title: Economy of Iraq

text: One of the key economic challenges was Iraq's immense foreign debt, estimated at $130 billion. Although some of this debt was derived from normal export contracts that Iraq had failed to pay for, some was a result of military and financial support during Iraq's war with Iran.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: The Jubilee Iraq campaign argued that much of these debts were odious (illegitimate). However, as the concept of odious debt is not accepted, trying to deal with the debt on those terms would have embroiled Iraq in legal disputes for years. Iraq decided to deal with its debt more pragmatically and approached the Paris Club of official creditors.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In a December 2006 "Newsweek International" article, a study by Global Insight in London was reported to show "that Civil war or not, Iraq has an economy, and—mother of all surprises—it's doing remarkably well. Real estate is booming. Construction, retail and wholesale trade sectors are healthy, too, according to [the report]. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports 34,000 registered companies in Iraq, up from 8,000 three years ago. Sales of secondhand cars, televisions and mobile phones have all risen sharply. Estimates vary, but one from Global Insight puts GDP growth at 17 per cent last year and projects 13 per cent for 2006. The World Bank has it lower: at 4 per cent this year. But, given all the attention paid to deteriorating security, the startling fact is that Iraq is growing at all."


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Traditionally, most of Iraq's manufacturing activity has been closely connected to the oil industry. The major industries in that category have been petroleum refining and the manufacture of chemicals and fertilizers. Before 2003, diversification was hindered by limitations on privatization and the effects of the international sanctions of the 1990s. Since 2003, security problems have blocked efforts to establish new enterprises. The construction industry is an exception; in 2000 cement was the only major industrial product not based on hydrocarbons. The construction industry has profited from the need to rebuild after Iraq's several wars. In the 1990s, the industry benefited from government funding of extensive infrastructure and housing projects and elaborate palace complexes.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Agriculture contributes just 3.3% to the gross national product but employs a fifth of the labor force.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Historically, 50 to 60 per cent of Iraq's arable land has been under cultivation. Because of ethnic politics, valuable farmland in Kurdish territory has not contributed to the national economy, and inconsistent agricultural policies under Saddam Hussein discouraged domestic market production. Despite adequate land and water resources, Iraq remains a net food importer. Under the UN Oil for Food program, Iraq imported large quantities of grains, meat, poultry, and dairy products. The government abolished its farm collectivization program in 1981, allowing a greater role for private enterprise in agriculture.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Iraqi agriculture suffered substantial physical disruption from the Gulf War, and economic disruption from sanctions imposed by the United Nations (August 1990). Sanctions curtailed imports by cutting off Iraq's petroleum exports and embargoing those agricultural production inputs deemed to have potential military applications. The Iraqi government responded by monopolizing grain and oilseed marketing, imposing production quotas, and instituting a Public Distribution System for basic foodstuffs. By mid-1991 the government supplied a "basket" of foodstuffs that provided about one-third of the caloric daily requirement, and cost consumers about five per cent of its market value. With subsidies for agricultural inputs diminished, the government's prices failed to cover their costs. The implicit tax on agricultural production was estimated to reach 20 to 35 per cent by the mid-1990s. In October 1991 the Baghdad regime had withdrawn personnel from the northern region controlled by two Kurdish parties. Kurdistan Region was described as "... a market economy essentially left alone by a very weak governing structure, but heavily influenced by substantial international humanitarian aid flows."


