History of Italy

Italian-American Assessment Americans typically use the famous rhyme “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” in order to remember when and by whom the United States was founded. However, people of Italian descent often look at this saying with a sense of pride due to the fact that the well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus, was Italian. Additionally, the name America stems from yet another Italian voyager, Amerigo Vespucci (Spector, 2013, p. 331). This sense of Italian pride and identity in…

wonderful country to visit in order to see Roman ruins because of its amazing structures, awe-inspiring history, and its rich cultural heritage. First and foremost, Roman ruins can be acknowledged for its breathtaking scenery and structures. Take note that when the Roman Empire came to Spain, the Romans spent a very large amount of time there. The ruins soon came into play and became a big part of history. In the article “The Resilient Roman Ruins of Spain”, author Ryan Howland stated, “Spain…

Italian. Many authors both before and after the time of Dante were just as, if not more, influential in the rise of the Tuscan Italian dialect as Dante Alighieri’s work. Although influential in ending the Latin language’s monopoly of written language in Italy and extending the influence of the Tuscan dialect, Dante’s Inferno was preceded by the common use of “vulgar latin” in both conversation and writing. Latin had united the Roman Empire, but after the fall of the Roman Empire Latin gradually…

The world since the Golden Age of Renaissance has changed drastically in the past five hundred years. However, there are still a myriad of influential modern day Renaissance men (and women) existing in the world. Although the set of criteria that the world uses to define a Renaissance man is different from the past, the definition of humanistic virtues and ideals itself has not changed. Paul Allen, one of our leading businessmen, is a definite apotheosis. His versatility allowed him not only to…

Cathedral churches were founded in Europe in the 11th century and lasted until the 16th century. The cathedrals were built quickly and added to as the funds became available. Most of the the senior clergies funded the construction of the cathedrals and the bishops could fund at own discretion. Construction consisted of brick and mortar instead of the more expensive limestone. Although when construction first started everything was made of wood, but later stopped due to the many fires. The…

It is amazing to see how religion has made such an impact on music and dancing. As far back as the Renaissance religion had an enormous impact on both. During the Renaissance it was mostly the Roman Catholic Church that had powerful control. If you were a troubadour or trouvères participating in secular music and not in the office or mass participating in Gregorian Chant than you were considered part of the lowest social class. However, if it was not for the troubadours and trouvère we probably…

Concrete was a major contribution to the growth of the Roman civilization. Without it, the Roman architecture that is still seen today, like the Coliseum or the pantheon, would not still be standing. The idea of concrete first came from the Etruscans, but with Roman ingenuity they perfected the mixture and made it revolutionary. Concrete was used largely in the Roman Empire and greatly improved the architecture. It was sturdy, flexible, and was easy to use which made it a staple in Roman…

Leonardo da Vinci created masterpieces of art and sculpture. Equally remarkable, his aggregate achievements in engineering, mathematics, anatomy, geology, physics, music, military technology, aeronautics, and a wide range of other fields, not only stood without peer in his own time, but were strikingly prescient for the distant future. He recorded his forward-looking ideas in thousands of notebook pages, known as codices. He produced one codex entirely on flight in 1505-1506, the Codex on the…

In the early twelfth century the first burghs began to be established in medieval Scotland. This essay will explain why burghs were attractive places to live. It will discuss and explain the different types of burghs, and the charters that were used to govern them. It will highlight the European and, in particular, the Flemish influence in the growth and expansion of burghs. It will look at the types of trade, taxes and economy …, and finally the security of the people that lived in the burghs.…

The Renaissance was a time of enlightenment through art and literature. Illiteracy spread through Europe. In the Middle Ages people relied on the church and the Bible for an explanation of the world. In the 1300s, numerous serfs gained their freedom and they no longer relied on their lords. People moved into towns and took up trades which caused literacy to spread. The teachings of the church was questioned. Nevertheless, the humanism movement formed which valued the beauty and intelligence of…