An Italian Medley Trivia Quiz

Answer: They are cone shaped

Arancini are thought to date back to the 10th Century in Sicily when it was the Emirate of Sicily. The Arabic influence draws comparison of arancini with the Levantine kibbeh.

Commonly stuffed with al ragu (slow cooked meat) or al sugo (tomato sauce); mozzarella or Caciocavello cheeses make a good addition. Peas and ham are also tasty alternatives. Arancini are incredibly versatile and can be made with many different variations to ring the changes.

The arancini in eastern Sicily are cone shaped in honour of Mount Etna. The name arancini is derived from 'aranciu' meaning 'orange' due to the rounded shape and colour of the fried breadcrumb giving a marked resemblance to the fruit.
There is much discussion and debate about the appropriate gendering of the snack. The masculine 'arancino' is preferred in eastern Sicily, whist the feminine 'arancina' is considered correct in the Palermo area. Don't get in between Italians and their passion for food.

Red Crew's smpdit enjoys how food can be a large part of a culture.

Answer: Latium

Italy is home to mainland Europe's only active volcanoes, Mount Vesuvius (Campania) and Mount Etna (Sicily), which have also been included in the list of 16 "Decade Volcanoes", strictly monitored because of their proximity to densely inhabited centres. These two regions also contain other smaller active or dormant volcanoes and volcanic complexes - such as Stromboli and Vulcano off the coast of Sicily, and the Phlegraean Fields to the west of Naples. However, other Italian regions host volcanic centres that are known to have been active in historic times. Of all these regions, Latium (Lazio), the central Italian region where Rome, Italy's capital, is located, probably boasts the highest number of these dormant or extinct volcanoes.

Lazio's most remarkable volcanic complex, the Alban Hills (Colli Albani), located southwest of Rome, and renowned for their wine production, are believed to have last erupted in 34,000 BC. However, scientists have observed signs of unrest (such as increased seismic activity) in these beautiful, densely wooded hills. The most recent eruptions in the Colli Albani produced two striking crater lakes, Lake Albano and the smaller, almost perfectly circular Lake Nemi.
The other major volcanic complex of the region, the Monti Sabatini, lies northwest of Rome, and includes two lakes, Lake Bracciano, which occupies a caldera, and Lake Martignano, a small crater lake. Monti Sabatini's most recent eruption is estimated to have occurred about 60,000 years ago, and - though at present completely quiescent - the complex is not yet considered to be extinct.

North of Monti Sabatini lies another, probably extinct volcanic system, the Monti Cimini, with Lake Vico occupying the central caldera of one of the two main volcanoes. The Monti della Tolfa, which lie west of the Sabatini and Cimini, parallel to the Tyrrhenian coast, are instead considered extinct, as are the Monti Volsini, also in northwestern Latium, surrounding Lake Bolsena, Europe's largest volcanic lake.

While the three Italian regions listed as wrong answers contain hills and mountains of volcanic origin, no activity has occurred there for millions of years.

LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew wrote this question about some beautiful and beloved places.

Answer: Bugatti

Fiat is the largest car manufacturer in Italy and is one of the oldest car manufacturing companies. It produces a range of models, and the Fiat 500 is the archetype. A small sedan with a 29hp 476cc rear-mounted motor, it was produced between 1957-75. A retro model (larger) was released in 2006 with styling made to resemble the original.

Alfa Romeo, founded 1910, produces luxury and performance cars, most of which are affordable. One such is the GTVm.

Maserati, with its trident logo, have been making cars in Bologna, Italy since 1914. Known for their elegant design, Maserati make luxury cars to compete with Mercedes and BMW.

Bugatti was first a German and then a French high-performance automobile manufacturer, since 1909. The company was founded by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti. These cars were known for their beautiful design features and for their numerous race victories. An example is the Type 35 Grand Prix. Mr. Bugatti died in 1947, and the company folded soon after. Just over 8000 Bugattis were made. The company had a brief renaissance in Italy between 1987-1995 producing the Bugatti EB110 GT. Volkswagen bought the company in 1998. It started production of the Bugatti Veyron supercar in 2006.

