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Desiderio da Settignano

(Encyclopedia)Desiderio da Settignano dāzēdĕˈrēō dä sĕtˌtēnyäˈnō [key], c.1429–64, Florentine sculptor, a follower of Donatello. His exquisitely delicate marble carving is best seen in his church dec...

Da Ponte, Lorenzo

(Encyclopedia)Da Ponte, Lorenzo lōrĕntˈsō dä pônˈtā [key], 1749–1838, Italian librettist and teacher, b. Ceneda as Emmanuele Conegliano. Born Jewish, he converted to Catholicism at 14, became (1773) a pri...

Costa, Isaäc da

(Encyclopedia)Costa, Isaäc da ēˈsä-äk dä kôˈstä [key], 1798–1860, Dutch poet and historian, b. Amsterdam, of an aristocratic Sephardic Jewish family. Deeply influenced by Bilderdijk, he entered (1822) th...

Cunha, Euclides da

(Encyclopedia)Cunha, Euclides da āˌo͝oklēˈdĭsh dä ko͞oˈnyə [key], 1866–1909, Brazilian writer. After his military service, Cunha became a civil engineer and a journalist. He wrote several historical wor...

Cunha, Tristão da

(Encyclopedia)Cunha, Tristão da dä ko͞oˈnyə [key], c.1460–1514?, Portuguese navigator. His most important voyage was undertaken in 1506, when he set out with 15 ships for India. He discovered three volcanic...

Cino da Pistoia

(Encyclopedia)Cino da Pistoia chēˈnō dä pēstôˈyä [key], 1270–1337?, Italian jurist and poet, whose full name was Guittoncino dei Sinibaldi, or Sighibuldi. A friend of Dante and Petrarch, he wrote treatise...

Estrela, Serra da

(Encyclopedia)Estrela, Serra da sĕrˈrə ᵺə əshtrāˈlə [key], mountain range, central Portugal. It rises to 6,532 ft (1,991 m) in Malhão da Estrela, Portugal's highest peak. The range is an important pastor...

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