Italy

Explore 329 quotes by people from Italy

Here one must leave behind all hesitation;
here every cowardice must meet its death.

Dante Alighieri

Inferno

Buy Inferno at Amazon Buy Inferno at Amazon
Read the Divine Comedy at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Courage Taking risks

Author

Dante Alighieri

Source

Inferno The Divine Comedy

Medium

Poem

Genre

Narrative poem Epic poem Religious literature

Language

Italian

Time

1321 1320s 14th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Alighieri, Dante. "Inferno [Hell]." La Comedia di Dante Alleghieri [The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri]. Foligno: Johann Numeister and Evangelista Angelini da Trevi, 1472.

Current Citation

Alighieri, Dante. "Inferno." The Divine Comedy, edited by David H. Higgins, translated by C. H. Sisson. Oxford University Press, 2008.

With the color that paints the morning and evening clouds that face the sun I saw then the whole heaven suffused.

Dante Alighieri

Paradiso

Buy Paradiso at Amazon Buy Paradiso at Amazon
Read the Divine Comedy at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Color Sunrise Sunset

Author

Dante Alighieri

Source

Paradiso The Divine Comedy

Medium

Poem

Genre

Narrative poem Epic poem Religious literature

Statement Type

Vision

Language

Latin

Time

1321 1320s 14th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Alighieri, Dante. "Paradiso [Paradise]." La Comedia di Dante Alleghieri [The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri]. Foligno: Johann Numeister and Evangelista Angelini da Trevi, 1472.

Current Citation

Alighieri, Dante. "Paradiso." The Divine Comedy, edited by David H. Higgins, translated by C. H. Sisson. Oxford University Press, 2008.

I've finished that chapel I was painting. The Pope is quite satisfied.

Michelangelo

More information about this quote

Topic

Art

Author

Michelangelo

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Understatement

Language

Italian

Time

1512 1510s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Michelangelo. Letter to his father. Oct. 1512.

The reputation which the world bestows
is like the wind, that shifts now here now there,
its name changed with the quarter whence it blows.

Dante Alighieri

Purgatorio

Buy Purgatorio at Amazon Buy Purgatorio at Amazon
Read the Divine Comedy at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Reputation

Speaker

Oderisi da Gubbio

Author

Dante Alighieri

Source

Purgatorio The Divine Comedy

Medium

Poem

Genre

Narrative poem Epic poem Religious literature

Language

Italian

Time

1321 1320s 14th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Dante. "Purgatorio [Purgatory]." La Comedia di Dante Alleghieri [The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri]. Foligno: Johann Numeister and Evangelista Angelini da Trevi, 1472.

Current Citation

Dante. "The Purgatorio." The Divine Comedy, edited by David H. Higgins, translated by C. H. Sisson. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but rather memory.

Leonardo da Vinci

Buy The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci at Amazon Buy The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci at Amazon
Read The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, Complete at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Argument from authority Logical fallacies

Author

Leonardo da Vinci

Source

Journals of Leonardo da Vinci

Medium

Personal journal

Language

Italian/Latin

Time

1519 1510s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Da Vinci, Leonardo. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. c. 1519.

It is much safer to be feared than loved.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

Buy The Prince at Amazon Buy The Prince at Amazon
Read The Prince at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Love and fear Fear in politics Leadership Politics

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

The Prince

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1527 1520s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Il Principe [The Prince]. Rome: Antonio Blado d'Asola, 1532.

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince, translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Night came down, and enfolded the earth in her dusky wings.

Virgil

Aeneid

Buy The Aeneid at Amazon Buy The Aeneid at Amazon
Read The Aeneid at MIT's classics department website

More information about this quote

Topic

Night

Author

Virgil

Source

Aeneid

Medium

Poem

Genre

Epic poem

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Latin

Time

19 BC 10s BC 1st century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Virgil. Aenē̆is [Aeneid]. 19 BC, bk. 8.

Current Citation

Virgil. The Aeneid, translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics, 2010, bk. 8.

