Quotes by Italian Authors | Beyond Motive 2/29

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Quotes by Italian Authors

"Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself."

"Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Strategy, Error, May

21

"Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power."

"Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

Government, Power, Corporate, Fascism

21

"One can't judge Wagner's opera Lohengrin after a first hearing, and I certainly don't intend to hear it a second time."

"One can't judge Wagner's opera Lohengrin after a first hearing, and I certainly don't intend to hear it a second time."

Gioachino Rossini, Italian Composer

Time, First, Hearing, Opera

20

"The Liberal State is a mask behind which there is no face; it is a scaffolding behind which there is no building."

"The Liberal State is a mask behind which there is no face; it is a scaffolding behind which there is no building."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

Building, Liberal, State

19

"I am not a newcomer, you know, so I want to be judged for what I did when I was prime minister last time in Italy and president of the European Commission for more than five years."

"I am not a newcomer, you know, so I want to be judged for what I did when I was prime minister last time in Italy and president of the European Commission for more than five years."

Romano Prodi, Italian Statesman

Time, Italy, President, Want

19

"I don't want to hear about my death."

"I don't want to hear about my death."

Oriana Fallaci, Italian Journalist

18

"Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better."

"Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Benefit, Benefits, Taste, Will

18

"Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."

"Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."

Michelangelo, Italian Artist

18

"The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out."

"The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

Diplomacy, Eagles, Sparrows

17

"Failing to be there when a man wants her is a woman's greatest sin, except to be there when he doesn't want her."

"Failing to be there when a man wants her is a woman's greatest sin, except to be there when he doesn't want her."

Pope Paul VI, Italian Clergyman

Man, Sin, Want, Woman

17

"Wagner is a composer who has beautiful moments but awful quarter hours."

"Wagner is a composer who has beautiful moments but awful quarter hours."

Gioachino Rossini, Italian Composer

Moment, Moments

17

"Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy."

"Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

Democracy, Practice, Theory

16

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

Power, Corporate, Fascism, State

16

"Fame is everywhere; the 15 minutes are now the dominant themes of our times."

"Fame is everywhere; the 15 minutes are now the dominant themes of our times."

Nick Mancuso, Italian Actor

16

"The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all."

"The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

16

"Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?"

"Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?"

Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Artist

Dream, Dreams, Imagination, Eye

16

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared."

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Justice, Injury, Man, Vengeance

16

"I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely with his lips, follow me."

"I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely with his lips, follow me."

Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian Soldier

Death, Food, Heart, Country

15

"It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver."

"It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

15

"I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

"I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

Galileo Galilei, Italian Scientist

15

"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands."

"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands."

Michelangelo, Italian Artist

15

"Gold is a treasure, and he who possesses it does all he wishes to in this world, and succeeds in helping souls into paradise."

"Gold is a treasure, and he who possesses it does all he wishes to in this world, and succeeds in helping souls into paradise."

Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer

Paradise, Gold, Treasure, Wishes

14

"For this purpose I determined to keep an account of the voyage, and to write down punctually every thing we performed or saw from day to day, as will hereafter appear."

"For this purpose I determined to keep an account of the voyage, and to write down punctually every thing we performed or saw from day to day, as will hereafter appear."

Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer

Purpose, Day, Will

14

"Fear... is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday."

"Fear... is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday."

Renata Adler, Italian Journalist

Fear, Yesterday

14

"With whom do you argue? With a woman, of course. Not with a friend, because he accepted all your defects the moment he found you. Besides, woman is mother-have we forgotten?"

"With whom do you argue? With a woman, of course. Not with a friend, because he accepted all your defects the moment he found you. Besides, woman is mother-have we forgotten?"

Marcello Mastroianni, Italian Actor

Mother, Friend, Woman

14

"Having had a reputation for being sexy is a great prop to lean on now."

"Having had a reputation for being sexy is a great prop to lean on now."

Greta Scacchi, Italian Actress

Being, Now, Reputation

14

"Consider your origins: you were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge."

"Consider your origins: you were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge."

Dante Alighieri, Italian Poet

Knowledge, Virtue

14

"I am not solicitous to examine particularly everything here, which indeed could not be done in fifty years, because my desire is to make all possible discoveries, and return to your Highnesses, if it please our Lord, in April."

"I am not solicitous to examine particularly everything here, which indeed could not be done in fifty years, because my desire is to make all possible discoveries, and return to your Highnesses, if it please our Lord, in April."

Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer

Exploration, April, Desire, Years

13

"Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community."

"Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

Care, Community, Law, Reason

13

"All hope abandon, ye who enter here!"

"All hope abandon, ye who enter here!"

Dante Alighieri, Italian Poet

13

"Politics have no relation to morals."

"Politics have no relation to morals."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Politics, Morals

13

"Where there is injury let me sow pardon."

"Where there is injury let me sow pardon."

Francis of Assisi, Italian Saint

Compassion, Injury

13

"There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt."

"There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Religion, Contempt, Country

13

"Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good."

"Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

13

"I love things that age well - things that don't date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best."

"I love things that age well - things that don't date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best."

Giorgio Armani, Italian Designer

Age, Love, Time, Living

13

"A dimple on the chin, the devil within."

"A dimple on the chin, the devil within."

Pope Paul VI, Italian Clergyman

12

"You know what I would like to do: make a film with actors standing in empty space so that the spectator would have to imagine the background of the characters."

"You know what I would like to do: make a film with actors standing in empty space so that the spectator would have to imagine the background of the characters."

Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian Director

Actor, Actors, Film, Space

12

"Realism is a bad word. In a sense everything is realistic. I see no line between the imaginary and the real."

"Realism is a bad word. In a sense everything is realistic. I see no line between the imaginary and the real."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Reflection, Realism, Sense, Word

12

"Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine."

"Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

Sleep, Sorrow, Wine

12

"And if, happy in the lot of no created thing, he withdraws into the center of his own unity, his spirit, made one with God, in the solitary darkness of God, who is set above all things, shall surpass them all."

"And if, happy in the lot of no created thing, he withdraws into the center of his own unity, his spirit, made one with God, in the solitary darkness of God, who is set above all things, shall surpass them all."

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian Writer

God, Darkness, Spirit, Unity

12

"The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go."

"The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go."

Galileo Galilei, Italian Scientist

12

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy."

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy."

Giuseppe Verdi, Italian Composer

Italy, May, Universe

12

"When you're in front of the camera, for a small budget or a big budget movie, there's no difference."

"When you're in front of the camera, for a small budget or a big budget movie, there's no difference."

Monica Bellucci, Italian Actress

12

"Inactivity is death."

"Inactivity is death."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

12

"War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans."

"War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Peace, War, Ability, Leisure

12

"Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle."

"Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle."

Michelangelo, Italian Artist

Perfection, Trifle, Trifles

12

"To put up a show is to face life's injustices with one of the few weapons available to a desperate and brave people, their imagination."

"To put up a show is to face life's injustices with one of the few weapons available to a desperate and brave people, their imagination."

Luigi Barzini, Italian Journalist

Imagination, People, Life, Weapons

11

"We live in a society that compels us to go on using these concepts, and we no longer know what they mean."

"We live in a society that compels us to go on using these concepts, and we no longer know what they mean."

Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian Director

11

"Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious."

"Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

11

"To tell the truth is revolutionary."

"To tell the truth is revolutionary."

Antonio Gramsci, Italian Politician

11

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