Italy questions

Castel Sant'Angelo (English: Castle of the Holy Angel) was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.

Completed in AD 113, the Trajan's Column commemorates Roman Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. Originally, a 4.8 m bronze statue of Trajan stood on the top pedestal, but this was replaced by a statue of St. Peter in 1587.

The family originated in the Mugello region of Tuscany, and prospered gradually until it was able to fund the Medici Bank. This bank was the largest in Europe during the 15th century, and it facilitated the Medicis' rise to political power in Florence, although they officially remained citizens rather than monarchs until the 16th century.

The House of Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the Duchy of Milan from the previously-ruling Visconti family in the mid-15th century, and lost it to the Spanish Habsburgs about a century later.

Corno Grande is the highest point in the Apennine Mountains, situated in Abruzzo, central Italy. Part of the Gran Sasso massif, it is the highest peak of the Italian Peninsula at 2,912 metres (9,554 ft). It is the highest peak in mainland Italy outside of the Alps, and the second highest peak in the entire country outside the Alps, after Mount Etna in Sicily.

The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian head of state, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has come to stand for the Italian president. The Quirinal Palace has an extension of 1.2 million square feet.

Valentino Rossi (1979) is an Italian professional motorcycle road racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is the only rider in the history of the World Championship to have won the World Championship in four different classes. Rossi is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.

Cynar is an Italian bitter liqueur of the amaro variety. It is made from 13 herbs and plants, predominant amongst which is the artichoke (Cynara scolymus), from which the drink derives its name. Cynar is dark brown in color, has a bittersweet flavor, and its strength is 16.5% ABV. It was launched in Italy in 1952. Cynar is an Apertif (low sugar, low alcohol, meant to stimulate appetite), and can be consumed by itself, or in a number of cocktails.

The name Italy (Italia) is an ancient name for the country and people of Southern Italy. Originally is was spelled Vitalia, probably from the same root as the Latin vitulus (a one-year-old calf), thus literally meaning 'calf-land' or "Land of Cattle. The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War.

Napoleon I Bonaparte was French Emperor in 1804-1814 and King of Italy in 1805-1814.