Tour of Italy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Naples

First it must be said that people have been eating toppings on flat breads for centuries all over the world. There are some sources that claim that a similar type of food was present in Naples in the late 1700s, although it was not called Pizza Margherita.

There are other sources that claim that pizza as we know it today, however, was invented in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito in anticipation of the visit of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita to Naples. Esposito used tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil to create a food that would represent the flag of Italy. Today Pizza Margherita is still a popular food in Naples. So which story is true? Does it matter? Either way Naples still is considered to be the birthplace of pizza.

Answer: Sandals

Jackie Kennedy may not have been the first to wear Capri sandals - Grace Kelly and Princess Margaret also wore them - but she certainly popularized them. She was already the First Lady of the United States when she made arrangements to visit Amedeo Canfora's store at midnight to privately have her foot measured and drawn for a custom fit.

A specially designed sandal which featured interlocking rings, called the "K", was made for her.

Answer: Senate

The exact date that the inscription "SPQR" began to be used is unknown; it was used, however, on inscriptions in Rome by 80 BC during the later years of the Roman Republic (509-27 BC). Meaning "The Senate and People of Rome", the inscription was also evident during the Empire Period (27 BC-476 AD). Even though the emperor's power was absolute, it was still believed that his authority came from the people.

The letters were used by Mussolini to advance his regime and they are a municipal symbol of the city of Rome today.

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci

Formed in 1947, the International Civil Aviation Organization has established a four letter code to identify airports around the world. Also called Leonardo da Vinci airport, LIRF has been in use since 1960. It was originally built to improve Rome's air services during the Summer Olympic Games in 1960.

While the smaller Ciampino Airport is still in service, LIRF is considered to be Rome's main international airport. In addition, it has more amenities, such as duty-free designer shops, while Ciampino is considered to be more for people who just want to travel. And why is Fiumicino International Airport named for Leonardo da Vinci? Remember - he is believed to have been the first to draw a flying machine with wings, way back in 1480.

Answer: Sicily

Located south of Italy at the toe of the boot, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and an autonomous region of Italy. Throughout history it has been an area desired by many different peoples, including Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans.

In 1860, during the wars of Italian unification, the island was taken from the French and became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1871. Its unique history has made the island's population culturally diverse; as with the rest of Italy, however, Italian is the main language spoken and Roman Catholic is the predominant religion.

Answer: Renaissance

The Renaissance, which began in Italy in the 1300s, was a rebirth of the learning of the ancient Greeks and Romans that had largely been forgotten after the fall of the Roman Empire in the west in 476 AD. Italian merchants had started trading with the Byzantine Empire, the Roman Empire in the east, where the learning of the ancient peoples was still being actively studied, used, and discussed.

They began to bring back manuscripts and ideas to Italy, which sparked an interest among scholars and artists alike. During the Renaissance an emphasis was placed on the worth of the individual, and while religion was still obviously important, it was not the only source of inspiration as it had been during the Middle Ages.

Answer: Enrico Caruso

Altogether Caruso logged in 863 (some sources say 607) performances at the Metropolitan Opera alone. He lived in an era where the technological advancements being made allowed him to become a global celebrity. While some artists of the time refused to use the recording that could be played on the phonograph due to the low quality of the first discs, he made 260 records that could be distributed worldwide.

He also participated in radio broadcast, and of course, made extensive tours in Europe and the United States.

There is a restaurant dedicated to him in Sorrento, Italy, called "Ristorante Museo Caruso". It is very interesting to look at all of the pictures of his different characters and also see the caricatures that he drew of other famous people from his life and times.

Answer: Giro d'Italia

Considered to be one of the Grand Tour cycling races, the Giro is typically held in late May or early June. It basically features the same format each year, but with a different route that usually includes cycling through the Alps at some point. The race lasts for 23 days; there are 21 racing days and 2 rest days. The Giro has been held continuously since 1909 with the exception of the periods of the two World Wars.

Answer: School of Athens

The "School of Athens" (1509-1511) famously depicts many of the scholars from antiquity who influenced Renaissance thinking. For example, it is believed that one can find the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle in the picture. The mathematician Pythagoras is also there, along with Euclid, the Father of Geometry, and the multi-talented Archimedes; there are more than twenty figures depicted in the fresco. How did Raphael know what these people looked like? He didn't! It is believed that he used the likenesses of famous people from his day to depict the ancients.

For example, it has long been believed that Leonardo's image was used for Plato and the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus is the image of Michelangelo. It is believed that Raphael used his own image for Apelles, the ancient Greek painter.

Answer: Poet

Although he is perhaps best known as the founder of many Franciscan Orders, such as the Poor Clares and Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance, St. Francis is also loved as the patron saint of animals and ecology. In addition, he is considered to be Italy's first poet! He composed the "Laudes Creaturarum", or "Canticle of the Sun" (c. 1224), which is a religious hymn that praises God and thanks him for his creations. It is also believed to be one of the earliest - if not the earliest - works written in the Italian language.