Premier Magazine PH Vol. 1.12 Italy Special Issue

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 1

DECEM BER, 2021 ITALY ISSUE

i l c o r a g gi o d i sa per e

IN THIS ISSUE Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour. It is an adage attesting to the need for time to create great things - "Rome wasn't built in a day".

Rome is the capital city of Repubblica Italiana or Italy to most of us. Although the month of December may mean a lot of different events to the world, it is the time for celebrating the birth of Christ, and Italians celebrate Christmas as much as Filipinos do. We can feature hundreds of beautiful things about Italy but our interest was caught by the concept of the "MASK", a very simple thing that holds a major significance in our society. It made us think and ponder whether history does repeat itself.

Carnavale di Venezia is an annual event that is celebrated in Venice, the city of Canals also known as the City of Masks has always been an important feature of the Venetian carnival. Traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) and the end of the carnival season at midnight of Shrove Tuesday (movable, but during February or early March). As masks were also allowed on Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large portion of the year in disguise. To discover more about this we selected a compilation of stories that highlight the Italian culture and how it affected the rest of the world. The influence of Italy spreads in more places than we can imagine. Our issue is a combination of ancient Italy and the modern exuberance of the new age.

We are hopeful that this season prepares the world for more challenging phases as societies change and transition to a whole new spectrum of the way we will all live. How long we will wear our masks depend on how we will interact and address our issues under very unpredictable circumstances.

We saw Italians stand up in 2020 and how they faced their challenges. This year, we saw a better Italy, but who knows what tomorrow brings? All we can say is "viviamo impariamo."

The Publisher

ABOUT THE COVER Carnevale is derived from the Latin words ?carnem levare?or ?carnelevarium?which can be translated as ?to take away?or ?remove meat? . The word carnival is also derived from the Latin words ?carne vale?or ?farewell to meat? . The meanings of the word are not surprising as the Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent (the Christians tradition of the forty days fasting period before Easter during which meat is not to be consumed). These days the Venice Carnival takes place in February and ends on Shrove Tuesday that is also known as Fat Tuesday.

The Venice Carnival is one of the oldest festivals in the world , making it one of the most interesting celebrations that continue on until the present time. The Carnival tradition started with the celebration of the victory in 1162 AD over Ulrich II of Treven who was the Patriarch of Aquileia (an ancient Roman city in Italy). He was taken prisoner together with his 12 vassals and later released on the condition to pay a tribute to Venice that included a bull and 12 pigs which were slaughtered every year on Holy Thursday in the Piazza San Marco in front of Venetians to commemorate the victory. On that Thursday the street celebrations, games, people dancing and bonfires would take over the streets of the city The wearing of masks in theatres dates back as far as the ancient Greek festivals in honour of Dionysius, god of theatre. When the Romans conquered Southern Europe, they adapted the Grecian love of theatre and the use of masks in plays and celebrations.

By the 18th century, the Venice Carnival gained international popularity and became the biggest festival in Europe. Music and dancing continued day and night until the Serenissima Republic fell to Napoleon in 1797. It was an era in which many old ways of life were coming to an end and modernity arrived in Venice in its own way. The Carnival was banned and all the celebrations and rituals associated with it were shut down. Venice was independent no more.The Venice Carnival?s popularity fell into decline after the Austrians took control of Venice and for nearly two centuries the Carnival almost disappeared. In the 1930s Venice Carnival was banned by Mussolini the former Prime Minister of Italy but fortunately, the tradition of celebrating the Carnival, wearing masquerade costumes and masks was revived in the 1980s. The reasons for the popularity and success of the Venice carnival since revival (and perhaps even before) are political and economic at the same time.

A freedom of expression which existed at no other time or place.

I ncognito O R I GI N O F I N CO GN I T O 1630? 40; I talian <L atin incognitus unknown, T he ancient Greeks and R omans knew that there were times when you didn?t want to be recognized.

For example, a myth tells how Z eus and H ermes visited a village incognito and asked f or lodging.

T he apparently penniless travelers were turned away f rom every household except that of a poor elderly couple named Baucis and Philemon, who provided a room and a f east despite their own poverty. T he R omans had a word that described someone or something unknown (like the gods in the tale): incognitus, a term that is the ancestor of our modern incognito. Cognitius is the past participle of the L atin verb cognoscere, which means ?to know? and which also gives us recognition, among other words. ?

- M . W ebster

T he masks of the C

Carnival of V enice

Eyes W ide Shut: T his Stanley K ubrick f ilm starring T om Cruise and N icole K idman had T om Cruise donning a V enetian-style mask. T he mask was white in colour with extensive gold work on the f orehead, nose and cheek area.

I t symbolised a secret society into which the main protagonist, D r. Bill H arf ord (played by T om Cruise) f inds himself , which is involved in cult rituals. I n this complicated tale of sex and domesticity, the mask became synonymous with T om Cruise's character and a popular merchandise of the f ilm.

Photo by https://venetianmasksshop.com/

T he Commedia dell?A rte T he V enetian Carnevale masks can be categorized into two general categories: the Commedia dell?A rte, which commonly depicts classic characters and the traditional V enetian masks. Commedia dell?arte is a theatrical f orm characterized by improvised dialogue and a cast of colorf ul stock characters that emerged in northern I taly in the f if teenth century and rapidly gained popularity throughout Europe. T he earliest known company was f ormed in Padua in 1545, and by the turn of the seventeenth-century troupes such as the Gelosi, Conf identi, and Fedeli became international celebrities. Some troupes were f avored at f oreign courts, especially in France, where images f rom the Commedia became a f avorite theme of artists such as J ean-Baptiste J oseph Pater (1695? 1736) and A ntoine W atteau (1684? 1721) (49.7.54). metmuseum.org

T he Z anni (servants) were in many ways the most important? and certainly the most subversive? characters of the Commedia, as their antics and intrigues decided the f ate of f rustrated lovers, disagreeable V ecchi, and each other.

Photo courtesy of visitveniceitaly.com

A rlecchino, or H arlequin (1974.356.525), is a character whose origin is contested. I t is likely that he derived either f rom A lichino, a demon f rom D ante?s I nf erno (X X I ? X X I I I ), or f rom H ellequin, a character f rom French Passion plays, also a demon charged with driving damned souls into H ell. A rlecchino is characterized as a poor man, of ten f rom Bergamo, whose diamond-patterned costume suggests that he is wearing patchwork, a sign of his poverty. H is mask is either speckled with warts or shaped like the f ace of a monkey, cat, or pig, and he of ten carries a batacchio, or slapstick. T hough usually a brilliant acrobat, A rlecchino is gluttonous, illiterate, and gullible. H is paramour is Columbina or A rlecchina, a clever and coquettish maidservant usually in the service of the inamorata. Bustelli portrayed the patchwork-clad couple in f igurines that capture their f lamboyance in suspended animation.

Columbina ? this mask is another comical mask that portrays a f emale servant that is the counterpart of A rlecchino. I ts f eatures are actually that of a half -mask that only covers the eyes, cheeks and nose and is of ten heavily decorated. W earers of this mask are typically women who aren?t af raid to show of f their true personalities. H owever, male versions of the Columbina mask have been surf acing in recent years, of f ering men an option to wear a lighter mask than the more traditional f ull-f aced ones.