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Under an "Oil for Food Program" negotiated with the United Nations, in December 1996 Iraq started exporting petroleum and used the proceeds to start importing foodstuffs three months later. Grain imports averaged $828 million from 1997 to 2001, an increase of over 180 per cent from the previous five-year period. Due to foreign competition, Iraqi production declined (29 per cent for wheat, 31 per cent for barley, and 52 per cent for maize). Because the government had generally neglected the production of forage crops, fruits, vegetables, and livestock other than poultry, those sectors had remained more traditional and market-based and less buffeted by international affairs. Nevertheless, severe drought, an outbreak of screwworm, and an epizootic of foot-and-mouth disease devastated production during this period. As the Oil for Food Program expanded to cover more agricultural inputs and machinery, the productivity of Iraqi agriculture stabilized around 2002.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Following the invasion led by the United States in March 2003, with the incomes of many Iraqis devastated, the market for foodstuffs shrunk. Seeking to re-orient Iraq's economy toward private ownership and international competitiveness, the United States saw the dismantling of the Public Distribution System as essential for a market-driven agriculture. Because of the great reliance of most Iraqis on government-subsidized food, this goal was never realized. Increased productivity became the focus of much of the US-funded agricultural reconstruction program. Many of these projects were undertaken by the Agricultural Reconstruction and Development Iraq (ARDI) program run by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) of Bethesda, Maryland, under a contract with USAID signed on 15 October 2003. While ARDI participated in limited ways, the restoration of Iraq's irrigation systems was mostly funded under USAID's contract with Bechtel International.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: ARDI conducted demonstration trials of improved practices and varieties of many crops: winter cereals (wheat and barley), summer cereals (rice, maize, and sorghum), potatoes, and tomatoes. Feed supplements and veterinary treatments were demonstrated to increase ovulation, conception, and birth weights of livestock. Surveys were conducted of poultry growers and apple farmers. Nurseries were established for date palms and grapes. College buildings and farm tractors were rebuilt. ARDI had projects promoting trade associations and producers' co-ops and supported extension as an appropriate governmental function. The contract eventually cost over $100 million and lasted through December 2006. Under its Community Action Program, USAID also funded an analysis of markets for sheep and wool. It awarded a contract to the University of Hawaii to revitalize higher education in agriculture. It awarded a contract for $120 million to the Louis Berger Group to promote Iraq's private sector, including agriculture.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Starting in 2006, agricultural reconstruction was also conducted by Provincial Reconstruction Teams within the occupying Multi-National Force – Iraq. Intended to promote goodwill and sap the insurgency, "PRTs" allowed military commanders to identify local needs and, with few bureaucratic hurdles, to dispense up to $500,000. Civilians from many agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as USAID, served tours on PRTs. Some participants criticized the absence of a national agricultural strategy, or clear direction on the design of projects. Others complained that projects emphasized "American-style, 21st-century agricultural technologies and methodologies..." that were inappropriate for Iraq.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Agricultural production has not rebounded noticeably from the reconstruction program. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), between 2002 and 2013, production of wheat increased 11 per cent and milled rice 8 per cent, but barley had decreased 13 per cent and maize 40 per cent. Scaled in "international dollars" (2004-2006 base equaling 100) Iraq's per capita food production was 135 in 2002, 96 in 2007, and 94 in 2012. The agricultural sector shed workers. In those same years, production per worker was 117, 106, and 130, respectively.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: The international Oil-for-Food program (1997–2003) further reduced farm production by supplying artificially priced foreign foodstuffs. The military action of 2003 did little damage to Iraqi agriculture; because of favourable weather conditions, in that year grain production was 22 per cent higher than in 2002. Although growth continued in 2004, experts predicted that Iraq will be an importer of agricultural products for the foreseeable future. Long-term plans call for investment in agricultural machinery and materials and more prolific crop varieties—improvements that did not reach Iraq's farmers under the Hussein regime. In 2004, the main crops were wheat, barley, corn, rice, vegetables, dates, and cotton, and the main livestock outputs were cattle and sheep.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: The Agricultural Cooperative Bank, capitalized at nearly 1 G$ - by 1984, targets its low-interest, low-collateral loans to private farmers for mechanization, poultry projects, and orchard development. Large modern cattle, dairy, and poultry farms are under construction. Obstacles to agricultural development include labour shortages, inadequate management and maintenance, salinization, urban migration, and dislocations resulting from previous land reform and collectivization programs.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In 2011, an agricultural adviser to the Iraqi government, Layth Mahdi, summarized the forced United States agricultural reconstruction: Before 2003, Iraq had imported about 30 per cent of its food needs annually. The decline in agricultural production after this period, created the need for importing 90 per cent of the food at a cost estimated at more than $12 billion annually. Due to the sudden shift in the agricultural policy from subsidized assistance to an immediate shift to a free market policy, the outcomes led to a decline in production. The observed outcome resulted in many farmers abandoning the land and agriculture. The impact on natural resources results in an exploited and degraded environment leaving the land destitute and the people impoverished, unemployed [and] experiencing a sense of losing their human dignity.Importation of foreign workers and increased entry of women into traditionally male labour roles have helped compensate for agricultural and industrial labour shortages exacerbated by the war. A disastrous attempt to drain the southern marshes and introduce irrigated farming to this region merely destroyed a natural food producing area, while concentration of salts and minerals in the soil due to the draining left the land unsuitable for agriculture.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In the Mada'in Qada region east of Baghdad, hundreds of small farmers united to form the Green Mada'in Association for Agricultural Development, an agricultural cooperative that provides its members with drip irrigation and greenhouses as well as access to credit.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: As a result of climate change farmers have been confronted with reduced rainfall and high temperatures. Particularly affected are small scale farmers who, unable to withstand lower water levels, are forced to leave their lands in search of different ways to fulfill their livelihoods.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Throughout the twentieth century, human exploration, shifting agriculture, forest fires, and uncontrolled grazing denuded large areas of Iraq's natural forests, which in 2005 were almost exclusively confined to the northeastern highlands. Most of the trees found in that region are not suitable for lumbering. In 2002, a total of 112,000 cubic meters of wood were harvested, nearly half of which was used as fuel.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Despite its notable large rivers, Iraq's fishing industry has remained relatively small and based largely on marine species in the Persian Gulf. In 2001, the catch was 22,800 tons.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Aside from hydrocarbons, Iraq's mining industry has been confined to extraction of relatively small amounts of phosphates (at Akashat), salt, and sulfur (near Mosul). Since a productive period in the 1970s, the mining industry has been hampered by the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88), the sanctions of the 1990s, and the economic collapse of 2003.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Iraq is one of the most oil-rich countries in the world. The country holding the fifth largest proven crude oil reserves, totalling 147.22 billion barrels at the end of 2017. Most of this oil—4 million barrels per day out of 4.3 million barrels produced daily—is exported, making Iraq the third-largest exporter of oil. Despite its ongoing civil war, Iraq was able to increase oil production during 2015 and 2016, with production dipping by 3.5 per cent in 2017 due to conflict with the Kurdistan Regional Government and OPEC production limits. By world standards, production costs for Iraqi oil are relatively low. However, four wars—the 1980–1988 Iraq-Iran War, 1991 Gulf War, the 2003-2011 War in Iraq, and the civil war—and the 1991–2003 UN sanctions have left the industry's infrastructure in poor condition, and the de facto independence of oil-rich Kurdistan Region have limited production.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In the 1970s, Iraq produced over 3.5 million barrels of oil per day. Production began to fall during the Iran-Iraq War, before plummeting 85 per cent after the 1991 invasion of Kuwait. UN sanctions prevented the export of oil until 1996, and then allowed exports only in exchange for humanitarian aid in the Oil-for-Food Programme.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: The 2003 lifting of sanctions enabled production—and exports—to restart. Production has since recovered to pre-Gulf War levels, and most of Iraq's oil infrastructure has been repaired, despite persistent sabotage by the Islamic State (ISIL) and others. In 2004, Iraq had eight oil refineries, the largest of which were at Baiji, Basra, and Daura.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Despite its oil wealth, sabotage and technical problems at refineries have forced Iraq to import petroleum, other refined oil products, and electricity from neighbouring countries, especially Iran. In 2004, for example, Iraq spent $60 million per month for imported gasoline. Sabotage


