Gimpel the Fool, short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, published in 1945 in Yiddish as “Gimpl tam.” A translation by Saul Bellow published in Partisan Review in 1953 introduced a large audience of English-speaking readers to Singer’s fiction. The story was later published in Singer’s collection

Mersenne prime: The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) in particular has enlisted more than 150,000 volunteers, who have downloaded special software to run on their personal computers. An added inducement for searching for large primes comes from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which established prizes for the…

Ernest Gimson was an English designer of furniture, one of the Cotswold school of designers who sought to combine the traditions of rural craftsmanship with the theories and practice of William Morris. From 1902 Gimson worked at Daneway House, Sapperton, Gloucestershire, where he was intermittently

measurement system: The Babylonians: …units; 300 qa equaled 60 gin or 1 gur. The gur represented a volume of almost 303 litres (80 U.S. gallons).

gin, flavoured, distilled, colourless to pale yellow liquor made from purified spirits usually obtained from a grain mash and having the juniper berry as its principal flavouring ingredient. It includes both the malty-flavoured and full-bodied Netherlands types and the drier types, characterized by

United Kingdom: Domestic reforms: The Gin Act of 1751 was designed to reduce consumption of raw spirits, regarded by contemporaries as one of the main causes of crime in London. In 1752 Britain’s calendar was brought into conformity with that used in continental Europe. Throughout the continent, the calendar reformed…

gin: …the Tom Collins and the gin and tonic.

The Gin Game, two-act play by American dramatist D.L. Coburn, produced in 1976. It was Coburn’s first play, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1978, the year it was published. The Gin Game centres on the lives of two lonely residents of a retirement home. While playing a series of gin rummy

speakeasy, place where alcoholic beverages are illegally sold, especially such establishments in the United States during Prohibition (1920–33). In more recent years the term has also applied to legal bars that are modeled on historical speakeasies. According to some accounts, the word speakeasy

gin: …in William Hogarth’s engraving “Gin Lane.”

gin rummy, card game of the rummy family that became an American fad in the 1940s. Two play, using a 52-card deck; each player is dealt 10 cards facedown, one at a time, beginning with the nondealer. The remainder of the deck, placed facedown, forms the stock, the top card of which is turned up

cotton gin, machine for cleaning cotton of its seeds, invented in the United States by Eli Whitney in 1793. The cotton gin is an example of an invention directly called forth by an immediate demand; the mechanization of spinning in England had created a greatly expanded market for American cotton,

Jan Kasprowicz: Ginącemu światu (1901; “To a Dying World”) is a cycle of poems that expresses his concern with humanity’s sufferings and metaphysical longings. The cycle used techniques that anticipate the early poetry of T.S. Eliot: free verse, quotations, and a style that progresses by associations, rather…

Alberto Ginastera was a leading 20th-century Latin-American composer, known for his use of local and national musical idioms in his compositions. Ginastera was musically talented as a child and studied in Buenos Aires at the Conservatorio Williams and the National Conservatory. He received a

Alberto Ginastera was a leading 20th-century Latin-American composer, known for his use of local and national musical idioms in his compositions. Ginastera was musically talented as a child and studied in Buenos Aires at the Conservatorio Williams and the National Conservatory. He received a

Francisco Giner de Los Ríos was a Spanish philosopher, literary critic, and educator who became the most influential exponent of krausismo, a liberal educational and philosophical movement prominent in Spain during the 19th century, emphasizing the development of the individual and based on the

Giacomo Leopardi: …among other works, he wrote Ginestra (1836), a long poem included in Ranieri’s posthumous collection of his works (1845). The death that he had long regarded as the only liberation came to him suddenly in a cholera epidemic in Naples.