The more the marble wastes, the more the statue grows.

Michelangelo

More information about this quote

Topic

Sculpture

Author

Michelangelo

Medium

Sonnet Poem

Language

Italian

Time

1525 1520s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Michelangelo. Sonnet to Vittoria Collana. c. 1525, l. 5.

For it is commonly said: completed labors are pleasant.

Cicero

De Finibus

More information about this quote

Topic

Finishing a task Work

Author

Cicero

Source

De Finibus

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

45 BC 40s BC 1st century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De finibus bonorum et malorum [On the ends of good and evil]. c. 45 BCE, bk. 2, ch. 32, sect. 105.

He [the prince] holds to what is right when he can but knows how to do wrong when he must.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

Buy The Prince at Amazon Buy The Prince at Amazon
Read The Prince at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Moral relativism Expediency Political theory

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

The Prince

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1532 1530s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Il Principe [The Prince]. Rome: Antonio Blado d'Asola, 1532.

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince, translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Mankind have been created for the sake of one another.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

Buy Meditations at Amazon Buy Meditations at Amazon
Read Meditations at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Interconnectedness of all people Man as social animal

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 8.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 8.

So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honour, they are satisfied.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

Buy The Prince at Amazon Buy The Prince at Amazon
Read The Prince at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

The masses Human nature

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

The Prince

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1532 1530s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Il Principe [The Prince]. Rome: Antonio Blado d'Asola, 1532.

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince, translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Love the little trade which you have learned, and be content with it.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

Buy Meditations at Amazon Buy Meditations at Amazon
Read Meditations at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Vocation Doing a good job Doing one's job

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 4.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 4.

What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

Buy Meditations at Amazon Buy Meditations at Amazon
Read Meditations at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Individual vs. the collective

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 6.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 6.

Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

Buy The Prince at Amazon Buy The Prince at Amazon
Read The Prince at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Guns

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

The Prince

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1532 1530s 16th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Il Principe [The Prince]. Rome: Antonio Blado d'Asola, 1532.

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince, translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Plenty has made me poor.

Ovid

Metamorphoses

Buy Metamorphoses at Amazon Buy Metamorphoses at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Downsides of wealth

Author

Ovid

Source

Metamorphoses

Medium

Poem

Language

Latin

Time

8 0s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Ovid. Metamorphōsēs [Metamorphoses]. c. 8 CE, bk. 3, l. 466.

Current Citation

Ovid. Metamorphoses, translated by David Raeburn. Penguin Classics, 2004, bk. 3, l. 466.

Travel light and you can sing in the robber's face.

Juvenal

Satires

Buy the Satires at Amazon Buy the Satires at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Travel

Author

Juvenal

Source

Satires

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Advice

Language

Latin

Time

127 120s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Juvenal. Satirae [Satires]. c. 127, satire 10.

Current Citation

Juvenal. The Satires, translated by Niall Rudd. Oxford University Press, 2008, satire 10.

We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

Buy Meditations at Amazon Buy Meditations at Amazon
Read Meditations at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Loving oneself What other people think

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 12.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 12.

Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.

Leonardo da Vinci

Buy The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci at Amazon Buy The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci at Amazon
Read The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, Complete at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Inaction Stagnation Staying active

Author

Leonardo da Vinci

Source

Journals of Leonardo da Vinci

Medium

Personal journal

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Italian

Time

1519 1510s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Da Vinci, Leonardo. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. c. 1519.

It's insane to carry timber to the forest.

Horace

Satires

Buy Satires at Amazon Buy Satires at Amazon
Read Satires at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

The forest

Author

Horace

Source

Satires

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Latin

Time

34 BC 30s BC 1st century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Romulus. Quoted in Saturae [Satires], written by Horace. c. 35 BC, bk. 1.

Current Citation

Romulus. Quoted in Satires and Epistles, written by Horace, translated by John Davie. Oxford University Press, 2011, bk. 1.