Learning About Italy’s Complex History on Italian River Cruises

Sedate and relaxing Italian river cruises will open up to you some of the world’s richest but also most complicated history. For those with an interest in this country's ancient heritage, cruising its stunning waterways is an ideal way to immerse and learn more.

Delving into Italian history

It sometimes surprises visitors that, for many thousands of years, Italy was more of a geographic concept than an integrated state. Some people believe that once, all of the peninsula was ‘Roman’ and then simply evolved into being ‘Italian’ but it’s a far more complicated story.

What we term Northern Italy today was once considered to be part of Gaul, and was occupied by Gauls. The Etruscans occupied much of central Italy, Rome was an inconsequential town and much of southern Italy was a series of Greek city-states. It’s doubtful if any of these groups would ever have considered themselves to be ‘Italians’.

For much of the next 2,000 years, a large number of individual states came and went in the Italian peninsula. Germanic tribes, Italian renaissance city-states, the Papal States, Austria, Spain and France, all occupied different parts of the land at different times in history. Although on Italian river cruises the incredible towns you will glide by, and sometimes alight to explore, will show a lot of evidence of such past civilisations, by the early 19th century the notion of ‘Italian’ was still intangible. People generally still considered themselves still to be Roman, Neapolitan, Venetian or Piedmontese etc.Many of the individual states were still ruled either by foreign powers, notably Austria, as well as autocratic princes, kings or in some cases, dictators.

The beginnings of a genuine Italian consciousness and state came about for a number of reasons, including the spirit of revolution and anti-autocrat feelings that spread across Europe like wildfire in the first-half of the 19th century. There were numerous rebellions, revolutions, wars and traumatic events, but slowly the number of individual states began to reduce as more were subsumed within a single entity that began to be called the Italian state.

Space doesn’t allow a full discussion of the detailed history, but eventually a succession of believers in a single state, particularly the famous Garibaldi, drove out foreign occupiers and with France’s help, the new Kingdom of Italy was established in 1861 (at the point of gun in the case of some parts of the new country) under the rule of King Victor Emmanuel.

As part of the horse-trading, Nice and Savoy, then part of the Italian states, were given to France as what can only be described as a "thanks for your help" gift. Strangely, the new country declared its capital city to be Rome – which is odd given that Rome wasn’t initially part of the new Italy due to resistance from the Pope and his army. That situation was not fully resolved until Rome was invaded and captured, after some bloodshed, in 1870 with the capital being moved in administrative reality from Florence only in 1871.

This wonderful country's history is very complicated but the state we see today is a relatively modern creation. On some routes of Italian river cruises you’ll see some of the key places and events where the struggle for unification took place. It’s well-worth finding out more because it’s a fascinating story.

So, Italian river cruises are not only for those who want to lie in the sun on deck and quaff wine – although there is plenty of that too! If you're interested in learning more about the history, art and culture of Italy, cruising its spectacular waterways is an ideal, relaxed way in which to do it.

Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways, a provider of luxury, all-inclusive barge holidays. If you're looking for Italian river cruises, the country has some of the world's most picturesque waterways. We also offer experiences in France, Holland and the UK.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.