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Home , Northern Italy, Po Valley

A Romantic and Spiritually Holidays Courageous People JUNE 2 – Festa della Republica: anniversary of Italian THE HAVE MIGRATED from their mother country because of natural and man-made disasters. These Ancient History emigres brought their hard work ethic and bright spirit. THREE DISTINCT GROUPS OF PEOPLE inhabited the IMMIGRATION BEGAN: by the 10th century B.C. • after 1850, disillusioned soldiers of the Risorgimento left • Etruscans in central in (modern) failing to unify Italy • Sabine tribe along Tiber River in , with the • from , sailors who simply left their ships to work in in small villages on seven hills Detroit • colonized and to trade, fish • severe economic hardships in 1894 • crop failure of 1897 753 B.C. MARKS LEGENDARY FOUNDING OF • destruction of vineyards by plant lice, philoxera by Romulus and Remus • Messina earthquake in 1908 • 616 B.C.: rule by Etruscans; allied with Carthage (African), controlled trade in W. Mediterranean, prevented spread of ITALIANS CAME TO MICHIGAN: Climate Greek colonization • with opening of Erie Canal • 509 B.C.: established by Lucius Junius • to mine copper in the Upper Peninsula in 1918 • temperate in north; south has “Mediterranean” climate: mild Brutus in central Italy • to work in the new car industries winter; long, dry summer • spanned 1000 years: building, roads, • mainland exposed to strong, hot, dry wind (Sirocco) from irrigation, law, public institutions, individual liberty, STERLING HEIGHTS BOASTS of 18,967 Italian residents, northern African desert; often causes respect for law; a fragmented world became united 12.5% of the city’s population (1990 census) • average temperature in Rome: January 74°, July 78.3° F • 264 - 146 B.C.: Three with Carthage; Roman Empire established supremacy in Mediterranean Physical Characteristics of Italy Cultural Characteristics • by 1st c. A.D. empire stretched from Middle East to , Saharan North to Britain ITALIA, “LAND OF OXEN,” IS A BOOT-SHAPED • Italian motto: “Faith, Bread and Work”. Hard-workers, • 3rd - 6th c. A.D.: attacks by tribes destroyed PENINSULA which extends into the from ingenious, making the most of Italy’s limited resources Roman Empire Southern . It is easily recognizable on a map. • love of babies (“bambini”); children highly esteemed • Visigoths (Germanic) occupied by 419 A.D. • Italy includes two large islands, Sicily and , as well • supreme pride in foods, customs and history, always “The • Vandals (Germanic) took African land and from bases as smaller islands of Capri, Elba, Pantelleria, and Lampedusa best in the world” there sacked Rome in 455 A.D. • within Italy are two independent states: San Marino and • “Fare uno bella figura” - to make a good impression or • 376 A.D.: Empire in west collapsed; 1492 A.D.: Eastern Vatican City appearance: consciousness for fine manners, high fashion Empire became known as TOPOGRAPHICAL : • coffee: a rite rather than a beverage. Coffee houses offer • 1175 A.D.: Italian city-states formed • 75% hilly, mountainous: extend from and Swit- “dolce far niente” - sweet idleness • 12th - 15th c. A.D.: land divided into powerful city-states: ie: zerland; Apennines stretch from north to the southern tip of • each of Italy boasts of its unique dish of pasta and the , Genoa and peninsula sauce; excellent cuisine • 13th - 15th c. A.D.: Guelph and Ghibelline struggles; Papist • one major lowland, North Italian Plain, along Valley • friendly, outgoing, gregarious, people-oriented and Imperialist parties fight for control of city-states • minor lowlands in coastal regions • generous, exhibiting love • 14th - 15th c. A.D.: started in Italy, spread over NATIONAL BORDERS of mountains and sea: • seldom hide feelings when sad or angry Europe: a period of classical learning and art; humanistic • Alps form border to north, shared by neighbors France, • family is source of shelter and strength studies of sciences; transition from medieval to modern and • the passeggiata: evening stroll, an age-old custom still prac- • Medici Family political and religious powers, patrons of • Several seas within the Mediterranean Sea form borders: ticed by many Renaissance; produced two : Leo X, Clement VII • on northwest • today, is among Europe’s wealthiest, most • 1492 - 1706 A.D.: French and Spanish invasions of Italy • Tyrrhenian Sea on west modern regions • 1713 - 1796 A.D.: Italy under Austrian influence • on east • creativity: evidenced in art, literature, architecture and fash- • 1796 - 1814: in Italy. First campaigns were in 1796 • Ionian Sea on south ion: with Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte, crowned King • closest neighbors across the seas are: • is one of world’s fashion, design centers of Naples in 1806 • African countries of Tunisia and Libya to south • Venetian glassware: an ancient skill over 1000 years old, • 1831: Insurrections erupted in • Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia and still world-renowned • 1846: Pious IX began reform programs Greece lie eastward • Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati lead car industry in • 1848 - 1861: Garibaldi leads revolutionary wars to oust design and performance foreign empires from Italian soil • 1861: Victor Emmanuel II proclaimed King; first to rule a unified Italy in over 1500 years; capital at

