The traditional music and dance of Italy

Italy has a vibrant folk music and dance heritage, many of which are based on earlier forms borrowed from nearby (or invading) countries. Again, regional differences produce a wide range of styles, so you can find Italian folk music with Celtic, Spanish, and even Arabic influences. Italian folk musicians use traditional instruments such as simple flutes and even a bagpipe-like instrument known as the piva.

Italy is linked with opera. Opera is a major Italian musical tradition that peaked in popularity in the 1800s. In truth, opera evolved from rowdy performances of singing and dancing with thrilling stage effects intended to entertain Roman audiences in between acts of the original play. They were referred to as intermezzi. The term "opera" simply means "a work," and the form entails a specific style of singing that is more melodious and dramatic than speech but not as focused on melody and harmony as other musical styles. "Dafne," the first authentic opera, premiered in Venice in the late 14th century. Today, many of the best-known opera singers in the world are Italian. Some of the greatest opera singers the world has ever seen have been Italians – Caruso, Pavarotti and more recently, Bocelli.

And Italy fosters and values all types of music. Italian pop music is comparable to other forms of pop music in that it incorporates rock, hip-hop, jazz, and electronic dance music. There are numerous music events to attend, ranging from Umbria Jazz to the Ravello Classical Music Festival, as well as the Verona Opera Season and the long-running Sanremo Music Festival. In short, there are music events to satisfy all tastes and genres all around Italy.

And if you can be cheeky and add an 7th reason to visit Italy.