Italian

Explore 89 quotes originally in Italian

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Dante Alighieri

Inferno

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Topic

Hell Hopelessness and despair Hope

Author

Dante Alighieri

Source

Inferno The Divine Comedy

Medium

Poem

Genre

Narrative poem Epic poem Religious literature

Statement Type

Orders and commands

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.

God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

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Topic

Free will vs. determinism Determinism Free will

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.

When I had journeyed half of our life's way,
I found myself within a shadowed forest,
for I had lost the path that does not stray.

Dante Alighieri

Inferno

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Author

Dante Alighieri

Source

Inferno The Divine Comedy

Medium

Poem

Genre

Narrative poem Epic poem Religious literature

Statement Type

Opening lines

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.

Consider your origin;
you were not born to live like brutes,
but to follow virtue and knowledge.

Dante Alighieri

Inferno

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Topic

Purpose of life Virtue

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.

In that part of the book of my memory, before which very little is written, there is a heading that reads "Here begins a new life".

Dante Alighieri

La Vita Nuova

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Topic

Love at first sight Being in love

Author

Dante Alighieri

Source

La Vita Nuova

Language

Italian

Time

1294 1290s 13th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Dante. La Vita Nuova [The New Life]. 1294, ch. 1.

Current Citation

Dante. Vita Nuova, translated by Mark Musa. Oxford University, 2008, ch. 1.

Philosophy is written in this grand book-I mean the universe-which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and interpret the characters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it; without these, one is wandering about in a dark labyrinth.

Galileo Galilei

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Topic

Mathematics

Author

Galileo Galilei

Language

Italian

Time

1623 1620s 17th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Galilei, Galileo. Il Saggiatore [The Assayer]. Rome, 1623.

Current Citation

Galilei, Galileo. "The Assayer." Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo. Doubleday & Company, 1957.

As always, victory will have a hundred fathers, but defeat will never be acknowledged by anyone at all.

Galeazzo Ciano

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Topic

Taking credit Winning and losing Winning Losing

Author

Galeazzo Ciano

Medium

Personal journal

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Italian

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Ciano, Galeazzo. Diary entry. 9 Sept. 1942.

The time will come when this universe and nature herself will be no more. And just as of very great human kingdoms and empires and of their marvelous exploits, which were so very famous in other ages, there remains no sign of fame whatsoever, so too of the entire world, and of the infinite vicissitudes and calamities of all created things, no single trace will remain, but a naked silence and a most profound quiet will fill the immensity of space. Thus, this stupendous and frightening mystery of universal existence, before it can be declared or understood, will vanish and be lost.

Giacomo Leopardi

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Topic

Death of the universe The universe

Author

Giacomo Leopardi

Source

The Song of the Wild Rooster Operette Morali

Language

Italian

Time

1835 1830s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Leopardi, Giacomo. "Cantico del gallo silvestre [Song of the Wild Rooster]." Operette morali [Small Moral Works]. Naples: Presso Saverio Starita, 1835.

Current Citation

Leopardi, Giacomo. "Song of the Great Wild Rooster." Operette Morali: Essays and Dialogues. University of California Press, 1983.

A life in which the gods are not invited is not worth living. It will be quieter, but there won't be any stories.

Roberto Calasso

The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony

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Topic

Disenchanted world

Author

Roberto Calasso

Source

The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony

Language

Italian

Time

1988 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Calasso, Robert. Le nozze di Cadmo e Armonia [The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmonia]. Adelphi Edizioni, 1988, ch. 12.

Haste denies all acts their dignity.

Dante Alighieri

Purgatorio

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Topic

Haste Taking one's time

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 desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasions for it.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Discourses on Livy

More information about this quote

Topic

Political theory Government Human nature

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

Discourses on Livy

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1531 1530s 16th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio [Discourses on the First Ten of Titus Livy]. Papal Privilege, 1531, bk. 1, ch. 3

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolo. Discourses on Livy, translated by Julia Conaway Bondanella and Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 1, ch. 3.

War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to face it.

Benito Mussolini

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Topic

Attraction of war Praise of war War

Author

Benito Mussolini

Language

Italian

Time

1932 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Mussolini, Benito. "Fascismo [Fascism]: 'Forza e consenso [Strength and Consent].'" Enciclopedia Italiana [Italian Encyclopedia]. 1932.

Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears.

Italo Calvino

Invisible Cities

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Topic

Cities

Author

Italo Calvino

Source

Invisible Cities

Medium

Novel

Language

Italian

Time

1972 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Calvino, Italo. Le citta invisibili [Invisible Cities]. Giulio Einaudi, 1972.

Thence we came forth to see the stars again.

Dante Alighieri

Inferno

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Topic

Stars The night sky

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.

A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

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Topic

Man and animals

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.

Facts which at first seem improbable will, even on scant explanation, drop the cloak which has hidden them and stand forth in naked and simple beauty.

Galileo Galilei

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Topic

Intellectual progress Scientific progress

Speaker

Sagredo

Author

Galileo Galilei

Language

Italian

Time

1638 1630s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Galilei, Galileo. "Giornata Prima [First Day]." Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche intorno a due nuove scienze [Discourses and Mathematicals Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences]. Leiden: Ludovico Elzeviro, 1638.

Whatever St. Augustine may say, human creatures would not perform the work of generation if they did not find pleasure in it, and if there was not in that great work an irresistible attraction for them.

Giacomo Casanova

Histoire de Ma Vie

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Topic

Sex

Author

Giacomo Casanova

Source

Histoire de Ma Vie

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Language

Italian

Time

1791 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Casanova, Giacomo. Aus den Memoiren des Venetianers Jacob Casanova de Seingalt [From the Memoirs of the Venetian Jacob Casanova de Seingalt]. Vol. 2, Leipzig: Brodhaus, c. 1822, ep. 8, ch. 16.

Current Citation

Casanova, Giacomo. The Complete Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt. Simon and Schuster, 2013.

We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires.

Pope Benedict XVI

More information about this quote

Topic

Decline of religion Moral relativism

Speaker

Pope Benedict XVI

Medium

Sermon

Language

Italian

Time

2005 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Cardinal Ratzinger, Joseph (later Pope Benedict XVI). "Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger." Conclave of cardinals, Mass. 18 Apr. 2005, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy.

The chief foundations of all states, new as well as old or composite, are good laws and good arms; and as there cannot be good laws where the state is not well armed, it follows that where they are well armed they have good laws.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

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Topic

Government Political theory Law

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.

We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty.

Benito Mussolini

More information about this quote

Topic

Fascism

Author

Benito Mussolini

Language

Italian

Time

1923 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Mussolini, Benito. "Forza e consenso [Strength and Consent]." Da Gerarchia. Mar. 1923.

Current Citation

Casanova, Giacomo. History of My Life, vols. 1-2, translated by William Trask. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997, preface.