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Donizetti, Gaetano

(Encyclopedia)Donizetti, Gaetano gītäˈnō dōnēdzĕtˈtē [key], 1797–1848, Italian composer. He studied music in Bergamo and Bologna and achieved success with his first opera, Enrico di Borgogna (1818). His ...

Salvemini, Gaetano

(Encyclopedia)Salvemini, Gaetano gäātäˈnō sälvāmēˈnē [key], 1873–1957, Italian historian. He taught at the universities of Messina, Pisa, and Florence and also served (1919–21) in parliament. After be...

Grisi, Giulia

(Encyclopedia)Grisi, Giulia jo͞oˈlyä grēˈzē [key], 1811–69, Italian operatic soprano. She toured the United States in 1854 with Giuseppe Mario, whom she married in 1856. Roles were written for her by Bellin...

Nicholas III, pope

(Encyclopedia)Nicholas III, d. 1280, pope (1277–80), a Roman named Giovanni Gaetano Orsini; successor of John XXI. As a cardinal he made a great reputation in diplomacy, and he was a close confidant of popes for ...

Faliero, Marino

(Encyclopedia)Faliero or Falier, Marino märēˈnō fälyāˈrō, fälyārˈ [key], 1274–1355, doge of Venice (1354–55). As commander of Venetian forces he defeated (1346) Louis I of Hungary at Zara, and later ...

San Francisco Opera

(Encyclopedia)San Francisco Opera, opera company, founded 1923 by Italian-American conductor Gaetano Merola, who oversaw its early years as a touring company. In 1932 it established a permanent home at the War Memo...

Bergamo

(Encyclopedia)Bergamo bĕrˈgämō [key], city, capital of Bergamo prov., in Lombardy, N Italy, in the foot...

Bellini, Vincenzo

(Encyclopedia)Bellini, Vincenzo vēnchānˈtsō bĕl-lēˈnē [key], 1801–35, Italian opera composer. He acquired his musical training from his grandfather and father, and began composing religious and secular mu...

Vasari, Giorgio

(Encyclopedia)Vasari, Giorgio jôrˈjō väzäˈrē [key], 1511–74, Italian architect, writer, and painter. He is best known for his entertaining biographies of artists, Vite de' più eccellenti architetti, pitto...

Orsini

(Encyclopedia)Orsini ōrsēˈnē [key], powerful Roman family that included three popes and numerous other churchmen, soldiers and statesmen. The eponymous ancestor was one Ursus. Giacinto Orsini, who became Pope C...

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