History of Italy. Italy chronology

History of Italy

Choose other country guides

Italy Chronology

Ancient Roman Republic
900 BC	The first communities were established in the region of Etruria.
800 BC	The Greeks settled in the lands of Southern Italy and Sicily.
753 BC	Rome was founded by the legendary figures of the Romulus and Remus brothers.
616 BC	The Etruscans became rulers of Rome.
509 BC	The Roman Empire was established after the last Etruscan king was forced out of Rome.
499 BC	Latins and Etruscans were defeated by the Romans in the Battle of Lake Regillus.
400 BC	The Gauls settled near Rome, along the river Po.
312 BC	The aquaducts Via Appia and Aqua Appia were built.
264 - 241 BC	The First Punic War.
218 BC	The Second Punic War, Hanibal of Kartaghena crossed the Alps.
191 BC	The Romans captured the Gauls' territory.
168 BC	The Third Macedonian War ended.
49 BC	Julius Caesar forced Pompey out of Rome.
44 BC	Julius Caesar was killed and thus ended the Roman Republic.
30 BC	Marc Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide in Egypt.
27 BC	Augustus became the first Roman Emperor.
80 AD	The Coliseum hosted games for the first time.
161 - 180	Marcus Aurelius reigned over the Empire.
320	The first St. Peter's Church was established.
324	Constantine, the emperor who made Christianity the official and only religion in Rome, became ruler.
476	The Roman Empire ends with Odoacer sacking Rome.

Medieval Italy
485	Atilla the Hun invaded Italy.
535	Most of Italy was taken by the Byzantine Empire.
800	Charlemagne crowned the Holy Roman Emperor.
1084	The Normans destroyed most of Rome.
1271	Marco Polo, the famous and first explorer of the far East, left for China.
1347 - 1349	The Black Plague killed thousands.
1512	Michelangelo completed the painting of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
1541	Michelangelo completed the Last Judgement Day painting in the Sistine Chapel.
1542	In Rome, the Holy Inquisition was established for the first time, which later took many lives unjustly.

Italian Renaissance
1600	The Roman Inquisition sentenced Giordano Bruno, the astronomer who proved that the Earth was not flat, to death by burning for his 'heresy'.
1669	The volcano Mount Etna erupted and destroyed dozens of villages.
1737	The Dynasty of the Medici family in Florence came to an end.
1748	The ancient city of Pompeii was excavated.
1778	The La Scala Opera was opened in Milan.
1796	Northern Italy became a part of the French Empire after Napoleon conquered it.
1805	Napoleon announced himself Italian Emperor.
1814	After Napoleon's abdication from the throne, Italy was divided into many small kingdoms.
1840	The first major railroad tracks were built.
1820 - 1850	Venice, Rome and Tuscany declared themselves independent republics.
1849	French troops took over the Republic of Rome.
1861	The Kingdom of Italy was established, but excluded the Republics of Rome, Venice, and San Marino.
1866	Italy obtained Venice from Austria.
1871	Rome became the Italian capital.

Italy in the First Half of the 20th Century
1915 - 1918	Italy joined World War I on the side of the Allies, who won the war.
1922	The Fascist Party came into power when Benito Mussollini was made prime minister.
1925	Mussolini became the sole dictator of Italy.
1929	The State of Vatican City was created.
1940	Italy fought on the German side during World War II.
1943	Italy changed sides and joined the Allies, declaring war on Germany.
1944	The Allies liberated Rome.
1945	Mussolini was executed by partisans.

Post World Wars and Modern Italy
1946	Italians voted in favour of a Republic.
1955	Italy joined the United Nations.
1960	The Olympic Games were held in Rome.
1981	Pope John Paul II suffered an attempted assassination by a Turkish man.
1983	The first Socialist prime minister, Bettino Craxi, established a new government.
1984	Roman Catholicism lost its status as the state religion of the country.
1986	338 Mafia members were convicted of organized crime.
1990	The World Cup was held in Italy.
1994	Silvio Berlusconi was elected prime minister, but soon after was forced to resign due to financial irregularities.
1996	Romano Prodi elected prime minister.
1998	Italy joined the EU.
1999	The Euro replaced the Lira as the currency of Italy.
2001	Silvio Berlusconi elected prime minister.
2006	Romano Prodi became prime minister again.
2006	The Italian football team won the World Cup.