In the beginning of the (5th c. BC to 5th c. AD), Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus and was then governed by the seven Kings of Rome.  Italy was then under the Roman Republic and then later became and Empire.  During the Republic Italy it was not a province but it was the territory of the city of Rome.  The province of Italy fell into the hands of Augustus and his heirs and construction was then started.  The economy grew rapidly with agriculture, handicraft and the industry had rising growth as well.  The population continued to grow as new leaders took control.  Soon after emperor Theodosius I died in (395), Italy became part of the Western Roman Empire.  There were then several years of barbarian invasions and soon after the Western Roman Empire ends.  For a few years, Italy was ruled under Odoacer, but then divided between several kingdoms.

During the Middle (Ages 6th to 14th c.), Italy was then under the leadership of Theodoric after conquering and ending Odoacer’s rule.  This lead to the Gothic War and once the Pyrrhic victory was won; the Lombards took control of Italy and established their own kingdom in the north and three locations in the south.  After their invasion, the popes took control by establishing what was left of Italy and provided essential services, as well as, protecting Rome from being invaded again by the Lombards.  Popes started to build an independent state.  By the 11th century, it ended the darkest period in the middle ages and things started to show some change throughout Italy.

Soon after the Middle Ages have gone to fade away, the Renaissance soon began.  During this period, Italy grew in power to become independent of the Holy Roman Empire.  The Italian Renaissance started in Tuscany and expanded south of Italy having an impact on Rome, as well as, its people.  At this time, a spread of ideas was influencing people and soon artists were developing all over Italy.  These artists would describe their emotions by observing what their paintings reveal.  They would also express their ideas and thoughts that could later be useful to Italy’s development.  Also during this time, Italy was being invaded by other countries called the Italian Wars which lasted for several decades.  Once these wars have ended and invasions stopped, Italy was then unified and able to recover from the destruction that was caused.  The unification process began in 1814 and lasted till 1861.  The Congress of Vienna in 1815 was officially active and new rules to establish Italy was underway.

By the 20th century, Italy joined an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary and entered World War I in 1915.  After World War I, Italy also entered several other wars which finally settled the peace once and for all among all countries.  After receiving some power and installing dictatorship, Italy was then under the 1947 peace treaty where they conquered its overseas territories and certain Mediterranean islands.  By 1870, the Italian Government was in control and Italy was an independent country.  Today in Italy, they still look back on its past, but every war fought and everything they did to establish Italy was worth it.