Genève, canton, southwestern Switzerland. The canton lies between the Jura Mountains and the Alps and consists mainly of its capital, the city of Geneva (Genève). It is one of the smallest cantons in the Swiss Confederation. Bordering on Vaud canton for 3.5 miles (5.5 km) in the extreme north, it

Geneva, city, capital of Genève canton, in the far southwestern corner of Switzerland that juts into France. One of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities, Geneva has served as a model for republican government and owes its preeminence to the triumph of human, rather than geographic, factors. It

Nzinga was the queen of the Mbundu kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba during the 17th century in what is now Angola in sub-Saharan Africa. Nzinga was a skillful politician, variously allying with local groups—particularly the Imbangala—and European powers to maintain and improve her position as queen

Jinji, site of an almost inaccessible fortress constructed by the Hindu rulers of the Vijayanagar empire (c. 1347–1642). It is located about 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Chennai (Madras) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In 1638 the fortress was captured from the Maratha chief Shahji by the

ginger, (Zingiber officinale), herbaceous perennial plant of the family Zingiberaceae, probably native to southeastern Asia, or its pungent aromatic rhizome (underground stem) used as a spice, flavouring, food, and medicine. Ginger’s generic name, Zingiber, is derived from the Greek zingiberis,

ginger ale, a sweetened carbonated beverage of which the predominating flavour and pleasant warmth are derived mainly from the underground stem, or rhizome, of ginger Zingiber officinale. Though originally carbonated by fermentation, modern ginger ales are artificially saturated with carbon dioxide

Federico Fellini: Mature years of Federico Fellini: …On), Ginger e Fred (1985; Ginger and Fred), Intervista (1987; “Interview”), and La voce della luna (1990; The Voice of the Moon), his last feature film. Unified only by his flair for the fantastic, the films reflect with typically Fellinian irony on a variety of postmodern topics: the role of…

ginger beer, beverage, once popular in the United Kingdom, made by fermenting a mixture of ginger, water, sugar, cream of tartar, and yeast. Lemon peel and juice or citric acid may also be added. Ginger beer is bottled before fermentation is complete. It is carbonated and mildly alcoholic. There is

Federico Fellini: Mature years of Federico Fellini: …On), Ginger e Fred (1985; Ginger and Fred), Intervista (1987; “Interview”), and La voce della luna (1990; The Voice of the Moon), his last feature film. Unified only by his flair for the fantastic, the films reflect with typically Fellinian irony on a variety of postmodern topics: the role of…

Zingiberaceae, the ginger family of flowering plants, the largest family of the order Zingiberales, containing about 56 genera and about 1,300 species. These aromatic herbs grow in moist areas of the tropics and subtropics, including some regions that are seasonably dry. Members of the family are

ginger lily, (genus Hedychium), genus of about 70 species in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Several are cultivated as ornamentals, and the flowers of many Hedychium species are used for garlands and other decorations. The

J.P. Donleavy: …author of the comic novel The Ginger Man (Paris, 1955; U.S., 1958), which introduced Dangerfield, a crass, comic antihero. Donleavy’s works are noted for their coarse sense of humour and for characters who remain deeply attached to life despite its flaws.

Zingiberales, the ginger and banana order of flowering plants, consisting of 8 families, 92 genera, and more than 2,100 species. Members of Zingiberales are widely distributed in the tropics, particularly as shade plants in tropical regions. Several genera of the order are of major economic

false cypress: …species of false cypress, the Lawson cypress, Port Orford cedar, or ginger pine (C. lawsoniana), may be more than 60 metres (200 feet) tall and 6 metres (about 20 feet) in diameter. It is a very hardy tree; over 200 forms are cultivated as ornamentals in North America and Great…

Spice Girls: …were Ginger Spice (byname of Geraldine Estelle Halliwell; b. August 6, 1972, Watford, England), Sporty Spice (byname of Melanie Jayne Chisholm; b. January 12, 1974, Liverpool, England), Posh Spice (byname of Victoria Adams [later Victoria Beckham]; b. April 7, 1975, Hertfordshire, England), Scary Spice (byname of Melanie Janine Brown; b.…

David Lodge: …Roman Catholics living in London; Ginger, You’re Barmy (1962), Lodge’s novelistic response to his army service in the mid-1950s; The British Museum Is Falling Down (1965), which uses stream-of-consciousness technique; and Out of the Shelter (1970), an autobiographical coming-of-age novel. How Far Can You Go? (1980; also published as Souls…

gingerbread, sweetened, spiced cookie, bread, or cake popular in North America and Europe in fall and winter. Many variations of gingerbread exist, including, for example, Lebkuchen (Germany), marranitos (Mexico), pryaniki (Russia), and pepparkakor (Sweden). Gingerbread is commonly associated with

gingerbread, in architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Although the term is occasionally applied to highly detailed and decorative styles, it is more often applied specifically to the work of American designers of the late 1860s and ’70s. During

gingerbread: …establish gingerbread houses and decorated gingerbread cookies as holiday staples in the United States. Instead of treacle, molasses is the primary sweetener in American gingerbread.

gingerbread: Gingerbread houses may have first appeared in Germany as early as the 1600s. However, their popularity increased after the Brothers Grimm published “Hansel and Gretel” in 1812, a fairy tale about two hungry children who happen upon a witch’s cottage “built of bread and covered…

gingerbread: … is credited with inventing the gingerbread man, after she instructed her bakers to create gingerbread biscuits (cookies) to resemble dignitaries visiting her court. These were then offered as little gifts or tokens to those bearing the likeness.