Published by the City of Sterling Heights Community Relations Department National Hero Famous Italians

GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI AND HIS “RED SHIRTS”, an ITALIANS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO CIVILIZATION army of thousands of volunteers • Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.):General and statesman • sailed to Sicily in 1860 to help people in their fight for • Cicero (l06-43 B.C.) Famous statesman and orator Getting to know your... freedom against Kingdom of Naples. • Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) Religious preacher & reformer • defeated a large, professional army • Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) national hero who freed Italy • embodied the hope of a unified Italy achieved with its own from Austrian, French and Spanish colonizers; unified Italy people against foreign aggressors • Famous Explorers: Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, GARIBALDI LEFT ITALY (age 28, 1834) in opposition to Amerigo Vespucci, John Cabot (Giovannl Caboto) Sebastian, Carlo Alberto Giovanni Cabot, Giovanni da Verrazano, Umberto Nobile • 1835: fought in Uruguayan Civil War and in Brazilian state • Famous Composers: Giuseppi Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Italian- of Rio Grande do Sul Gioacchino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Pietro Mascagni, • stayed for short time on Staten Island, NY before returning Niccolo Paganini, Ottorino Respighi, and Antonio Vivaldi to Italy in 1851 to reorganize his “Red Shirts” • Famous Writers: Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni • 1861: fought successfully against French, Austrian and Boccaccio, Niccolo Machiavelli, Alberto Moravia, Ignazio American Spanish forces which were trying to colonize Italy; Italy Silone and Luigi Pirandello unified • Famous Artists: Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian, Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Andrea del Modern History Neighbors Verrocchio, Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Giacomo EMPEROR OF FRANCE, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE Manzu, Marino Marini and Benevenuto Cellini TOOK ITALY for himself and his family, crowning himself • Famous Architects: Filippo Brunelleschi, Donato Bramante, in 1804. Leon Battista Alberti, Gian Bernini and Francesco Borromini • his brother Joseph ruled over northern Italy • Famous Scientists: Galileo, Luigi Galvani, Guglielmo Marconi • later, Joachim Murat ruled over Naples; Rome became ITALIAN NAMES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY annexed to France • Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (l850-1917): First United States • this forced the Pope to reside at Fountainbleau, FR citizen to be canonized. She was a pioneer in establishing • 1815: after defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, Carbonari schools, orphanages and free clinics (The “Red Shirts”) revolted against foreign intruders • Enrico Caruso (1873-1927): operatic singer • these armies tried to establish the Resorgimento (resur- • Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926): silent screen star known as gence, a national unification movement), but Austrian “The Great Lover” forces captured the country • Enrico Fermi (1901-1954): physicist who designed the first atomic • 1831: Carlo Alberto, of royal house -Savoy tried to piles and produced the first nuclear chain reactor. He worked on the unite Italy against Austrians atomic bomb and won the 1938 Nobel Prize for nuclear research • he abdicated his throne to son, Victor Emmanuel • Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) symphonic & operatic conductor • 1859: defense agreement with Napoleon III against Austria • : a great opera singer • 1860: Giuseppe Garibaldi led “Red Shirts” to victories; later • Frank Capra (1897-1991): Hollywood film director who won defeated by Spanish, then by French many academy awards, known especially for It’s a Wonderful Life • 1871: Victor Emmanuel II achieved unity by supporting • Frank Sinatra (1915-1998): American vocalist and actor ; Rome became capital • Anne Bancroft (born Anne Marie Italiano,1931): Famous • 1870-1915: Italy was a fledgling country with many prob- “Oscar” award-winning actress lems • Antonino Scalia (1936-) 1st American Italian named to Supreme Court • I: Italy entered Triple Alliance with Germany • Joe Dimaggio (1914-) led the Yankees to 10 World Championships and Austria-Hungary; an attempt to gain colonies in Africa • Lee Iacocca (1924-) former president of Chrysler Corpora- • 1915: Italy changed allegiance to the Allies and declared war tion and designer of the Ford Mustang against Austria • 1918: Treaty of Paris failed to return territories to Italy Sterling Heights Ethnic • 1921: Benito Mussolini unified Italy, rectified treaties, City Council Issues Advisory Committee brought social reform Mayor Richard J. Notte Sharron D. Allen, Chair Mayor Pro-Tem Kathryn George William Dechavez • 1935: Under Mussolini, Italy allied with Germany; Italy Councilman Richard L. Bracci Harold Dallou entered World War II; severe losses for Italy: fewer territo- Councilwoman Deanna Koski Toni E. Dutchik ries, more problems Councilman Steve Rice Charles Franz Councilman Joseph V. Romano Stojadin B. Naumovski • post-war Italy gave birth to a parliamentary government Councilwoman Barbara A. Ziarko Betty Rush with three parties: Christian Democrats, Socialists and Com- Iqbal Singh The Vettraino family of Sterling Heights keep many Italian traditions munists City Manager City Liaison: Pat Lehman part of their daily American life. Police Dept. Liaison: Sgt. Al Gross • 1985, July 3: Francesco Cossiga became President of the Steve M. Duchane Republic © 07/02 Copy by Permission Only Information: (586) 446-CITY