MUSIC IN ITALY

Luciano Pavarotti (12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He was one of "The three tenors" and became well-known for his numerous concerts and televised appearances. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross amongst others.


* October 12, 1935: Luciano Pavarotti is born in the Italian city of Modena.

* 1954: Begins his professional music studies at the age of 19 with Arrigo Pola, a teacher in the Modena area.

* 1955: As a member of the male choir group Choral Rossini, wins first prize at the International Eisteddfod

* 1961: Marries Opera singer Adua Veroni.

* 1961: Makes his opera-house debut as Rodolfo in La boheme

* 1965: Makes his American debut with the Greater Miami Opera.

* 1972: Breakthrough performance with the New York Metropolitan Opera in which he receives a record 17 curtain calls.

* 1977: Featured in a Time magazine cover story.

* 1980: Sets up the The Pavarotti International Voice Competition for aspiring young opera singers.

* 1990: His performance of Puccini's Nessun dorma becomes the theme song to the 1990 FIFA World Cup

* 1992: While performing Zeffirelli's Don Carlo at La Scala, Pavarotti is booed by the audience and criticized for his performance.

* 1993: Over half a million people watch him perform in New York's Central Park.

* 1998: Becomes the first Opera singer ever to perform on Saturday Night Live.

* 1998: Receives the Grammy Legend Award.

* 2001: Receives the Kennedy Center Honors.

* 2003: Marries his personal assistant Nicoletta Mantovani.


* 2004: Begins his farewell tour.

* 2006: Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

* September 6, 2007: Dies of Pancreatic Cancer.

SOME FACTS ABOUT ITALIAN EATING HABITS:

. Wine or soda is almost never served until dinner, which is after 8 p.m. in Italy.

. Italians have three hours lunch break. They consume a lot of food but they eat slowly.

. Italians really know how to live. They take three hour lunches, eat pasta at most every meal and maintain gorgeous figures. They are truly the most beautiful looking people in Europe and not because of their fashionable clothing. Most Italians strive to cut the una bella figura (a fine figure) and are careful, but not obsessive, about what they eat.

. The sight of an obese Italian is rare.

. Most Italians drink at least one liter of water per day

. Food is very fresh in Italy. Many organic food products can be found on the supermarket shelves and most of the produce is grown locally without pesticides. This keeps toxics out of the Italian bodies and helps prevent weight gain.

. Most Italians typically walk a minimum of three kilometers a day due to daily shopping and parking difficulties.

. An Italian dinner is not only about satisfying hunger, but it usually revolves around socializing and conversing with friends and family.

THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET: THE NUTRITION OF ITALIAN FOOD

Most of the Italians based their cuisine on the Mediterranean diet...

Breakfast: The typical Italian breakfast is made of a hot beverage, like cappuccino or coffee, with something sweet to eat- cake, cookies, pastries, brioche, croissants, or toast and jam.

Afternoon snack: a yogurt or some fruit would be a good choice for example.

Lunch: Lunch in Italy is the biggest meal of the day, usually eaten between 12:00 - 2:00pm. A typical lunch consists of a starter (antipasto), a first course (pasta, risotto or soup), a second (meat, chicken or fish), cheese and dessert, all topped off with coffee. Still hungry?

Dinner: Dinner is served very late. Most restaurants close after lunch and reopen at 8 p.m. The typical family dinner is still a tradition. Light and refreshing food is served, tomatoe salad or a fried egg, and lots of bread and salumi make up the casual family dinner.

A LITTLE BIT OF ITALIAN LITERATURE

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)



Dante is best known for the epic poem COMMEDIA, later named LA DIVINA COMMEDIA. He is also the greatest Italian poet and one of the most important writers of European literature.

Dante's life:

1265 - Dante is born, probably May 29, under the sign of Gemini.

1274 - Meets, and falls in love with Beatrice Portinari.

1283 - Dante's father dies. He was married to Gemma Donati, with whom he had four children (Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni and Antonia).

1290 - Death of Beatrice.

1292 - Dante writes the Vita nuova.


1300 - Dante is prior for two months (15 June-15 August), one of the six highest magistrates in Florence.


1301 - Dante is sent to Rome as an envoy to Pope Boniface VIII.

1306 - Probably the year in which Dante interrupts the Convivio and begins the Comedy.

1314 - Publication of Inferno.

1315 - Dante moves to Verona as a guest of Cangrande della Scala. Works on Purgatorio and Paradiso, and composes the Questio de acque et terra.

1321 - Dante falls ill on return from Venice and dies September 13 or 14.

TOP 10 CITIES IN ITALY

10.-Genoa-Genovia
9.-Perugia
8.-Bologna
7.-Turin-Turino
6.-Verona
5.-Naples-Napoli
4.-Milan-Milano
3.-Florence-Firenze
2.-Venice-Venezia
1.-Rome-Roma