Euro Italy cents-I

10 cent, 2007

The picture shown on this coin is from Alessandro Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” (1485). In the painting, the goddess Venus [or Aphrodite as she is known in Greek mythology] emerges from the sea upon a shell in accordance with the myth that explains her birth. Her shell is pushed to the shore from the winds produced by the Zephyr wind-gods amid a shower of roses. As the goddess is about to step on the shore, one of the Nymphs reaches out to cover her with a purple cloak. This painting is among the most treasured masterpieces of the Renaissance.

"Birth of venus" by Sandro Botticelli

"Unique forms of continuity in space" by Umberto Berlusconi

20 cent, 2002

The Italy 20 cent coin depicts a bronze sculpture made by Umberto Berlusconi, which is titled "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space". It is seen as an expression of movement and fluidity. Boccioni rejected traditional sculpture and depictions to create this piece and it is seen as a masterpiece of Futurism.

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space depicts a human-like figure seemingly flying or gliding through air. A clinging drapery whips back around his legs, giving the sculpture an aerodynamic and fluid form. Instead of a traditional pedestal, the figure is only bound to the ground by two blocks at his feet. The figure is also armless and without a discernibly real face.

50 cent, 2002

This coin shows the figure of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. Stoicism was a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics considered destructive emotions to be the result of errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.

During his reign, the empire defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire; Aurelius' general Avidius Cassius sacked the capital Ctesiphon in 164. Aurelius fought the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatians with success during the Marcomannic Wars, but the threat of the Germanic Tribes began to represent a troubling reality for the empire. A revolt in the east led by Avidius Cassius failed to gain momentum and was suppressed immediately.

Marcus Aurelius' work Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a government of service and duty. It serves as an example of how Aurelius approached the Platonic ideal of a philosopher-king and how he symbolized much of what was best about Roman civilization.

Italy cents -II

1 cent, 2007

The one cent coin shows the Castel Del Monte, a 13th century castle situated in the Apulia region of Southeast Italy. It was built by the Holy Roman emperor Frederick II around 1250. It does not have a moat or drawbridge and apparently it was never intended as a defensive fortress.It was completed in 1240 and was used primarily as a hunting lodge by Frederick until his death in 1250. It was later turned into a prison, used as a refuge during a plague, and finally fell into disrepair. It originally had marble walls and columns, but all were stripped by vandals.
The fortress is an octagonal prism with an octagonal bastion at each corner. Each floor has 8 rooms and an eight-sided courtyard occupies its centre.The octagon is thought to be an intermediate symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired to build to this shape by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, which he had seen while on Crusade, or by the Palace Chapel of Aachen Cathedral.

Castel Del Monte

2 cent, 2008

The Italy 2 cent coin shows the Mole Antonelliana of Turin.A Symbol of the city and daring building, it was begun in 1862 by Alessandro Antonelli as a Jewish temple; after a period of stop, the works began again in 1878 with the construction over the vault of a granite room, on which a lantern made of two floors and then a high cone which transforms the square plan into a circle plan are based.

A series of conic and cylindrical elements completes the already high spire; these elements end with a cusp of pyramidal shape on and octagonal plan, realised in two separate parts.
A genius with wings on the spire ends the works in 1889, when the direction of the building yard is passed to Costanzo Antonelli, son of the dead architect.

The Mole, with its 163,35 metres high, is the tallest brick building in the world.At the time of building it was the tallest building in the world and to date its the tallest in the city.In August 1904 an hurricane knocked over the statue, substituted by a star, and in 1953 a storm knocked over more than 40 metres of the cusp, substituted between 1958-61 by a metal structure covered in stone, also reinforcing the inferior structures.

Inside a room in square plan is covered by a nerved pavilion vault, outside the four sides take an homogeneous configuration.

A panoramic lift leads to the little temple under the spire, from which you can enjoy a beautiful city landscape and of the surrounding mountains.

The Mole is the actual seat of the National Museum of Cinema.