François Bunel the younger: "A ctors of the Commedia dell'A rte" oil on canvas - (late 16th century)

Pantalone is, without doubt, the real 100% V enetian mask.

I t is reported that Pantalone was one of the f irst steady characters in the Commedia dell'A rte, since the beginning. H e appears in a Canovaccio (vague plot outline) f or a play represented at the Court of Bavaria (D E) in 1568.

T he Pantalone character, in the Commedia dell?A rte representations, although being as usual very greedy, is gullible enough f or being teased and taken advantage of by his ?servant lovers? or male subordinates: servants, doctors, captains, whoever can get his precious money out of him.

- R oberto D elpiano

T he word bauta ref ers not just to a mask, but to the entire outf it, worn indif f erently by men and women. T he bauta was one of the most popular costumes of the O ld Carnival, especially in the eighteenth century, and remained in vogue well into the modern Carnival.

T he costume consists of a tricorn black hat, a veil and a tabarro, a mantle, which doubles over the shoulders, originally white, deep-blue or red in color, and decorated with f rills and f ringes. T he mantle and veil worn with this costume made it easy to conceal arms, which f orced the State of V enice to issue several decrees regulating the wearing of costumes. V ery severe punishment was inf licted on any person violating these rules.

T he typical mask worn with this costume is the larva, a mainly white mask whose particular shape allows the wearer to eat and drink without removing it.

T he Bauta masks soon became the most prevalent mask to disguise and veil identity. V enetians regarded the Bauta mask as a common everyday f eature of lif e, similar to a CO V I D mask today.

U ntouchable by law, the baúta served as the ultimate protection against intrusion in one?s privacy. T he loss of the mask literally translated into ?losing f ace?.Bauta masks were mandatory at certain political decision-making events when all citizens were required to act anonymously as peers.

But, not only did the rich and politicians don the historical masks.

T he Bauta was also usef ul f or criminals, who could hide in plain sight in the lagoon city. I t was also used by the V enetian police and spies to question and intimidate without the f ear of their true identity being discovered. A s gambling started moving f rom a private activity between small groups of nobles to a major attraction of the Carnivale and attracting f oreign visitors, along with the rise of sexual promiscuity and homosexuality, the Bauta masks were a key tool in concealing an individual identity. - J ason N egri

M oretta - a small V enetian mask covered in black velvet, concealing only that part of the body that is a window into the soul, the emotions.

T he term 'moretta' derives f rom the adjective 'moro', which means dark, and thus explains how the moretta mask would always be covered in black velvet.T he moretta was held close to the f ace without the use of laces, but by biting between the teeth a button just at the level of the mouth. A lady who wanted to wear the moretta, theref ore, had to remain completely silent.

T he use of the moretta mask contributed to the f ascination with the mysterious use of masks in V enetian lif e. I t should not be conf used with the desire of men to hide the f eatures of women f rom the eyes of others.

Covering her f ace with a moretta, the mask of seduction, and staying silent at the same time, a lady's intentions were completely indecipherable. A nd so it was the woman herself who decided whether she remained anonymous and silent or whether she decided to respond to the attention, if not the advances, of some suitor.

R emoving the moretta mask, the lady of f ered not only the longed-f or sight of her f ace but also the sound of her voice, considered a f aithf ul mirror of the soul. O nly the truly f ortunate had the privilege to admire that f ace and to hear her voice, but it would have taken a brave man to seduce a woman without knowing what he was getting as well as bold since he would have had to convince her to reveal her secret.

I n the back and f orth of V enetian lif e, the moretta mask had to be capable of being removed and put back on at a moment's notice. O ne could not reveal one's f ace to everyone. So the button was used to keep the mask on the f ace and not laces which were long, hard to tie, and hard to untangle. A nd of course, as mentioned, the button was an excuse to remain silent, as well as of f ering a way to ignore with dignity the of f ers a lady did not consider very interesting.

T his playf ulness with the moretta mask was not a momentary extravaganza, but a part of daily lif e f or more than half the year. T hat is, in the period when the use of V enetian masks was permissible in daily lif e.

D espite its wonderf ul lif e in old V enice, the moretta mask - one of the most f ascinating V enetian masks ever created - is not well known today. I t is even hard to f ind among the well-stocked V enetian mask shops today.

Ca M acana

A common V enetian mask is the Gnaga, part of a costume worn by men disguised as women. T he traditional Gnaga outf it includes f emale clothing and a mask portraying a f emale cat.

H eath L edger stars in the scandalously f unny adventure CA SA N O V A . A f ter a lif etime of women f alling head over heels in love with him, the world's legendary ladies' man (L edger) meets the love of his lif e -- the one woman who thinks he's a total heel. Comic chaos ensues in a hilarious whirl of misadventures, disguises, and mistaken identities as the love-struck Casanova tries to win the heart of the f iery f eminist who wants nothing to do with the man she thinks he is.

Casanova: T his H ealth L edger-starrer had him playing the legendary character of Giacomo Casanova who is notorious f or his ability to bed women f rom all walks of love, but who f inally f alls in love with the f eminist character of Francesca played by Sienna M iller. A lthough L edger only wears the mask is a part of the movie, it became f amously associated with his character and came to be known as 'the Casanova mask.' T he mask itself was gold in colour, with arched eyebrows, a wide nose and no mouth.

O riginally, the M edico della peste was not a carnival mask, but an outf it invented by the French physician Charles de L orme, and worn as a protection against the plague. I t is intrinsically linked to the history of V enice, as the city was hit by several plague outbreaks between 1361 and 1680. T he most severe one, in 1630? 31, recorded casualties of 46,000 people out of a population of 140,000. Some historians believe that the impact of the I talian plague on lif e and commerce was such that it ultimately resulted in the downf all of the R epublic of V enice.

T he M edico della peste costume consisted of an ankle-length black overcoat and/or gown made f rom heavy f abric and usually waxed, protective gloves and a bird-like mask with a long beak.

T he distinctive mask was generally white with two round eyes-holes covered with glass. I t had two small nose holes and acted as a kind of respirator (or primitive gas mask), f illed with spices, pungent herbs, camphor and other strong aromatic substances, that supposedly purif ied the air plague victims had breathed. T he idea was to keep away bad smells, as they were thought to be the main cause of the disease.

Several theories exist as to why plague doctors wore this bird-like costume. O ne theory was that the disease was spread by birds, and so the costume may have had some kind of spiritual meaning. A nother explanation is that birds did not get the plague, which might have been another reason why doctors adopted this outf it. I ronically, it was precise because of the outf it that plague doctors were less susceptible to getting the disease, as the overcoat acted as a sort of cloak which prevented the f leas (the real cause of the inf ection) to get to the doctor?s skin.

I n I l D ottore in Commedia dell'A rte, he is usually dressed in the traditional style of a medieval doctor, with a huge black suit, of ten with a ruf f and a notary's beret or large doctor's cap.

H e wears a mask over half of his f ace that highlights his bulbous nose.

T h e L a dy o f t he M o d er n Day M a sk L A D Y GA GA is no doubt the icon of modern day f ashion f or the modern-day mask. H er perf ormances have always been theatrical and her looks, stand-out. H er musical talent and ability to explore the unusual brought her accolades f rom dif f erent parts of the world. Perhaps, it's her love f or theater and being unaf raid to express herself publicly which made her become who she is now.

