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Italian Wars

(Encyclopedia)Italian Wars, 1494–1559, series of regional wars brought on by the efforts of the great European powers to control the small independent states of Italy. Renaissance Italy was split into numerous ri...

emperor

(Encyclopedia)emperor [Lat. imperator=one holding supreme power, especially applied to generals], the sovereign head of an empire. In the Roman republic the term imperator referred to the chief military commander a...

Lilybaeum

(Encyclopedia)Lilybaeum lĭlĭbēˈəm [key], ancient city of Sicily, on the extreme western coast. It is the modern Marsala. It was founded (396 b.c.) by Carthage and became a stronghold. In the First Punic War it...

Winterthur

(Encyclopedia)Winterthur vĭnˈtərto͞orˌ [key], city (1990 est. pop. 85,200), Zürich canton, N Switzerland. An industrial center, it is an important rail junction and has manufactures of railroad equipment (inc...

Constantine, city, Algeria

(Encyclopedia)Constantine kŏnˈstəntēn [key], ancient Cirta, city, capital of Constantine dept., NE Alge...

Piccolomini, Ottavio

(Encyclopedia)Piccolomini, Ottavio ōt-täˈvyō pēk-kōlôˈmēnē [key], 1599–1656, Italian general in the service of the Holy Roman emperor during the Thirty Years War (1618–48). He came of a distinguished ...

Ticino , canton, Switzerland

(Encyclopedia)Ticino tēchēˈnō [key], Fr. and Ger. Tessin, canton (1993 pop. 294,100), 1,086 sq mi (2,813 sq km), S Switzerland, on the southern slope of the central Alps, bordering on Italy. Bellinzona is the c...

Hohenstaufen

(Encyclopedia)Hohenstaufen hōˌənshtouˈfən [key], German princely family, whose name is derived from the castle of Staufen built in 1077 by a Swabian count, Frederick. In 1079, Frederick married Agnes, daughter...

Chur

(Encyclopedia)Chur ko͞or [key], Fr. Coire, Romansh Cuera, city, capital of Grisons canton, E Switzerland, ...

Commodus

(Encyclopedia)Commodus (Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus) kŏmˈədəs [key], 161–192, Roman emperor (180–192), son and successor of Marcus Aurelius. In 180, reversing his father's foreign policy, he concluded p...