Mole Antonelliana, Turin

5 cent, 2006

The Italy 5 cent coin shows the Flavius amphitheater on the obverse, more commonly known as the Colosseum of Rome. The Colosseum was created for the purpose of gladiatorial contests and public spectacles like reenactment of famous battles, animal hunts, executions, mock battles, chariot races etc. The Colosseum as we know it today had some predecessors made of wood. The amphitheater had to house thousands of people and was susceptible to giving in under pressure and fire was always a hazard. After the reign of Nero, it was the Flavian dynasty which started the construction of the amphiteatre in 72 AD in marble and such more stable materials, and it was completed in 80AD. After the name of the dynasty it came to be known as the Flavius amphiteatre. The name Colosseum was given because of the colossal statue of Nero at the entrance.

Although the Southern side of the elliptical structure was destroyed in an earthquake long back and today it is in ruins, it remains an iconic symbol of imperial Rome, one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering and also one of the major tourist attractions in Rome.

The Colosseum of Rome

Italy Euro

1 Euro, 2002

Are you thinking that you have seen this figure umpteen times, but do not know what it is? This is the famous sketch of Vitruvian man by the Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci. The drawing illustrates Da Vinci's representation of the ideal proportions of the human body, as it was postulated by the Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius in 1BC, and after whom this sketch is so named. Although Da Vinci could not give any scientific assertion as to why the ideal proportions of the human body should be as shown, but a number of artistes from generations following him have given their postulates regarding this sketch. In this sketch, the navel is taken as the centre of our body and a circle is drawn from there, with the radius extending from the navel to the tip of the feet. We also notice a square drawn with the length of its side from the feet to the head, and just enclosing the extended arms.

The Vitruvian man by Leonardo Da Vinci

Parnassus by Raphael

Dante is shown by the yellow arrow. The center figure is Apollo and the mural shows nine muses, nine poets from eras past and nine contemporary poets including Dante Alighieri.

2 Euro, 2002

The Italy 2 Euro coin shows the face of Dante Alighieri, as it was frescoed posthumously by the celebrated Italian painter Raphael in his painting titled 'Parnassus'. This fresco was painted as a mural or a painting on a wall to decorate the walls of the Apolistic palace in the Vatican. The painting shows the mythical mount Parnassus where Apollo resides. Apollo is surrounded by nine muses, nine poets of ages past and nine contemporary poets. Dante Alighieri is known for his work 'The Divine Comedy'. The movie Dante's inferno is based on the first part of the epic known as 'The Divine Comedy'. Inferno here refers to hell and Dante's Inferno allegorically tracks the journey of Dante through what is the medieval concept of hell.

Dante in 'Parnassus'

2 Euro, world food program

Italy Lira-I

100 Lira, 1977
Weight: 8 gm
Metal: stainless steel
Diameter: 27.8mm

200 Lire, Genova stamps convention 1992

This one was released on the occasion of the 1992 Genova stamps convention.

200 Lire, 1979

Weight: 5gm
Metal: Aluminium-Bronze
Diameter: 24mm
Reverse: Value within gear

500 Lire, 1984

Do you think that this one is another run-of-the-mill coin? Not many would know I think, but this is the first bimetallic coin to be widely used in circulation. The cost of making a bimetallic coin is higher than a normal coin, so mostly only the higher value coins are bimetals. The Reverse shows the Plaza Di San Marco.

Plaza Di San Marco, Venice

Italy Lira-II

10 Lira, 1968
Weight: 1.6gm
Metal: aluminium
Diameter: 23.25mm

20 Lira, 1958

Weight: 3.6gm
Metal: Aluminium-Bronze
Diameter: 21.25mm
Obverse: wheat sprigs within head
Reverse: oat leaves by value

50 Lira, 1978

The 50 Lira coin shows Vulcan, the god of fire on the obverse. Vulcan is associated with beneficial and hindering fire, and also the fire of volcanoes which comes from beneath. Fire has always been worshipped as it can cause destruction to the harvested grain, but can also be beneficial when we are facing an opponent.

Vulcan