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In late 2004 and early 2005, regular sabotage of plants and pipelines reduced export and domestic distribution of oil, particularly to Baghdad. Nationwide fuel shortages and power outages resulted. Persistent ISIL sabotage of pipelines, power plants and power lines, and theft of oil and electricity have also contributed to the July 2018 protests in southern Iraq.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In 2004, plans called for increased domestic utilization of natural gas to replace oil and for use in the petrochemical industry. However, because most of Iraq's gas output is associated with oil, output growth depends on developments in the oil industry.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Half of Iraq's power plants were destroyed in the Persian Gulf War of 1991, and full recovery never occurred. In mid-2004, Iraq had an estimated 5,000 megawatts of power-generating capacity, compared with 7,500 megawatts of demand. At that time, the transmission system included 17,700 kilometres of line. In 2004, plans called for construction of two new power plants and restoration of existing plants and transmission lines to ease the blackouts and economic hardship caused by this shortfall, but sabotage and looting kept capacity below 6,000 megawatts. The ongoing civil war, sabotage of transmission lines, and government corruption caused the electricity shortage to worsen: by 2010 demand outstripped supply by 6000 megawatts.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Oil continues to dominate Iraq's economy. , oil is responsible for over 65 per cent of GDP, 90 per cent of government revenue. Petroleum constitutes 94% of Iraq's exports with a value of $59.73 billion in 2017. The central government hopes to diversify the economy away from oil, and has had some success: non-oil GDP growth, which was below the regional average from 2014 to 2016, pushed above the average in 2017. Despite this, the per cent of government spending going to non-oil investment has continued to decline since 2013 and now stands at only 34 per cent.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Between June 2009 and February 2010 the Iraqi Oil Ministry tendered for the award of Service Contracts to develop Iraq's existing oil fields. The results of the tender, which were broadcast live on Iraqi television, are as follows for all major fields awarded but excluding the Kurdistan Region where Production Sharing Contracts have been awarded that are currently being disputed by the Baghdad government. All contracts are awaiting final ratification of the awards by the Iraqi government. Company shares are subject to change as a result of commercial negotiations between parties.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: " 1. Field shares are as a % of the total. The Iraq state retains a 25% share in all fields for which Service Contracts have been awarded."


title: Economy of Iraq

text: " 2. Production Increase Share is the millions bbls per day that will attract the Service Fee for the company."


title: Economy of Iraq

text: " 3. Gross revenue at plateau is the total payment each company will receive upon reaching their declared target plateau production rate (in between 5 and 8 years depending on field), before deduction of any operating costs but in addition to recovery of all development costs as billions of US$ per annum. The total gross revenue for all companies, after recovery of capital costs, is at plateau production of an additional 9.4 mb/d, 4.34 bn US per annum at a $70 bbl oil price. The 2010 Iraq govt budget is $60 billion. $300 billion is approximately $10,000 per annum for each Iraqi citizen."


