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Fill 'em in!
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With the spread of Christianity, Rome became the seat of the Catholic Church and the Papacy.
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In the wake of Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Rome grew into a massive empire.
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In 1176, the Lombard League of city-states, defeated Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
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During the 1400s and 1500s, Italy was the birthplace and heart of the Renaissance.
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Sardinia fought the Austrian Empire in the Second Italian War of Independence of 1859, with the aid of France.
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King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Mussolini as prime minister, transferring power to the fascists.
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Between 1992 and 1993, Italy faced terror attacks perpetrated by the Sicilian Mafia.
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The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula's backbone, and the Alps form most of its northern boundary.
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The Italian wolf is the national animal of Italy, while the national tree is the strawberry tree.
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About one million Romanian citizens are registered as living in Italy, representing the largest migrant population.
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The Holy See, the episcopal jurisdiction of Rome, contains the government of Vatican City.
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The most famous Italian wines are the Tuscan Chianti and the Piedmontese Barolo.
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Galileo Galilei played a major role in the Scientific Revolution.
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Italy has the most World Heritage Sites: 59, of which 53 are cultural and 6 natural.[322]
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Michelangelo was also active as a sculptor; his works include masterpieces such as David, Pietà, and Moses.
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Dante's work, the Divine Comedy, is among the finest in literature.
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Classical music has a strong hold in Italy, as evidenced by the fame of its opera houses, such as La Scala.
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The country hosted Winter Olympics in 1956 and 2006, and will host another in 2026.
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The Mediterranean diet forms the basis of Italian cuisine, which is rich in pasta, fish, fruits and vegetables.
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The Venice Film Festival, awarding the Golden Lion and held since 1932, is the oldest in the world.
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