Tour of Italy 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Naples

I will never forget the experience I had on the Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples. I was there the end of July, so I didn't expect the spirit of Christmas to be in full swing, but it was. The Neapolitan tradition of the nativity extends way beyond a manger, baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

They make huge displays; at the focal point is the "presepe", or crib, that is made of cork and built to hold a large variety of figurines - not just the Holy Family - that represent the traditional everyday life there. So there are farmers, markets, animals; you name it - it is there - and mostly handmade.

Some shops can even make a figure in their customer's likeness to add a personal touch to the scene. Many of the churches I visited had their cribs on permanent display, and some were very old.

The National Museum of San Martino has a display called the Presepe Cuciniello, which has 162 people, 80 animals, angels, and about 450 miniature objects. It is said that at Christmastime in Naples, as many as 500,000 visitors come to Via San Gregorio Armeno to visit the nativity shops.

Answer: Etruscans

While all of the choices are groups who were somehow connected to Rome, the Etruscans were actually the ones who built the city. Although historians today are still debating the origins of the ancient Etruscans, they have agreed that their settlement in Italy dates to c. 700 BC.

At that time, Rome was probably a small village and the Etruscans mostly lived on the west of Italy in an area known today as Tuscany. Sometime around 650-600 BC, the Etruscans conquered the area and were part of the Seven Legendary Kings who ruled Rome until a revolt in 509 BC ended the monarchy.

The success of the Etruscans stems from the fact that they were accomplished ironworkers; they traded metal objects for other goods that were needed. It was the Etruscans who first came into contact with Greek ideas in religion and architecture and introduced them to others in the area.

In addition they were great engineers and contributed to many cultural traits attributed to the Romans, such as chariot racing and gladiatorial combats.

Answer: Po

Surrounded by the Po Valley, one of the most industrialized regions of Italy, the Po River flows eastward, beginning at a spring in the Cottian Alps, and traveling about 400 miles before ended at the Po Delta, which discharges water into the Adriatic Sea.

The river flows through many cities, including Turin and Piacenza; interestingly, it is connected to Milan by canals that were designed in part by Leonardo da Vinci. Prone to flooding, the flow of the river is controlled today by dikes and dams.

The Po Valley is the site of agricultural production of cereal grains, including rice! It also provides coolant water for power stations that are located in the area.

Answer: Education

After becoming one of Italy's first female doctors in 1898, Montessori targeted psychiatry as her main focus, however, she turned her interests toward educational theory and how to teach children with developmental problems early in her professional career.

After becoming co-director of a school that trained special education teachers, she began to observe and experiment with different methods of teaching. She opened her first "Casa dei Bambini" in 1907; it was a sort of child daycare center. Experimenting with new techniques and creating an environment that would spark any child's natural desire to learn, her school was widely accepted and proclaimed a success worldwide just after three years.

Her ideas, encompassed in her Montessori Method of teaching, are still valued and used today.

Answer: Sfogliatella

This pasty is a little piece of heaven. It is shaped like a shell, but it has many small, thin layers (hence the "thin leaf" name) that are dusted with powdered sugar. Originally made by monks in the Provence of Salerno, the best thing about a sfogliatella is that it also contains a delicious filling.

There is no hard and fast rule about what the filling must be; the one I enjoyed had a sweet ricotta center, although some are made that have either an orange or almond flavored filling. Apparently there is at least one variation that involves using a dough similar to what is used for pies.

It does not contain all the finely-made thin layers of leaves.

Answer: Father of Humanism

Many historians also credit Petrarch with the beginning the Renaissance. Born in the early fourteenth century, Petrarch went to university and studied law, even though he was much more interested in writing and literature. He eventually joined a holy order; when he became enthralled with the beautiful Laura, however, he left the priesthood and began writing poems - 366 in total - that are called Petrarchan sonnets today.

They were not all dedicated to the beautiful Laura, but 317 were dedicated to her. So what does humanism have to do with it? Petrarch held the philosophy that while God has given humans their talents and intellect, it is they themselves who choose to develop and use their potential.

His belief that reading the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans would aid in developing and using that potential is what sparked the beginning of the Renaissance.

Answer: At a walking pace

And why are so many musical terms written in the Italian language? It's all because the Renaissance began in Italy! The Renaissance was a rebirth in the knowledge of the classical Greeks and Romans; it was a movement that not only had to do new developments in art, literature, and science, but also music.

The first great composers at the time were Italian and as new music was composed they made notations in their own language. By the time the new ideas spread to northern Europe, the tradition was basically set. Why change it? I am sure many are familiar with the word "andante", or "at a walking pace"; it means to play moderately slow.

But have you heard of "andantino"? It means "like walking speed". Musicians have not decided if the vague term means slightly slower or slightly faster than andante.

Answer: Shroud

Today the Holy Shroud can be seen at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin. Many believe that it was the burial cloth of Christ, as it contains the negative image of a man who appears to have died by crucifixion. The history of the Holy Shroud has been difficult to document.

While it has been housed at Saint John the Baptist since the 1300s, its home before that is difficult to determine. Some records say that the Byzantine emperor possessed such a cloth that was lost when Constantinople was sacked during the Fourth Crusade, but there is no evidence that suggests that the Shroud of Turin was that cloth.

The image on the Shroud became evident in 1898 when it was photographed; since then, it has been viewed, radiocarbon dated, subjected to debate, venerated by some, and discounted by others.

Answer: Oculus

One thing about visiting the ancient buildings in Rome that must be remembered, is that many of them are still actively being used as churches today. When I went to the Sistine Chapel, for example, there was barely a place to stand, and the noise was at a low roar. Guards continuously had to remind people to be respectful.

It was much different in the Pantheon, which is known as "St. Mary and the Martyrs". There was even room to sit down to look, observe, and reflect. This building has been continuously used since it was completed in the 120s AD.

The dome is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world today. The oculus of the dome is always open; when it rains there are drains that carry the water away from the interior of the building.

The oculus is 142 feet (43 meters) from the floor and has that same measurement in diameter.

Answer: Sequence

Born in Pisa as Leonardo Bonacci c 1175, Fibonacci's work as a merchant allowed him to travel the known world and study the number/mathematical systems of other people. He wrote a book, "Liber Abaci" in 1202 which introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe. The many examples of the uses of the new system that he provided convinced educated people that the new numbers were easier to use than Roman numerals. His book also posed a question about the population growth of rabbits. Each number is the sum of the previous two numbers, such as 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34.... and so on. In addition to being called the Fibonacci sequence, the solution is also known as Fibonacci numbers.

By the way, "Fibonacci" was used beginning in 1838; it means "the son of the Bonacci".