This question was driven into the quiz by 1nn1 of Phoenix Rising.

Answer: Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena

Pope Pius XII named St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena as the patron saints of Italy in 1939. St. Francis is one of the most well-known of the saints. He founded the Franciscan order and the Poor Clares, and adopted a vow of poverty. He was named the patron saint of ecology by Pope John Paul II in 1979, in recognition of his devotion to the natural world. Francis saw nature as a reflection of God, and called all creatures his "brothers" and "sisters". One famous story tells of a time he preached to a wolf to ask him to stop attacking people and livestock from the town of Gubbio, and persuaded the people to feed the wolf. He was canonized shortly after his death, in 1228, by Pope Gregory IX.

St. Catherine was a Dominican, who was active during the time of the Great Schism of the West when competing popes reigned in Avignon and Rome. She wrote extensively, and was entrusted with many tasks by the Pope. Born into a large family, she was reported to have her first vision of Christ at age five or six. Catherine sought union with Christ through fasting and ascetic living. She was canonized in 1461 by Pope Pius II, who was also from Siena.

Player pusdoc has visited Siena, but hasn't been to Assisi.

Answer: December 7th

December 7th is Milan's patron saint's feast day. Saint Ambrose was a theologian, statesman, and a bishop. He had many writings, including musical hymns, commentaries, and sermons. La Scala, or Teatro alla Scala, opens on December 7 every year. That day's performances must conclude before midnight.
The opera house had its first performance in August 1778. It was built after a fire destroyed Teatro Regio Ducale. The patrons of the theatre purchased boxes to fund the rebuild. The opera house also had a casino during those early years.

There is a gallery above the boxes for the less wealthy to attend. Patrons in the gallery are called loggionisti. They are considered highly animated regarding the performances, delivering boos for the poor performances and giving accolades for the worthy ones.

La Scala includes a chorus, a ballet, a theater orchestra and a philharmonic orchestra. It also has La Scala Theatre Academy, which is a school for various training of the arts.

Jaknginger of PR's Red Crew added this question into the team quiz.

Answer: Hypocaust

Hypocaust was a way to heat a room from under the floor. In Roman times, the concrete floor was built off the ground with approximately two feet of space under it. The floor was supported by pillars. Fires would supply the heat that would heat the floors. Spaces were left in the walls also, so hot air could rise through the spaces and under the floor and provide warmth. Typically, a flue system was used to lead the hot air and smoke out of the building into the open air. Romans used this type of heat in their baths but also used it in private homes in the northern areas.

Roman use dates to 350 BC. Archaeological evidence shows a similar use of hypocaust systems in Russia and Korea, but the Romans are credited with perfecting the system. As wealthier Romans traveled, archaeology shows remnants of the hypocausts they left behind in Europe.

'Hypo-' means 'under' and 'caust' means burnt according to Ancient Greek. When someone says, 'heat always rises', this is the concept.

Jaknginger is thankful for the invention of central air and heat.

Answer: Venice

The word 'ghetto' has come to mean an area of a city which is crowded and impoverished, inhabited by a minority group. The Venice ghetto is now over 500 years old; Jews were required to live only in that part of Venice and the gates were locked at night and sentries prevented escape. This was in some ways an improvement - prior to the establishment of the ghetto, Jews were not allowed to reside in Venice. They also had to wear identifying insignia such as a yellow badge. As the area could not expand, building started rising upwards to accommodate more people - the first tenements.

The word 'ghetto' may arise from the Italian word for foundry, as there was a copper foundry in the area before the arrival of the Jews. As living in Venice has become very expensive and tourists have nearly taken over the city, very few Jewish families live in the ghetto currently - newer arrivals, many of whom are Lubavitchers from Brooklyn, run some of the businesses in the area.

