Questions tagged [italy]

Italy is a country in Southern Europe, South of Alps, covering all Italian Peninsula.

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Before 1939 in Italy and Germany and between July 1940 and November 1942 for Vichy France, how safe would just being in fascist states be?

Say you are an American with citizenship, before December 1941 of course, probably before September 1939, and you wanted to do something like take photographs of the mosaics of Justinian in Ravenna, ...
R-Obsessive's user avatar
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Did Austria-Hungary have to cede land to Italy after occupying Serbia, and was it because of article 7?

Article VII of The Triple Alliance, signed 1912, states the following: Austria-Hungary and Italy, having in mind only the maintenance, so far as possible, of the territorial status quo in the Orient, ...
Felix Borelius's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Who is this decorated WWI Italian Army General?

This has been a tough one. I'm trying to identify who this is. He's an Italian General, and a highly decorated one, with four medals of valour, two crosses of war merit (Croce al Merito di Guerra), ...
Pax Romana's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
310 views

In the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946), who was entitled to style himself a prince?

The motivation for my question comes from a highly controversial celebrity. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Jordan Peterson stated that Olivia Wilde had married 'a millionaire prince'. I do not ...
Tom Hosker's user avatar
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Can anyone help me identify this uniform? Please help!

I do believe he was part of the Italian military, maybe someone can help me out please.
Pete T's user avatar
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1 answer
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Why did the San Marco Marine Brigade adopt the winged lion of Venice?

The San Marco Marine Brigade of the Italian Navy adopted the winged lion of Venice — the Leone di San Marco — as its symbol, and the patron saint of Venice — San Marco himself — as its patron saint. ...
Rodrigo de Azevedo's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
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Why do Italian and Portuguese Marines use naval ranks?

Arguably, most marine infantries use "land ranks", i.e., the ranks used by the ground forces, e.g., 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, etc. For example, 🇪🇸...
Rodrigo de Azevedo's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
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Why did Mussolini say that people are not really free if they don't have access to the ocean?

On the 10th of June 1940, Benito Mussolini announced his war declaration to the Italian people, and he said (video, at 6:10): Noi impugnamo le armi per risolvere, dopo il problema risolto delle ...
robertspierre's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
444 views

Why was Napoleon Bonaparte appointed to lead the French campaign in northern Italy?

Napoleon Bonaparte was, seemingly arbitrarily, chosen by the Directory for the position of general of the French Army of Italy. This proved to be a good decision by the Directory, but they had no way ...
OprenStein's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
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What is the true origin of Capri's "Scala Fenicia" ("Phoenician Steps")?

On the small Italian island of Capri (located about 25 miles south of Naples), there is a 2700-plus year old stone stairway which was literally carved into a small mountain. These "921 steps&...
Alex's user avatar
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Is there any primary source for Mussolini being called "Juliet"?

So, I have heard a rather amusing, but seemingly apocryphal story (as an answer on game show), that Italians called Benito Mussolini "Juliet", due to his liking of speeches given on ...
DVK's user avatar
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What were the names of Amerigo Vespucci's ships?

What were the names of the ships that Amerigo Vespucci used during his exploratory cruises? He was Italian; the American continent was named after him.
Jane B.'s user avatar
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18 votes
1 answer
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Did the Soviet Union protest against Italy building or acquiring submarines after WW2?

Article 59 of the 1947 Paris peace treaty prohibited Italy from having submarines or aircraft carriers. As far as I can tell, Italy acquired some US-made WW2-era submarines (Gato, Balao, and Tench ...
Dolphin 613 Motorboat's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
549 views

Which specific equipment did Italian submarines lack for Atlantic?

I read the book Kretschmer, in which the author Lawrence Patterson quoted one of Dönitz's report concerning the collaboration with the Italian submarine service. One element given for the bad ...
totalMongot's user avatar
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Please help identity this Italian military uniform

All I know about the man in the photo is he was an Italian. Any help on the date/what the rank, etc. was would be appreciated.
Jdhfd's user avatar
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3 answers
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What were the alleged crimes that Conradin, King of Sicily and Jerusalem, was accused of?

Conrad V or Conradin, (1252-1268) was King of Sicily, King of Jerusalem, and Duke of Swabia. The throne of Sicily was usurped by his uncle Manfred in 1258, who in turn was overthrown and usurped by ...
MAGolding's user avatar
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Why did Italy wait 45 days to exit WWII after the fall of Mussolini?