W ho would have thought that her f ashion style will reverberate up to this time when we rely on a piece of cloth to protect us f rom f acing death.

T he M ask, resurf aces again af ter ages of absence since the plague of 1300's - 1600's. W e are again beckoned by its ability to cover and protect humans f rom harm and possible death. R eal-lif e with the masks has been the new norm. U ntil when we will wear them depends on our ability to withstand the challenges of a transitioning world.

But f or now, let's take a look at some of L ady Gaga's covered-up f ashion and pick up some ideas f or the f orthcoming M asked holidays and events.

"H ouse of Gucci" is inspired by the shocking true story of the f amily behind the I talian f ashion empire. W hen Patrizia R eggiani, (L ady Gaga), an outsider f rom humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci f amily, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the f amily legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately?murder.

by Hessa Aldossary

A week of art, passion, and f ashion.

Since the year 1958, M ilan Fashion W eek has been taking place twice a year with a women's and a men?s f ashion week.

I t is one of the major f ashion weeks or as it is known by the global ?Big-f our? starts with N ew Y ork, L ondon, M ilan, and ends with Paris f ashion week.

M ilan isn?t only the f ashion capital of I taly, it?s worldwide recognized as one of the most important f ashion brands. W ith leading f ashion houses such as Prada, V ersace, M iu M iu, and Fendi, the city reached an unbeatable position. T wice a year, M ilan Fashion W eek puts f ashion in the spotlight and celebrates it in M ilan with f ashion lovers, buyers, and media. T he event was partially organized by the non-prof it organization Camera N azionale della M oda I taliana.

M ilan Fashion W eek presents around 70 f ashion shows and 90 presentations of designers to an international audience, through hosting catwalk shows, designer showrooms, and static presentations. Following controversial discussions debating f avoritism and lack of diversity within the chamber.

W omen and men?s spring/ summer f ashion shows, take place in September and J une. T he Fall/W inter shows are in February f or women and in J anuary f or men.

Every September, February, J anuary, and J une, the streets of M ilan turn into catwalk runways. T here is all manner of f ashions that you could ever imagine being showcased. M ilan Fashion W eek was hosted by the Camera Sindacale della M oda I taliana, which later changed its name to Camera N azionale della M oda I taliana. A t the time, the event consisted of catwalk shows and exhibitions presenting the I talian f ashion industry and its talents.

N owadays, M ilan Fashion W eek is still organized by the Camera N azionale della M oda I taliana, which aims to promote I talian f ashion designers in both I taly and internationally. R ecently, M ilan Fashion W eek has relocated to three main venues in the city of M ilan: Spazio Cavallerizze, which is part of the L eonardo da V inci N ational Science and T echnology M useum; Palazzo R eale?s Sala delle Cariatidi and the Padiglione V isconti, at the heart of Scala A nsaldo W orkshop. O ther show locations can be f ound throughout the city, notably f or larger f ashion houses such as Gucci, D olce & Gabbana, or Prada.

I taly is a style icon and one of the world?s leading f ashion countries.

W e have selected eight I talian icons that have become world-f amous I talian brands.

T he choice f ell on some very known ones, but on one or two surprising brands as well.

R ead along and enjoy the visuals as well in most cases provided by the brands themselves.

by Anhar Ahmed

I talian f ashion is linked to the most generalized concept of "M ade in I taly", a merchandise brand expressing excellence of creativity and craf tsmanship. I talian luxury goods are renowned f or the quality of the textiles and the elegance and ref inement of their construction.

W hat's more, the story goes beyond the I talian brands themselves.

Even in the 21st century, I talian manuf acturing continues to be revered as one of the highest quality in the world with countless f amily-owned businesses producing garments f or high-end clothing brands including Chanel, R alph L auren, Paul Smith, and a long list of others. Put simply, f ashion runs in I talian blood. W hatever your level of knowledge, there are probably a dozen of elements to your style of dress that lead, one way or another, back to the I talian f ashion houses.

W ith that in mind, here's a comprehensive guide to the essential I talian designer brands and how each of them made their name.

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D onatella V ersace H ow to dress like an I talian according to V ersace T he late Gianni V ersace once said: ?I think it?s the responsibility of a designer to try and break rules and barriers?? a quote that laconically explains the legendary designer and brand f ounder?s more-is-more an approach that?s been signature to the brand .since inception D onatella V ersace now conveys her brother?s vision, of f ering maximalist menswear and womenswear in f ull throttle ? think trademark baroque patterns, gold embellishments and the unmistakable .M edusa motif T heref ore, according to the returned-to-itsroots V ersace of today, an I talian dresses with unbreakable conf idence, f lair and a touch of pizzazz.

V ersace was designed throughout the 1980s and ?90s and built a f ashion empire by producing ensembles that oozed sensuality and sexuality.

H is most f amous designs included sophisticated bondage gear, polyvinyl chloride baby-doll dresses, and silver-mesh togas.

V ersace?s detractors considered his f lashy designs vulgar.

U nf azed by such criticism, V ersace staged his seasonal f ashion shows like rock concerts at his lavish design headquarters in M ilan, with groupies and paparazzi awaiting the arrival of both his celebrity f riends, such as Elton J ohn and M adonna, and his loyal models, such as Cindy Crawf ord, L inda Evangelista, Christy T urlington, and N aomi Campbell, who were paid such high salaries that the press dubbed them ?supermodels.? V ersace was credited with turning the f ashion world into the high-powered, celebrity- besotted industry it remains to the present day.

THE VERSACE FALL-WINTER 2021 COLLECTION

T he V ersace H ome f lagship store in M ilan 14 O ctober 2021 L ocation: M ilan, I taly D esign: V udaf ieri-Saverino Partners V udaf ieri-Saverino Partners designs the concept f or the V ersace H ome f lagship store in M ilan

Curated by the M ilanese architecture studio, the boutique showcases the label?s f urniture collections and evokes the great V ersace residences. T he interior brings together classical architecture and contemporary design, creating an eclectic space that reinterprets the brand?s signature aesthetic.T he space covers an area of over 500 square metres right in the heart of V ia D urini, the city?s main destination f or the luxury design. Produced and distributed in partnership with L uxury L iving Group, the label?s new creations are showcased in a distinguished historic palazzo, whose architecture evokes the elegance of the V ersace residences. Claudio Saverino and T iziano V udaf ieri?s architecture studio, based in M ilan and Shanghai, boasts extensive experience in the luxury retail sector and has worked with names such as D elvaux, Pucci, T od?s, M oschino, Sonia R ykiel, Clergerie, J immy Choo, and Buccellati.

T H E CO N CEPT A n important aspect of the design is the duality of classical and contemporary. T he elegant and historic V ia D urini residence is particularly well-suited to this polarity: the palazzo?s classical architecture is combined with elements that ref er to contemporary codes. I ndustrial details are used to revisit the brand?s distinctive symbols and shapes, resulting in an eclectic space. T his mix of styles f ully ref lects the personality of this legendary I talian label, whose collections combine classical design with a passion f or innovation and the contemporary.

V udaf ieri-Saverino has created a unique and iconic concept that showcases the V ersace H ome collection, designed by L udovica and R oberto Palomba in collaboration with D onatella V ersace, and that provides a template f or the brand?s f uture showrooms.