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Iraq's financial services have been the subject of post-Hussein reforms. The 17 private banks established during the 1990s were limited to domestic transactions and attracted few private depositors. Those banks and two main state banks were badly damaged by the international embargo of the 1990s. To further privatize and expand the system, in 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority removed restrictions on international bank transactions and freed the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) from government control. In its first year of independent operation, the CBI received credit for limiting Iraq's inflation. In 2004, three foreign banks received licenses to do business in Iraq.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Because of the danger posed by Iraq's ongoing insurgency, the security industry has been a uniquely prosperous part of the services sector. Often run by former US military personnel, in 2005 at least 26 companies offered personal and institutional protection, surveillance, and other forms of security.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In the early post-Hussein period, a freewheeling retail trade in all types of commodities straddled the line between legitimate and illegitimate commerce, taking advantage of the lack of income tax and import controls.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: The Iraq tourism industry, which in peaceful times has profited from Iraq's many places of cultural interest (earning US$14 million in 2001), has been dormant since 2003. Despite conditions, in 2005 the Iraqi Tourism Board maintained a staff of 2,500 and 14 regional offices. Between 2009 and 2010, 165 tourists from 16 countries entered Iraq to visit historic sites; as of January 2011, a U.S. State Department grant provided $2 million to help preserve Babylon, supporting the re-opening of one of the site's two museums.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: From 2003 to 2008, mobile phone subscriptions had expanded over hundred-fold to ten million nationwide, according to the Brookings Institution.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: In 1996, some 66.4 per cent of the labour force worked in services, 17.5 per cent in industry, and 16.1 per cent in agriculture. 2004 estimates of Iraq's unemployment ranged from 30 per cent to 60 per cent.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: The CPA has referred to a 25% unemployment rate, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning mentioned a 30% unemployment rate, whereas the Iraqi Ministry of Social Affairs claims it to be 48%. Other sources are claiming a 20% unemployment rate and a probably 60% under-employment rate. The actual figure is problematic because of high participation in black-market activities and poor security conditions in many populous areas. In central Iraq, security concerns discouraged the hiring of new workers and the resumption of regular work schedules. At the same time, the return of Iraqis from other countries increased the number of job seekers. In late 2004, most legitimate jobs were in the government, the army, the oil industry, and security-related enterprises. Under Saddam Hussein Hussein, many of the highest-paid workers were employed by the greatly overstaffed government, whose overthrow disrupted the input of these people to the economy. In 2004, the U.S. Agency for International Development committed US$1 billion for a worker-training program. In early 2004, the minimum wage was US$72 per month.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: Iraq is a founding member of OPEC. Petroleum constitutes 99,7% of Iraq's exports with a value of $43,8 billion in 2016.


title: Economy of Iraq

text: From the 1990s until 2003, the international trade embargo restricted Iraq's export activity almost exclusively to oil. In 2003, oil accounted for about US$7.4 billion of Iraq's total US$7.6 billion of export value, and statistics for earlier years showed similar proportions. After the end of the trade embargo in 2003 expanded the range of exports, oil continued to occupy the dominant position: in 2004 Iraq's export income doubled (to US$16.5 billion), but oil accounted for all but US$340 million (2 per cent) of the total. In late 2004, sabotage significantly reduced oil output, and experts forecast that output, hence exports, would be below capacity in 2005 as well. In 2004, the chief export markets were the United States (which accounted for nearly half), Italy, France, Jordan, Canada, and the Netherlands. In 2004, the value of Iraq's imports was US$21.7 billion, incurring a trade deficit of about US$5.2 billion. In 2003, the main sources of Iraq's imports were Turkey, Jordan, Vietnam, the United States, Germany, and Britain. Because of Iraq's inactive manufacturing sector, the range of imports was quite large, including food, fuels, medicines, and manufactured goods. By 2010, exports rose to US$50.8 billion and imports rose to US$45.2 billion. Chief 2009 export partners were: U.S., India, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Netherlands, and Japan. Chief 2009 import partners were: Turkey, Syria, U.S., China, Jordan, Italy, and Germany.


title: Cimorelli

text: Cimorelli is an American singing group from El Dorado Hills, California consisting of 5 sisters: Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Amy, and Lauren. They first gained popularity on YouTube singing cover music and were subsequently signed to Universal Music's Island Records and Republic Records labels in 2009. Their oldest brother, Mike Jr., was a member of the group from 2007 to 2008, while their youngest sister Dani was a member from 2010 to 2020. The group's sound is mainly family-friendly pop music with tight harmonies and occasional band instruments. Their lyrics are centered on the themes of self-worth, friendship, love, heartbreak, and their Christian faith.


title: Cimorelli

text: The Cimorelli sisters grew up in a Catholic and home-schooled family consisting of 13 people: their dad, mom, and 5 brothers. Their mom Lynne is a composer, classical pianist, and choir director who taught her children to harmonize, sing, and play the piano. All of the sisters have attended community college for at least 1 semester, with the exception of Amy.


title: Cimorelli

text: Cimorelli has been heavily criticized on social media for offering very expensive fan experiences. These experiences included a private house concert for $25,000, a song recording session for $15,000, a makeover for $3000, being in a YouTube video with Cimorelli for $1500, a songwriting session for $1500, and eating ice-cream with Cimorelli for $1200. The fan experiences have since been removed from Cimorelli's official website.


title: Cimorelli

text: In 2017, Christina began offering online life coaching sessions for $125/hour, despite not being certified or licensed in the field. On her website, she provides a disclaimer that she "assumes no responsibility or liability for any consequence resulting directly or indirectly from any action or inaction you take based on any information found on or material linked to on this site".


title: Cimorelli

text: In 2018, Lynne Cimorelli began promoting and selling essential oils from the multi-level marketing and pyramid scheme company doTerra as an "Independent Wellness Advocate". She states that "essential oils are not mere products... they are a lifestyle!" Katherine mentioned that Lynne "got her entire family really into essential oils".


title: Cimorelli

text: Cimorelli is born and raised Catholic. They believe their Catholic faith is extremely important to them and it is the driving force behind everything they do. Their religious beliefs influence several aspects of their personal life, such as not using profanity in their music or in everyday life, waiting until marriage, and not using birth control.


title: Cimorelli

text: On July 9, 2017, Lisa and singer-songwriter Lauren Jauregui got into an argument on Twitter after Jauregui criticized the Catholic Church for its historically homophobic and controversial views. Cimorelli rebutted by stating that not all Catholics have the same views.


