The Long, Deep Roots Of Italian Inventiveness

Of course, Italy's manufacturing and industrial know-how has roots found throughout its history dating as far back, of course, as Ancient Rome and later places like Bologna, Florence, and Venice in the Middle-Ages and after that in cities like Milan, Genoa and Turin (in the powerhouse regions of Lombardia, Liguria and Piemonte) in the 20th century.

You can see a nice industrial breakdown of Italian cities here.

The engineering feats of Rome are well-known and documented (Aqueducts, roads, bath houses etc.) as are many of modern Italy's structures. Florence's Ponte Vecchio (technically Medieval) for example was Europe's first stone segmental arch bridge and made legendary for being the only (of many unique ones) bridge to survive World War II.  Florence is also where spectacles were invented and the technique of 'silk throwing' was mastered, while watermarks first made their appearance in Bologna. Pisa is where Fibonacci - Europe's greatest medieval mathematician - spread Arabic and Hindu numerals to Europe. In medicine, the idea of "quarantine" to protect against the Black Death was first introduced in Ragusa and Venice. The latter being a city that built an empire thanks to its genius in building a maritime empire through its shipbuilding abilities.

Hour glasses first appeared (or at least recorded) in Siena (a picturesque artistic town not too far from Florence in Tuscany). The polymath, physician and engineer Guido da Vigevano - who consulted King Philip IV of France on military concerns and was Emperor Henry VII and the Queen of France's personal physician - invented war machines (such as attack boats) for the Crusades.

More from link:

"In this precious manuscript it is possible to find drawings of many machines such as attack boats, pontoon bridges, and also two self-propelled battle wagons, one crank-driven and the other powered by a very sophisticated windmill on the back a wooden carriage. This last one is considered to be the prototype of the first autovehicle in history; the word "automobilis," meaning "self" and "moving," was created in the 14th century by the Italian engineer Martini, who invented but never built a crankshaft-driven, four-wheeled vehicle. King Philip never left for the Holy Land, however, and Guido's wonderful machinery was therefore never tested.<sup>"

da Vigevano, in this way, preceded the great artist-engineers like Brunlleschi and Da Vinci.

Given Italian eminence in science, technology, philosophy, art and other areas in Europe, it's not surprising the first University was founded in Bologna.</sup> 


 

Spotlight On Italian Cycling Blog

Buon anno a tutti!

Let's kick things off with a blog about cycling with Italian Cycling Journal.

I found this blog snooping around looking at bike frames and landed on these neat clips of Columbus.

Video Clip: New Agotos

Bike Saddles: Made In Italy

My bicycle came with a Selle Italia saddle.

Fizik is another quality Italian saddle manufacturer.

In choosing a saddle, like most anything else, it really comes down to personal preference.

Facts About Italy

62 facts about Italy.

Interesting, if not insufficient given Italy's diabolically long and deep history. Something tells me you can add a '0' to that figure and it still won't scratch the surface.

Although not sure why the fact the University of Bologna was the world's first university wasn't mentioned in #13: "The University of Rome is one of the world’s oldest universities and was founded by the Catholic Church in A.D. 1303. Often called La Sapienza (“knowledge”), the University of Rome is also Europe’s largest university with 150,000 students.<sup>'

 It's not the first time I hear #6 in some form or another:</sup>

^" Italy is said to have more masterpieces per square mile than any other country in the world."

 The other thing said is "it's estimated 40% of the world's and 60% of Europe's artistic treasures reside within its borders."

10 Years On - Sanelli Knives Still In My Kitchen

When I got married and needed all sorts of things, including cooking knives, My brother in law introduced me to Sanelli about 10 years ago and never really looked back.

For the price to value, I would consider them excellent. Mario Batali I believe uses Sanelli sometimes.

Now I'm looking at getting ceramic knives.

