Quotes by Italian Authors | Beyond Motive 23/29

top of page

Quotes by Italian Authors

"Each work has its own space, which should neither be conceived as a sort of cage nor regarded as extending to infinity."

"Each work has its own space, which should neither be conceived as a sort of cage nor regarded as extending to infinity."

Marino Marini, Italian Sculptor

Work, Infinity, Space

2

"The voice is an instrument that you really must take time to develop. It's like a good red wine Give it time."

"The voice is an instrument that you really must take time to develop. It's like a good red wine Give it time."

Cecilia Bartoli, Italian Musician

Time, Voice, Wine

2

"I'm a giraffe. I even walk like a giraffe with a long neck and legs. It's a pretty dumb animal, mind you."

"I'm a giraffe. I even walk like a giraffe with a long neck and legs. It's a pretty dumb animal, mind you."

Sophia Loren, Italian Actress

Dumb, Mind, Pretty

2

"To win the Championship in the first year will be hard. We need time to become competitive and win races."

"To win the Championship in the first year will be hard. We need time to become competitive and win races."

Valentino Rossi, Italian Athlete

Time, First, Will

2

"Klopstock was questioned regarding the meaning of a passage in his poem. He replied, 'God and I both knew what it meant once; now God alone knows.'"

"Klopstock was questioned regarding the meaning of a passage in his poem. He replied, 'God and I both knew what it meant once; now God alone knows.'"

Cesare Lombroso, Italian Psychologist

God, Meaning, Now

2

"That in man which cannot be domesticated is not his evil but his goodness."

"That in man which cannot be domesticated is not his evil but his goodness."

Antonio Porchia, Italian Poet

Evil, Goodness, Man

2

"So long as you are ready to die for humanity, the life of your country is immortal."

"So long as you are ready to die for humanity, the life of your country is immortal."

Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian Activist

Life, Country, Humanity

2

"I try to contrast; life today is full of contrast... We have to change."

"I try to contrast; life today is full of contrast... We have to change."

Gianni Versace, Italian Designer

Change, Life, Contrast, Today

2

"And don't consult anyone's opinions but your own."

"And don't consult anyone's opinions but your own."

Aulus Persius Flaccus, Italian Poet

Independence, Opinions

2

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."

Galileo Galilei, Italian Scientist

Nothing, Sun, Universe

2

"The writer of stories or of novels settles on men and imitates them; he exhausts the possibilities of his characters."

"The writer of stories or of novels settles on men and imitates them; he exhausts the possibilities of his characters."

Salvatore Quasimodo, Italian Author

Man, Men, Possibilities, Writer

2

"Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches."

"Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

2

"Experience does not err. Only your judgments err by expecting from her what is not in her power."

"Experience does not err. Only your judgments err by expecting from her what is not in her power."

Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Artist

Experience, Power

2

"Love must precede hatred, and nothing is hated save through being contrary to a suitable thing which is loved. And hence it is that every hatred is caused by love."

"Love must precede hatred, and nothing is hated save through being contrary to a suitable thing which is loved. And hence it is that every hatred is caused by love."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

Love, Being, Hatred, Nothing

2

"Beauty awakens the soul to act."

"Beauty awakens the soul to act."

Dante Alighieri, Italian Poet

Beauty, Soul, Act

2

"Actually, I feel music becoming more and more important. It's a big source of inspiration. With what's going on in the world, we feel almost desperate. Music also brings you peace."

"Actually, I feel music becoming more and more important. It's a big source of inspiration. With what's going on in the world, we feel almost desperate. Music also brings you peace."

Cecilia Bartoli, Italian Musician

Music, Peace, Inspiration, World

2

"Moral indignation in most cases is, 2% moral, 48% indignation, and 50% envy."

"Moral indignation in most cases is, 2% moral, 48% indignation, and 50% envy."

Vittorio De Sica, Italian Director

2

"Happiness, for you we walk on a knife edge. To the eyes you are a flickering light, to the feet, thin ice that cracks; and so may no one touch you who loves you."

"Happiness, for you we walk on a knife edge. To the eyes you are a flickering light, to the feet, thin ice that cracks; and so may no one touch you who loves you."

Eugenio Montale, Italian Poet

Happiness, Eyes, Feet, Light

2

"Luckily, thanks to the way my parents taught me, I think I can handle the fame in the right manner."

"Luckily, thanks to the way my parents taught me, I think I can handle the fame in the right manner."

Alessandro Del Piero, Italian Athlete

Fame, Parents, Right

2

"How fortune brings to earth the over-sure!"

"How fortune brings to earth the over-sure!"

Petrarch, Italian Poet

2

"It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope."

"It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Man, Men, Act, Evil, Laws

2

"I want to kill the president because I no like the capitalists. I have the gun in my hand, I kill kings and presidents first and next all capitalists."

"I want to kill the president because I no like the capitalists. I have the gun in my hand, I kill kings and presidents first and next all capitalists."

Giuseppe Zangara, Italian Criminal

First, Kings, President, Want

2

"The things that we love tell us what we are."