Benito Mussolini was deposed on the 25 of July 1943. From reading the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Fascist_regime_in_Italy), it seems that the main reason is that the ...
pinpon's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
456 views

Why did Italy's Battle for Births fail?

According to Wikipedia:Battle for Births: The Battle for Births began in 1927: Mussolini introduced a number of measures to encourage reproduction, with an objective of increasing the population from ...
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0 votes
2 answers
688 views

Why did Italian artillery perform so badly during WWII? [closed]

Italian artillery available during WW2 looks pretty numerous, speaking about the different cannons and howitzers available. They also looked efficient, considering range, caliber or accuracy. In the ...
totalMongot's user avatar
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What's a good general history book on Italy, 1400-1600? [closed]

I'm an artist with an interest in artists of the Italian Renaissance. After reading several biographies it's clear that in order to really understand their lives I need to know more about their world....
user316117's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
176 views

Where can I find biographical details on Bernardino (Dino) Barozzi?

I am studying some specific aristocratic merchants figures in Italian history and nobilty and I came across the figure of Bernardino (Dino) Barozzi. Dates of birth and death are 1863 and 1942. Any ...
Son Gohan's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
298 views

Can anyone help ID the probably World War One, Austrian, Italian, or Czech uniform in the picture?

This is a picture of my grandfather. Paul Boratko. We think he was born in Austria, but married a woman from Slovakia and immigrated to the USA after WWI. I'm trying to identify the uniform in this ...
Dennis's user avatar
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Why Italy during the interwar years and ww2 didn't devote adequate resources to develop weapons against armored fight vehicles (AFVs) including tanks? [closed]

Germany, Britain, France, the USSR and the USA had their own lines of design of AFVs and tanks. Italy, while industrially capable to some degree behind those four nations, had obsolete vehicles for ...
Kav's user avatar
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13 votes
2 answers
208 views

Did Thomas Aquinas's correspondent James of Tonengo become bishop of Vercelli?

Thomas Aquinas wrote the long letter/short treatise De Sortibus at the request of his friend James / Jacobus / Giacomo of Tonengo. James was a candidate to be bishop of Vercelli (Northwest Italy) but ...
Brian Hopkins's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
212 views

Why did Italian immigration to the US decrease from 1900s to 1920s?

Excluding the start of WWI and the later Immigration Act of 1924, what is the reason for this decrease especially from the Italian side. See ncdemography.org
Amadeus's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
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What are the flags in this Yellow Peril Cartoon from Italy?

Can somebody help me to identify the different flags in this Italian Cartoon from 1900?
Maya Kirstine Christensen's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
375 views

How did the bride's family benefit from providing a large dowry in Renaissance Italy? [closed]

[Please note, I do not personally in any way endorse the inequality of women. I seek to understand better the politics of marriage in Renaissance Europe]  UPDATE: Since this question was closed before ...
R J's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
137 views

How could I find the original text of Leonardo Da Vinci's fable "La fiamma e la candela"?

I have a special interest on fables. By wandering on Gallica, I found out from the work of Joséphin Péladan: Textes choisis : pensées, théories, préceptes, fables et facéties / Léonard de Vinci that ...
Firmin Martin's user avatar
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0 answers
81 views

Can anyone tell me information about this uniform?

This is my Great-Great Grandfather during WWI in the Royal Italian Army. Looking for any hints that his uniform could tell me about his type of service
NCanderozzi's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
586 views

Why was the wording on war in Japan's postwar constitution so much stronger than in Germany's or Italy's?

From Hathway and Shapiro (2017): The Allies supervised the drafting of new constitutions for each of the Axis powers and enshrined the prohibition on war into each state’s own governing documents. ...
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3 votes
0 answers
133 views

Which other primary sources describe rainstorms in 1345–46 Italy?

Bryson's European tour comments on a rainstorm of very long duration in 1345. The best evidence for this I found in Villani's chronicle which described a rainstorm of three months' duration. Which ...
gktscrk's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
221 views

What did the English people during the Peasants' Revolt know about the Ciompi Revolt?

The Ciompi revolt started in Florence in June 1378 and the Peasants' Revolt started in England in May 1381, just three years later. Did the news about Ciompi Revolt reach England in three years? Did ...
Alessandro Jacopson's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
489 views

How much debt did Italy remit Germany in the London Debt Agreement?

Italy was one of the signatories of the London Debt Agreement in 1953, pardoning part of previous German debts. Is there an estimate of the amount owed by Germany to Italy? Various sources cite the ...
Federico Poloni's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
158 views

Did Stukas support Schmalz Panzer corps and what about air interdiction?

