Global InformationCulture of Italy information
The culture of Italy encompasses the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, and customs of the Italian peninsula and of the Italians throughout history. Italy has been a centre of Roman civilization and of the Catholic Church, as well as the starting point of movements with a great international impact such as the Romanesque, Monasticism, Renaissance, Age of Discovery, Scientific Revolution, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Fascism, Futurism and European Integration.[1][2] Italy is considered a cultural superpower and the Italian peninsula one of the birthplaces of Western civilization.[3][4] Due to its comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the regions that comprise the Italian peninsula, many traditions and customs that are now recognized as distinctly Italian can be identified by their regions of origin. Despite the political and social isolation of some of these regions, Italy made significant contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe.
The main elements of Italian culture are its art, music, cinema, style, and food. Italy was the birthplace of opera,[5] and for generations the language of opera was Italian, irrespective of the nationality of the composer. Italy had a significant presence in the development of Classical music, birthing Baroque music, many forms of musical composition such as the Symphony, the Sonata and the Concerto, as well as many important composers. Italy is known for its lively folk dances. Italy has electronic dance music scenes consisting of Italian-born genres such as Italo disco, lento violento, and dream trance as well as foreign genres such as hardstyle. Before being exported to France, the Ballet dance genre also originated in Italy. Popular tastes in drama in Italy have long favoured comedy; the improvisational style known as the Commedia dell'arte began in Italy in the mid-16th century[6] and is still performed today. Italian cinema is revered throughout the world. The art film has its origins in Italy. Spaghetti Westerns emerged with the release of Sergio Leone's, A Fistful of Dollars, a genre consisting of films mostly produced and directed by Italians.
The country boasts several world-famous cities. Rome was the ancient capital of the Roman civilization, the seat of the Pope of the Catholic Church, the capital of reunified Italy and the artistic and cultural centre of world relevance. Florence was the heart of the Renaissance, a period of great achievements in the arts at the end of the Middle Ages.[7] Venice, former capital of a major financial and maritime power from the Middle Ages to the early modern period, with its intricate canal system attracts tourists from all over the world, especially during the Venetian Carnival and the Biennale.[8] Milan, which is the industrial and financial capital of Italy and one of the world's fashion capitals. Naples, with its historic centre, which is one of the oldest and largest in Europe and its famous cuisine.[9] Other imporant Italian cities include Bologna, home of the world's oldest university in continuous operation. Turin, which used to be the capital of Italy, is now one of the world's great centres of automobile engineering.[10]
Italy has rich collections of art, culture and literature from many periods. The country has had a broad cultural influence worldwide and is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (58).[11][12]
- ^ "Fascism". Encyclopedia Britannica. 9 August 2023.: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a Volksgemeinschaft (German: "people's community"), in which individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation"
- ^ "Works citing Stanley Payne's Fascism: Comparison and Definition". Archived from the original on 2 August 2022 – via Google Scholar.
- ^ Marvin Perry, Myrna Chase, James Jacob, Margaret Jacob, Theodore H. Von Laue (1 January 2012). Western Civilization: Since 1400. Cengage Learning. p. XXIX. ISBN 978-1-111-83169-1.
- ^ Italy has been described as a "cultural superpower" by Arab news, the Washington Post, The Australian Archived 26 December 2014 at archive.today, the Italian consul general in San Francisco Archived 27 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, the former Foreign Affairs Minister Giulio Terzi and the U.S. President Barack Obama Archived 26 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Kimbell, David R. B. Italian Opera. Cambridge University Press, 1994. p. 1. Web. 22 July 2012.
- ^ (in Italian) Commedia dell'arte. Treccani, il portale del sapere. Web. 24 July 2012.
- ^ Zirpolo, Lilian H. The A to Z of Renaissance Art. Scarecrow Press, 2009. pp. 154-156. Web. 16 July 2012.
- ^ "Venice | Italy, History, Population, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Centre of Naples". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ IEX, Redazione (6 March 2019). "Le 20 città italiane più visitate al mondo". Italian's Excellence (in Italian). Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ [1] UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Web. 25 September 2011.
- ^ (in Italian) Beni Italiani Unesco. Archived 16 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine Associazione Città e Siti Unesco. Web. 17 July 2012.