In 1678, it is believed on 25th June, Elena Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman to receive a university academic degree. Padua was the awarding university.
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The avant-garde sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro was born in Morciano di Romagna, a small town just inland from the Adriatic coast, on this day in 1926. He is best known for his Sphere within Sphere series.
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Today (6th June), Google’s Doodle celebrates the 171st birthday of Italian inventor Angelo Moriondo. He is credited with patenting the earliest known espresso machine.
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In 1762, Pope Clement XIII officially opened the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome. The fountain now helps raise money for the poor.
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The Veneto region is home to unique villas. Designed in the mid-1500s by the architect Andrea Palladio for the wealthiest families of the region, these are the famous Palladian Villas. Along with the city of Vicenza, they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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On 24th April 1859, Luigi Lavazza was born. The Turin grocer founded the Lavazza Coffee Company, one of Italy’s most famous coffee brands.
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The adventurer and author whose name is synonymous with ‘womaniser’ was born on 2nd April 1725. A Venetian, Giacomo Casanova travelled widely and wrote an autobiography Story of my Life.
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Guccio Gucci, the man whose name inspired the interlocking G logo, was born 26th March 1881 in Florence. Inspired by wealthy clients at the Savoy Hotel, his fashion brand has gone on to become one of the most famous in the world.
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Giuseppe Mercalli was one of Europe’s leading authorities on earthquakes and volcanic activity. He died on 19th March 1914 in a fire at home.
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Mount Vesuvius, the huge volcano which covered the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, last erupted on this day in 1944. It is the only volcano on mainland Europe to erupt in the last 100 years.
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