Robert Altman: 1980s and ’90s of Robert Altman: …so many of Altman’s films, The Gingerbread Man (1998) boasted a fascinating cast—including Kenneth Branagh, Tom Berenger, Robert Downey, Jr., Darryl Hannah, and Robert Duvall—but some critics questioned whether Altman had been the best choice to take on the thriller by John Grisham that was the film’s source. Better received…

gingham, plain-woven fabric, originally made completely of cotton fibres but later also of man-made fibres, which derives its colour and pattern effects from carded or combed yarns. The name comes from the Malay word genggang, meaning “striped,” and thence from the French guingan, used by the

Jinji, site of an almost inaccessible fortress constructed by the Hindu rulers of the Vijayanagar empire (c. 1347–1642). It is located about 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Chennai (Madras) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In 1638 the fortress was captured from the Maratha chief Shahji by the

Alzheimer disease: Lifestyle factors and prevention: … secretes a protein known as gingipain, which is toxic to neurons and is associated with increased amyloid beta production in the brain. Whether periodontitis and the entry of P. gingivalis into the brain causes or is a consequence of Alzheimer disease remains unclear, however.

gum, in anatomy, connective tissue covered with mucous membrane, attached to and surrounding the necks of the teeth and adjacent alveolar bone. Before the erupting teeth enter the mouth cavity, gum pads develop; these are slight elevations of the overlying oral mucous membrane. When tooth eruption

gum, in anatomy, connective tissue covered with mucous membrane, attached to and surrounding the necks of the teeth and adjacent alveolar bone. Before the erupting teeth enter the mouth cavity, gum pads develop; these are slight elevations of the overlying oral mucous membrane. When tooth eruption

gingivitis, inflammation of the gums (gingivae). Symptoms include tender, sometimes swollen, gums that bleed easily. Areas of tissue destruction (necrosis) or ulceration may develop, and fever and halitosis may be present in severe disease. The most common cause of gingivitis is the accumulation of

nurse shark: …common Atlantic nurse shark (G. cirratum), the family includes the tawny nurse shark (N. ferrugineus) and the shorttail nurse shark (P. brevicaudatum). They are not related to the sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus)—a type of sand shark inhabiting the waters above the continental shelves in most warm and temperate…

nurse shark, (family Ginglymostomatidae), common name for any shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae, which is made up of the genera Ginglymostoma, Nebrius, and Pseudoginglymostoma. In addition to the common Atlantic nurse shark (G. cirratum), the family includes the tawny nurse shark (N.

joint: Hinge joint: The hinge, or ginglymus, joint is a modified sellar joint with each mating surface ovoid on its right and left sides. This modification reduces movement to a backward-forward swing like that allowed by the hinge of a box or a door. The swing…

The Music Man: Cast:

Gingoog, city and port, northern Mindanao, Philippines. It lies at the head of Gingoog Bay, which is an inlet of the Bohol Sea. It was founded in 1750 by Recollect missionaries of the order of Friars Minor. Located in an area that produces coffee and coconut, Gingoog is also an important logging

Esquire: …magazine, founded in 1933 by Arnold Gingrich. It began production as an oversized magazine for men that featured a slick, sophisticated style and drawings of scantily clad young women. It later abandoned its titillating role but continued to cultivate the image of affluence and refined taste.

Newt Gingrich is an American politician, who served as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–98); he was the first Republican to hold the office in 40 years. He later sought the party’s nomination for president in 2012. His parents divorced, and he later took the surname of his

Newt Gingrich is an American politician, who served as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–98); he was the first Republican to hold the office in 40 years. He later sought the party’s nomination for president in 2012. His parents divorced, and he later took the surname of his

income inequality: U.S. income inequality: With a Gini coefficient of more than 41 in 2013, the United States ranked 63rd in income inequality. (The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality that ranges between 0, indicating perfect equality, and 100, indicating complete inequality.)

