Italy is an ancient land with the coliseum, the valley of the temples, and palatine hill. These remarkable vestibules which pushed the boundaries of engineering and were social theaters of the time are a remarkable present that withstood the rise and fall of many built environments. Back then, Italy wasn’t a single civilization across the same land mass but instead was inhabited by many different civilizations as time went on. All defined by their own customs and cultures, all who passed through Italy shared one common obstacle: the natural environment.
Italy has the defining Alp mountains in the north, and at the bottom of them runs the Po River which is accompanied by the Po Valley. Running down the length of the country are the Apennine Mountains and in the South are the many fishing and beach towns. The main distinction between food cultures within the state is that northern cuisine is driven by the land (meat, dairy, hearty starches to fight the cold) and the south is driven by the sea (fish, beans, fruit + vegetables). When learning about Italian food it can be confusing because the cannon includes foods across the whole country. Understanding how the climate impacts the food culture helps to understand the different foods within Italy and the flavors it is known for.