenading you, who cares?

Ice cream:

When the heat is on, what better way to keep cool than with an ice-cold gelato. It contains significantly less butter fat, so it is better for your waistline too.

Fashion:

Versace, Prada, Gucci. Although these uber-glam Italian designers may be too flash for some people’s taste, there is no denying that they still exert a huge influence over catwalks around the world.

Italian footballers:

Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Paolo Maldini. Not only are they blessed with exceptional technical skills, they also have the legs to match.

Art:

Italians have led the world in art and design such as Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine chapel and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. (A major exhibition of the artist’s work is due to open in London later this year).

Politics:

The fact that their politicians and media magnates are even worse than ours.

Cars:

If you’re talking Italian passion, look no further than cars. The Italians are simply nuts about them, whether it be the little Fiat 500 city car that – in both its original 1960s form and the current incarnation – defined generations, or the throbbing V12 of a Ferrari.

Literature:

Some of the great Italian writers include Dante’s the Divine Comedy and more recently Alberto Moravia’s the Woman of Rome; Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose and of course Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio.

Cinema:

La Dolce Vita, The Leopard through to Spaghetti Westerns such as A Fistful of Dollars. Cinema stars: Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Sophia Loren all blessed with legendary talent and impossibly good looks.

Coffee:

Espresso, latte, cappuccino, mocha, frappuccino – a blend to suit every taste.

Architecture:

Many Italian buildings have iconic status such as The Colosseum in Rome and the leaning tower of Pisa.