Corrado Gini was an Italian statistician and demographer. Gini was educated at Bologna, where he studied law, mathematics, economics, and biology. He was a statistics professor at Cagliari in 1909 and at Padua in 1913. After founding the statistical journal Metron (1920), Gini became a professor at

Ashikaga Yoshimasa: …retirement he built the famous Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji) in the Higashiyama, or Eastern Hills, area of Kyōto. There he practiced the Japanese tea ceremony, which he developed into a fine art, and sponsored many noted artists, potters, and nō (classical dance-drama) performers. Today the Higashiyama period, as this cultural era…

Godard van Reede, 1st earl of Athlone was a Dutch soldier in English service who completed the conquest of Ireland for King William III of England (William of Orange, stadtholder of the United Provinces) against the forces of the deposed king James II after the Glorious Revolution (1688–89). Van

ginkgo, (Ginkgo biloba), deciduous gymnosperm tree (family Ginkgoaceae), native to China. Ginkgo has been planted since ancient times in Chinese and Japanese temple gardens and is now valued in many parts of the world as a fungus- and insect-resistant ornamental tree. It tolerates cold weather and,

ginkgo, (Ginkgo biloba), deciduous gymnosperm tree (family Ginkgoaceae), native to China. Ginkgo has been planted since ancient times in Chinese and Japanese temple gardens and is now valued in many parts of the world as a fungus- and insect-resistant ornamental tree. It tolerates cold weather and,

Ellensburg: Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park (with numerous species of agatized wood and, at 7,469 acres [3,023 hectares], one of the world’s largest petrified forests) is 28 miles (45 km) east. Inc. town, 1883; city, 1886. Pop. (2000) 15,414; (2010) 18,174.

ginkgophyte: Classification: …order, Ginkgoales; a single family, Ginkgoaceae; a single extant genus, Ginkgo; 2 extinct genera, Ginkgoites and Baiera. Assorted Referencesannotated classification

ginkgophyte: Classification: …rancid butter; a single order, Ginkgoales; a single family, Ginkgoaceae; a single extant genus, Ginkgo; 2 extinct genera, Ginkgoites and Baiera. Assorted Referencesannotated

Elias James Corey: Other achievements: …the synthesis in 1988 of ginkgolide B, a substance found in trace amounts in the roots of the ginkgo tree that is responsible for the medicinal effects of a Chinese folk medicine employing ginkgo extract.

ginkgophyte, any member of the division Ginkgophyta, a group of gymnospermous plants of particular interest to paleobotanists. Two of the three genera of ginkgophytes, Ginkgoites and Baiera, are extinct. The third genus, Ginkgo, has only one member, Ginkgo biloba, commonly called the ginkgo tree.

ginkgophyte, any member of the division Ginkgophyta, a group of gymnospermous plants of particular interest to paleobotanists. Two of the three genera of ginkgophytes, Ginkgoites and Baiera, are extinct. The third genus, Ginkgo, has only one member, Ginkgo biloba, commonly called the ginkgo tree.

Black Flag: The original members were guitarist Greg Ginn (b. June 8, 1954, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.), bassist Chuck Dukowski (b. February 1, 1954), lead singer Keith Morris (b. September 18, 1955, Los Angeles, California), and drummer Brian Migdol. Later members included Henry Rollins (original name Henry Garfield; b. February 13, 1961, Washington,…

maple: campestre) and Amur, or ginnala, maple (A. ginnala) are useful in screens or hedges; both have spectacular foliage in fall, the former yellow and the latter pink to scarlet. The Japanese maple (A. palmatum), developed over centuries of breeding, provides numerous attractive cultivated varieties with varying leaf…

Joseph Gikatilla: …26-year-old Gikatilla wrote his seminal Ginnat eʾgoz (“Nut Orchard”), taking his title from the Song of Solomon 6:11. In Gikatilla’s lexicon, the nut is an emblem of mysticism itself, while Ginnat employs the initial letters of three different names for methods of esoteric exegesis. Gikatilla’s book greatly influenced his contemporary…

