Every year on 2 June, Italy celebrates Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica), marking one of the most significant moments in the nation’s modern history. On that day in 1946, Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic, ending a turbulent period that had seen the rise of Fascism, the devastation of the Second […]
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Dante Alighieri, born sometime between 21 May and 20 June 1265 in Florence, was not only a master poet of the Middle Ages but also a visionary who redefined literature, theology, and the Italian language. Widely regarded as the “Father of the Italian Language,” his work forms the cornerstone of Italy’s literary canon.
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Niccolò Machiavelli, the Florentine diplomat, political philosopher and author of The Prince, was born on 3 May 1469. More than five centuries later, his name is still synonymous with ruthless political cunning. However, the truth is far more complex than the word “Machiavellian” suggests.
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The Italian Renaissance is often remembered for its celestial art and high-minded humanism, yet on 20 April 1492, a man was born in Arezzo who would spend his life exposing the grit, greed, and lust beneath that polished surface.
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Gasparo da Salò, one of the earliest and most influential figures in the history of violin making, died on 14 April 1609. Born Gasparo Bertolotti in 1540 in Salò, a town on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy, he helped shape the future of string instruments.
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Born on 13 April 1519 in Florence, Catherine de’ Medici was one of the illustrious Medici family. The Florentine dynasty was renowned for its patronage of the arts and influence in Renaissance Italy. She became one of the most powerful women in Europe, mother of three French kings.
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Dante Alighieri, Italy’s most celebrated poet, died in exile in Ravenna on 14 September 1321. More than 700 years later, his presence continues to shape Italian culture. This week it forms part of a royal itinerary as the King and Queen visit Dante’s tomb.
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One of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century reached its terrifying peak on 7 April 1906, with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius after months of increasing activity. More than 200 people are thought to have died in what became known as La Grande Eruzione.
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Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known to history simply as Raphael, died on 6 April 1520, aged just 37. The date marked the end of one of the most influential careers in Western art. Raphael died in Rome at the height of his fame, mourned so deeply that, according to accounts of the time, a crack […]
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Fortunato Depero, a key figure in Italy’s Futurist movement, was born on 30 March 1892 in the Trentino region. Depero was a painter, sculptor, and graphic designer. However, he is best remembered for creating the distinctive conical Campari Soda bottle, which remains an icon of Italian design today.
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