These Patterns in Italian Street Names are the Path to Understanding the Country

Spend enough time in Italy and you’ll start to notice something about the names of city streets: They’re predictable. 

When I go to a new city, I can reasonably imagine the toponymical layout before beginning to explore. The central square and surrounding streets will likely bear the names of the five “founding fathers” of the Italian state. That principal piazza will probably be a Vittorio Emanuele II or a Garibaldi, with streets named Cavour, d’Azeglio and Mazzini