Fannie Mae: …Mortgage Association, better known as Ginnie Mae. To attract new investors to the secondary mortgage market, in 1981 Fannie Mae began selling mortgage-backed securities (securities collateralized by cash flows from pools of mortgage loans) with a guarantee of timely payment of principal and interest, whether or not the original borrowers…

Ginnungagap, in Norse and Germanic mythology, the void in which the world was created. The story is told, with much variation, in three poems of the Elder Edda, and a synthesis of these is given by Snorri Sturluson in his Prose

Gregg Popovich: San Antonio Spurs: …Parker and Argentine shooting guard Manu Ginobili, who, along with Duncan, were the linchpins for the Spurs as they beat the Detroit Pistons 4–3 to win the NBA championship in 2005 and swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0 in the best-of-seven series championship in 2007.

Doccia porcelain: …the highly successful directorship of Lorenzo Ginori (1757–91). Doccia figures (some of which are very large) include Meissen-like figurines and Oriental figures, peasant and rustic groups, and versions of Baroque sculpture in both single figures and groups. Virtually the only Italian porcelain factory to prosper in the 19th century, Doccia…

Doccia porcelain: …factory near Florence founded by Marchese Carlo Ginori in 1735; until 1896 the enterprise operated under the name Doccia, since then under the name Richard-Ginori. After an initial experimental period, during which he imported Chinese porcelain samples, Ginori engaged two Viennese painters, J.C.W. Anreiter and his son Anton, with Gaspare…

Allen Ginsberg was an American poet whose epic poem Howl (1956) is considered to be one of the most significant products of the Beat movement. Ginsberg grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, where his father, Louis Ginsberg, himself a poet, taught English. Allen Ginsberg’s mother, whom he mourned in his

Aḥad Haʿam was a Zionist leader whose concepts of Hebrew culture had a definitive influence on the objectives of the early Jewish settlement in Palestine. Reared in Russia in a rigidly Orthodox Jewish family, he mastered rabbinic literature but soon was attracted to the rationalist school of

Allen Ginsberg was an American poet whose epic poem Howl (1956) is considered to be one of the most significant products of the Beat movement. Ginsberg grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, where his father, Louis Ginsberg, himself a poet, taught English. Allen Ginsberg’s mother, whom he mourned in his

magnetic recording: In 1956 Charles P. Ginsburg and Ray Dolby of Ampex Corporation, a U.S. electronics firm, developed the first practical videotape recorder. Their machine revolutionized television broadcasting; recorded shows virtually replaced live telecasts with a few exceptions, such as coverage of sports events. Almost all programs are videotaped…

Christian David Ginsburg was a Hebrew and biblical scholar who was the foremost authority in England on the Masorah (authoritative Jewish tradition concerning the correct text of the Hebrew Bible). Ginsburg, who was born a Jew, immigrated to England not long after his conversion to Christianity in

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 to 2020. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Joan Ruth Bader was the younger of the two children of Nathan Bader, a merchant, and Celia Bader. Her elder sister, Marilyn, died of

ginseng, (genus Panax), genus of 12 species of medicinal herbs of the family Araliaceae. The root of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), native to Manchuria and Korea, has long been used as a drug and is made into a stimulating tea in China, Korea, and Japan. American ginseng (P. quinquefolius), native

Araliaceae, the ginseng family of flowering plants, in the order Apiales, comprising approximately 700 species centred in Southeast Asia and tropical America. Most members are shrubs or trees, though there are a number of climbers and a few herbs. The family has large, usually alternate, compound

Itsekiri: Myths of origin establish that Ginuwa, the Itsekiri founder and first olu (king), was originally a prince of Benin, so that subsequent kings are descendants of the oba of Benin. Lesser chiefs once met as a council and advised the olu. Chieftaincy is being redefined in conformity with modern government,…

Ginza, commercial zone, Chuo ward, Tokyo, the main shopping area of the city. The name comes from the words gin meaning “silver” and za meaning “guild”; in 1612 the Japanese government transferred its silver mint to this area. It is the most glamorous shopping district in Tokyo and one of the

Aḥad Haʿam was a Zionist leader whose concepts of Hebrew culture had a definitive influence on the objectives of the early Jewish settlement in Palestine. Reared in Russia in a rigidly Orthodox Jewish family, he mastered rabbinic literature but soon was attracted to the rationalist school of

