Physical Geography of Italy

Italy is a European Peninsula located in Mediterranean Europe. Several bodies of water surround this uniquely boot shaped European country. The Tyrrhenian Sea surrounds the the country on its Western side. The Eastern side of the country is lined by the Adriatic Sea while the Southern part of the country is bordered by the Ionian and Ligurian Sea.
The two major Mountain ranges in Italy are the Alps and the Apennines. The Alpennine Mountains surround the North-western part of the country until they meet the Alps located at Northern top of the country. The highest Italian mountain summit, Mont Blanc, is 5,781 feet above sea levels. The land also has two volcanoes,the Mount Vesuvius (1,281 m) and Mount Etna (3,326 m) the former being presently in a dormant state and the latter very often posses a threat to the people of Italy.
Italy's wide ranges cause the weather to vary considerably, and Italy's climate varies from the cold in the northerly mountainous region to hot and dry in the hills and plains of the south. The climate of Italy is mainly temperate, though it varies slightly according to region. The north of Italy is warm in summer, the central area of the country is very humid, and the south is hot and dry. The Northern part of the country experience cold, damp foggy winter weather, the temperature in the central part of the country drops close to freezing. Winter weather in the south of Italy is more pleasant.

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcitaly.htm