"The things that we love tell us what we are."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

2

"As to the deceit perpetrated upon women, let it pass, for, when love is in the way, men and women as a general rule dupe each other."

"As to the deceit perpetrated upon women, let it pass, for, when love is in the way, men and women as a general rule dupe each other."

Giacomo Casanova, Italian Celebrity

Love, Men, Women, Deceit

2

"My job is to look at what politics is doing, not be a politician myself."

"My job is to look at what politics is doing, not be a politician myself."

Antonio Tabucchi, Italian Writer

2

"Sometimes it's more difficult to exist as a female lead, especially in action movies because all those men are around you. They take so much place."

"Sometimes it's more difficult to exist as a female lead, especially in action movies because all those men are around you. They take so much place."

Monica Bellucci, Italian Actress

Men, Movies, Action

2

"'Mad' is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else."

"'Mad' is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else."

Ugo Betti, Italian Playwright

Idea, Man, Nothing

2

"It vexes me when they would constrain science by the authority of the Scriptures, and yet do not consider themselves bound to answer reason and experiment."

"It vexes me when they would constrain science by the authority of the Scriptures, and yet do not consider themselves bound to answer reason and experiment."

Galileo Galilei, Italian Scientist

Science, Authority, Reason

2

"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see."

"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see."

Pope Paul VI, Italian Clergyman

Mother, Land, Will, World

2

"The world is a beautiful book, but of little use to him who cannot read it."

"The world is a beautiful book, but of little use to him who cannot read it."

Carlo Goldoni, Italian Playwright

2

"The knowledge of languages was very useful. I have a university degree in foreign languages and literature."

"The knowledge of languages was very useful. I have a university degree in foreign languages and literature."

Emma Bonino, Italian Politician

Knowledge, Literature, University

2

"All the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly."

"All the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

2

"Nothing gives a fearful man more courage than another's fear."

"Nothing gives a fearful man more courage than another's fear."

Umberto Eco, Italian Novelist

Fear, Courage, Man, Nothing

2

"My readers at that time were still men of letters; but there had to be other people waiting to read my poems."

"My readers at that time were still men of letters; but there had to be other people waiting to read my poems."

Salvatore Quasimodo, Italian Author

Man, Men, Time, People, Letters

2

"If you are good to this one and that one, this one and that one will say that you are good. If you are good to everyone, no one will say that you are good."

"If you are good to this one and that one, this one and that one will say that you are good. If you are good to everyone, no one will say that you are good."

Antonio Porchia, Italian Poet

2

"Fellini belongs to nature."

"Fellini belongs to nature."

Roberto Benigni, Italian Actor

2

"I have done everything I can to make sure my daughter knows her father because you form your own identity by rebelling against your parents - but first you have to know them."

"I have done everything I can to make sure my daughter knows her father because you form your own identity by rebelling against your parents - but first you have to know them."

Greta Scacchi, Italian Actress

Father, Daughter, First, Identity

2

"The rights of the weak are not weaker rights, but are completely equal to the rights of the strong."

"The rights of the weak are not weaker rights, but are completely equal to the rights of the strong."

Dionigi Tettamanzi, Italian Clergyman

2

"Hold firmly that our faith is identical with that of the ancients. Deny this, and you dissolve the unity of the Church."

"Hold firmly that our faith is identical with that of the ancients. Deny this, and you dissolve the unity of the Church."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

Faith, Church, Unity

2

"Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them."

"Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them."

Umberto Eco, Italian Novelist

2

"The human heart is as a frail craft on which we wish to reach the stars."

"The human heart is as a frail craft on which we wish to reach the stars."

Giotto di Bondone, Italian Artist

2

"Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them."

"Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them."

Thomas Aquinas, Italian Theologian

Virtue, Perfection

2

"True poetry is similar to certain pictures whose owner is unknown and which only a few initiated people know."

"True poetry is similar to certain pictures whose owner is unknown and which only a few initiated people know."

Eugenio Montale, Italian Poet

2

"So I like to make music, and I like to share music. This is also a gift."

"So I like to make music, and I like to share music. This is also a gift."

Cecilia Bartoli, Italian Musician

2

"In bed my real love has always been the sleep that rescued me by allowing me to dream."

"In bed my real love has always been the sleep that rescued me by allowing me to dream."

Luigi Pirandello, Italian Playwright

Love, Dream, Bed, Sleep

2

"It is always self-defeating to pretend to a generation younger than your own; it simply erases your own experience in history."

"It is always self-defeating to pretend to a generation younger than your own; it simply erases your own experience in history."

Renata Adler, Italian Journalist

Experience, History, Self

2

"I don't want to promote my own image either. I don't like going on television or mixing in literary circles."

"I don't want to promote my own image either. I don't like going on television or mixing in literary circles."

Antonio Tabucchi, Italian Writer

Humility, Literary, Television, Want

2

"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do."

"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do."

Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian Composer

God, Vision, Day, Gifts

2

"Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them."

"Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them."

Francesco Guicciardini, Italian Historian

Friendship, Chance, Friends, Nothing, Worth

2

"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry."

"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry."

Maria Montessori, Italian Educator

Beauty, Imagination, Poetry, Science

2

bottom of page