Italian culture is a vast cultural territory that covers a broad area of geographical area in Europe. The most important islands of this area are Sardinia, Sicily, Istria, and Campania. In this article, I will show the main characteristics of Italian culture, especially in relation to its literature, architecture, and arts. Besides, I will discuss the major artistic movements of Italian culture.
During the medieval period, Italian bishops tried to convert pagans to the Catholic faith. They succeeded in converting some of them but most of them were killed or driven into slavery. The survivors of these communities later formed the bulk of the Italian population, who were known as “Italians” (Italian Italians) in Christianity. Later on, after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Italy received immigrants from other parts of Europe, including barbarians (pagans) and Muslims.
As a consequence of this long historical background, much of Italian literature was written by and about people of the former Eastern Roman Empire (the area that had once been an alliance between the Latin kingdom of Italy and the Eastern Roman Empire). The most famous ones among these are the romance works by Italian poets, most notably by Italian poet Virgil. In fact, many of them were actually written in Latin by Latin speakers. Furthermore, most of the so-called “literature of the west” was also written by Latin speakers, particularly in the case of Italian books.
Italian literature covers a broad range of topics, some of which have special relevance for Italian Catholics. For example, Italian literature considers the role of the papacy in reviving the Catholic church in the 6th century. In these works, you can find statements by the popes against contraception (or birth control, for that matter), and against the teaching of natural marriage and divorce. As such, Italian literature depicts the Catholic Church in a consistently hostile light. It depicts the Pope as a cruel and oppressive figure, bent on destroying traditional values and on imposing his own values on society.
Another important aspect of Italian culture is music, especially classical music. One of its most celebrated composers is Mozart. Mozart’s great achievements as a composer were mainly related to his great interest in European music, especially in Classical music. He wrote several symphonies, which have become seminal pieces of Western music. Besides this, he spent considerable time recreating Italian traditions, which allowed him to create new classic pieces that would become highly popular with listeners all over the world.
Art is another aspect of Italian culture that many do not pay attention to. Many modern artists and museums have emerged out of Italy, including the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. These artists had great success in their careers, but their greatest artistic influences were probably Italian music and art. Moreover, many of their works have become iconic pieces of art.
The third aspect of Italian culture is its amazing architecture. Many buildings in Italy have taken on a uniquely Italian architectural style, which can be seen in their cityscapes, houses, and in their famous buildings such as opera houses, Palazzo Reale, and Vatican. In Rome, the Vatican has one of the largest and most famous collections of ancient church architecture in the world. Other notable Italian cities that enjoy high levels of architecture are Genoa, Florence, Venice, Turin, Milan, and Pisa.
The fourth aspect is literature, and this is perhaps the most extensive aspect of Italy that most people do not give much attention to. Some of the most influential authors in the twentieth century are Mario Psella, Dostoyevsky, literature such as Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, and Umberto Eco. The works of Italians that have become seminal works in the genre of literature include Dostoyevsky’s” Crime and Punishment,” Mario Psella’s “Uria,” and Hugo’s” Les Meux de la Manu,” all of which became major international bestsellers. In addition to this, many Italian writers who became renowned for their political or cultural views also developed a great writing career in the later twentieth century.
