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The Italian peninsula in the Iron Age was home to various groups, including Celtic tribes, the Etruscans, and Latins, each with its own distinct culture and governance. The eventual rise of Rome marked the beginning of a significant transformation for the region, leading to its vast expansion across the Mediterranean as Rome sought to assert its dominance.
However, the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD left Italy vulnerable and politically fragmented. The subsequent period of rule by the Eastern Roman Empire and invasions, notably by the Lombards in 568 AD, further complicated Italy's political landscape. Various local powers rose and fell, establishing a clear north-south divide that would influence socio-economic development for centuries to come.