T H E SPA CE T he exterior of the palazzo f eatures a stunning f acade with majestic I onic columns topped with statues depicting the A rts. A magnif icent set of L ED -illuminated steps leads the visitor inside. Spread across two f loors, the layout of the boutique resembles home and f eatures an entrance, hallway, dining room, study, long corridors and a master suite with a bedroom and sitting room. T he real jewel is the secret garden, which is initially concealed f rom view and brings a breath of f resh air and light to the store, creating a wonderf ul connection with nature and the outdoor space. T he walls of the boutique reinterpret classical design and their symmetrical cornices are broken up with gold leaf detail (of f -set and almost random) to act as a backdrop f or shelving.

A homage to V ersace?s irreverent, provocative spirit, this interruption inf low is also a f eature of the corridors, where alternating gloss and matte marble f looring are manipulated to create a remarkable sense of contrast. T he curtains are another stunning f eature: mesh panels have replaced f abric to provide a nod to industrial style and pay homage to V ersace?s ongoing exploration of textiles.

Gold, a V ersace distinctive f eature, plays a key role in the colour palette. I n its sof test tones this can be f ound on the golden back-lit plates of the ceilings and on the stretched sheet metal doors.

T he contemporary ref erences are also evident in the large screens and the L ED walls of the entrance hall steps, where video content creates a link between the world of f ashion and the world of V ersace H ome.

A nother stand-out aspect of the staircase is the wall covering f eaturing V ersace?s iconic Greca pattern, which is turned repeatedly throughout the store.

Photos by Santi Caleca Source: e-architect.com

Prada was f ounded in M ilan in 1913 by M ario Prada, M iuccia Prada?s grandf ather.

L ocated inside one of M ilan?s most celebrated icons, the prestigious glass-covered Galleria V ittorio Emanuele I I arcade, Prada was an exclusive shop selling luxury travel articles and accessories made with sophisticated techniques and the f inest materials.

I t wasn?t long bef ore the shop in Galleria V ittorio Emanuele I I became a f avourite port of call f or the aristocracy and the more ref ined and elegant members of Europe?s upper classes. I n 1919 Prada was appointed O f f icial Supplier to the I talian R oyal H ousehold; as such, it incorporated the H ouse of Savoy?s coat of arms and knotted rope design into its logo.

T he original Prada shop in Galleria V ittorio Emanuele I I has kept its ancient f lavour. D isplayed on the mahogany shelving units ? the very ones that M ario Prada specially commissioned a British architect to design and produce ? are exquisitely hand-made bags, trunks, leather accessories and beauty cases of the f inest quality as well as all the other leather goods, f ootwear and clothes f rom the latest collections.

A longside these, a selection of historic Prada products conf irms a level of quality as outstanding today as it was a century ago.

M aria Brianchi was born to parents L uisa Prada and L uigi Brianchi on M ay 10, 1949, in M ilan, I taly. She took the name M iuccia Prada af ter being adopted by an aunt in the 80's. Prada attended the L iceo Classico Berchet high school in M ilan and graduated f rom the U niversity of M ilan with a Ph.D . in political science. M iuccia then trained to become a mime at the T eatro Piccolo and perf ormed f or f ive years. A dditionally, she was a member of the I talian Communist Party and was involved in M ilan's women's rights movement during the '70s Prada's work growing her f amily's company into a globally recognized brand has not gone unnoticed throughout her years in the industry. I n 1993, M iuccia Prada was awarded the CFD A international award f or accessories. I n 2013, she was awarded the f irst I nternational D esigner of the Y ear award at the British Fashion A wards and, a year later, in 2014, was listed by Forbes as the 75th most powerf ul woman in the world. T oday, Prada is the co-CEO of the luxury f ashion house along with her husband, Patrizio Bertelli.

M iu ccia Pr ada an d

Raf Sim on s

M iuccia Prada and R af Simons H ow to dress like an I talian according to Prada T o f it the criteria of the Prada man/woman, you must be able to synthesize elements of the past and the f uture to create an an ensemble that?s f it f or the times. M iuccia Prada?s passion f or combining bleedingedge resources with retro inspirations, and an ever-enticing range of seasontranscending leather goods, is the chief f ormula to the brand?s success. N ow that she is joined by the unstoppable M r. R af Simons, we expect to see a hint of rebellion thrown into the mix f or good measure.

THE PRADA FALL-WINTER 2021 COLLECTION

Giorgio A rmani H ow to dress like an I talian according to Giorgio A rmani I f you?re looking f or a crash course in I talian dressing, look to Giorgio A rmani ? the f ather of minimalist f ashion. I n contrast to the more vivacious brands that originate f rom I talia, Giorgio?s f ocus remains on relaxed luxury (think slim-f it knitwear; unstructured, perf ect-f orany-occasion suits and lots and lots of navy). T hus, to dress like an I talian is to dress like Giorgio A rmani ? with bucketloads of class and sophistication.

A rmani best described his approach to f ashion as f ollows: ?I was the f irst to sof ten the image of men, and harden the image of women. I dressed men in women?s f abrics, and stole f rom men what women wanted and needed? the power suit.? H is androgynous approach rarely disappointed f ashion critics, who dutif ully appeared each season at shows staged at his 17th-century palazzo on V ia Borgonuovo in central M ilan. A rmani?s reputation grew as a result of the popular f ilm A merican Gigolo (1980), in which actor R ichard Gere was f eatured as the dashing owner of a closetf ul of tailored A rmani clothing.

T he public developed an increasingly insatiable demand f or his minimalist style, and many H ollywood leading ladies became torchbearers f or the A rmani look at the A cademy A wards ceremonies.

"Palazzo O rsini in M ilan became the Giorgio A rmani headquarters in 1996, and in 2017 the interior decorations were recreated in Paris to showcase the FW 17-18 M istero H aute Couture Collection." A rmani on T witter

THE GIORGIO ARM ANI AUTUM N WINTER 2021-2022 COLLECTION

Giorgio A rmani's style f lows in a perpetual evolution, f orever retaining a sense of linearity, the preciousness of subtlety, a sof t precision that enhances the personality.

A lessandro M ichele H ow to dress like an I talian according to Gucci Gucci, the great titan of I talian f ashion, is rich in everything: rich in colour, rich in materials, rich in grandeur and rich in inf luence. Simply put, Gucci?s interpretation of I talian dressing is f ounded on big statements, intricate details and glitz and glam ? especially since the ever-eccentric A lessandro M ichele took charge. A touch of nostalgia and a lot of unapologetic ostentatiousness def ines the brand?s aesthetic today.

Gucci used to be and is known as a label of choice amongst wealthy travelers, H ollywood stars and other well-heeled shoppers, renowned f or its extravagant, opulent designs. Some of the most iconic Gucci products are: the Gucci Flora Print Scarf , used by Grace K elly; the Gucci Bamboo Shopper, which was created af ter W W I I and the popular Gucci H obo Bag, which was used by celebrities and royalties.

