Trip to Italy of records

MALCESINE - The highest natural waterfall, the oldest tree and the still active volcano: Italy is rich in geographical, curious and unique primates. In Malcesine, in the province of Verona, for example, the shortest river in the world flows, the Aril, which in just 175 meters crosses the hamlet of Cassone and flows into Garda, the largest lake in Italy with its 368 kilometers square. If the Po is the longest river in the BelPaese through 652 kilometers of unique and suggestive landscapes, the highest natural waterfall is that of Stroppia, in the upper Maira Valley, in the province of Cuneo; the waters of the glaciers flow over a difference in altitude of 500 meters from the Vallonasso di Stroppia, a suspended glacial valley, to pour into the Maira stream; the waterfall is little known because it is located at high altitude and due to the reduced flow of its waters. More spectacular and famous are, however, the Marmore waterfalls, in the province of Terni, which throw themselves on a vertical drop of 165 meters, and those of the Serio, in the province of Bergamo, which make three jumps on a vertical drop of 315 meters. Not far you can visit the smallest village in Italy: Morterone. It rises in the mountains of the province of Lecco on the border with that of Bergamo, at the foot of the Resegone, immersed in the green of the mountains and woods; It is an autonomous municipality and consists of a church, a trattoria bar and a handful of houses which house about 33 inhabitants. In an area of ​​13.71 square kilometers, it is the ideal place to respect the physical distance required in these days of medical emergency.
    Even in the mountains Italy has records: in fact, we host the only three active volcanoes in Europe, Etna - which is also the most active - Stromboli and Vesuvius. The highest peak is Mont Blanc with Its 4,810 meters high and the Adamello glacier in Val Camonica is the largest: straddling Lombardy and Trentino, Adamello is a natural jewel to be protected and discovered with trekking and organized excursions. Moving to the South, in Sant'Alfio, in the province of Catania, there is the oldest tree in Europe: it is the chestnut of the Hundred Horses, which measures 22 meters in circumference by 22 in height and dates back to 4 thousand years ago. It is said that a queen with a hundred knights in her wake was surprised by a storm during a hunting trip and found shelter there. Our country also hosts the oldest botanical garden in the world, that of Padua, created in 1545 with over 6 thousand types of plants, extremely precious, poisonous and medical to obtain natural remedies.
    There is another rather curious world record: Italy is the only country in the world that includes two states in its territory, the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican State.
    The latter is also recognized as the smallest autonomous country in the world with an area of ​​just 0.44 square kilometers.
    There are also world records regarding history, culture, society and art: one of these makes us particularly proud and the presence of 55 World Heritage sites protected by UNESCO, on an equal footing with China; we host among the most beautiful sites in the world, of primary cultural, historical and artistic importance. In addition to the UNESCO sites, Italy is home to the oldest university in the western hemisphere: founded in 1088, the university of Bologna is the oldest still in operation. There is also the oldest pharmacy in Europe: founded in 1221 as a perfume-pharmaceutical factory, that of Santa Maria Novella in Florence opened to the public in 1612 and since then continues to welcome curious and tourists. In Veneto there is also the oldest library in the world: the Chapter Library of Verona, founded in 517 AD and open to the public from the first day.
    Among its shelves and books, Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca and the son of Charlemagne studied; here, moreover, the well-known "Indovinello Veronese" is kept, an enigma of the VIII century, recognized as the oldest text of the Romance language and the first document in vulgar Italian. We also have a record in finance: in Tuscany the first bank in the world was born, Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Among the records there is also the first film festival in history: it is in Venice and was inaugurated in 1932.
    Italy is also the largest wine producer in the world and has the oldest wine shop: according to the "Guinness World Record Ita "the winery that first opened its doors to the public is located in Ferrara; in 1435 it was called "Hostaria del Chiuchiolino" and was frequented by famous people such as Torquato Tasso, Tiziano, Niccolò Copernico and Ludovico Ariosto.
    In terms of food, we host the highest number of DOP (protected designation of origin), Igp (protected geographical indication) and Stg (traditional guaranteed specialties) awards with "Made in Italy" agri-food products that are unrivaled on the international market. Since we are known above all for pasta, it is good to know that we produce over 140 different types. Among the curiosities in Vacone, in the province of Rieti, there is the smallest restaurant in the world with just a table: it could only be called "Just for two" and the place must be booked well in advance also because it offers a unique panorama, enhanced from the remains of an ancient Roman villa which belonged to the poet Horace.
    We are a country of saints, poets and navigators; in fact we also host the oldest map of the western world: in 2003 in Puglia the Belgian archaeologist Thierry van Compernolle of the University of Montpellier discovered the fragment of a black terracotta vase dating back over 2,500 years ago which bore engraved drawings and names of cities Italian in Greek and Messapic language, a true geographical map. In terms of antiquity, we also host one of the oldest cities in the world: Matera, with its cave dwellings dating back to the Paleolithic period, cave houses carved into the rock of a gorge created by the Gravina stream. (HANDLE).