title: Cimorelli

text: Cimorelli supports the pro-life movement and has attended its annual marches. On January 17, 2019, Cimorelli performed at an event with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to raise awareness of the movement.


title: Cimorelli

text: In January 2008, Mike Cimorelli donated $2000 to Republican governor Mike Huckabee in support of his campaign in the 2008 United States presidential election. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cimorelli received backlash on Twitter for his insensitive comments towards the millions of people who have lost their jobs and incomes.


title: Cimorelli

text: On November 6, 2012, at 11:28 PM EST, Lisa tweeted "IDWLOTPA", an acronym for "I don't wanna live on this planet anymore", after it was announced that Barack Obama had won against Republican governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 United States presidential election.


title: Cimorelli

text: When asked which candidate they were voting for in the 2016 United States presidential election, Lauren responded that she was voting for God.


title: Cimorelli

text: Six out of the eleven Cimorelli siblings are married (Michael, Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Alex and Dani). Four of the married Cimorelli siblings are parents; Michael has 3 daughters, Christina has a son and a daughter, Katherine has twin boys, and Lisa has a daughter.


title: Cimorelli

text: Seven out of the eleven Cimorelli siblings, including Katherine, Amy, Lauren and Dani, were born with brachydactyly, a condition which causes their fingers to be abnormally short and crooked.


title: Cimorelli

text: Christina was diagnosed with a genetic blood clotting disorder after experiencing a miscarriage in her first pregnancy in 2019.


title: Cimorelli

text: Cimorelli is a pop vocal group that incorporates elements of piano, guitar, drums, and bass into their music. They describe their music as "real, emotional, fun, and expressive". The group is influenced by all the different types of music they listen to: indie, emo, country, soul, and Christian music. As a group, they are inspired by Demi Lovato, Alanis Morissette, Sam Hunt, and Ed Sheeran. The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, JoJo, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Hunt have influenced individual members of the group musically.


title: Cimorelli

text: In 2007, Mike Jr., Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Amy, and Lauren launched Cimorelli as a vocal group. The group sang at small shows around their hometown and the Sacramento area. On December 12, 2008, Cimorelli released their debut EP, "Hello There" (also known as "Cimorelli").


title: Cimorelli

text: On August 10, 2009, the group (then consisting of Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Amy, and Lauren) uploaded their cover of "Party in the U.S.A.". Following this release Cimorelli began releasing weekly covers.


title: Cimorelli

text: Cimorelli was signed by Island Records and Republic Records in 2009. The family then moved from El Dorado Hills, California to Malibu, California.


title: Cimorelli

text: On December 6, 2011, Cimorelli released their 2nd EP, "CimFam". This marked their first release under a major record label. The EP included 5 of Cimorelli's most popular covers and an original song written by all of the girls called "Million Bucks". The EP peaked at number 9 on the US Top Heatseekers chart.


title: Cimorelli

text: Later that year on December 11, 2012 the group released their 3rd EP, "Believe It". The EP consisted of 3 original songs and 1 Christmas cover. The music video for the title track of the EP also premiered on Cimorelli's Vevo channel on the same day. It was directed by music video, commercial, and film director Hannah Lux Davis. The EP peaked at number 7 on the US Top Heatseekers chart.


title: Cimorelli

text: On June 18, 2013, Cimorelli released their 4th EP, "Made in America". The EP consisted of 4 original songs. The music video for the title track of the EP premiered on Cimorelli's Vevo channel a week later on June 26, 2013. It was directed by music video director Erik White. The EP peaked at number 179 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and at number 4 on the US Top Heatseekers chart.


title: Cimorelli

text: During the months of May and June 2014, Cimorelli performed at DigiFest in London, New York City, Toronto, and Minnesota. Later in June 2014 Cimorelli launched their original web series titled "Summer with Cimorelli".


title: Cimorelli

text: On October 27, 2014, Cimorelli released their 5th EP, "Renegade". The EP consisted of 4 original songs. The EP peaked at number 10 on the US Heatseekers chart. A month later on November 24, 2014, Cimorelli released their 1st Christmas EP and 6th overall EP, "Christmas Magic". The EP consisted of 5 Christmas covers.


title: Cimorelli

text: In 2015, Cimorelli departed from Island Records and Republic Records, moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and became independent artists.


title: Cimorelli

text: Around May 2015, Cimorelli released a mixtape called "Hearts on Fire", which included 9 acoustic tracks. This was their first release after departing from Island Records and Republic Records.


title: Cimorelli

text: On May 17, 2016, Cimorelli released their debut full-length album, "Up at Night". It debuted at number 24 on the US Top Country Albums chart and peaked at number 7 on the US Heatseekers chart. The album sold 1,500 copies in the first week in the US.


title: Cimorelli

text: Later that year on December 20, Cimorelli released their 2nd full-length album, "Alive". It peaked at number 11 on the US Heatseekers and at number 42 on the Top Christian Albums chart.


title: Cimorelli

text: On October 27, 2017, Cimorelli released their 3rd album "Sad Girls Club". The album features a solo song from each sister, which was a new concept for the group. "Sad Girls Club" peaked at number 17 on the US Heatseekers chart.