Photo : Gucci's - T umblr L ady D iana Spencer with her bamboo bag, R ome 1991

Current D esigner: Silvia Fendi and K im J ones H ow to dress like an I talian according to Fendi L ogomania may have reigned supreme over the last f ew years at Fendi; however, it is cream-of -the-crop leathers that are intrinsic to the R omebased brand. A ccordingly, the paramount component to Fendi?s style guidelines are to indulge in pieces of maximal quality ? apparel but and accessories that will last a lif etime.

Fendi cultivates the most elevated craf tsmanship, creating f urs with its unique savoir-f aire. T his high attention to handcraf ting the most extraordinary f urs is a pursuit that has endured f or over 90 years, producing a legacy of unprecedented invention and creativity in the art of f ur.

N atural materials are part of the roots of FEN D I since 1925.

T hey are committed to working with the highest quality materials, sourced and processed in a responsible manner, adopting an ethical and mindf ul approach towards people and the environment.

FEN D I , as part of L V M H , is also an active member of the BSR (Business f or Social R esponsibility), a non-prof it organization working to achieve a more transparent and sustainable industry.

Current D esigner: D aniel L ee H ow to dress like an I talian according to Bottega V eneta A bove everything, I talian f ashion is concerned with crème de la crème craf tsmanship. T his is why Bottega V eneta ? home to intrecciato, the f ashion house?s trademark woven technique ? is never out of f ashion.

A nd since British designer D aniel L ee took the helm, Bottega has been on everyone?s radar. W hich just goes to show, you don?t need to be of I talian blood to successf ully adopt I talian style.

Current D esigner: M iuccia Prada H ow to dress like an I talian according to M iu M iu: M iu M iu is M iuccia Prada?s costume box ? a child at heart, the designer loves nothing more than bringing her rebellious yet playf ul visions to lif e in surprisingly sophisticated ways.

M ore than anything else, M iu M iu is concerned with details. A pretty Peter Pan collar enhances a black tweed jacket; a denim skirt is bejeweled with crystals; a pastel purple puf f eries set apart by its exaggerated quilted design. By adding unique twists to contemporary style necessities, M iuccia Prada and the rest of the M iu M iu team keep their ardent customer base satisf ied.

Current D esigner: Pierpaolo Piccioli H ow to dress like an I talian according to V alentino V alentino is an ever-evolving brand that?s at its best when it returns to its roots steeped in grace and glamour. T hus, V alentino?s contemporary collections ? designed by the one and only Pierpaolo Piccioli ? are applauded when the designer reinterprets the brand's classic aesthetic with modern sensibilities.

W hat can one learn about dressing f rom V alentino? T hat elegance never dies. A ccording to V alentino, dressing like an I talian is about picking ref ined pieces that embrace the past and the present.

?N ature is the art of God.?

- D ante A lighieri

The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise - A TV series of 100 episodes divided into 9 seasons: Dante is lost in a dark forest. Virgil appears to protect him and guide his way through Hell and Purgatory.

Dante consummates his love relationship with Beatrice at the Gates of Paradise. SERIES PREMIERE September 21, 2022

il Sommo Poeta

by Sara A B

D ante A lighieri, the I talian poet, and philosopher was born on M ay 21, 1265 and died on September 13, 1321 at the age of f if ty-six.

T he A lighieri or A gari f amily originated in L ombardy, one of the regions of I taly that lies below the A lps, and the meaning of the name ref ers to the small hook that the boat driver throws when he reaches the shore. W as he an angel or a bird, as f or the name of the poet D ante, it means: the one who gives, and its diminutive D urante, that is: the patient or the af f licted, the author of the D ivine Comedy was born in 1265 A D in Florence, descended f rom the nobles , and they had two children, Francesco and Gaetana. D ante is best known f or his epic T he D ivine Comedy, which had a major inf luence on literary and theological literature which includes 3 chapters, H ell, Paradise, and Purgatory, and presents a Christian philosophical view of the destiny of mankind.T he beginnings of D urante degli A lighieri D ante A lighieri was born on M ay 12, 1265, into a f amily with a long history of involvement in the complex political scene of Florence, and this is ref lected in D ante's later chapter "H ell". H is mother died a f ew years af ter his birth, and when he was 12, his marriage to Gemma D onati, the daughter of a f riendly f amily, was arranged. T hus the two married in about 1285, but D ante was in love with another woman, Beatrice Portinari, who would have a great inf luence on him, and whose character would f orm the basis of D ante's epic D ivine Comedy.

D ante met Beatrice when she was 9 years old, and it was then that he experienced the f eeling of love at f irst sight.

T he couple lived together f or a long time, and D ante's love f or her was sublime and loyal, but circumstances f avored Beatrice's death in 1290, so D ante grieved greatly, and expressed his f eelings in his V ita N uova, published in 1295. Shortly af ter Beatrice's death, D ante began immersing himself in the study of philosophy and the machinations of the political landscape of Florence. Chaos and turmoil prevailed throughout this city, especially with the presence of conf licting groups, each representing the emperor or the pope. A t this time, D ante held several important posts in Florence, but in 1312 he lost his popularity and was exiled f rom the city by the leaders of the Black K nights of Guelph, a ruling political f action allied with Pope Bonif ace V I I I (to be remembered). T his pope is in addition to other political f igures in the H ell chapter of the book T he D ivine Comedy.

INFERNO by Dan Brown Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings.

With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's The Inferno.

Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again, combining classical Italian art, history, and literature with cutting-edge science in this sumptuously entertaining thriller.

Robot ar t ist t o per f or m AI gen er at ed poet r y in r espon se t o Dan t e

At the University of Oxford?s Ashmolean Museum, Aidan Miller recently unveiled the world?s first highly-realistic humanoid robot artist, Ai-Da, who wrote poetry inspired by Dante?s Divine Comedy. Using algorithms programmed with Dante?s epic, the robot integrated his speech patterns alongside her lexicon of vocabulary to produce her own deeply moving work. The poetry debuted in conjunction with Eyes Wide Shut, an exhibit on surveillance, which was created by the robot as a response to an incident in Egypt when Ai-Da was detained by security. ?The Ai-Da project was developed to address the debate over the ethics of further developing AI to imitate humans and human behavior,?Miller says. But in this undertaking, the creator realized that the project isn?t about finding the human in AI so much as locating how robotic humans are. He continues, ?Ai-Da allows us to gain a new insight into our own patterns and our own habits, as we see her imitate them right in front of us.?

- linktech

A chievements of D urante degli A lighieri I n exile, D ante ref rained f rom any political activity, began writing books, and imagined in his mind the f irst f eatures of the D ivine Comedy. D ante moved to Bologna in 1304, where he began writing his L atin book D eV ulgari Eloquentia of vulgar eloquence in which he proposed the possibility of adding some aspects of spoken I talian dialects not used in literary contexts to the vernacular I talian used in romantic compositions so that I talian would become a solemn literary language.

A ccording to D ante, the new language would be one of the means that could be used to unite the divided I talian territories. T his book had a great inf luence, although D ante never f inished writing it. I n 1306, all the exiles of Florence were expelled f rom Bologna, and D ante moved to Padua, but his lif e several years later was mysterious and unknown, as some reports say that he spent two years in Paris f rom 1307 to 1309, but there is no certain evidence about this.

