Ased on the Strong Contrast Between Light and Shadow
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Timeline / 1860 to After 1930 / ITALY Date Country Theme 1860 Italy Political Context The right to vote is reserved for a small elite of men who have certain levels of income and education: only 2.2% of the Italians can vote. 1860 Italy Cities And Urban Spaces The unification of Italy leads to urban expansion outside the old city walls, which have lost their defensive value. Medieval urban buildings are often demolished in order to build monumental architecture. 1860 - 1870 Italy Fine And Applied Arts In opposition to academic painting, the Macchiaioli movement (Telemaco Signorini, Vincenzo Cabianca and Silvestro Lega) experiments with “spot painting”, based on the strong contrast between light and shadow. 1861 Italy Rediscovering The Past The pre-unification laws on the protection of cultural heritage of the individual Italian states remain in force even after unification. Until 1902, different Italian regions are thus subject to different disciplines. 1861 - 1921 Italy Cities And Urban Spaces Urban growth in Italy: Naples is the biggest city (1861: 447,000; 1921: 772,000), but population growth is higher in Rome, the “political capital city” (1871: 244,000; 1921: 692,000) and in Milan, the “industrial capital city” (1861: 96,000; 1921: 719,000). (Rounded to nearest 1,000.) 1861 Italy International Exhibitions First Italian National Exhibition of Agricultural and Industrial Products and Fine Arts opens in Florence. 1861 - 1921 Italy Migrations The Italian population grows from 22 million in 1861 to almost 33 million in 1901, to 38.4 million in 1921. Part of the increases are due to annexations of new territories. During the same period average annual migration to European and Mediterranean countries is 99, 000 in the 1860s and170,000 in the 1910s, peaking in the 1900s at 251,000. Average annual migration to non-European countries is 22,000 in the 1860s and 213,000 in the 1910s, peaking in the 1900s at 351,000. (Figures, rounded to the nearest 1,000, include both permanent and temporary migration. 1862 Italy Economy And Trade Law on the unification of currencies passed: the lira becomes the Italian currency. 1863 - 1889 Italy Cities And Urban Spaces Date Country Theme Construction of the 167.5 m high Mole Antonelliana in Turin, initially conceived as a synagogue. It soon becomes the city’s landmark building. 1863 - 1885 Italy Fine And Applied Arts Opening of applied art schools, often attached to museums: Industrial Museum of Turin (1863), Artistic Industrial Museum of Rome (1873), Naples (1882) and Palermo (1885). 1863 Italy Travelling The Club Alpino Italiano is founded in Turin. Its goal is “to promote the knowledge of mountains, and especially of Italian mountains, their ascent and scientific expeditions”. In 25 years, membership reaches 4,500 with 34 local branches. By 1900 it had built 57 mountain huts. 1864 Italy Reforms And Social Changes A governmental survey reveals the existence of 443 friendly societies (Società di mutuo soccorso), all located in Central and Northern Italy (Milan has 38 societies with a total of 9,923 members, Turin 13 with 14,864 members). Their number and membership grows considerably over time until the development of modern welfare. 1865 Italy Reforms And Social Changes The new-born Italian state approves a civil code that places women in a subordinate position in the family. Boys and girls can inherit equally, but married women need “marital authorisation” to manage their property. Male and female adultery are treated differently. The “defence of honour” is accepted as attenuating circumstance in murder cases. 1865 - 1867 Italy Reforms And Social Changes The worst of the five cholera epidemics that hit Italy during the 19th century kills more than 160,000. The most affected towns are always Naples and Palermo. 1866 Italy Political Context Italy participates in the Austro-Prussian War on the side of Prussia and annexes Venice. 1866 Italy Economy And Trade A law confiscates the properties of religious orders and congregations, and establishes a state fund to support the clergy and monks. 1867 Italy Political Context Uprising in Rome demanding unification with Italy. At the same time, Garibaldi leads an expedition of volunteers that enters the Papal States and tries to seize Rome. Roman rebels are defeated and executed. Garibaldi is defeated by Papal troops backed by a French expeditionary corps (France protects the Papal States). Date Country Theme 1867 Italy Economy And Trade Law on the abolition of religious bodies: the real estate properties of 25,000 religious bodies are auctioned. 1867 Italy Reforms And Social Changes Around 60 per cent of men and 80 per cent of women are unable to sign their marriage certificate because they are unable to write. 1867 Italy Travelling The Società Geografica Italiana is founded. In 1869-70, it organises an exploratory expedition to East Africa, in 1875 to Tunisia and in 1876 to Ethiopia. Many other journeys to Africa, and also to Central Asia, South America and Papua follow. Such travels generally combined scientific purposes and political agendas. 