Italy

Giacomo Casanova was born in Venice, Italy. His parents were the actors Gaetano Casanova and Zanetta Farusso. A man of great appetites, ambitious and brilliant, he was a lover of comforts that could not always be allowed. His numerous love affairs with different women became so famous that his name is synonymous today with "womanizer”. During his travels, he associated with European royalty along with the artistic figures Voltaire, Goethe, and Mozart. His autobiography, “Histoire de ma vie” (Story of my life), is considered among the most authentic sources of information about the European customs and social norms during the 18th century.

Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy. He was an Italian poet and scholar, well known for establishing the use of the vernacular in literature instead of Latin. That is why he is described as the "father" of the modern Italian language. His main works include “Vita Nuova” (The New Life), which describes his love towards Beatrice Portinary throughout his life and his masterpiece “Comedìa” (The Divine Comedy). The Divine Comedy describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso) and it is one of the most important poems of all time. Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio are also called the “tre corone” (three crowns) of Italian literature.

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy. He was originally a priest but chose to follow his passion for music. His father was a professional violinist and taught Antonio how to play the violin. His love for music made him want to explore other instruments as well. He was named Master of Violin when he was 25 years old in the Devout Hospital of Mercy in Venice. During his time in Mantua, as Maestro di Cappella of the court of the local governor, he wrote his most famous work “The Four Seasons”, a group of four violin concertos, each of which gives musical expression to a season of the year.

Nero was the 5th Emperor of Rome and the last of Rome’s first dynasty. He ruled at a time of great social and political change, overseeing momentous events such as the Great Fire of Rome. His governance was focused on trade, diplomacy and culture at such an extent that he cared more about the arts and not so much about ruling his empire. He made public appearances as an actor, poet and musician, which scandalized the Roman aristocrats as these occupations were the domain of slaves and entertainers. As Nero's behavior became more erratic, his enemies became bolder and the Senate condemned him to death. Nero fled Rome and eventually committed suicide at the age of 30.

Caligula was born in Antium, a town south of Rome. He was given the nickname “Caligula”, which means “little boots”, during his travels with his father on military campaigns, when he was a child. He became an emperor at the age of 25 and was welcomed in Rome as he announced political reforms and recalled all exiles. After recovering from a serious illness, he believed he was poisoned and he turned into a cruel and tyrannical ruler. He started to kill or exile those that were close to him or whom he saw as a serious threat. As his downfall continued, Caligula was assassinated by a conspiracy that included members of his Praetorian Guard.

Gaius Julius Caesar was born in Rome, Italy. He was a famous Roman general and politician. He joined the army at a young age and quickly became a powerful military leader. Eventually, he became governor of Gaul, an area that now includes France and Belgium. When he returned to Rome, he used his growing strength and declared himself dictator. As his power and ambition were constantly increasing, many senators opposed Julius Caesar’s goal to become emperor. A month after his declaration as dictator, a group of senators assassinated him. He is well remembered for his famous quote “Veni, Vidi, Vici” which means “I came, I saw, I conquered”.

Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome, Italy. He ruled as a Roman Emperor for nearly two decades and his reign was characterized by the devotion to his people. He was best known for his philosophical work “Meditations”, a series of challenging spiritual reflections and thoughts developed as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Marcus Aurelius was the last of the rulers known as the “Five Good Emperors” and also the last emperor of the Pax Romana, a period of peace and stability for the Roman Empire. The philosopher king died from unknown causes at the age of 58. After his death, he was immediately deified and his ashes rested in Hadrian’s mausoleum.

Marco Polo was born in Venice, Italy. He was a merchant and explorer, who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road, reaching China. There, he was received by the royal court of Kublai Khan, who was impressed by Marco’s humility and intelligence. He was appointed as Khan’s foreign emissary and saw things previously unknown to Europeans. Marco Polo returned back to Venice after 24 years. His book “The travels of Marco Polo”, gave an insight to Europeans about the mysterious culture of the Asian world, the wealth and the great size of the Mongol Empire. Just before his death, he said the famous quote about his book: “I have not told half of what I saw”.

Galileo Galilei, the “Father” of modern science, was born in Pisa, Italy. For nearly twenty years, he was a mathematics professor at the University of Padua, where he worked on many experiments, mainly in the fields of physics. In 1609, he found out about a telescope in Holland, and without having seen it, he created his own version, with which he made many astronomical discoveries. Galileo was accused for supporting the revolutionary -at the time- Copernican Theory, which said that the sun was the center of the solar system. Due to his provocative ideas, he was banned from teaching and sentenced to house arrest, where he continued to write until his last days.

Christopher Columbus was a famous navigator, born in Genoa, Italy. At a young age, he developed an ambitious plan to seek a western sea passage to the East Indies, hoping to profit from the lucrative spice trade. His voyage accidentally led him to the Caribbean islands where he established a colony in the island, known today as Haiti. He made three more expeditions to the Americas and he gave the name Indios ("Indians") to the indigenous people he encountered, as he thought he was in East Indies. It is true that he never clearly renounced his belief that he had reached the Far East, but in reality, he founded the Americas.

