==I'm sorry...== 
 mmm. ok, I'm Carlo, from Rome. I'm the one of "False or meaningless information", I'm the one who re-read his wrote after the rebuttle and I'm the one just before you. 
 I'm new on Wikipedia and I forgot to sign. I'm really sorry.... 

 Today people from Sicily are as tall as people from Friuli or Lombardia. 
 Untill 10 years ago there was the 6cm difference you are talking about, but it was not due to something genetic; it was due to the poor conditions of the people living in south. 
 Many children were in fact to poor to have a complete alimentation and so their growth was compromised. 
 You can see this also in today poor countries; where people from upper class are 10cm taller from people from the lower class. 
 In the 19th century Veneto was one of the poorest regions of Italy and its inhabitants were shorter than people from Lombardia, Piemonte, etc. 
 Berlusconi come from Milan but, at my eyes, he doesn't seems so tall... ) 

 You say that "is a self evidence that every italian will admit" but I'm italian and I don't. 
 I travelled a lot all over Italy and I never noticed a "notable physical difference". 
 Just people who vote Lega Nord can agree with you. And they are 4% of Italians at last elections. 
 You cited a web site (), and also this site adfirm that Italian from the south are growing (statistically) and it refers to 1998. 

 Of course exist a difference between Italians from different regions but it is just cultural and due to economic condition; in souther Italy many people in past times were too poor to have a good education and some of them, still in the beginning of the 20th century, were not able to read and write, so there was more superstition, "bigottism" and conservatism. But it is a difference that is going to despare with old generation. 
 Another difference, beetween people from Lombardia, Veneto, Friuli, Venezia Giulia and people from the rest of Italy is due to the Asburgic domination and it can be seen in Architecture and litterary production of 18th century. But also this difference is going to disappear because those works are now studied in all schools of Italy and they will influence the litterary production of the whole Italy. 

 Of course we have to report facts. But if we report facts of the past maybe we have to not use the present form. Today the "fact" (difference in physical appearance)  is not a fact but a false information. 
 And if the connection between two fatcs is false (Germanic invasion, difference of height from north and south in the past century) we have to not report it. 

 If you think I'm quite funny is good, I was thinking I'm boring )    
 See you and sorry again (also for my english)                      Carlo from Roma, Italia; 11/oct/06, 19:56