During the campaign of Sicily, mid-summer 1943, British forces of the 8th army fought along the East coast of Sicily against Axis forces. Mid-July, the 5th British division encountered an opposing ...
totalMongot's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are the Swiss flag and the flag/coat of arms of Piedmont related?

Below is a picture of a flag I recently saw in a restaurant, that looked to me like the Swiss flag with a bridge drawn on it: Through image search I discovered this was actually the coat of arms of ...
Janick Bernet's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
249 views

What would a small-scale merchant in Renaissance Italy consider a necessity at home?

Presume we have a small-scale merchant in Renaissance Italy. By "small scale" I mean someone who has a shop and a house but isn't big enough to be a "rich merchant". I believe that something like ...
Michael Stachowsky's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
202 views

Help identify Venetian headpiece

So I’ve been trying to find the technical term for these headpieces usually worn during Venetian Carnevale. I’m unsure if they are medieval in origin or a type of turban. What is the difference ...
TeachMe's user avatar
  • 213
8 votes
1 answer
208 views

Where was the Barberini psalter created?

Would you know where the Barberini psalter was created? I have checked the on-line sources and cannot find the answer (maybe I have overlooked it?) It was created in the 11th century. The obvious ...
Yulia V's user avatar
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23 votes
2 answers
4k views

How did the Allies achieve air superiority on Sicily?

The Allies had freed all of Africa by the start of 1943. Afterwards, they landed in Sicily with a huge air force and fleet. How did they manage to land with the opposition of the Luftwaffe and Regia ...
totalMongot's user avatar
  • 6,597
2 votes
1 answer
624 views

When and how did David become the mascot of Florence?

My understanding is that David, son of Jesse, King of Israel was the mascot of Florence. And that that was the impetus for Michelangelo's statue being created in the first place. Certainly David the ...
Kinnard Hockenhull's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
707 views

Teaching of Mathematics in Italy and in Germany in the fifteenth century

In is book Beyond numeracy, John Allen Paulos tells this story: A German merchant of the fifteenth century asked an eminent professor where he should send his son for a good business education. The ...
José Carlos Santos's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
964 views

How did agricultural productivity change in Italy with the fall of the Roman Empire and through the early Middle Ages?

I have heard that overall agricultural productivity decreased with the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. In part at least it must be in relation to a general decrease of population - less people ...
Eldritch Sandwich's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Please identify this WW1 Italian Uniform

Can you tell me anything about the uniform in the picture? I believe the picture was taken around the time of the first WW in Sicily. The insignia on the hat, the hat itself, the boots and sword makes ...
Gennaro Milo's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
499 views

Is the historical consensus that Galileo did not drop balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

A narrative commonly taught in schools and propagated in books is that Galileo Galilei "dropped two spheres of different masses from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that their time of descent ...
Zenon's user avatar
  • 445
9 votes
1 answer
569 views

Is the story about Mussolini and Oliver Hardy apocryphal?

There is a story that Mussolini wore bowler hats until someone told him that he looked like Oliver Hardy. Is this true? Is there any evidence for it or is it apocryphal? The times I have seen the ...
NatWH's user avatar
  • 193
4 votes
1 answer
370 views

What is the meaning of the elements of this emblem?

Click for larger version This is a reproduction of an emblem passed down my family. The odd elliptical shape comes from the fact that the original is on a ring used for wax-sealing. We guess that ...
Federico's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
175 views

What was the mortality rate of the Black Death?

There are primary sources indicating high mortality in Italy. But that's it. The 1m+ death estimates seem to all originate from a single person writing in the 19th century (Gasquet). Gasquet has been ...
user31919's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
367 views

How did World War I affect women in Italy?

I’m writing a paper on fascism and the ideology of women. One of my topics I plan in discussing is World War I and how it impacted women both during and following the war. I wanted to write 5 pages ...
Dan's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
256 views

What was the conflict in Milan from 1041-1044?

I was researching the Pataria movement in Milan that began around 1045. I found mention of a compromise of Milan in 1044. This got me interested in these earlier events. The only information that I ...
John Dee's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
870 views

Why was the War of the League of Cambrai such a hot mess?

The War of the League of Cambrai was fought from 1508-1516 by...basically everyone who had any interest in Italy at the time (which was most of Europe). It was a mess: It's been described by one ...
A_S00's user avatar
  • 181