Sanelli operates in the municipality of Premana in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

Italy's Rich Motorcycle Legacy On Display

SFO Museum (from youtube):



"The Italian propensity for artistic design, historically demonstrated in a wide range of manufactured goods, has perhaps never been better exemplified than in the beautiful motorcycles that graced Italy's racetracks and roadways in the 1950s and 1960s. Over the course of two decades, an unprecedented number of Italian firms, many of them lost to history, produced a dizzying array of small-sized motorcycles for a country with a desperate need for mobility after World War II. These machines were created at a time of impoverished resources, but were consistent with a characteristically Italian insistence on producing, and demanding, objects of extraordinary design and beauty. Nineteen motorcycles, ranging from singularly produced racers such as Carlo Ubbiali's 1951 Mondial 125cc Bialbero Grand Prix to 50cc production bikes from the late 1960s, demonstrate that while necessity breeds invention, the results can be truly stunning.

Moto Bellissima: Italian Motorcycles from the 1950s and 1960s is located pre-security in the International Terminal Main Hall Departures Lobby, San Francisco International Airport. The exhibition is on view to all Airport visitors from November 5, 2011 to April 28, 2012. There is no charge to view the exhibition."

My Lord these bikes are beautiful.

Is there a greater country with as deep a design history as Italy?

The only nations that come to mind are USA or Japan.

Video Clip Of The Day

Works of industrial designer Roberto Pezzetta:

Brumidi: The Man Behind The Capital Building Frescoes

It's hard to measure the influence of the Italian mind and blood in the field of art and design. Cataloging a person's work but what about the instances where it wasn't attributed? Here, Italy and its contributions, while acknowledged for many achievements, possibly have just as much that have gone unnoticed across the world.

These "accidents of activity" doesn't flow one way either. Just like Italy influences, it has been enormously influenced and impacted by other nations as well. You can't exist for 2500 years and not be impacted by other civilizations during that time. All nations learn from one another. Especially Italy with its long, tortured, sometimes parochial, glorious past replete with successes of empire and failures of national unity. It has been invaded so many times, it's hard to pinpoint how many customs and ideas their borrowed.

Does it really matter?

Just like Italy "gave and receive" we see the same thing with modern America where the world's greatest minds gravitate to. In America, we get an idea what it must have been like in Renaissance Italy when all traveled to its land to learn.

In discovering the work of Constantino Brumidi who was, for a time, the forgotten artist behind the fresco work at the Capital Building in Washington, D.C., one is reminded the exchange of ideas mentioned earlier never stops.

More poignantly, the legacy of inspiration they leave behind eventually does get rediscovered as was the case with Brumidi who was largely an obscure figure until the determined Myrtle Cheney Murdock found out who the artist behind the Capitol art (including the Brumidi Corridors) was.

Next time you dismiss an artist as being paranoid for fear of becoming forgotten, think of Brumidi.

Juventus Stadium A Modern Architectural And Engineering Success

A couple of years back, Juventus officials were keeping secret the details of the construction of its new Stadium in Turin (Torino).

From Bleachereport:

"...For the last few years Juventus have been constructing what is set to be not only one of the best looking stadiums in the world but the most technologically advanced arena in the world. Word from the Juventus camp is that the stadium will seat 41,000 people, comprise of a shopping centre and have a heated pitch. Seats in the stadium are now closer than ever to the pitch, whilst they also form a pattern that can be seen from afar."

Indeed, it is an example of architectural and engineering achievement in environmental technology. From Wiki:

The construction project aimed to ensure a low environmental impact of the work of the construction site via the use of advanced environmentally sustainable technologies.This stadium is constructed to reduce energy consumption from non-renewable energy sources by reducing waste and optimizing the resources available. The stadium can produce the electricity it needs using solar energy captured through photovoltaic panels; it produces warm water which heats rooms, changing rooms, kitchens and football field through a network of district heating, heats hot water for the dressing rooms and kitchens of restaurants using solar thermal systems. These alternative energy sources are aimed at helping stadium meet the criteria dictated by the Kyoto protocol by generating multiple results:

• Reductions of greenhouse gases
• No air pollution
• No risk of fire
• Integration with district heating
  
• Containment of waste
• Intensive exploitation of solar energy through solar tracker tools
• No production of chemical or acoustic emissions
• Reuse of rainwater
• Reduction of at least 50% of water needed for irrigation of the field

Italian soccer clubs have been experiencing declining revenues the last couple of years having been. Though still among the wealthiest clubs, Juventus is currently in the process of reestablishing itself as  perennial power in Italian and European soccer.

