Arts in Italy and Italian-speaking countries

Italian Renaissance and Baroque Arts

The Italian Renaissance was a period of great cultural change and achievement, starting in the late 13th century and lasting until the 16th century. It included art, literature, and science. Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael are renowned for their contributions.
Baroque is an artistic style that started in Rome around 1600, and spread throughout Italy and Europe. It is characterized by dramatic effect, rich colour, and emotional intensity. Notable Baroque artists from Italy include Caravaggio and Bernini.

Modern and Contemporary Italian Arts

In the modern period, Italian artists contributed significantly to various art movements such as Futurism, Novecento Italiano, Arte Povera, and Transavantgarde.
Futurism, which originated in Italy in the early 20th century, emphasised speed, technology, youth, and violence. It attempted to capture the dynamism and energy of the modern world.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the rise of Arte Povera, an Italian contemporary art movement. Arte Povera works often used everyday materials to challenge and disrupt the values of the commercialised contemporary gallery system.

Arts in Italian-speaking Switzerland

Switzerland’s Italian-speaking region, Ticino, is home to a vibrant artistic community. Painters like Giovanni Segantini and Filippo Franzoni were central figures in its cultural development.
The city of Lugano in Ticino is known for its numerous cultural institutions, such as the Museum of Modern Arts (Museo d’Arte Moderna), which prominently features both Italian and international artworks.

Cinema and Theatre

Italy has a rich cinematic tradition, giving birth to several genres like Neorealism, Commedia all’italiana, Spaghetti Western, and Giallo. Italian cinema has produced renowned personalities like Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica, Sergio Leone, and Bernardo Bertolucci.
Italy’s theatrical tradition dates back to the Roman and Medieval times but received its most significant impetus from Commedia dell’arte, a form of theatre characterised by masked “types”, improvisation, and physical comedy that originated in the 16th century.

Literature

Italian literature holds a prominent place in world literature. The works of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio mark the beginning of the Renaissance literature and are considered cornerstones of the Italian language.
Contemporary Italian literature includes a variety of genres, with writers exploring a wide range of themes. Among the notable contemporary Italian authors are Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino, and Elena Ferrante.