Michelangelo was born in Tuscany, Italy. At a young age, he showed no interest in his education, as he preferred to copy paintings from churches and seek the company of other painters. As Florence was at that time Italy's greatest artistic center, Michelangelo had the opportunity to meet with great artists and flourish under the guidance of Lorenzo de’ Medici, and sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni. He became popular as a sculptor, painter, architect and poet and is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with Leonardo da Vinci. Some of his most recognized works are David, Pieta, The Last Judgement and Moses.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was born in Vinci, Italy. He was educated in Florence by the Italian painter and sculptor Andrea Del Verrocchio. Leonardo was a genius polymath who epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Throughout his life, he was active as a painter, sculptor, architect, theorist, inventor and scientist. He was also known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on many subjects, including cartography, painting, anatomy, astronomy, botany and paleontology. He is identified as one of the greatest painters in history, creating some of the most influential paintings such as the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man.

Spartacus was a Thracian mercenary that became a Roman soldier. As he later deserted from the Roman army, he was sold into slavery at the famous gladiatorial school, north of Naples. There, he trained as a gladiator and became a legend of the arena. In 73BC, he managed to escape along with 70 other gladiators and took refuge near Mount Vesuvius. Spartacus and his rebellious army travelled throughout the Roman Empire defeating the Romans in all battles. Finally and after many epic wins, their army was defeated and Spartacus was believed to have died. Until nowadays, he remains an inspiration and a great example of oppressed people that fought for their freedom.

Mark Antony was a Roman general and the right hand of Julius Caesar, while his main rival was Octavian. The three of them were very important to Rome’s transition from republic to empire. In 40BC a civil war started between Mark Antony and Octavian, because Antony decided to marry Octavian’s sister. Despite this marriage, he had a love affair with Cleopatra further straining his relations with Octavian. In 30BC, he fled with Cleopatra to Egypt, and, after their defeat at the Battle of Alexandria, they committed suicide. Despite all the ups and downs, their relationship is one of the most famous love stories of all times, and has been an inspiration to many artists, such as Shakespeare.

In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the chief deity in the Roman pantheon. He was the God of thunder, lightning and storms. His title was “Jupiter Optimus Maximus”, which means the Best and Greatest, signifying his role as father of the Gods. He was married to Goddess Juno and they had several children including God Mars and God Vulcan. Jupiter was the protector of Rome and maintained the well-being of its people. He was part of the “Capitoline Triad”, which included three Gods (Minerva, Juno and Jupiter), who the Romans considered patrons of their city. A temple was built in their honor at the Capitoline, one of the Seven Hills of Rome associated with eternity.

In Roman mythology, Neptune was the God of the seas and waters. His main symbols were the trident, the horse and the dolphin. He was the ruler of the seas, oceans and rivers and shared the Cosmos with his two brothers: Pluto who was the ruler of the underworld and Jupiter the ruler of the sky. Neptunalia, Neptune’s annual two-day festival, took place in the mid-summer period, in which water was scarce due to the excessive heat and drought. According to the myths, Romans believed that earthquakes came from the sea, and they believed that they happened whenever Neptune was angry.

In Roman mythology, Mercury was the patron of messages and the God of travelers, commerce, financial profit, communication and luck. He was very clever and served as a mediator between Gods and mortals. He was also known to have a cunning personality and would prank Gods constantly. The Romans equated him with the Greek God Hermes. Similarly to Hermes, he was very famous for his winged sandals, which gave him speed to easily go from one place to another and he is often depicted holding the caduceus in his left hand. According to the myths, he escorted the dead to the underworld and carried dreams from the God Morpheus to sleeping humans.

Juno was the Queen of the Gods and was married to Jupiter. She was one of the most powerful Goddesses in ancient Rome and the protector of the State, as she would inform Romans about danger in their empire. Roman women, especially married ones, were devoted to her as she was the Goddess of homemaking, marriage, childbirth and motherhood. Juno’s sacred animal was the peacock and she was part of the “Capitoline Triad”, which included three Gods (Jupiter, Minerva and Juno), who the Romans considered patrons of their city. A temple was built in their honor at the Capitoline, which is one of the Seven Hills of Rome associated with eternity.

In Roman mythology, Minerva was the Goddess of wisdom, justice, victory and strategy in war. Her symbol is the owl, which represents wisdom but many statues portray her holding a spear and a shield, showing her interest in war. She is often depicted as a beautiful woman with an athletic, muscular body. Minerva was a very important deity for Romans, as she was part of the “Capitoline Triad”, which included three Gods (Jupiter, Juno and Minerva), who the Romans considered patrons of their city. A temple was built in their honor at the Capitoline, which is one of the Seven Hills of Rome associated with eternity.

In Roman mythology, Venus was the Goddess of beauty, love, maternal care, fertility and victory. According to the myths, Venus’ son Aeneas, after surviving the Trojan War, fled to Italy and became the ancestor of Remus and Romulus, who founded Rome. Therefore, Venus was treated with special honors and that is why many call her “The mother of Rome”. Venus was married to the God of fire, Vulcan, but she was well known to have many lovers including the God of war, Mars, and the young mortal, Adonis. The month April was dedicated to her, as it’s the beginning of spring and fertility.