Italian interior in cultural context

In Russia 2011 is the year of Italy and Spain. At the same time in Italy and Spain, 2011 is the year of Russia. This is an important event in the culture of these countries, leading the way to better understating of people in different regions. How did the people live in Italy? And how do they live now? Before the Romans, the Etruscans occupied the territory, now known as Italy. At the beginning Etruscan houses were round or oval huts. The buildings of VII century BC were made of raw bricks. In VI-V century BC they became more comfortable. In V century BC there were a number of rooms in Etruscan house, and they were of rather high quality. In III-I century BC the towns and cities were reviving. Many thermae were built, and this type of building became quite popular in Rome. Renaissance epoch is the turning point for intellectual life of Europe in XIV-XVI century. The changes in private lives were great. The centre of this revolutionary movement was Italy. Compared to the houses of the Middle Ages, the changes in interior of the house were critical. In the Middle Ages the interior of the dwelling was dynamic, while it was static and clearly set in the Renaissance house. Palazzo (Italian - palace) is a city palace-mansion. As a rule it is a three-storey building with a patio surrounded by a gallery. Nowadays in cities, houses of general European type are prevalent, with settled ways of interior decoration.