Browsing by Subject "Italy"

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A dialogue in metal : silver, bronze, and cross-cultural currencies in Italy and Sicily
(2019-08-14) Castellano, Giuseppe Carlo, II; Rabinowitz, Adam Thomas; Walthall, Denton A; Bransbourg, Gilles; Riggsby, Andrew M; Taylor, Rabun M
The monetization of Sicily and Italy was marked by a persistent indigenous influence and by a critical adoption of coinage by the native peoples. This dissertation addresses cultural identity and interaction in areas of contact between Greeks and indigenous Sicilian and Italic peoples through the lens of monetary practice, tracing the native influence on coinage through close study of technical aspects. These include weight standards, technique of manufacture, and metallic preference. These technical aspects, as the products of unspoken or even unconscious cultural habits, are excellent quantitative indicators of cultural influence. When the Greeks arrived in Sicily and Tyrrhenian Italy in the 8th century BC, during their period of explosive migration across the Mediterranean world, they found the native peoples using bronze objects by weight as a form of premonetary currency. These bronze objects, tools, and ingots were reckoned against a native Italic libral pound (Greek, litra). The Greeks in Sicily adopted this indigenous bronze standard. The litra had an enormous impact on the monetization of Italy and Sicily. Already in the 8th to the 6th centuries BC, Greek and indigenous settlements all around the Tyrrhenian, from Sicily to Etruria, had developed bronze libral standards that varied regionally but enjoyed mutual convertibility through convenient “conversion standards” that form the linchpins between differing local systems of exchange. From the very beginning of coinage in Sicily in 550 BC, around two centuries after the arrival of the Greeks and roughly contemporary with their adoption of the Italic bronze standard, Greek cities minted silver coinage equivalent to the indigenous bronze litra. The native settlements soon followed suit. This standard served to convert between the native bronze tradition and the imported Greek silver. My research further indicates that not only were the Sicilians using hybrid systems of exchange, but that the Etruscans also adapted Greek-style coinage in a way that conformed to local exigencies. Etruria is a counterpoint to the Sicilian situation, in that only Greek standards were used for the limited coinage of the Classical period, on account of the Greek role in mediating trade in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Barbra O. Interview
(2022-08-02) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Barbra O., a master’s student in Milan, Italy who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Texas. She details navigating life as an immigrant child and the experiences that shaped her perception of community and self. She describes cultural connections, such as memories of food and family. Barbra compares her experiences in Texas with her life now in Italy.
Campi Flegrei
(2010-07) Barker, Daniel S.
Castrati : the history of an extraordinary vocal phenomenon and a case study of Handel’s opera roles for Castrati written for the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728)
(2002-12) Vanherle, Francisca Paula; Dell'Antonio, Andrew; Storozhev, Nikita, 1950-
Castrati were without doubt, an extraordinary phenomenon in the vocal world. Four centuries of history exist from the first evidence of their presence in music, dating from the 1550s, and the death of the last castrato Allessandro Moreschi, in 1922. A tradition almost solely practiced in Italy, the castrati experienced their halcyon days in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. At first, they were recruited and castrated as young boys to sing in the soprano sections of the church choirs. They enjoyed an extensive training in specialized conservatorios and grew to be the most accomplished vocalists the world had known thus far. Inevitably, their art was noticed by opera composers of the time. They flourished and were celebrated in Italy and abroad. Their vocal technique and artistic skills dictated the bel canto style for nearly two hundred years. At the end of the eighteenth century, the growing awareness in moral philosophy, and a series of political shifts in Europe put an end to the overwhelming success of the eunuchs. Yet their influence on opera composition of the time and of the subsequent decades was of immense consequence. An important question should be raised when performing the opera roles written for castrati nowadays. Who will sing the castrato roles? As a logical solution, women or countertenors should adopt these roles into their repertoire. A study of opera roles written for castrati by a baroque master in the genre, Georg Friedrich Handel, sheds some light on the music for these rare birds. The castrato role-study encompasses Handel’s operas written for the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728). By disclosing some particular aspects in the music and the drama, it becomes clear what voice type should be singing these roles in present day Handel opera production.
The city walls of Pompeii : perceptions and expressions of a monumental boundary
(2013-05) Van der Graaff, Ivo; Clarke, John R., 1945-; Davies, Penelope J. E., 1964-; Papalexandrou, Athanasio; Taylor, Rabun M.; Riggsby, Andrew M.; Thomas, Michael L.
