Located in southern Europe, Italy is a peninsula that projects into the Mediterranean Sea. It was the birthplace of the Renaissance and is the seat of the Catholic Church, located in Vatican City, which lies within the capital city of Rome. Other major cities include Florence, Milan and Venice. Italy was home to some of the world's most famous figures: the artists Leonardo and Michelangelo, the architects Brunelleschi and Bramante, the poet Dante and the political theorist Machiavelli.