I n 1308, H enry of the L uxembourg dynasty was elected emperor, taking the title of H enry V I I . O ptimistic about the transf ormations that would occur in I taly as a result of this election, D ante proceeded to compose his f amous work, D e M onarchia, or A bsolutism, in which he claimed that the emperor's authority derives not f rom the pope, but directly f rom God. But H enry V I I 's popularity declined very quickly, while his enemies grew in strength and posed a threat to his ascension to the throne. D ante discovered that most of them were members of the Florentine government, so he wrote scathing statements in which he attacked them, destined to be included in the city's list of banned works. By 1314, D ante had f inished writing "I nf erno", the f irst part of his epic work T he D ivine Comedy.

I n 1317, he moved to R avenna, where he f inished writing the remaining chapters.

T he D ivine Comedy is an epic and poetic work that depicts human lif e according to the Christian vision of the af terlif e, and it was like a warning cry calling upon a society mired in corruption to f ollow the path of righteousness. I n this work, the reader f ollows D ante's journey through the af terlif e according to the Christian concept, which is divided into 3 realms: H ell, Purgatory, and Paradise. T he R oman poet V irgil leads D ante on his journey through H ell and Purgatory, while Beatrice leads him on his journey through Paradise. T his journey runs f rom the night bef ore Good Friday to the W ednesday af ter Easter in the spring of 1300. T he structure of the three worlds in the af terlif e prevails in a common pattern of 9 layers (rings), a great tenth ring; H ell, f or example, consists of 9 layers, f ollowed by the location of Satan (L ucif er) at the bottom of H ell, and Purgatory consists of 9 layers, with the Garden of Eden at the top, while Paradise has 9 layers, f ollowed by the T hrone of God. T he D ivine Comedy consisted of 100 stanzas or chants written on a scale known as terza rima (the number 3 appears throughout the work), and D ante made some modif ications to its common f orm, and thus it can be said that it was f ormulated and invented. I n H ell, V irgil leads D ante with a group of sinners through the journey, and they chat with some of the characters. Each episode in H ell belongs to people who have committed a specif ic sin, and D ante spared his artistic creativity in describing and f raming the punishment scene f or each episode. A t the last stop in H ell, D ante and V irgil meet Satan, buried in ice to his waist, and next to him lie Cassius, J udas, and Brutus, the greatest traitors in history.

A f ter H ell, D ante and V irgil move into Purgatory, a tiered 7-tier mountain of agony and spiritual purif ication (the layers f ocus on the Seven Sins). T he journey through Purgatory represents the Christian lif e, as D ante must reject the temptations of worldly lif e f or the sake of the paradise that awaits him in the af terlif e. I n Paradise, Beatrice, who represents the divine light, leads D ante through the nine heavens until they eventually reach the ultimate paradise where the throne of God is. D uring the trip, D ante meets some of the prominent f igures in the f ields of culture, justice, and love such as T homas A quinas, K ing Solomon, and D ante's great-grandf ather. A t the end of the journey, D ante meets God f ace to f ace. * T he D ivine Comedy became f amous f or 650 years and was considered by many to be a great literary work, especially since Giovanni Boccaccio wrote D ante's autobiography in 1373. * V ita N uova's book was written in I talian, while most literary literature at that time was written in L atin. * D ante had a large and important role in establishing the I talian language and making it a national language in I taly instead of L atin.

T he I talians called him the supreme poet because he was an honest and moral person.

The Salvator Mundi, which sold for $450m at Christie?s as a fully authenticated Leonardo, has been downgraded by curators at the Prado. It was bought in November 2017 by the Saudi culture minister, Prince Badr bin Abdullah, apparently for the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The downgrading comes in the catalogue of the Prado exhibition Leonardo and the copy of the Mona Lisa, which runs in Madrid until 23 January 2022. Although individual specialists have questioned the status of the Gulf Salvator Mundi, the Prado decision represents the most critical response from a leading museum since the Christie?s sale.

The Prado?s verdict is recorded in the exhibition catalogue?s index, which has one list of paintings ?by Leonardo?, and another for ?attributed works, workshop or authorised and supervised by Leonardo?. The Gulf painting is recorded in the second category, where it is referred to as the Cook version (it was bought in 1900 by London-based Francis Cook). Although the show focuses on The Prado?s copy of Mona Lisa, it also deals with versions of other Leonardo compositions. - articulture

T he W orld R enowned

L eonardo's

Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous person named Leonardo.

He died at the age of 67. He is considered the most important person in history born with the first name of Leonardo. He was a polymath born in Anchiano, Florence, Italy.

Leon ar do DiCapr io m et w it h Pope Fr an cis at t h e Vat ican back in 2016 t o discu ss t h eir sh ar ed en vir on m en t al con cer n s. ?You r Holin ess, t h an k you f or gr an t in g m e t h is pr ivat e au dien ce w it h you ,? Leo said in It alian as h e ar r ived. Leo t h en k issed t h e Pope?s r in g, w h ich h as sin ce pr obably in cr eased in valu e. DiCapr io also gave Fr an cis a book of w or k s by t h e 15t h -cen t u r y Du t ch pain t er Hier on ym u s Bosch , an d sh ow ed h im t h e r epr odu ct ion of Bosch?s Gar den of Ear t h ly Deligh t s t h at h ad h u n g over h is cr ib as a ch ild. Wh y h is expect in g par en t s r egist er ed f or a t r ipt ych pain t in g t h at depict ed a vision of h ell is an yon e?s gu ess, bu t DiCapr io said h e t h ou gh t t h e pain t in g r epr esen t ed Fr an cis?s en vir on m en t al con cer n s. Leo t h en gave t h e Pope a ch eck t o u se f or ch ar it y w or k s, an d t h e Pope gave Leo som e book s, w h ich h e?ll h ave t o add t o h is Kin dle. Th e Pope said n ot h in g abou t Th e Reven an t , bu t af t er Leo lef t , h e?s r u m or ed t o h ave said, ?I?m n ever w ash in g t h is r in g.? - Vu lt u r e

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California,the only child of Irmelin (née Indenbirken), a legal secretary, and George DiCaprio, an underground comix writer, publisher, and distributor of comic books. His father is of Italian and German descent. DiCaprio is conversant in Italian. His maternal grandfather, Wilhelm Indenbirken, was German,and his maternal grandmother, Helene Indenbirken, was a Russian-born German citizen. In an interview in Russia, DiCaprio referred to himself as "half-Russian" and said that two of his late grandparents were Russian.His parents met while attending college and moved to Los Angeles after graduating. DiCaprio was raised Catholic. - Encyclopædia Britannica And yes, he's named after LEONARDO DA VINCI

Five years ago, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first? and only? Oscar for Best Actor (Motion Picture Drama) at the 2016 Academy Awards. He nabbed the trophy for a role as the rough-and-tumbling wilderness man Hugh Glass in 2016's The Revenant.

M on u m en t of Leon ar do da Pisa (Fibon acci), by Giovan n i Pagan u cci, com plet ed in 1863, in t h e Cam posan t o di Pisa.

