Italy

Italy was a country in the continent of Europe on the planet Earth.

The Doctor's travels
The Doctor made several visits to Italy. In his first incarnation he even lived there for several weeks, taking an extended holiday near Rome with Barbara, Ian and Vicki in the 1st century AD. During this visit he was arguably responsible for starting the Great Fire of Rome. (TV: The Romans)

Venice, a city built on marshland by the sea, was also of interest to the Doctor. He made several trips to the city in his first, eighth and eleventh incarnations. (PROSE: The Empire of Glass; AUDIO: The Stones of Venice; TV: The Vampires of Venice)

Pompeii also attracted the Doctor's attention because of its famed volcanic eruption in the 1st century. The Seventh and Tenth Doctors were present during the eruption itself. Indeed, the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble were the proximate cause of the explosion that wiped out the city. (AUDIO: The Fires of Vulcan, TV: The Fires of Pompeii)

The Third Doctor once spent time on San Stefano Minore — near Sicily —with Sarah Jane, the Brigadier and the Brig's cousin. (AUDIO: The Ghosts of N-Space) The Fourth Doctor visited other parts of Italy, including the city-state of San Martino in the 15th century and the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci in Florence in the 16th century. (TV: The Masque of Mandragora, City of Death)

People from Italy
As a populous country with a strong tradition of emigration, Italy had an influence upon the development of the planet Earth that was difficult to quantify. For example, any number of unnamed persons of Italian origin passed through the gates at Ellis Island to populate New York City in the 19th and 20th centuries. (TV: Immortal Sins)

Despite the anonymity of the American immigration, a number of specific Italians were known by name. A few of her more famous sons, daughters, and direct descendants included:
 * Angelo Colasanto, an immigrant to the United States, and his family
 * Christopher Columbus, an explorer and sailor
 * Leonardo da Vinci, a renowned artist
 * Giuseppe di Cattivo, an artist friendly with da Vinci
 * Duke Giuliano, an Italian nobleman, and his friends and enemies
 * Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, who was 1/8th Italian (AUDIO: The Ghosts of N-Space)
 * Marco Polo, a Venetian who travelled extensively through China
 * Giacomo Puccini, a composer