There are five synagogues in the quarter, with some of them included on tours hosted by the Museo Ebraico di Venezia. The oldest is the Great German Schola, built in 1528. The Jews of Venice came from all over Europe, and maintained many of the traditions from their homelands rather than melding into a new community.

Phoenix Rising's player pusdoc toured the Venice ghetto and has vivid memories of its austere beauty.

Answer: Brown bear

Originally named Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo National Park), the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park is located in central-eastern Italy. It was established on 11 January 1923, just a month after the very first Italian national park, the Gran Paradiso National Park in northwestern Italy. With an area of 496.80 km2 (191.82 sq mi), the park encompasses a number of mountain ranges that are part of the larger Apennines range, the backbone of the Italian peninsula.

Abruzzo National Park is noted for its abundant flora and fauna, which include a number of endemic species. Indeed, the presence of some large mammal species that have disappeared or become rare elsewhere in Italy was the main reason for the park's establishment. Among these mammals, the Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) - named after the historic region of Marsica, partly located in the park's territory - has acquired such iconic status that it has become the symbol of the park itself. This small, isolated bear population (probably no more than 50-70 individuals) is considered by some experts a separate subspecies of Ursus arctos arctos, the Eurasian brown bear.

As a whole, Marsican brown bears are smaller and leaner than other brown bear subspecies, and adapted to a more temperate climate: for instance, they do not hibernate as fully as those that live in colder regions of the world. In recent years, several international conservation projects have been implemented to allow this unique brown bear population to survive.

The Abruzzo National Park is also home to the Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus) and the endemic Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata), while the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is likely to have gone extinct. The Alpine ibex, as its name implies, is found in the Alps, and the European bison, or wisent, in Eastern Europe; the red wolf, on the other hand, is native to North America.

LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew wrote this question, wishing health and long life to the hardy bears of Abruzzo.

Answer: Blue ribbon

The Peroni brewery dates back to 1846 in Vigevano, Italy. Business improved sufficiently to justify moving the company to Rome in 1864 where it became one of the most well known breweries in the country. As well as the original Peroni beer, the brewery produces several other beers.

Nastro Azzurro, named in honour of the Blue Riband won by the SS Rex in 1993 - the Blue Riband is awarded to vessels crossing the Atlantic Ocean at greater than average speeds- is probably the best known. In addition, there are different pale lagers varying in strength; Crystall, (5.6%abv), Peroncino, (5%abv) and Peroni Leggera (3.5%abv). Peroni Gran Riserva is, at 6.6%abv, classified as a strong lager.

Red Crew's smpdit could be happy sitting somewhere in Italy with a cold brew.

Answer: Florence

Renaissance art, meaning 'rebirth', was the art of a period 1350 to 1620AD which centred in Italy within this time frame, which brought about enormous social change. Philosophy, learning, and advanced mathematics became prevalent, and movable type printing came into being, allowing greater access to books and new ideas. Money poured into Florence due to the Medici bank, and it became an artistic, cultural, political, and financial centre exerting great influence.

Four of the most famous renaissance artists are named here- there are lots more - and their art is displayed in museums and churches within the city of Florence (known in Italy as Firenze).

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) was a sculptor, painter, and architect. One of his most famous works, "David", a marble statue of the biblical figure, was positioned in the Palazzo Veccio, but was moved to Galleria Dell'Accademia to preserve it from weather damage.

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483- 1520) simplified to Raphael, was a painter and architect. Much of his work is found in the Vatican Palace, but "Madonna of the Goldfinch" can be found in the Uffizi.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452-1519) was a polymath; known primarily as a painter, he also excelled as a draughtsman, engineer and scientist, his notebooks are full of the epitome of Renaissance thinking. 'The Adoration of the Magi', an unfinished work, can be found in the Uffizi.

Donatello - born in Florence as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi (1386-1466) was a sculptor. He created two statues of David, one in marble and one in bronze, with David, standing over the head of Goliath. Both can be seen in the Bargello Museum.

Red Crew's smpdit shamelessly channelled the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles when making her choice from among the myriad Renaissance artists.