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Harington, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Harington, Sir John, 1560?–1612, English author. He spent most of his career at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, where he became known for his indelicate humor. His Rabelaisian Metamorphosis of Ajax ...

Pulci, Luigi

(Encyclopedia)Pulci, Luigi lwēˈjē po͞olˈchē [key], 1432–84, Italian poet. Of an impoverished literary family, he became a protégé of Lorenzo de' Medici and a friend of Poliziano. The most noted work of hi...

Berni, Francesco

(Encyclopedia)Berni, Francesco fränchāsˈkō bĕrˈnē [key], 1497?–1535, Italian humorous poet, a priest. He was noted for his burlesque capitoli, light, often ribald verses in terza rima. He revised Boiardo's...

rodeo

(Encyclopedia)rodeo rōˈdēō, rōdāˈō [key], public exhibition of the skill of cowboys in various activities. Events include riding broncos, riding steers, “bulldogging” steers, roping and tying steers and...

Donizetti, Gaetano

(Encyclopedia)Donizetti, Gaetano gītäˈnō dōnēdzĕtˈtē [key], 1797–1848, Italian composer. He studied music in Bergamo and Bologna and achieved success with his first opera, Enrico di Borgogna (1818). His ...

Verrocchio, Andrea del

(Encyclopedia)Verrocchio, Andrea del ändrĕˈä dĕl vār-rôkˈkyō [key], 1435–88, Florentine sculptor and painter, whose real name was Andrea di Michele di Francesco di Cioni. He was a leading figure in the e...

Velasco Ibarra, José María

(Encyclopedia)Velasco Ibarra, José María hōsāˈ märēˈä vāläsˈkō ēbäˈrä [key], 1893–1979, president of Ecuador (1934–35, 1944–47, 1952–56, 1960–61, 1968–72). A noted orator, he was twice ...

Beane, Billy

(Encyclopedia)Beane, Billy (William Lamar Beane 3d), 1962–, American baseball player and general manager, b. Orlando, Fla. An outfielder with a lifetime average of .219, he had a short, unimpressive career with t...

Monteverdi, Claudio

(Encyclopedia)Monteverdi, Claudio klouˈdyō mōntāvĕrˈdē [key], 1567–1643, Italian composer; first great figure in the history of opera. His earliest published works, a set of three motifs, appeared when he ...

Garda, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Garda, Lake gärˈdä [key], Ital. Lago di Garda or Benaco, largest lake of Italy, 143 sq mi (370 sq km), between Lombardy and Venetia, N Italy. It is c.32 mi (52 km) long, with a maximum width of c.1...