Italy Working Holiday

Italy is a very beautiful country.  It is a long peninsular that extends out into the Mediterranean sea.

Italy and Culture

There could well be more history in Italy than anywhere else in the world. Another very good reason to visit Italy.

It has many beautiful towns and cities.  It has a very long and interesting history.  There were the pre-Roman, Etruscan civilization.  There are traces of this civilization that can still be found in Italy. Of course, it is the Roman civilization that makes Italy famous. Of course, there is the huge Colosseum in Rome. Much of this still remains.  This shows the huge power of the Roman Empire.   It was built using an early form of concrete.  Of course, it was the site of the imperial games and the famous gladiators as well.  There are many ruins and Roman sites across the whole of Italy.  These could be temples or villas.

If you go to Pompeii in central Italy you will see the everyday life of the ancient Romans, preserved under volcanic ash.

Moving now into the Renaissance. Florence is in the centre of Italy in the province of Tuscany.  Florence could be thought of as the start of western art. It is here that you can find Botticelli’s Venus in the Uffici art gallery. This was the home of Giotto and Cimabue. Going north this is another amazing city, Venice. Again the centre of art and architecture.  It is famous for canals and gondolas. As a city state in the Renaissance, it was where modern banking started.

Rome is the capital of Italy, in the middle of the country.  It is a very lively modern city.  Italians can be very extrovert and expressive.  This is certainly the case in Rome. It is also the home of the Vatican, which is a state in itself. This also where can see the very beautiful Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s famous fresco. This was also where Raphael dis some of his greatest paintings. The third great artist of the High Renaissance was of course Leonardo da Vinci. He was a true Renaissance mad spanning art and science.  He worked in Milan, Florence and Rome.

There are many other great artists from Italy, for anyone that is interested in Art.  For those with an interest in music, Italy is again rich in tradition. This is another good reason to come and visit here. Find a job and discover the riches of this country. It was here that Opera was invented.  One of Leonardo da Vinci’s jobs was to put on “masquerade balls”. True opera started with Claudio Monteverdi in the 17^th Century moving through to the three great Italian Opera composers of the 19^th century. Verdi, Donizetti and later Puccini.  Music is very much alive and well in modern Italy.

Now, getting to Italy:

For any one wanting to go to Italy for an Italian Working Holiday there are certain conditions that need to be fulfilled:

 Conditions

• You must be a member of one of the following countries:

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.

• The visa office must be convinced that you are mainly go to Italy for a holiday.
• You will be aged between 18 and 30.  If you are from Canada then the age limit is 35.
• You should not bring any children with you.
• You must have a valid passport from each of the four countries.
• You must have a return ticket or enough money to buy a return ticket.
• Have enough money and funds for your stay in Italy.
• Pay the Italian Working Holiday fee, for the application.
• You will need medical insurance to cover any illnesses or a possible stay in a hospital for the duration of the visit.