title: Cimorelli

text: In the summer of 2018, Cimorelli released their 7th EP, "I Love You, or Whatever". The EP consisted of 4 songs and 3 spoken word poems read by Katherine, Amy, and Dani. As well, Lisa, Amy, and Dani starred in the indie film "Hope Springs Eternal" alongside Mia Rose Frampton, Stony Blyden, Lauren Giraldo, and Pej Vahdat.


title: Cimorelli

text: In October 2018, Cimorelli released their 8th EP, "Here's to Us: Wedding Song" to celebrate the marriage of Christina and her husband Nick. The EP consisted of 4 covers and 3 original songs (2 sung by Christina only and 1 sung by Cimorelli).


title: Cimorelli

text: In November 2018, Cimorelli released their 2nd Christmas EP and 9th overall EP, "Christmas Lights". The EP consisted of 2 covers and 2 original songs.


title: Cimorelli

text: The discography of Cimorelli consists of nine extended plays, three full-length albums, one mixtape, and two Christmas compilation albums.


title: Don Carlos

text: Don Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play "Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien" ("Don Carlos, Infante of Spain") by Friedrich Schiller. In addition, several incidents, of which the Forest of Fontainebleau scene and "auto-da-fé" were the most substantial, were borrowed from Eugène Cormon's 1846 play "Philippe II, Roi d'Espagne". The opera is most often performed in Italian translation, usually under the title Don Carlo.


title: Don Carlos

text: The opera's story is based on conflicts in the life of Carlos, Prince of Asturias (1545–1568). Though he was betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois, part of the peace treaty ending the Italian War of 1551–59 between the Houses of Habsburg and Valois demanded that she be married instead to his father Philip II of Spain. It was commissioned and produced by the Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra (Paris Opera) and given its premiere at the Salle Le Peletier on 11 March 1867.


title: Don Carlos

text: The first performance in Italian was given at Covent Garden in London in June 1867. The first performance in Italy was in Bologna in October 1867, also in Italian translation. After some revisions by Verdi, it was performed in Italian in Naples in November/December 1872. Verdi was also responsible for a short four-act "Milan version" in which the first act was removed and the ballet omitted (performed in Milan in January 1884 in Italian translation) but also apparently approved a five-act "Modena version" in which the first act was restored but the ballet still omitted (performed in Modena in December 1886, also in Italian translation). Around 1970, substantial passages of music cut before the premiere were discovered in Paris archives, giving rise to at least one additional version that can be ascribed to Verdi: the version he prepared for the Paris Opera in 1866, before any cuts were made. No other Verdi opera exists in so many authentic versions. At its full length (including the ballet and the cuts made before the first performance), it contains close to four hours of music and is Verdi's longest opera.


title: Don Carlos

text: Verdi made a number of cuts in 1866, after finishing the opera but before composing the ballet, simply because the work was becoming too long. These were a duet for Elisabeth and Eboli in Act 4, Scene 1; a duet for Carlos and the King after the death of Posa in Act 4, Scene 2; and an exchange between Elisabeth and Eboli during the insurrection in the same scene.


title: Don Carlos

text: After the ballet had been composed, it emerged during the 1867 rehearsal period that, without further cuts, the opera would not finish before midnight (the time by which patrons would need to leave in order to catch the last trains to the Paris suburbs). Verdi then authorised some further cuts, which were, firstly, the introduction to Act 1 (with a chorus of woodcutters and their wives, and including the first appearance of Elisabeth); secondly, a short entry solo for Posa ("J'étais en Flandres") in Act 2, Scene 1; and, thirdly, part of the dialogue between the King and Posa at the end of Act 2, Scene 2.


title: Don Carlos

text: The opera was first published as given at the première and consisted of Verdi's original conception, without the music of the above-named cuts, but with the ballet.


title: Don Carlos

text: In 1969, at a Verdi congress in Verona, the American musicologist David Rosen presented the missing section from the Philip-Posa duet from the end of Act 2, which he had found folded down in the conductor's copy of the score. Other pages with cuts had simply been removed from the autograph score and the conductor's copy. Shortly thereafter, the British music critic Andrew Porter found most of these other cut passages could be reconstructed from the individual parts, in which the pages with the "lost" music had been either "pasted, pinned or stitched down." In all, 21 minutes of missing music was restored. Nearly all of the known music Verdi composed for the opera, including the pre-première cuts and later revisions, can be found in an integral edition prepared by the German musicologist Ursula Günther, first published in 1980 and in a second, revised version in 1986.


title: Don Carlos

text: After the première and before leaving Paris, Verdi authorised the Opéra authorities to end Act 4, Scene 2 with the death of Posa (thereby omitting the insurrection scene) if they thought fit. This was done, beginning with the second performance on 13 March, after his departure. Further (unauthorised) cuts were apparently made during the remaining performances. Despite a grandiose production designed by scenic artists Charles-Antoine Cambon and Joseph Thierry (Acts I and III), Édouard Desplechin and Jean-Baptiste Lavastre (Acts II and V), and Auguste Alfred Rubé and Philippe Chaperon (Act IV), it appears to have been a "problem opera" for the Opéra—it disappeared from its repertoire after 1869.