Fortifications often represent the largest and most extensive remains present on archaeological sites. Their massive scale is the primary reason for their survival and reflects the considerable resources that communities invested in their construction. Yet, until recently, they have largely remained underrepresented as monuments in studies on the ancient city. Beyond their defensive function city walls constituted an essential psychological boundary protecting communities from unpredictable elements including war, brigandage, and more elusive natural forces. These factors have led scholars to identify fortifications as playing a distinct role in the definition of a civic identity. Nevertheless, beyond the recognition of some general trends, a definitive diachronic study of their performance within a single urban matrix is still lacking. This dissertation examines the city walls of Pompeii as an active monument rather than a static defensive enclosure. The city preserves one of the most intact set of defenses surviving since antiquity which, in various shapes and forms, served as one its defining elements for over 600 years. Pompeii’s fortifications, through construction techniques, materials, and embellishments, engaged in an explicit architectural dialogue with the city, its urban development, and material culture. Their basic framework changed in response to military developments, but their appearance is also the result of specific political and ideological choices. As a result, the city walls carried aesthetic and ideological associations reflecting the social and political organization of the community. This study is the first of its kind. It provides a diachronic examination of the Pompeian fortifications by assessing their role in the social and architectural definition of the city. The walls were subject to appropriation and change in unison with the ambitions of the citizens of Pompeii. From their original construction through subsequent modifications, the fortifications expressed multivalent political, religious, and social meanings, particular to specific time periods in Pompeii. This analysis reveals a monument in continuous flux that changed its ideological meaning and relationship to civic identity, in response to the major historical and social developments affecting the city.
Clay Minerals and Italy – the Nannobacterial Connection
(Jackson School of Geosciences, 2013) Folk, Robert L.
A continuation of research started by Dr. Folk and the late Dr. F. Leo Lynch seeking to demonstrate a biological origin for many clay minerals
Copper-plate Catherine : Francesco Vanni’s Baroque engraved print series of the Sienese civic saint
(2022-05) Robertson, Olivia Louise; Johns, Ann Collins, 1955-; Waldman, Louis Alexander
Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) was a visionary and mystic who lived in the late Middle-Ages. She became a subject of devotion across Europe soon after her 1461 canonization, but the center of her cult remained in her hometown of Siena. Francesco Vanni (1563-1610) was a devout Sienese painter who produced more images of Saint Catherine during his lifetime than of any other subject. In 1597, over 200 years after Catherine’s death, Vanni designed a 12-page, 33-scene print cycle of her life, which continues to be the most comprehensive Catherinian cycle in any medium. Until the mid-1970’s, scholars commonly argued that the trecento was the height of Sienese artistic production, after which there was a steep decline in output and in quality. The narrative has since shifted to include more nuance, but printing in Siena, and the depiction of Saint Catherine by Sienese artists, remain under-studied. Catherine, as presented in her Vita by her hagiographer, was a saint especially well-suited to the devotional practices and ideologies of the Counter Reformation. In his print series, Francesco Vanni infused Catherine with the dynamism of the Baroque and presented her narrative in a visually interesting way that spoke to the enthusiastic piety of the Counter Reformation. His designs were successful locally and internationally because of the relative financial availability of the print medium, the use of the visual language of the Baroque, and the devotional relevance of the material.
COVID-19 in Italy: The Revival of Culinary Traditions
(2020-05) Lee, Ivy
This thesis explores the effects that COVID-19 has on Italian food traditions. Before the outbreak of the deadly virus, Italian cuisine was becoming a shadow of what it used to be. The increase in tourism and popularity of travel websites made it almost impossible for local businesses and small restaurants to stay open. As a result, regional cooking and traditional healthy food habits were no longer the pillars of Italian cuisine. The needs of the tourists began to outweigh the needs of the locals and authentic Italian cuisine was increasingly harder to encounter. The economic prosperity generated by the hospitality industry overshadowed what attracts tourists to the country in the first place. However, COVID-19 changed the fate of the Italian food landscape. The nation-wide quarantine created an opportunity for re-entry into some of those food traditions that were quickly being lost. Even among the mess, there is a silver lining. Throughout the course of my research, I had to start over twice due to some major road- blocks. In the short time I had to write my thesis, it was hard to build a defense. I advise further research in the topic of discussion.
The earlier history of the piazza San Lorenzo in Florence and its redesign in the fifteenth century
(1990) White, Eileen Carol, 1951-; Not available
Eataly: a Cross-Cultural Examination of the Likelihood and Development of Eating Disorders in America and Italy
(2020-05) McGinn, Aine
This cross-cultural comparison is a broad examination of eating disorder development in two distinct countries: the United States and Italy. It examines how cultural attitudes towards food and body image affect the likelihood and development of eating disorders in America and Italy. It determines whether there are significant differences in this context between the two countries and cultures. It elaborates on cultural attitude towards food and body image and whether they have any effect on the likelihood and development of eating disorders in general.
