Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

410 results found

Gemistus Pletho, Georgius

(Encyclopedia)Gemistus Pletho, Georgius jôrˈjəs jĭmĭsˈtəs plēˈthō [key], c.1355–1452, Byzantine scholar and philosopher, b. Constantinople. He represented the Orthodox Eastern Church at the Council of F...

Bella, Stefano della

(Encyclopedia)Bella, Stefano della stāfäˈnō dĕlˈlä bĕlˈlä [key], 1610–64, Italian engraver, b. Florence. First copying the manner of Jacques Callot, his style changed somewhat when he traveled to Rome, ...

Pucci, Emilio

(Encyclopedia)Pucci, Emilio (Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento) po͞oˈchē [key], 1914–92, Italian fashion designer. After establishing showrooms in Florence, Capri, and Rome, he began his signature look with el...

Ball, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Ball, Thomas, 1819–1911, American sculptor, b. Charlestown, Mass.; son of a house and sign painter. Thomas Ball was also a singer of reputation, the first in the United States to sing the title role...

Fliedner, Theodor

(Encyclopedia)Fliedner, Theodor tāˈōdôr flētˈnər [key], 1800–1864, German Protestant minister and philanthropist. In 1826 he organized the first prison society of Germany. Ten years later at Kaiserswerth h...

Amici, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Amici, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä ämēˈchē [key], 1786–1863, Italian astronomer, mathematician, and naturalist. He became director of the observatory and professor of astronomy...

Donati, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Donati, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä dōnäˈtē [key], 1826–73, Italian astronomer, b. Pisa. Serving as director of the Florence Observatory from 1864, he was a pioneer in the spec...

Italian language

(Encyclopedia)CEE Italian language, member of the Romance group of the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Romance languages). The official language of Italy and San Marino, and one of...

Nanni d'Antonio di Banco

(Encyclopedia)Nanni d'Antonio di Banco nänˈnē däntônˈyō dē bängˈkō [key], c.1384–1421, Florentine sculptor. After study with his father, Antonio di Banco, who worked on the cathedral of Florence, Nanni...

Giottino

(Encyclopedia)Giottino jōt-tēˈnō [key], early Florentine painter of the school of Giotto. He is supposed to have lived in the first half of the 14th cent. and has been variously identified as Giotto di Stefano,...