Toward the end of his career, he wrote a four-volume illustrated book, entitled I quattro libri di architettura in which he explained his principles and methods and revolutionized Western architecture.  The book remains a major influence throughout the world even today.  What caused this to happen?  Why was the Veneto region the chosen area?  You will learn this and more during the September meeting, when Luisa Gabbiani Flynn will talk about Palladio and Vicenza, the city where she lived before coming to the U.S.  Although the slide presentation will be limited to the palaces and villas built by Palladio in the area around Vicenza, it will provide an understanding of the historical reasons behind the real estate boom of the sixteenth century and of Palladio’s place in his world.
 

Discussed next was the great triad of the Comitium, Curia and Rostrum with emphasis on each building's role in the political life of the city.  The Comitium was the gathering place for the comitia, Rome's primary electoral body and the location of magisterial elections.  The Curia was the customary meeting place of the Senate and was kept intentionally small so that Senators could clearly follow debates.  The Rostrum was  the platform from which speakers delivered their addresses and was decorated with the prows of ships captured by the Romans at the battle of Antium (338 BC).  Following a quick look at the Temple of the Deified Julius, erected by Augustus Caesar in memory of Julius Caesar, assassinated in 44 BC, we saw the Arch of Titus, with reliefs commemorating the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, and the great arcuated Basilica of Constantine, with architecture based on the arch, a structural form perfected by Roman engineers permitting the spanning of large spaces, that also influenced the design of numerous Christian Churches, notably the present St. Peter's Basilica. 

Our final stop was at one of the Forum's most sacred spots, the Temple of Vesta, the college of Priestesses of the Vestal Order, women charged with maintaining the Sacred Flame of the City of Rome, symbol of the ancient hearth fire of the Roman family.  The flame could never be allowed to be extinguished, as it guaranteed the power of Rome.  The Vestals were girls of aristocratic families selected to enter the service at the age of eight or nine for a total of 30 years, after which they enjoyed a very comfortable retirement.  Their commitment was to study the sacred duties for 10 years, serve as Priestesses for 10 years, and teach for 10 years.  They were also required to remain virgins for the entire 30 years.  If a Vestal took a lover and was discovered, she would be buried alive and the lover executed either by scourging or by being sewn into a sack with a dog, a cock, a monkey, and sometimes a snake, dragged down the Gemonian stairs, and thrown into the Tiber. 
 

The Columbus Day Corporation, of which the Italian Club is a member, celebrates Columbus Day annually with a variety of activities including a parade in the Hill neighborhood, a festival in Berra Park, the Miss Italian St. Louis Pageant, and the granting of two awards:  The Spirit of Columbus Award, given to an individual who exemplifies the important characteristics of Christopher Columbus, and the Parade Grand Marshall Award, given to an individual of Italian descent for his or her achievements within the Italian American Community.  This year, the Parade and Festival will be held on Sunday, October 10.

The celebration will include displays and presentations on Italian fashion, arts, music, sports, history, heritage, and .... food, with many local Italian restaurants and vendors presenting choice product displays, demonstrations, and purchase opportunities.

Roma, Galleria Borghese.  After years of restoration, the Galleria Borghese in the park of Villa Borghese was recently reopened and now devotes space to paintings and sculptures by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Tiziano, and others.
Genova, Palazzo del Principe.  Has been reopened to the public after a loving restoration by the the Doria Pamphilj family.  Visitors can admire the Galleria di Ponente with stucco decorations, marble, and frescos, and the famous tapestries of the Battle of Lepanto of 1571.  Andrea Doria, the famous admiral, called artists such as Giovan Battista Gaulli, Perin del Vaga, Sebastiano del Piombo, and Agnolo Bronzino to decorate his palace, built at the beginning of the 16th century just outside Genoa with a view of the sea and surrounded by a garden full of statuary and fountains.

Roma, Museo Nazionale Archeologico.  Newly opened after a 14-year of restoration.  Beautifully illuminated, the museum has one of the finest collections of frescos, mosaics, statues, bronzes, the living room of the Villa Livia discovered in 1879 along the Tevere River, jewels, and other artifacts.  There's also a well-stocked book store.

Roma, Palazzo Massimo.  After fifteen years of restoration, is now open to the public:  sculptures and portraits from the second and third centuries AD, mosaics and paintings together with reconstructions of the splendid interiors of the Casa Farnesina.

According to a new report, between 1995 and 1998, employment in banking and finance rose 13.4 percent, jobs in law soared 21.5 percent and doctors and other medicine-related figures grew 5.2 percent.  The report contained some other surprises.  During the same period, jobs in telecommunications, an area widely believed to be thriving, dropped by 2.1 percent. 
 

October 20
Italian Opera.  Vito Tamboli, Adjunct Professor, St. Louis University. 