The emergence of the south European migration system and the role of social networks of migration as catalysts of change in countries of origin : the cases of Argentina and Peru
(2010-08) Vasquez, Tania R.; Buckley, Cynthia J.; Roberts, Bryan R., 1939-; Raley, Kelly; Sakamoto, Arthur; Hale, Charles R.
With this study I aim to understand the role of social networks of migration as very special catalysts of change in the countries of origin of important labor migration streams, particularly in the case of the emergent and second most important system of migration in which Latin Americans participate, i.e. the South European Migration System. I pursue this aim through the means of examining the characteristics and mechanisms of operation of ego – centered social networks of migration that are active within the migration streams from Argentina and Peru to Italy and Spain, therefore: (1) I examine the two different institutional contexts that contribute to the shape of the mentioned social networks of migration in Argentina and Peru; (2) I study the structure of these networks (which comprises characteristics such as size, density, and degree of heterogeneity); their resources and mechanisms of operation ; and (3) I discuss the main possible causal influences that these social networks of migration exert in the countries of origin of the emigration streams I study, namely Argentina and Peru, considering the very specific characteristics these social networks have in each one of the country cases. In order to discuss these causal influences, I examine their impact on children residing in Argentina and Peru who are members of migrant sending households, and I specifically analyze impacts on their living arrangements. I use quantitative and qualitative data on the emigration streams from Argentina and Peru to Italy and Spain which I collected during 2006, 2007 and 2008 , in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Lima (Peru). Quantitative data was collected using a small household survey targeting relatives of migrants to Spain and Italy, in both cities (Argentina – Italy: n=75, Argentina – Spain: n= 245, Peru – Italy: n= 206, and Peru – Spain: n=398). Qualitative data included expert interviews (n=5 for Peru and n=7 for Argentina); and different types of semi-structured in- depth interviews targeting relatives of migrants to Spain and Italy in different household positions, including children 12 -18 years old (n=11 for Peru, and n=11 for Argentina).
An Examination of Individual Differences in Italian and American Fashion Cultures: Past, Present, and Projections for the Future
(2018-05) Hotze, Mary Louise
What does it mean for a nation to be a “global icon” in the fashion world and how exactly do they get there? Today, both the United States and Italy are part of the leading nations in the fashion world, yet the two countries have significantly different histories and cultures. By examining the individual histories, cultures, and global interactions of Italy and the United States, a pattern emerges for the manner in which a nation rises to power in the fashion industry. Important historical events tend to result in sociological and psychological responses and changes within a society. Consequently, individual differences in fashion culture correspond to the major political and cultural events throughout the course of a nation’s history. How can we use the histories of Italy and the United States to understand the method in which they came to be global fashion icons today, and how can this knowledge be used to make predictions for the future of the fashion industry? These are the questions this paper seeks to answer. Fashion design has been used by various groups of people over the course of history to outwardly express their thoughts and emotions regarding political and social climates of the time. The United States and Italy are two nations that not only influence fashion for many others, but they also have a stronghold on the direction of current social and political climates. The first task is to examine the complete history of each nations, identifying the major political and cultural events that sparked changes in society and consequently influenced fashion design. The second task is to examine the present-day fashion cultures of Italy and the United States, while considering their global interactions and influences on each other. The third and final task is to use historical evidence to develop and propose predictions for the future of the fashion industry on a global scale and within each nation.
Expecting epiphany : performative ritual and Roman cultural space
(2011-05) Arney, Jane Katherine; Clarke, John R., 1945-; Davies, Penelope J.
When ancient people entered a temple or other sacred space, how did the art and architecture of the site work upon their senses as mediators of divine presence? This thesis demonstrates that the ancient perception of the deity's actual presence in visual images created a tension that was intensified by the spatial environment and the theatricality of ritual performance. Visual representations acted in concert with cultic ritual to manipulate the visitor through a revelatory experience and create the phenomenon of epiphany. Epiphany, from the Greek word epiphaneia, is the visible manifestation of the deity. Epiphany in the ancient world could manifest as miracles, signs and natural phenomena; however, my thesis will focus primarily on visual epiphany of deity. My aim is to describe how the elements of the built environment and performative ritual combined to create not only the expectation but the actualization of an epiphanic experience for the beholder. The phenomenon of visual epiphany has been largely overlooked until relatively recently. Scholarly examination of temples and other ritual spaces has focused more on archaeological description, formal analysis, mythic narrative, and social and political structures. There has been very little exploration of the actual ritual and neuro-phenomenological experience of religious participants as it relates to the visual environment. With this work my aim is to contribute to the scholarly knowledge of the ancient viewer's experience of epiphany as it was shaped by sacred space and mediated by religious ritual in the ancient world.
