Shorts are primarily unacceptable in public especially in church and religious settings. The Italians place a particularly high emphasis on an individual's self-presentation. .
Italians enjoy rituals, celebrations, and festivals. One of the most common festivals is the colorful Folklore Festival that takes place in all of Italy's regions throughout the year. The festival is filled with an array of costumes, music, food, and dancing. .
In Italy, conversation is considered to be an art form. Along the open cafes in nearly every town are groups of people who are engaged in intense animated discussions that cover a wide variety of topics. A wonderful conversation piece is soccer or what is known to Italians as football. Soccer is truly a passion in Italy and it attracts numerous tourists each year. There is literally a professional team in every major city and soccer is a dominant source of enjoyment and entertainment. The most popular soccer athletes are looked upon as national heroes and icons in Italy.
Political Environment.
Italy's form of government is known as the Italian Republic. The Kingdom of Italy proclaimed its independence on March 17, 1861. However, they were not formerly unified until 1870. There are 20 different administrative regions which consist of; Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, and Veneto. Much like the government in the United States, the Italian Republic is made up of three branches; Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. .
The Executive branch is led by the chief of state, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. The president is elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament as well as 58 regional representatives. Once the president is elected, he then appoints a prime minister, which is then confirmed by Parliament.