Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Isla, José Francisco de hōsāˈ fränthēˈskō dā ēˈslä [key], 1703–81, Spanish Jesuit preacher and writer. Enormously precocious, he took his law degree at 11. Isla's fame rests on the satir...

(Encyclopedia) Brooks, Maria Gowen gouˈən [key], 1795?–1845, American poet, b. Medford, Mass. Her first collection of verse, Judith, Esther, and Other Poems (1820), was praised by Southey, who named her “Maria...

(Encyclopedia) Rodney, Caesar, 1728–84, American political leader, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. near Dover, Del. He was a member of the Delaware assembly (1761–70, 1772–76), its speaker (1769,...

(Encyclopedia) Gioia or Gioja, Melchiorre both: mālkyôrˈrā jōˈyä [key], 1767–1829, Italian economist and political theorist. An early advocate of the unification of Italy, he was several times imprisoned, o...

(Encyclopedia) Catalan art kătˈəlăn, –lən [key]. In Catalonia and the territories of the counts of Barcelona, art flowered in the early Middle Ages and continued to flourish through the Renaissance. Some of t...

(Encyclopedia) Unamuno, Miguel de mēgĕlˈ dā o͞onämo͞oˈnō [key], 1864–1936, Spanish philosophical writer, of Basque descent, b. Bilbao. The chief Spanish philosopher of his time, he was professor of Greek ...

(Encyclopedia) Ciano, Galeazzo gälāätˈtsō chäˈnō [key], 1903–44, Italian foreign minister and Fascist leader; son of Admiral Costanzo Ciano, conte di Cortellazzo. He entered on a diplomatic career, married...

(Encyclopedia) Varro, Caius Terentius kāˈyəs tĭrĕnˈshəs vârˈō [key], fl. 216 b.c., Roman statesman and general. Consul in 216 b.c., he opposed Hannibal at the battle of Cannae, where the Roman army was des...

(Encyclopedia) Guerrazzi, Francesco Domenico fränchāsˈkō dō-māˈnēkō gwār-rätˈtsē [key], 1804–73, Italian patriot and writer, b. Livorno. A radical republican and nationalist, he was repeatedly impriso...

(Encyclopedia) Calabria käläˈbrēä [key], region, 5,822 sq mi (15,079 sq km), S Italy, a peninsula projecting ...