Italian people

The Italians are a Western European Latin ethnic group primarily associated with Italy and the Italian language.

Ethnic makeup

The history of Italy shows that over the centuries, quite a few non-native ethnic groups have poured into the Italian peninsula and Sicily since Roman times. Almost all of these ethnicities came from Europe with the notable exception of a small number of Arabs who invaded Sicily in the 9th century. The northern Italians of the Po Valley were historically recognized as Gauls (or Celts) by the Romans. Central and Italians labeled themselves as Latins and other linguistically related tribes (and may actually be related to the Celts in the north). The main outsiders who came into Italy in the last 3000 years were the Greeks who heavily colonized the southern Italian Peninsula as well as Sicily before the 1st century BC. Then came the Ostrogoths in the 5th century AD, and finally the Lombards in the 6th century AD. Both of these groups were Germanic tribes who had come from the north of Europe seeking land, wealth, and living space. Other later groups such as the Franks, Byzantines, Normans, and the French Angevins ruled parts of Italy but only settled in small numbers throughout the country.

Related Topics:
Italy - Italian peninsula - Sicily - Europe - Arabs - Po Valley - Gauls - Celts - Greeks - Ostrogoths - Lombards - Germanic tribes - Franks - Byzantines - Normans - Angevins

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