title: Don Carlos

text: It was common practice at the time for most theatres (other than those in French-speaking communities) to perform operas in Italian, and an Italian translation of "Don Carlos" was prepared in the autumn of 1866 by Achille de Lauzières. On 18 November 1866 Verdi wrote to Giovanni Ricordi, offering the Milan publisher the Italian rights, but insisting that the opera:


title: Don Carlos

text: However, the Italian translation was first performed not in Italy but in London at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 4 June 1867, where it was produced and conducted by Michael Costa. However, it was not as Verdi desired; the opera was given in a cut and altered form, with the first act being removed, the ballet in Act 3 being omitted, and Carlo's aria "Io la vidi" (originally in Act 1) being moved to Act 3, just before the terzetto. Additionally, the duet between Philip and the Inquisitor was shortened by four lines, and Elisabeth's aria in Act 5 consisted only of part of the middle section and the reprise. The production was initially considered a success, and Verdi sent a congratulatory note to Costa. Later when he learned of the alterations, Verdi was greatly irritated, but Costa's version anticipated revisions Verdi himself would make a few years later in 1882–83.


title: Don Carlos

text: The Italian premiere on 27 October 1867 at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, conducted by Verdi's close friend Angelo Mariani, was an "instant success", and this version, although produced in Verdi's absence, was more complete and included the ballet. For the Rome premiere on 9 February 1868 at the Teatro Apollo, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Papal censor changed the Inquisitor into a Gran Cancelliere (Grand Chancellor) and the Monk/Emperor into a Solitario (Recluse).


title: Don Carlos

text: This version of the opera was first performed in Milan at La Scala on 25 March 1868, and prestige productions in most other Italian opera houses followed, but it did not become a popular success. The length was a particular problem, and subsequent performances were generally heavily cut. The first production in Naples in 1871 was indisputably a failure.


title: Don Carlos

text: Following the unsuccessful performance in Naples in 1871, Verdi was persuaded to visit the city for further performances in November / December 1872, and he made two more modifications to the score: (a) a revision of the closing two-thirds of the Philippe-Rodrique duet in Act 2, Scene 2 (to Italian verses, almost certainly by Antonio Ghislanzoni), which replaced some of the previously cut material, and (b) the removal of the "allegro marziale" section of the final Elisabeth-Carlos duet (replaced with an 8-bar patch). These are the only portions of the opera that were composed to an Italian rather than a French text. According to Julian Budden, Verdi "was to regret both modifications". Ricordi incorporated the revisions into later prints of the opera without changing the plate numbers. This subsequently confused some authors, e.g. Francis Toye and Ernest Newman, who dated them to 1883.


title: Don Carlos

text: The idea of reducing the scope and scale of "Don Carlos" had originally come to Verdi in 1875, partly as a result of his having heard reports of productions, such as Costa's, which had removed Act 1 and the ballet and introduced cuts to other parts of the opera. By April 1882, he was in Paris where he was ready to make changes. He was already familiar with the work of Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter, who had worked on French translations of "Macbeth", "La forza del destino" and "Aida" with du Locle, and the three proceeded to spend nine months on major revisions of the French text and the music to create a four-act version. This omitted Act 1 and the ballet, and was completed by March 1883. An Italian translation of this revised French text, re-using much of the original 1866 translation by de Lauzières, was made by . The La Scala première of the 1883 revised version took place on 10 January 1884 in Italian.


title: Don Carlos

text: Although Verdi had accepted the need to remove the first act, it seems that he changed his mind and allowed a performance which presented the "Fontainebleau" first act along with the revised four-act version. It was given on 29 December 1886 in Modena, and has become known as the "Modena version", which was published by Ricordi as "a new edition in five acts without ballet".


title: Don Carlos

text: Performances of "Don Carlo" in the first half of the twentieth century were rare, but in the post Second World War period it has been regularly performed, particularly in the four-act 1884 "Milan version" in Italian. In 1950, to open Rudolf Bing's first season as director of the Metropolitan Opera, the four-act version was performed without the ballet in a production by Margaret Webster with Jussi Björling in the title role, Delia Rigal as Elizabeth, Robert Merrill as Rodrigo, Fedora Barbieri as Eboli, Cesare Siepi as Philip II and Jerome Hines as the Grand Inquisitor. This version was performed there until 1972. The four-act version in Italian continued to be championed by conductors such as Herbert von Karajan (1978 audio recording and 1986 video recording) and Riccardo Muti (1992 video recording).


title: Don Carlos

text: Also influential was a 1958 staging of the 1886 five-act "Modena version" in Italian by The Royal Opera company, Covent Garden, directed by Luchino Visconti and conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. The cast included Jon Vickers as Don Carlo, Tito Gobbi as Rodrigo, Boris Christoff as King Phillip and Gré Brouwenstijn as Elizabeth. This version has increasingly been performed elsewhere and has been recorded by, among others, Georg Solti and Giulini.


title: Don Carlos

text: After the discovery of music cut before the premiere, conductors began performing five-act versions that included some of it. In 1973 at La Fenice, Georges Prêtre conducted a 5-act version in Italian without the ballet that included the discarded woodcutters scene, the first Carlo-Rodrigo duet in a hybrid beginning with the Paris edition but ending with the Milan revision, the discarded Elisabeth-Eboli duet from Act 4, and the Paris finale. In 1975, Charles Mackerras conducted an expanded and modified five-act version (with Verdi's original prelude, the woodcutters' scene and the original Paris ending) in an English translation for English National Opera at the London Coliseum. In 1978, Claudio Abbado mounted an expanded five-act version in Italian at La Scala. The cast included Mirella Freni as Elizabeth, Elena Obraztsova as Eboli, José Carreras in the title role, Piero Cappuccilli as Rodrigo, Nicolai Ghiaurov as King Phillip, and Evgeny Nesterenko as the Grand Inquisitor. On 5 February 1979, James Levine conducted an expanded five-act version in Italian at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The cast included Renata Scotto as Elizabeth, Marilyn Horne as Eboli, Giuseppe Giacomini as Don Carlo, Sherrill Milnes as Rodrigo, Nicolai Ghiaurov as King Philip, and James Morris as the Grand Inquisitor.