As for the capacity. I'm not sure why it was capped at 41 000. I reckon it's a combination of Juve and Serie A not generally surpassing those numbers and environmental considerations. However, it was designed so that it could add another 15 000 seats if required.

More details here.

And who was charged to build Juventus Stadium?

Pininfarina.

"A futuristic, environment-friendly stadium built with cutting-edge technology to offer maximum comfort and security in all areas. The new Juventus stadium was conceived not only as a venue where people will watch football, but also as a meeting and recreation centre, to be enjoyed seven days a week.   In this perspective, Pininfarina Extra’s contribution was fundamental, developing once again an unmistakable style for what is an icon of the city of Turin."

Sharp pics in link.

Italian Funds Fuels Diplomas For Blind Journalists

A cultural news item of note I feel.

From the Anna Lindh Foundation:

"The first diplomas in a course for blind journalists have been awarded in a ceremony in Beirut, a project co-funded by Italy with 150,000 euros.

As part of the same initiative, Italy also funded the publication of a Braille weekly distributed with daily An Nahar.

The training programme has two objectives: improving the ability of reporters through the most recent media technologies and encouraging blind youths to take up journalism as a profession. (ANSAmed)."

Capello Index Good Source For Analyzing Soccer Players

Ooo, look - a duplicate post with my other blog.

No matter.

The Capello Index - named after soccer manager Fabio Capello - was developed by Italian software company Wyscout.

Capello, of course, is widely regarded as one of the all-time great managers having managed AC Milan, Real Madrid and England's national side.

It is no surprise such an index would be created by an analytical mind like Capello.

Sticking to the topic of soccer, two national sides headed to Brazil in 2014 will have Italian coaches conducting their aspirations of winning the World Cup - Capello with Russia and Alberto Zaccheoroni (Japan). A third coach, Giovanni Trappatoni (incidentally, also a legendary winning manager) was not able to get his Republic of Ireland side to qualify.

The duo will join Azzurri manager Cesare Prandelli next year to make it a trio of Italian mangers.

Upsolar World Leader In Smart Solar Modules

Caught this tidbit of news in Businesswire:

"Upsolar is a leading international provider of solar PV modules, today announced the launch of its turnkey system financing solution to assist commercial customers in quickly funding solar PV systems. This news comes on the heels of Upsolar’s successful residential program, which began in 2012."

Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched

...By Piaggio Aero in partnership with Selex ES (mentioned in a previous post).

From UPI:

"The success of the first flight test of the P.1HH DEMO brings us closer to providing the first European-developed, state-of-the art MALE UAS, capable of performing at the highest technological level aerial, land, coastal, maritime, offshore, COMINT/ELINT and electronic warfare missions " said Alberto Galassi, chief executive officer of Piaggio Aero.

"The first flight achievement demonstrates the huge progress made by Piaggio Aero, together with Selex ES and the support of the Italian Air Force, in the development of this new generation of Unmanned Aerial Systems."

Italy Upgrades Friend Or Foe Systems

Selex ES is an electronics and IT company based in Rome and Basildon (UK) part of the Finmeccanica family - which also includes BAE systems.

It was recently given the contract by the NATO Support Agency to upgrade Italy's friend-or-foe military systems.

What is 'friend or foe?"

From globalsecurity.org:

"Identification Friend or Foe [IFF] procedures are the primary positive means of aircraft identification in Air Defense operations. Proper use of IFF procedures facilitates rapid engagement of enemy aircraft, conserves Air Defense assets, and reduces risk to friendly aircraft. Any time a plane flies, pilots put a code into their IFF system which others can identify as a friendly aircraft."