November 17
Anna Morandi, Wax-anatomical Sculptress.  Rebecca Messbarger, Ph.D., Professor of Italian Language and Literature, Washington University.

December 15
Traditional Christmas Party.
 

13.  Francesco Berni nacque a Lamporecchio presso Pistoia nel 1497/98.  Condusse una vita dura e movimentata in qualità di segretario di alti prelati e morì avvelenato nel 1535, vittima di una lotta tra cardinali.  Le sue Rime furono pubblicate due anni dopo la sua morte.  In questo sonetto, che fa parte dell’antica tradizione comico-burlesca, il Berni si prende gioco dell’uso di celebrare le bellezze della donna amata.  La comicità nasce dalla terminologia raffinata usata per ottenere l’effetto opposto a quello convenzionale.
 
 

Chiome d’argento¹ fine, irte e attorte
senz’arte, intorno ad un bel viso d’oro²
fronte crespa^3, u’ mirando⁴ io mi scoloro,
dove spunta i suoi strali Amore a Morte⁵;
occhi di perle vaghi, luci torte
da ogni obbietto disuguale a loro⁶;
ciglia di neve⁷, e quelle, ond’io m’accoro,
dita, e man dolcemente grosse e corte;
labbra di latte, bocca ampia, celeste,
denti d’ebano, rari e pellegrini⁸,
inaudita ineffabile armonia;
costumi alteri e gravi:  a voi, divini
servi d’Amor, palese fo che queste
son le bellezze della donna mia.

¹bianche.  ²giallo. ³piena di rughe.  ⁴guardando la quale. ⁵le frecce si spuntano sulla pelle coriacea.  ⁶occhi strabici.  ⁷Bianche. ⁸Denti neri, radi e portati ad andarsene. 

All’età del bronzo segue l’Età del ferro, che in Italia inizia verso il principio del primo millenio A.C., mentre in alcuni paesi del Medio e Vicino Oriente e dell’Africa settentrionale aveva cominciato verso la fine del millenio precedente.

Tra le più importanti culture dell’età del ferro sono la cultura Atestina (Este e Alto Adige), di Golasecca (Varese) e il Villanoviano, cultura caratterizzata da vaste necropoli a incinerazione ricche di urne biconiche con corredi funebri talvolta finemente decorati.  E’ probabile che queste fossero popolazioni provenienti dall’Europa orientale che si erano stanziate nel centro Italia.  Secondo alcuni storici, da questa cultura più tardi si svilupperà la civiltà etrusca.

LE ANTICHE POPOLAZIONI ITALICHE

E’ durante l’Età del ferro che la popolazione della penisola esce dalla preistoria ed entra nella storia.  Al principio del primo millenio A.C., in Italia si trovano le seguenti popolazioni:  i liguri, sulla costa che ne porta ancora il nome e nelle valli appenniniche del nord;  i sicani, nell’interno della Sicilia; gli italici in Calabria; i terramare in Padania; i villanova nell’Italia centrale; gli umbri nell’odierna Umbria; i veneti nel Veneto e i messapi e gli iapigi in Puglia, che probabilmente venivano dall’Illiria (l’odierna Bulgheria). 

Altri gruppi dell’Italia centrale e meridionale furono creati dall’unione di gente locale con gente che proveniva da altre regioni.  Questi furono i sabini, latini, falisci, equi, volsci, ernici e ausoni, che si insediarono nel Lazio;  i vestini, peligni e marsi che dominarono l’interno dell’Abruzzo; i picenti, marrucini, e frentani che popolarono la zona adriatica centrale.  Il Molise fu popolato dai sanniti e la Basilicata dai lucani, mentre la Calabria fu popolata anche dai bruzi e la Sicilia dai siculi.

Durante questo periodo in Italia ci furono contatti sempre più frequenti con i fenici, presenti specialmente in Sardegna e nella Sicilia orientale, e con i greci, insediati nell’Italia meridionale. La colonizzazione fenicia della costa del Mediterraneo occidentale fu limitata alla Sardegna e alla parte ovest della Sicilia, con colonie puniche a Trapani, Palermo e Cagliari, città collegate all’antica colonia fenicia di Cartagine. 

I GRECI E GLI ETRUSCHI

I greci arrivarono in Italia nell’ottavo secolo A.C. da Eubea, Argolide, Locride, Creta e le isole Egee.  Si stabilirono sulle coste meridionali, dalla Campania all’Apulia, e nel sud ed est della Sicilia dove fondarono colonie prosperose quasi sempre basate sull’agricoltura e il commercio.  A volte si allearono tra di loro per combattere nemici comuni ma più spesso furono divisi da rivalità di natura politica.  Il termine Magna Grecia dato a queste colonie si riferisce alla popolazione e civiltà, non a un’entità politica.