Lord Byron called Italy his magnet; Robert Browning said Italy was engraved on his heart. Being poets, these fellows might have been given to hyperbole, but Italy does have a remarkably strong, and usually favorable, effect on visitors.
Part of the draw is Italy's cultural legacy -- the country was, after all, the cradle of both ancient Rome and the Renaissance, two of the highest points of Western civilization. It's blessed with endlessly varied and seductive scenery of azure seas, silvery olive groves, stony hill towns, snowcapped mountains, and colorful fishing villages. The cuisine only seems to get better from region to region, and an enormous emphasis is placed on hospitality. Most appealing of all is the emphasis Italians place on enjoying life -- from strolling through town during the evening passeggiata to lingering over a 3-hour dinner -- and they seem determined to ensure their visitors do the same.
But Italy isn't just a postcard: It has suffered its share of social and economic woes and has been riddled with political scandal. If you care to look, you'll find poverty, crime, unchecked urban development, and social injustice, just as is in any other industrialized Western nation. But Italy offsets these realities with more grace notes than most other places manage and, in so doing, rewards the traveler with a remarkable and enduring experience.