Galileo's Brush with Artistry: The Intersection of Art and Science in Seicento Italy
(2023-12) Datz, Nina
While most will recognize the great names and achievements of Italian art and science, few realize that these two definitive disciplines of Italian history have been deeply interconnected for centuries. Surprisingly, one of the strongest examples of this symbiosis is found in the life and work of the 17th-century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei- famed primarily for his groundbreaking telescopic discoveries and dramatic trial by the Catholic Church. As an artist, friend of artists, art critic, supplier of instruments, and even a subject of art, the science giant's integral and multifaceted role in the Italian art world reflects the increasingly interdependent nature of the relationship between these fields. Through an examination of Galileo, this paper seeks to illuminate not only the existence of this connection but how it was forged by both disciplines' ceaseless pursuit of advancement.
Hip Hop and La Bella Figura: How Music Reveals the Unknowns of Italy
(2018-05) Gorny, Samantha
Within Italian culture is the presence of a social ideology called la bella figura, which is the tendency for Italians to present their best selves while trying not to create the impression of a brutta figura, which would be a social gaffe or a presentation of one’s self that is considered uncouth. This tendency to project a bella figura is present in the social nature of Italians, but also their politics and economics, with a history of corruption and income inequality that has long been present but rarely addressed by Italians. In the early 1990s, in the midst of a corruption scandal and an economic recession in Italy, hip hop began to make its way from the United States, where it was rooted, across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Hip hop and rap became especially popular with the youth of Italy, as they used the scene to escape life on the streets and counteract la bella figura. With their provocative language, samples, and music videos, the early rap and hip hop of Italy criticized la bella figura and exposed parts of Italy that were seldom discussed in a public setting. However, as the hip hop scene became more commercialized, the rappers abandoned their tendency to criticize la bella figura and instead embraced the philosophy, creating their own hip hop version of a bella figura. This thesis will provide a definition of la bella figura as it is seen in Italian culture, describe the roots of hip hop and rap in Italy, and explain how as the Italian hip hop scene became more mainstream, it adopted la bella figura. Overall, I intend for this thesis to provide a background on Italian hip hop, and on a broader level discuss how smaller countercultures are affected when they become commercialized.
John Kenneth Galbraith Guest Lecture
(1992-09-23) Galbraith, John Kenneth
Audio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.
The Leo Castelli Gallery in Metro magazine : American approaches to post-abstract figuration in an Italian context
(2012-08) McKetta, Dorothy Jean; Shiff, Richard
Between the years 1960 and 1970, New York gallerist Leo Castelli was closely involved with Milanese editor and publisher Bruno Alfieri's Metro magazine--an international review of contemporary art. By placing his artists in Metro, Castelli inserted them into the world of Italian art criticism and theory. This recontextualization familiarized the American artists of Castelli's gallery to a European audience and positioned them at the end of a succession of modern European styles. Specifically, Castelli's artists, each of whom engaged in a form of pictorial figuration, were seen as ending the dominance of the "pure" abstraction of the French informel style. This thesis uses the archive of correspondence between Bruno Alfieri and Leo Castelli to examine Castelli's contribution to Metro during the 1960s. Departing from this chronology, it also seeks to understand the unique brand of figuration that each of Castelli's artists brought to Metro, given cues from contemporary Italian theory and criticism--particularly that of Gillo Dorfles, who wrote on several of Castelli's artists.
Letter to Augusto Azzaroli from H.B. Stenzel on 1963-05-15
(1963-05-15) Stenzel, Henryk B.
Letter to W.S. Adkins from H.B. Stenzel on 1952-07-29
(1952-07-29) Stenzel, Henryk B.
Maria Celeste: The Daughter of Science and Religion
(2018-05) Barry, Katherine
The illegitimate daughter of famed mathematician Galileo Galilei was Sister Maria Celeste, a nun in the Poor Clares convent in Arcetri, outside of Florence. As a result of her father’s work and her life in the convent, Maria Celeste was uniquely centered between the conflict of science and religion in 17th-century Italy, as demonstrated in the letters she wrote to her father throughout her life. Typically Maria Celeste’s life and letters to her father are used to contextualize Galileo’s life or support an already-existing narrative of Galileo. However the letters Maria Celeste wrote to her father offer insight into the life of a nun in the 17th-century. In this thesis I explore an alternative interpretation of Maria Celeste’s life—one that is not centered on Galileo’s own life. In examining Maria Celeste’s letters as well as secondary sources focusing on women in convents in the early modern period, I strive to understand the experiences of nuns in the 17th-century. Maria Celeste’s experience in the convent demonstrated the changing motivations and the restructuring of the Catholic Church following the Council of Trent. In this thesis I argue that despite her family, Maria Celeste was a relatively ordinary nun. Her relation to Galileo could have drastically affected her experiences in the convent and in the religious vocation; however, she details a life dedicated to prayer, devotion, and love of her vocation.