History of Italy

The account of peoples, states, and events on the Italian peninsula, from ancient societies to the modern Italian republic.

Roman Kingdom: The early Roman state traditionally dated from the city’s founding to the establishment of the republic. Rome’s rise began one of the peninsula’s most consequential political transformations.
Roman Republic: The Roman state governed by elected magistrates and assemblies from the expulsion of kings until the rise of Augustus. Its republican institutions underpinned Rome’s expansion across the peninsula.
Etruscan civilization: An ancient civilization centered in Etruria, in central Italy, before and during Rome’s early expansion. Etruscan institutions and culture influenced early Rome.
Kingdom of Italy: The Italian monarchy established in 1861 and replaced by the republic in 1946. Its institutions governed the first unified Italian state.
Punic Wars: A series of wars between Rome and Carthage fought from 264 to 146 BCE. Rome’s victory made it the dominant power across much of Italy and the western Mediterranean.
Roman Empire: The state ruled by Roman emperors, conventionally dated from Augustus’s accession in 27 BCE. Imperial rule unified much of Italy within a Mediterranean-wide state.
Magna Graecia: The coastal areas of southern Italy and Sicily settled by Greek communities in antiquity. Greek colonies made the south a major center of ancient Mediterranean exchange.
Italian Fascism: The authoritarian nationalist movement and regime led by Benito Mussolini from 1922 to 1943. Fascist rule transformed political institutions and led Italy into the Second World War.
Italian Renaissance: A cultural movement that began in Italian cities in the fourteenth century and flourished through the sixteenth. Its urban centers became major engines of change across Europe.
Holy Roman Empire: A multi-ethnic political complex in central Europe that claimed continuity with the Roman Empire and lasted until 1806. Its authority shaped northern and central Italian politics for centuries.

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History of TuscanyNarrower topic: Tuscan developments formed one regional strand within Italy’s broader political history.