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Basile, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Basile, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä bäsēˈlā [key], 1575–1632, Italian writer. Basile held several important official positions, devoting his spare time to the study of folklore...

Casa, Giovanni della

(Encyclopedia)Casa, Giovanni della jōvänˈnē dĕlˈlä käˈzä [key], 1503–56, Italian cleric and poet. He was archbishop of Benevento and papal nuncio to Venice. He wrote lyric verse, a life of Bembo, and a ...

Borelli, Giovanni Alfonso

(Encyclopedia)Borelli, Giovanni Alfonso jōvänˈnē älfônˈsō bôrĕlˈlē [key], 1608–79, Italian physiologist, physicist, astronomer, and mathematician; son of a Spanish infantryman. His wide interests led ...

Boccaccio, Giovanni

(Encyclopedia)Boccaccio, Giovanni jōvänˈnē [key], 1313–75, Italian poet and storyteller, author of the Decameron. Born in Paris, the illegitimate son of a Tuscan merchant and a French woman, he was educated a...

Martinelli, Giovanni

(Encyclopedia)Martinelli, Giovanni jōvänˈnē märtēnĕlˈlē [key], 1885–1969, Italian-American operatic tenor. He made his debut in Milan in 1910 and sang (1913–46) at the Metropolitan Opera. His repertoir...

Berchet, Giovanni

(Encyclopedia)Berchet, Giovanni jōvänˈnē bĕrkĕtˈ [key], 1783–1851, Italian patriot and poet. He conspired to free Lombardy from Austria and was exiled. He wrote stirring patriotic ballads of a romantic typ...

Boldini, Giovanni

(Encyclopedia)Boldini, Giovanni jōvänˈnē bōldēˈnē [key], 1842–1931, Italian portrait painter. Having worked in Florence and London, he reached his peak of creativity and success in Paris, painting romanti...

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