Fibon acci (/ ?f ?b? ?n ? ?t ?i/ ;also k n ow n as Leon ar do Bon acci, Leon ar do of Pisa, or Leon ar do Bigollo Pisan o ('Leon ar do t h e Tr aveller f r om Pisa', w as an It alian m at h em at ician f r om t h e Repu blic of Pisa, con sider ed t o be " t h e m ost t alen t ed West er n m at h em at ician of t h e M iddle Ages" . Th e n am e h e is com m on ly called, Fibon acci, w as m ade u p in 1838 by t h e Fr an co-It alian h ist or ian Gu illau m e Libr i an d is sh or t f or f iliu s Bon acci ('son of Bon acci').How ever , even ear lier in 1506 a n ot ar y of t h e Holy Rom an Em pir e, Per izolo m en t ion s Leon ar do as " Lion ar do Fibon acci" . Fibon acci popu lar ized t h e Hin du ?Ar abic n u m er al syst em in t h e West er n w or ld pr im ar ily t h r ou gh h is com posit ion in 1202 of Liber Abaci (Book of Calcu lat ion ). He also in t r odu ced Eu r ope t o t h e sequ en ce of Fibon acci n u m ber s, w h ich h e u sed as an exam ple in Liber Abaci.

To t h is day, h is n am e lives in t h e ar t t o t h e t ech w or ld an d even t h e exist en ce of cr ypt ocu r r en cies is associat ed w it h h is gen iu s an d in f lu en ce.

?T he decisions of our past are the architects of our present.?

- D an Brown, I nf erno

T he Great Foundations of I taly

by H essa A ldossary Six centuries, more than 500 years to build and create T he world's biggest and greatest cathedrals, T he D uomo of M ilan.

T he construction work on the D uomo of M ilan probably began in 1386 when the style of Gothic cathedrals had reached its peak.

T he construction site became a lively space f or the exchange of the most diverse ideas, experiences, and skills f rom workers coming f rom all over the continent, which made the D uomo a crossroads of peoples and cultures and the most European among Gothic cathedrals.

T he project of D uomo of M ilan, D uomo di M ilano in I talian, was initiated in 1386 by the ambition of the D uke of M ilan Gian Galeazzo V isconti and A rchbishop A ntonio da Saluzzo who wanted to give the city a religious monument worthy of its importance.

U ntil its completion in 1887, passed through the hands of dif f erent architects, several creative artists, but the technical direction changed many times since its inception. L eonardo da V inci was interested in the work by of f ering dif f erent opinions and advice, the f inal details of the work completed during the twentieth century T he long succession of architects and engineers at the head of this innovative and original construction site make it impossible to trace certain authorship of the project.

N evertheless, one of them was D onato Bramante who was a painter until he discovered his talent and passion f or architecture.

H e is one of the architects who introduced the H igh R enaissance style in architecture. H is early works in M ilan included the rectory of Sant?A mbrogio and the church of Santa M aria delle Grazie which was declared as a U N ESCO W orld H eritage of the R enaissance in M ilan.

Giuseppe M engoni is an I talian architect, a leading f igure in the I talian R enaissance style. H e was born in 1829 and died in 1877 by a tragic accident f alling of f the roof of the gallery he had built. H e was the one who built the world?s oldest shopping mall, or as it is called by many, il Salotto di M ilano, meaning ?the living room of M ilan?.

T he Galleria V ittorio Emanuele I I was built between 1865 and 1877. I t was created as part of an urban project with the aim of modernizing M ilan af ter the liberation of the city in 1859. I t was named af ter V ictor Emmanuel I I , who was the f irst king of the kingdom of I taly. Galleria V ittorio Emanuele I I was the starting point of the modern shopping mall era. N owadays, the Galleria is considered a living symbol of I talian unity, as it was built during the time of I talian unif ication. T he structure is f ormed by two arcades shaped like a L atin cross covered by a glass and iron dome. T he Galleria is located between two of the main monuments in M ilan: il D uomo and the T eatro alla Scala.

A rnolf o di Cambio, I talian sculptor and architect whose works embody the transition between the late Gothic and R enaissance architectural sensibilities.

I n 1296 A rnolf o came to Florence to undertake his most important commission, the design of the D uomo (the cathedral of Florence) and the carving of statues f or its f açade.

Santa M aria del Fiore, designed by A rnolf o di Cambio, is the third-largest church in the world and was the largest church in Europe when it was completed in the 15th century.

A s a symbol of Florence and the R enaissance, the D ome is an absolute masterpiece of art that charmed the world since its creation.

The painted ceiling of Il Duomo in Florence, Italy. Photo

by Nick Fewings

A N obel prize awardee in physics in 202. H e is the sixth I talian scientist to win the Physics N obel Prize f or his revolutionary contributions to the quantum f ield theory, in particular f or ?ground-breaking contributions to our understanding of complex systems?. H is enthusiasm toward research made him lead a movement called & quot; Salviamo la R icerca I taliana ? Save I talian R esearch? which aims to place pressure on the I talian and European governments to start f unding basic research above the subsistence level.

Early lif e, f amily, and childhood Prof . Parisi, the f ather of two sons: L orenza and L eonardo, was born in 1948 in R ome, I taly. H is paternal grandf ather had set up a construction industry in R ome and his f ather specialized in economics and commerce. H e was always encouraged to become an engineer, yet he decided to do something more scientif ic and involve research.

Going back to Prof . Parisi?s perf ormance at school, he was doing very well, particularly in all scientif ic subjects, and he was always among the top of the class.

Education Parisi was torn between majoring in physics and mathematics. Eventually, in 1966, he decided to study and conduct research in physics at the U niversity of R oma, ?L a Sapienza?. T he reason f or choosing physics over math is his impression at the time that physics was more dif f icult and theref ore more challenging. H e then spent a f ull year af ter receiving his bachelor?s degree at the U niversity of R oma which was at the time equivalent to a single year of doctoral studies. I n 1970, he had completed his degree under the supervision of a high-energy physicist, N icola Cabibbo.

Carrier highlights For the f ollowing ten years (1971? 1981) he worked as a researcher at the L aboratori N azionali di Frascati. D uring this period, he joined Columbia U niversity as a visiting scientist f or one year (1973? 1974), I nstitut des H autes Études Scientif iques (1976? 1977), and École N ormale Supérieure (1977? 1978). I n 1981, he became a f ull prof essor of T heoretical Physics at the U niversity of R oma I I , ?T or V ergata,?. Currently, he is a prof essor of Q uantum T heories at the Sapienza U niversity of R ome and a member of the Simons Collaboration.

R esearch I nterest and A wards H is research f ocuses on studying elementary particles f or statistical dynamics and f luid dynamics, disordered systems in particular on spin glass theory -where he suggested a crucial concept in spin glass theory, known as Parisi f unctional-, computers construction, and complex physical systems. Giorgio Parisi has written about 500 scientif ic publications that were cited over 90k times. H e had also written -in conjunction with others- several books including Statistical Field T heory, Spin glass theory and beyond, and Field T heory, D isorder and Simulations. A ll this work highlights his major contribution to the f ield. H is work particularly with complex physical systems has applications ranging f rom neuroscience to biology, genetics, and machine learning.

O ver the years, Prof . Parisi was awarded several prestigious awards, such as the I talian Prime M inister prize in 2002, the D annie H eineman Prize in 2005, the Galileo prize in 2006, the M icrosof t award in 2007, the L agrange prize in 2009, and most recently the N obel prize.

GiorgioParisi, N obel and theW hirling Flocks of Birds

by W eam A lf ageera,Ph.D .

