Page 14 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - November '19

Page 14, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
Italy: The Pinnacle Of Diversity

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, about the time Columbus was
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens discovering America, the French
Travel Leaders invaded Italy, one of many foreign
Ask any student what interventions that took place
Italy looks like, and they continuously up until the 19
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immediately tell you it is century. The Kingdom of Italy,
surrounded by water and headed by Victor Emmanuel,
in the shape of a boot. was formally proclaimed Turin in
For this unique reason, 1861, but it required another nine
Italy is probably the most years before Italian troops could
identifiable country on a claim Rome.
map of the world. Delving Italy sided with the Allies in
into this question a little further, the answer becomes more World War I (1915 to 1918), but in
complex. Italy has many appearances … and so does her the years that followed the country
people. was devastated by economic and
Italic people are diverse, originating from various political strife – a situation ripe for
origins and civilizations, manifesting the Greek and the Fascists and Benito Mussolini,
Oriental influences that inhabited Italy before the fourth who became dictator in 1922.
century B.C. conquest by the Romans. Tragically for Italy, Mussolini
The pre-Roman presence was dominated by the allied himself with Hitler in the
Etruscans, who lived in Etruria (present-day Tuscany). early days of World War II.
Most scholars of the period agree that these settlers had Following Italy’s liberation, a
their origins in the east, coming by sea in the 10 century constitutional republic was formed
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B.C. The Etruscans enslaved the natives inhabiting the in 1946. However, the country has
Italian region between the Po River in the north to the struggled to form sustainable
Tiber River in the south, including Rome. It was the parliamentary majorities and
Etruscan Kings that ruled Rome during the sixth century coalitions, with the average post-
B.C. at the height of the Etruscan civilization, which war government lasting just 11 Italy: the pinnacle of diversity
introduced Romans to their well-developed city culture months.
enjoyed up to this day. In area, Italy is the same size as Arizona and twice the
Rome became so prosperous and powerful under the size of Florida. With a population of 60 million, however,
Etruscans that it was able to control central Italy after Italy has three and a half times more people than our
vanquishing Etruscan rule in that region in the fifth state. Geographically, the country is divided into three
century B.C. After acquiring wealth from iron mining and main areas: mainland Italy (the boot) comprises the major
Mediterranean trade, the Etruscan cities joined together portions of the country; the island of Sardinia; and the
into a league. However, the group could not withstand island of Sicily. Italy also has the distinction of having
the Roman invasion of Etruria (405 to 396 B.C.), and the two independent nations confined within its boundaries:
Etruscans were conquered, with most of their records and Vatican City (108 acres), lying within the city of Rome;
artifacts destroyed. and San Marino (24 square miles), located between
The Roman Empire continued to grow for the next Florence and the Adriatic Sea.
nine centuries until 476 A.D., when the barbarian leader The word “sunny” always precedes “Italy,” and the
Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustus (the last Western tourist brochures do not lie when they speak of the Italian
Roman emperor), and the empire formally came to an end. summer, of which there is an overabundance of sun. The
However, this was not the end of development. Byzantine winters, though, are cold, even in the south, where high
dominance came with the Eastern Roman re-conquest of inland plateaus make a mockery of ideas of a balmy
the western Mediterranean under Justinian I and Belisarius Mediterranean climate. In the north, winter brings fog.
(535 to 553). Greco-Roman culture and legal development Spring can swell rivers to destructive torrents, and autumn
thus continued into Italy’s medieval period through the is often parched enough to frighten farmers. Italians
survival of the Byzantine colonies (e.g., Venice and cynically proclaim, “We have four seasons … too dry,
Ravenna). After two centuries of Germanic Lombard rule too wet, too cold and too hot.”
throughout much of Italy (568 to 774), the Frankish king, Italy’s geographic location, as part of the Alps and “Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance, an explosion
Charlemagne, assumed power on Christmas Day, in the Apennines, places it squarely on Europe’s most active of culture that vibrated throughout the peninsula during the
year 800. seismic belt. Small earth tremors are almost a daily 14 and 15 centuries.”
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The Moors conquered Sicily in the ninth century, occurrence, and major earthquakes inflict devastation at
providing a power base for Muslim expansion into the frequent intervals. Within the last two years, Sicily’s Mt. Italy: The Pinnacle Of Diversity on page 15
Mediterranean until the Normans eventually imposed
their authority. In 1091, King Otto I of Germany was
crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XII – and
Charlemagne’s concept of a unified European Christian CAMPBELL AND KARLIK, P.A.
state was revived. Italy remained under German influence
during the 12 and 13 centuries. The period was marked ATTORNEYS AT LAW
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by constant struggle for supremacy over city communes
such as Milan, Pisa, Genoa and Florence.
Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance, an
explosion of culture that vibrated throughout the peninsula Wills • Trusts • Estate Planning • Probate
during the 14 and 15 centuries. This era marked a time
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of relative peace and growth in the region. However, Taxation • Real Estate • Corporations

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Josee and Madi Van Horne
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at the Atlantis Paradise Island pool. Diane L. KarLiK
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