Italy
Obviously, God did not rest on the 7th day but took extra time to beautifully craft this country. The serene hills of Tuscany, the volcanoes of the South, the splendor of Florence and Rome, Sicily's alleys, amazing coast lines. And Venice, an entire city built on water.The history and the arts! For almost a millennium, the Roman Empire dominated Europe and the Mediterranean shores. Roman architecture is ubiquitous. Many European languages are derived from Latin. And with the Vatican, the Roman Catholic Church is headquartered within Italy's capital. After the Roman Empire fell apart, Italy as such wouldn't be a unified country until almost 1400 years later. German tribes seized Italy's north, Muslim forces conquered Sicily and other parts of the south. And all left their physical and cultural marks.
Especially in the many independent cities new ways of thinking were born - culminating in Humanism and the Renaissance that ended the Middle Ages. The Renaissance, or "Rebirth" of classical ideas, completely changed the way Europeans saw the world; it is best known for its cultural achievements connected with Leonardo da Vinci's paintings or Michelangelo's David and his Sistine's Chapel ceiling.
In art and architecture, it was followed by the Baroque style that again originated in Italy. From philosophy to law, from music to painting, sculpture and architecture, from poetry and literature to cinema and fashion, not to mention the art of cooking: there is virtually no aspect of Western culture that has not been influenced by Italians - while the country was ruled by Franks, Germans, Fatimids, Spanish, Austrians, and French until it was finally reunited in 1861.
Roman Roots
Pompeii and Herculaneum – Treasure Troves of the Past
The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius brought death to thousands – but for us, in the streets of Pompeii and Herculaneum the Roman Empire comes back to life. Renowned scholars like Prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill from Cambridge help us understand the past…
A Metropolis in Quest of the Ideal
In the 15th century, Florence became the capital of the Renaissance. Masters like Filippo Lippi, Botticelli or Raphael were the first painters to be famous as artists rather than craftsmen. They were in search of ideal beauty – as seen in real humans.