Louis Ginzberg was a Lithuanian-born American Judaic scholar. Ginzberg studied the Talmud at several rabbinical schools, as well as philosophy, history, and Oriental languages at three universities, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in 1898. He moved to the United States in

Hebrew literature: Romanticism: … in the Ukraine and with Mordecai Aaron Ginzberg (Günzburg), in Lithuania. In the 1820s an orthodox reaction set in, coinciding with the rise of a Romanticist Hebrew school of writers. A.D. Lebensohn wrote fervent love songs to the Hebrew language, and his son Micah Judah, the most gifted poet of…

Natalia Ginzburg: …Italian literary figure and patriot Leone Ginzburg, who operated a publishing house for a time, was arrested for antifascist activities, and died in prison in 1944. (She later remarried.) Her literary career began with the publication of short stories in the Florentine periodical Solaria. Her first novella, La strada che…

Natalia Ginzburg was an Italian author who dealt unsentimentally with family relationships in her writings. Ginzburg was the widow of the Italian literary figure and patriot Leone Ginzburg, who operated a publishing house for a time, was arrested for antifascist activities, and died in prison in

Vitaly Ginzburg was a Russian physicist and astrophysicist, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2003 for his pioneering work on superconductivity. He shared the award with Alexey A. Abrikosov of Russia and Anthony J. Leggett of Great Britain. Ginzburg was also noted for his work on theories of

Vitaly Ginzburg was a Russian physicist and astrophysicist, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2003 for his pioneering work on superconductivity. He shared the award with Alexey A. Abrikosov of Russia and Anthony J. Leggett of Great Britain. Ginzburg was also noted for his work on theories of

superconductivity: Structures and properties: …the distance is called the superconducting coherence length (or Ginzburg-Landau coherence length), ξ. If a material has a superconducting region and a normal region, many of the superconducting properties disappear gradually—over a distance ξ—upon traveling from the former to the latter region. In the pure (i.e., undoped) classic superconductors ξ…

Dan, an ethnolinguistic grouping of people inhabiting the mountainous west-central Côte d’Ivoire and adjacent areas of Liberia. The Dan belong to the Southern branch of the Mande linguistic subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family. They originated somewhere to the west or northwest of their

Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher, politician, and premier of Sardinia-Piedmont (1848–49), whose writings helped bring about the unification of the Italian states. Gioberti was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1825 and soon became famous as a professor of theology at the University of

Mona Lisa, oil painting on a poplar wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, probably the world’s most famous painting. It was painted sometime between 1503 and 1519, when Leonardo was living in Florence, and it now hangs in the Louvre Museum, Paris, where it remained an object of pilgrimage in the 21st

Gabriele D’Annunzio: …for her, notably the tragedies La Gioconda (performed 1899) and Francesca da Rimini (performed 1901). He eventually broke off the relationship and exposed their intimacy in the erotic novel Il fuoco (1900; The Flame of Life). D’Annunzio’s greatest play was La figlia di Iorio (performed 1904; The Daughter of Jorio),…

Dance of the Hours: >La gioconda that is often performed as a stand-alone orchestral work. In its original context—as a balletic interlude to entertain a party—it (and the entire opera) premiered in Milan on April 8, 1876. The popularity of the dance scene greatly exceeded that of the entire…

Fra Giovanni Giocondo was an Italian humanist, architect, and engineer, whose designs and written works signal the transition in architectural modes from early to high Renaissance. A learned Franciscan, Fra Giocondo is said to have received an extensive humanistic education. He made an important

education: Emergence of the new gymnasium: This last school, known as La Giocosa (literally, “The Jocose, or Joyful”), soon became famous. At La Giocosa only those who had both talent and a modest disposition were accepted; wealth was neither necessary nor sufficient to gain admission. In fact, the school was one of the few efforts made…

Italian literature: Comic verse: Poesia giocoso (realistic, or comic, verse) was a complete contrast to serious love poetry. The language was often deliberately unrefined, colloquial, and sometimes scurrilous, in keeping with the themes dealt with in the poetry. This kind of verse belongs to an ongoing European…

Stelvio Pass, Alpine pass (9,042 feet [2,756 m]) at the northwest base of the Ortles mountain range in northern Italy near the Swiss border. One of the highest road passes in Europe, it connects the Venosta valley of the upper Adige River to the northeast with the Tellina valley of the upper Adda