Sourthern Italy. Southern Italy is much more traditional than its northern counterpart. Although it has no land borders, it's heavily influenced by the surrounding sea. Many say that southern Italy is similar to Greece and Spain, two countries that also border the Mediterranean Sea. read more
Banfield’s book is also important for understanding why the Mafia evolved in the south of Italy and why it is still so strong there: the Mafia is really just a natural outcome, given the history and predominant mentality of the south of Italy. read more
But just like Greece, the country's southern regions, which include Puglia, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, have so much to offer. We amalgamated the opinions of our readers, who identified a number of areas where Italy's south trumped the wealthier north, with those of people who live there, to come up with the list below. read more