Here are some fun facts about Italy that make great conversations starters.

Fact One
Q. Can you guess how many kilograms of pasta one Italian eats in a year?
A. More than 25 kilograms!

Fact Two
Q. If you order a latte in Italy what will you get?
A. A glass of milk. If you want coffee you need to say 'Café Latte' instead.

Fact Three
Q. What percentage of Italians are over 65 years of age?
A. Twenty percent of the Italian population is over 65.

Fact Four
Q. What name do Italians have for Soccer? And can you name the team colour?
A. Football. The colour is light blue, although in Italian it is called Azzurri.

Fact Five
Q. A conclave is when a new Pope is selected. Where does this important ritual take place?
A. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, in Rome. Michelangelo painted the roof of the chapel on his back, lying high above the floors. Imagine lying on your back for four years!

Fact Six
Q. What is the name of the tower in Italy that leans?
A. The leaning Tower of Pisa.

Fact Seven
Q. Why does the tower lean?
A. The soil the tower was built on was not very stable. Therefore, over years the tower has slowly begun to lean.

Fact Eight
Q. Italy has two active volcanoes. Can you name them?
A. Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna

Fact Nine
Q. Which city in Italy was ruined by Mount Vesuvius?
A. Pompeii was destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.