1868 - 1883 Italy Migrations Different circular letters by the Minister of Interior place obstacles on migration: migrants are supposed to have work contracts or to prove they have enough funding to repatriate. Such circular letters have only limited effect. Landowners put pressure on government to discourage migration. 1868 Italy Reforms And Social Changes Gualberta Alaide Beccari (a feminist with republican ideas, much influenced by Mazzini) founds the periodical La donna, which campaigns for women’s rights. La donna’s main contributor is Anna Maria Mozzoni, who since 1865 had campaigned against “marital authorisation” and for women’s right to vote. 1870 - 1912 Italy Political Context In 1870, taking advantage of French defeat at the hands of Prussia, the Italian army captures Rome, which becomes the capital of Italy. The Pope considers Italian rule on Rome to be illegitimate and bans Catholics from participating in Italian political life. In the following decades the ban is progressively lifted to counter socialist growth. 1870 Italy Cities And Urban Spaces Renewal and urban modernisation of Rome starts with the opening of a long road linking Porta Pia (where the Italian army broke into the city in 1870) to the Quirinale Palace, residence of the King (formerly a papal palace). The headquarters of some ministries are located along this road. 1871 Italy Great Inventions Of The 19th Century Fréjus Rail Tunnel under Alps, between Italy and France, inaugurated (12.8 km long). 1871 Italy Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion Date Country Theme 24 December: first world performance of the new opera by Verdi, Aida, set in ancient Egypt, at the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo. 1876 Italy Rediscovering The Past In Rome, Luigi Pigorini founds the National Prehistoric Ethnographic Museum, enriching with new acquisitions the ethnographic and prehistoric collection previously belonging to the Kircher Museum, founded in the 17th century. 1877 Italy Reforms And Social Changes The “Coppino Law” makes elementary schools mandatory and free of charge. 1880 - 1887 Italy Economy And Trade Italy is hit by the international agricultural crisis and annual per capita income decreases. 1880 - 1889 Italy Migrations Average annual Italian migration (temporary and permanent, to nearest 1,000): France 37,000; USA 24,000; Argentina 39,000; Brazil 22,000. 1880 - 1887 Italy Migrations As a consequence of agricultural crisis, mass migration starts. 1880 Italy Reforms And Social Changes Anna Maria Mozzoni and Paolina Schiff (an academic) found the League for the Promotion of Women’s Interests, the first feminist organisation in Italy. 1880s - 1910s Italy Travelling The growth of a European middle class and the improvement of transportation make tourism possible for increasing numbers of European citizens. According to very tentative estimates, 450,000 foreign tourists visited Italy in 1897 and 900,000 in 1911. 1881 Italy Great Inventions Of The 19th Century The first Italian telephone services run by private companies start operating. 1881 Italy International Exhibitions The first Italian National Industrial Exhibition is held in Milan. 1881 - 1901 Italy Migrations 2,251,463 people migrate from Italy; 67 per cent of them go to the USA. 1881 Italy Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion Date Country Theme At La Scala Theatre in Milan, premiere of Excelsior, mimic ballet by Luigi Manzotti, music by Romualdo Marenco. Through 11 allegorical scenes glorifying 19th- century scientific and industrial progress (steam-engine, electric light, telegraph, Suez Canal, Fréjus Rail Tunnel, etc.), it celebrates the triumph of Light over Obscurantism. 1881 Italy Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion Giovanni Verga (1840–1922) publishes the novel I malavoglia (published in English as The House by the Medlar-Tree), which describes the life of a family of Sicilian fishermen. Verga was the most important author of the Italian realist school known as verismo. 1882 Italy Political Context Electoral reform: the right to vote is extended to 7 per cent of the Italian population, by lowering the age limit (from 25 to 21) and the level of income required. 1882 - 1896 Italy Political Context Italy’s first African war: in 1882 Italy starts colonial expansion in the Horn of Africa; in 1890, Eritrea becomes an Italian colony. Afterwards, Italy attempts to penetrate into Ethiopia and suffers a crushing defeat at Adwa (the biggest African victory over a colonial army): Italy loses 4,000 Italian and 2,000 colonial soldiers. The Crispi government resigns. 1882 Italy Political Context The Triple Alliance formed (Italy, Germany, Austria-Hungary). 1882 - 1884 Italy Cities And Urban Spaces On the occasion of the 1884 General Exhibition of Turin, construction of the Rocca (castle) and the Borgo Medievale (medieval village) in Parco del Valentino (Valentino Park) in order to promote appreciation for 15th-century Piedmont architecture. In 1884, the Municipality of Turin buys part of this area, where it will later locate the Civic Museums.