Where is Middle Earth?
Italy and the Italian Alpine Mountains
About Italy
Landscape- The mountains of the Alps are located in the north and have snow-covered peaks, icy glaciers, and fertile valleys. Further south, there are huge areas of flat plains and rolling hills, crossed by rivers and streams.
Language- Italy's official language is Italian, as you may have guessed.
Culture - Almost all Italians are brought up as Roman Catholics. Some Italians work in farming and grow wheat, fruit, and vegetables. In central and southern Italy, many people work in shops and offices, and most of Italy's factories, where they make products such as cars or engines, are in the north's big cities. Football, cycling, motor racing, basketball and skiing are all popular sports in Italy. Pasta, salad drizzled in olive oil, and pizza are popular foods in Italy. Italian culture is steeped in the arts, family, architecture, music and food.
Other Information-
Italy is a country located in southern Europe, and its full name is the Italian Republic.The main land is shaped like a boot and is surrounded by five seas. The islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Capri are also part of Italy.Description
Italy is a great country to represent Tolkien's Middle Earth. In the north, Italy's Alps have snow-covered peaks, ice glaciers, and fertile valleys. In Middle earth, the elves and the Last Homely House are located in a valley near the mountains, and this region provides a great spot just like this scene. The massive mountains in the north are a great representation of the Misty Mountains and the Lonely Mountain, where Smaug lies with the dwarves' treasure. They are "dark and drear" and have multiple "brown sides". Also, these mountains "tips of snow-peaks" gleaming on their shoulders, just as described in the beginning of the book. Further south, there are flat plains and rolling hills. This is the perfect location to have the Hill, where Bilbo and many other hobbits live in their peaceful hobbit-hole, and the land is arable, providing a great place for Bilbo to put his beautiful garden to look on the plains beyond. These plains are crossed by rivers and streams, which are very similar to the rivers that are included in middle earth. Such as the the Water, the river the dwarves cross to get to the Last Homely House, and the river they cross in barrels to escape and continue on their quest.
The Alps of Italy
These mountains have the same snow glistening peaks as the Misty Mountains ,as well as the misty weather that the mountains are known for.
Rolling Hills
These hills in Italy are very similar to the Hill, where Bilbo and many Hobbits take residence in their Hobbit-holes, with their gardens and grass plains.
Rivers
The running rivers in Italy are a great representation of the many rivers described in Tolkien's story, such as the Water that lies between the valley that the elves live in and the Last Homely House.
Counter Claims
Though Italy is a great representation of the Middle Earth on Earth. Italy is a densely populated country and has many modern buildings positioned very close together, unlike Middle Earth. The culture has a lot of variety, making it like the different species that live in Middle Earth such as Hobbits and Goblins, and Italy contains many historical sights,like Middle Earth's ancient, low tech theme. Many of the caves in the Alps are too steep to walk on and some have water deposits that fill them to the brink, unlike the caves that the Goblins live in, deep in the Misty Mountains. But, the lakes within the caves are similar to the lake in which Gollum A.K.A. my precious lives in, on his small rocky island, and there are some mountains with dense horizontal passages within them. Last but not least, Italy has multiple ski resorts up in the mountains, and Middle Earth has nothing of the sort. The snow-peaked mountains in the north are the spitting image of the Misty Mountains, the paths of which the whole story of the Hobbit revolves around. Thought there are a lot of counter claims for this topic, I believe that Italy is a great representation of Middle Earth.
The picture is the actual middle earth, as interpreted by the directors of the film.
The picture is the actual middle earth, as interpreted by the directors of the film.
Summary
To wrap this all up, Italy is a great representation of Middle Earth on Earth for many reasons. The Alps in the north are very similar to the Misty Mountains mentioned in Tolkien's novel, because of their snow-peaked shoulders, caves, and fertile valleys, and thought the caves have great lakes and steep slopes, some have horizontal passages and the lakes represent the lake in which Gollum lived.. The running rivers that intersect the rolling hills and plains further south represent the many rivers of Middle Earth, such as the Water and the river in which the dwarves travel to the Lake Town of Dale on their journey. The rolling hills and plains are exactly like the Hill in which the hobbits live, with their gardens. Italy has many historical cites, just like the ancient Middle Earth. In conclusion, Italy is the spitting image of the Middle Earth on Earth.
Alps MTB 2013