GI O R GI O PA R I SI I N T ER V I EW BY CH I M ER A .R O M A https://chimera.roma1.inf n.it/ Y ou were born in R ome on 4 A ugust 1948. W ould you like to tell me something about your f amily?

M y mother had a clerical job, f rom which she resigned af ter her marriage to my f ather. T hey got married in 1942, during the war. M y paternal grandf ather had come f rom Sicily about a century ago, and had set up a construction industry in R ome. M y f ather wanted to graduate in engineering to help the f irm be autonomous f rom an engineering point of view, but then he gave up and graduated in economics and commerce. M y grandf ather died at a relatively young age and the business was closed, but my f ather he inherited a f airly comf ortable condition, so much so that until my birth he did odd jobs: twice he was liquidator of an institution and in any case every now and then he worked as an accountant; meanwhile he had income f rom rented houses. O nce my brother and I were born, he decided to take a permanent state job to increase his income. M y parents were both born in R ome and so was my brother, who is six years younger, who later also graduated in physics. M y f ather had a regret about not having a degree in engineering, and my mother was very keen that I did well in school, that I was top of the class.

From an early age I had a strong aptitude f or mathematics. A pparently I learned to read numbers very early on, f or example, those of the buses, and around the age of f our or f ive I learned to play the game of f if teen, that game in which there are f if teen numbers in a square and you have to put them in order. A part f rom math, I liked a building game with bricks, like L ego, but more elaborate on a structural level. I also liked the little chemist and around the age of ten or eleven I was very f ond of science f iction novels. I remember that the f irst I read was number 128 of U rania. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen there was a period in which I played a lot of chess, then I stopped at university. A part f rom math, I liked a building game with bricks, like L ego, but more elaborate on a structural level. I also liked the little chemist and around the age of ten or eleven I was very f ond of science f iction novels. I remember that the f irst I read was number 128 of U rania. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen there was a period in which I played a lot of chess, then I stopped at university. A part f rom math, I liked a building game with bricks, like L ego, but more elaborate on a structural level. I also liked the little chemist and around the age of ten or eleven I was very f ond of science f iction novels. I remember that the f irst I read was number 128 of U rania. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen there was a period in which I played a lot of chess, then I stopped at university.

H ow have your interests been highlighted in the school environment?

A t school I was doing very well in all scientif ic subjects, I had some small dif f iculties in the I talian subjects, but in the end I was always in the top two or three. From an early age I read astronomy popular books. T hen I 'd read a history of mathematics and learned about encyclopedias and looking at books in the library. By the time I was thirteen or f ourteen I had learned the rudiments of calculus - derivative and integral - but I had not progressed systematically. A ll this was bef ore the scientif ic high school. I didn't get any stimulus f rom my prof essors. A f ter high school, I was a year or two ahead of the schedule, at least f or a number of things. T hen there was the problem of choosing the university. M y f ather wanted me to do engineering, it was something that was taken f or granted in the f amily f rom an early age. O n the other hand, engineering didn't appeal to me, and in any case, I wanted to do something that involved research and I was very undecided between physics and mathematics. T hen I chose Physics, f or reasons not entirely clear. T he popular writings on physics are greater than those on modern mathematics. I f one asks around, to slightly educated people, what are the results of physics, people are able to say something; while the results of mathematics of this century are much more dif f icult to communicate. what are the results of physics people are able to say something; while the results of mathematics of this century are much more dif f icult to communicate. what are the results of physics people are able to say something; while the results of mathematics of this century are much more dif f icult to communicate.

H ow were the relationships with physics at school?

T he prof essor wasn't great. I remember that I had a discussion with him, because he claimed that in the southern hemisphere the compass pointed to the South. I argued the reverse because on the book there was the drawing of the magnetic f ield, which showed that the f ield did not reverse at the equator and theref ore the compass had to continue to point north. I also remember that with regard to the second law of thermodynamics I had completely misunderstood the f ormula of perf ormance, and when I went to university I realized it.

So did physics relive it a bit f rom scratch at the university?

Exactly. T he impression I had made - in a completely unmotivated way - was that physics was more dif f icult than mathematics and theref ore I f ound that doing physics would put me more into question, it would be more of a challenge. So my decision corresponded to this consideration. A lthough I have no regrets, I have of ten wondered if I would not have done better as a mathematician, because I have always had a certain interest in the study of mathematics. I n f act at the university I studied both physics and mathematics topics.

W hat memories do you have of your university lif e?

T he f irst year one is used to studying the things they say to study and, theref ore, I have limited myself to making a thorough preparation of the standard exams of the f irst year. I had also partly f ollowed the A lgebra course held

by L ucio L ombardo R adice in M athematics. T owards the end of the f irst year, af ter the main exams, I discovered other books, such as the f amous theoretical physics course by L D L andau and EM L if shitz and so, during the summer, I read the f irst book of mechanics and on returning f rom the second and third volumes of the series are vacant, together with PA M D irac's book on quantum mechanics. By the middle of the second year I was handling half the program of the third well enough, at least f or quantum mechanics, and I had read E. Schr dinger's book on statistical mechanics, A series of seminars given in mathematics by a f oreign teacher, a certain I srael H erstein, who did algebra on H ilbert spaces, were very usef ul f or me. I t was an advanced course that tied in well with the level I was in in math, in the second year. For the rest, since I was quite advanced in the courses, I did not f ollow them.

M y second year coincided with 68, so the courses were also very virtual.

W hat were your relations with 68?

1968 was an extremely important experience f or me, because I came f rom a f amily of liberal tradition but my f ather pref erred to vote f or Christian democracy as a more solid bulwark against the danger of the Communists. So f or me, 1968 was a whole period of change of perspective. I had attended San Gabriele, a school where many were monarchists or at least right-wingers, but which I had the advantage of being very close to home, and the scientif ic high schools were overcrowded. I n that environment, being a liberal, I ended up being a lef tist. D uring 1968 I was opposed to the occupation, as an illegal activity; but, once it was done, I participated in all the activities and slowly this caused in me a strong shif t to the lef t. I n 1969 I was now completely in agreement, W hat other aspects of 1968 changed your view of things?

O ne of the things that struck me then was that the state itself did not behave like a state of law; I was completely outraged by the police charges. I f it is argued that one must not act illegally, then the police cannot charge like that.

T he awareness of the inconsistency of the social order with respect to its own laws and of f icial declarations had struck me very much at the time. For me, occupation was also a way of getting to know many people. W hile bef ore at the university we were very organized by year, at the time of occupation we came into contact with older students. I made f riends with a whole range of both students and non-students who were a f ew years older and who were very active. T his strong socialization was an important consequence of that period,

Giorgio Parisi is an Italian theoretical physicist, whose research has focused on quantum field theory, statistical mechanics and complex systems. His best known contributions are the QCD evolution equations for parton densities, obtained with Guido Altarelli, known as the Altarelli?Parisi or DGLAP equations, the exact solution of the Sherrington?Kirkpatrick model of spin glasses, the Kardar?Parisi?Zhang equation describing dynamic scaling of growing interfaces, and the study of whirling flocks of birds. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Klaus Hasselmann and Syukuro Manabe for groundbreaking contributions to theory of complex systems, in particular "for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales."

Photo shows Parisi with the Italian President Sergio Mattarella in 2021. - quirinale.italy

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