Little Italy, Melbourne

Little Italy, Melbourne in Victoria, Australia (sometimes referred to as the "Italian Precinct" or simply "Lygon Street"), is a "Little Italy" cultural precinct of the Italian community of Melbourne. It is situated along Lygon Street in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Carlton.According to the 2006 Australian census, Victoria has the largest Italian-Australian population in Australia (around 200,000 statewide), with much of its inner-Melbourne population recorded in the suburbs of Carlton and nearby Brunswick.Lygon Street is home to a large concentration of Italian restaurants, and is the birthplace of Melbourne's "cafe culture".Melbourne is also a sister city to Milan, Italy.RestaurantsThe precinct's renowned Italian restaurant district occupies a number of blocks between Victoria Street in the South, along Lygon Street, to Elgin Street in the North. Restaurants can also be found along the streets intersecting Lygon Street, towards the Carlton Gardens in the East and the University of Melbourne in the West. The Lygon Street Festa is an annual celebration of Italian culture and cuisine which held in the district in November.