Italian collection.

1. A tale of many cities
Culture in a box
ITALY - FRANCE
ERASMUS+ 2014-2016

2. Here is our beautiful St. Peter's Square!
St. Peter's is the largest of the four patriarchal basilicas in Rome
and the symbol of Catholicism. Its construction lasted more than a
century and famous architects such as Bramante, Raphael,
Michelangelo worked there.
The large square in front of the Basilica shows a beautiful
colonnade symbolizing the big hug the church gives all Christians
and faithful pilgrims.
In St. Peter's Basilica suggestive Catholic liturgical celebrations
led by the Pope Francesco, take place.
St. Peter's Square

3. The Ferrari is a symbol of the “made in Italy” known all over the world.The Ferrari industry was
born in Maranello, a city in Emilia Romagna, in the north of Italy. The Ferrari is linked to the
Formula 1, the World Sportscars championship. All the cars made by Ferrari are red and their
symbol is the “black Horse”: it was a gift that the mother of a young pilot dead during a battle,
gave to Mr.Enzo Ferrari as a talisman. One of the most famous Ferrari drivers has been Michael
Schumacher.
The Ferrari

4. Do you Know Venice?
It is a city in the north of Italy known as the” city on the water” as it was built on small islands at the
centre of the lagoon. Saint Mark's Basilica, (a large church) is the most famous church and one of the
finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the world. Located just off the Grand Canal, the basilica
overlooks Piazza San Marco. They say that in the basilica Saint Mark was buried. On the top there are
five big cupolas and a winged lion which is the symbol both of the Saint and of Venice. On the terrace,
there are four horses made of gilded copper. The Bell Tower adjacent to the basilica was once a
lighthouse to mariners. From the 11th century on the building has been known with the nickname ”Church
of gold” ( Chiesa d'Oro). Inside the church marvellous artistic treasures are admired by millions of tourists.
ST MARK'S BASILICA-VENICE

5. THE MELODRAMAThe Melodrama started in Italy at the
end of the 16th century and became
established in the 17th century, during
the age of the Baroque. It is a theatrical
genre in which orchestral music and
songs are used to accompany the
action. This new type of musical art
was first used in the courts to celebrate
important occasions and then
developed in theatres. Claudio
Monteverdi was the most important
writer of melodramas in the 17th
century and marked the transition from
the Renaissance style of music to the
Baroque one, while Pietro Metastasio,
known as an emotional, lyrical, and
romantic poet, asserted himself in the
most important imperial courts of
Europe during the eighteenth century.
The 19th century saw the highest point
of the Italian Melodrama (or Opera)
with authors like V. Bellini, G. Donizetti,
G.Rossini, G. Verdi and G. Puccini, all
creating masterpieces that are well
known all around the world and still
performed today. Italian opera has also
been made worldwide famous by world-
famous opera singers such as Luciano
Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli.

6. The Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountain is
the most famous and the most beautiful
fountain in all of Rome. This impressive
monument dominates the small Trevi
Square located in the Quirinale district.
The Trevi Fountain is situated at the end of
the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct constructed in
19 BC by Agrippa, the son-in-law of
Emperor Augustus. The aqueduct brings
water all the way from the Salone Springs
(approx. 21km from Rome) and supplies the
fountains in the historic center of Rome with
water.
The central figure of the fountain, standing
in a large niche, is Neptune, God of the sea.
Tradition has it that you will return to Rome
if you throw a coin into the fountain's water
basin. You should toss it with your right
hand over your left shoulder (or left hand
over your right shoulder) with your back to
the fountain. You're not allowed to look
behind you while you're tossing the coin but
the fountain is so large it's basically
impossible to miss.
Fontana di Trevi

7. THE DIVINE COMEDY
"In the middle of the journey of our life ..."; these
are the opening words of the Divine Comedy, an
epic poem that is both the preeminent work of
Italian literature and one of the greatest works of
world literature.
It was written by Dante Alighieri between 1308
and 1321. The masterpiece describes Dante’s
imaginative and allegorical journey through Hell,
Purgatory and Paradise. During his travels he
meets both people from the past and
contemporaries who deserved to stay in Hell or
to be admitted to the light of Heaven.
The Divine Comedy is composed of one hundred
poems and “Hell”, “Purgatory” and “Paradise”
are precisely the titles of the three parts in which
the poem is divided.
The verses are not written in Latin but in
Florentine, the vernacular of Florence, from
which the official Italian language originates.

8. The Duomo di Milano, Milan's magnificent Gothic cathedral, is one of the world's largest
churches. The Duomo is literally at the center of Milan. Streets radiate from the cathedral or
circle it. The cathedral occupies a site that has been the most central location in the city since its
founding. The construction of the cathedral was commissioned by bishop Antonio da Saluzzo in
1385. When the cathedral was consacrated in 1418, construction of the nave had only just
started. Construction would continue until 1813, and final finishes were applied as late as in
1965. The Duomo is decorated with an amazing number of beautifully sculpted statues and
spires. There are more statues on this building than any other in the world; the most famous of
all these is the Madonnina (Little Madonna), a copper statue of the virgin Mary covered with
3900 pieces of gold leaf. The statue, four meters and sixteen centimeters tall (almost 14 ft), was
placed on top of the cathedral's tallest spire and until 1959 marked the highest point in the city at
108.5 meters. The inside of Milan's Cathedral is expansive but rather dark. There are five large
naves divided by fifty-two pillars, one for each week of the year.
The Milan cathedral

9. The Tower of Pisa is famous because of its characteristic tilt to one side. It is the bell tower
of the Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta. It was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. It
is 58.36 metres high and 14,453 tons heavy. The tower's tilt began in the early stages of its
construction and it is due to a subsiding of the underlying soil, too soft on one side to
properly support the structure's weight.
The tower now leans at an angle of about 3.97 degrees.
TOWER OF PISA

10. The Margherita pizza is a typical Napolitan
pizza. During a visit to Naples of Queen
Margherita of Savoy, the chef Raffaele
Esposito and his wife created a pizza that
named after the Queen - Pizza Margherita.
To do it, the chief resembled same coloured
ingredients to celebrate the Italian flag or
”Tricolore”: green (basil), white (mozzarella
cheese) red (tomato).
To make a tasteful pizza Margherita you
need: flour, yeast, water, tomato, mozzarella
cheese, fresh basil,origan, salt and oil.
Mozzarella cheese in this traditional pizza
is made from cow's milk .
The pizza has a long tradition; at the
beginning a flat bread was given the name
pizza, coming from the mispronunciation of
the word "Pitta", which in other languages
indicated breads or buns. But when later
tomato was added, this food changed a
simple focaccia in a tasty and fragrant
"pizza"!
Bon appetit, nos amis!!!!!!
The Margherita pizza

11. THE COLOSSEUM
The Colosseum (Amphitheatrum Flavium) is the largest
amphitheatre in the world and both the most important
monument of ancient Rome and the symbol of the
imperial city.
Its construction began in 72 BC and was inaugurated in
80 B.C. by Emperor Titus.
It was used to entertain and enjoy people with gladiator
fights, mock sea battles, simulation of famous
battles, animal hunts, executions and dramas based
on Classical mythology. It could hold between 50,000
and 70,000 spectators.