title: Don Carlos

text: Today, as translated into Italian and presented in four-act and five-act versions, the opera has become part of the standard repertory.


title: Don Carlos

text: Stagings and broadcasts of five-act French versions of the opera have become more frequent in the later 20th and into the 21st century. Up to 1973, these productions consisted of the revised and abridged four-act score of 1882–83 prefaced by the shortened, revised Act 1 set in Fontainebleau. A radio broadcast by ORTF in France was given in 1967 with a nearly all-French cast, with the exception of the Italian Matteo Manuguerra as Rodrigue. A five-act French version was performed at La Scala Milan in 1970.


title: Don Carlos

text: On 22 May 1973, the Opera Company of Boston under the direction of Sarah Caldwell presented a nearly complete five-act French version which included the 21 minutes of music cut before the premiere, but not the ballet. The 1867 version was used, since the restored music does not easily fit with the 1886 revised version. The cast included John Alexander in the title role, the French-Canadian Édith Tremblay as Élisabeth, the French singer as Princess Eboli, William Dooley as Rogrigue and Donald Gramm as Philippe. According to Andrew Porter, the Boston production was "the first performance, ever, of the immense opera that Verdi prepared in 1867; and in doing so it opened a new chapter in the stage history of the piece."


title: Don Carlos

text: The BBC Concert Orchestra under John Matheson broadcast the opera in June 1973 with the roles of Don Carlos sung by André Turp, Philippe II by Joseph Rouleau, and Rodrigue by Robert Savoie. Julian Budden comments that "this was the first complete performance of what could be called the 1866 conception in French with the addition of the ballet."


title: Don Carlos

text: Several notable productions of five-act French versions have been mounted more recently. A five-act French version was performed by the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels in 1983. A co-production between the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and the Royal Opera in London in 1996 used Andrew Porter as a consultant and was a "judicious mixture" of music from the 1866 original and the 1883 revision. The production, staged by Luc Bondy, was also shared with the opera houses in Brussels, Nice and Lyon. The performance by the Paris cast (March 1996), was conducted by Antonio Pappano with Roberto Alagna as Don Carlos, Karita Mattila as Elisabeth, Thomas Hampson as Rodrigue, José Van Dam as Philippe II and Waltraud Meier as Eboli. It was recorded on videotape and is now available in a remastered HD video format.


title: Don Carlos

text: A Vienna State Opera production, staged by Peter Konwitschny and performed in Vienna in October 2004, included all of the music excised during the Paris rehearsal period plus the ballet. Patrick O'Connor, writing in the "Gramophone" magazine, reports the ballet was "staged as 'Eboli's Dream'. She and Don Carlos are living in suburban bliss, and have Philip and Elisabeth round for a pizza, delivered by Rodrigo. Musically, the performance, apart from the Auto-da-fé scene, has a lot going for it under the direction of Bertrand de Billy." A DVD video recording is available.


title: Don Carlos

text: On 17 September 2005 a co-production directed by John Caird of the largely uncut Paris version in French between the Welsh National Opera and the Canadian Opera Company (Toronto) was premiered by the WNO at the Wales Millennium Center. The performance was conducted by Carlo Rizzi with Nuccia Focile as Elizabeth, Paul Charles Clarke as Don Carlos, Scott Hendricks as Rodrigue, Guang Yang as Eboli, Andrea Silvestrelli as Philippe II, and Daniel Sumegi as the Grand Inquisitor. The production was taken on tour to Edinburgh, Oxford, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton and Liverpool. It was performed by the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto in October/November 2007 with a different cast. The production was performed several times by the Houston Grand Opera from 13 April 2012 until 28 April. The Houston production was conducted by Patrick Summers with Brandon Jovanovich as Don Carlos, Tamara Wilson as Elizabeth, Andrea Silvestrelli as Philippe II, Christine Goerke as Eboli, Scott Hendricks as Rodrigue and Samuel Ramey as the Grand Inquisitor.


title: Don Carlos

text: In 2017, the Opéra National de Paris performed the 1866 French version (before the ballet was composed) in a production staged by Krzysztof Warlikowski at the Bastille. Conducted by Philippe Jordan, the cast included Jonas Kaufmann as Don Carlos, Sonya Yoncheva as Elisabeth, Ludovic Tézier as Rodrigue, Ildar Abdrazakov as Philippe II and Elīna Garanča as Eboli.


title: Don Carlos

text: A prelude and chorus of woodcutters and their wives is heard. They complain of their hard life, made worse by war with Spain. Elisabeth, daughter of the King of France, arrives with her attendants. She reassures the people that her impending marriage to Don Carlos, Infante and son of Philip II, King of Spain, will bring the war to an end, and departs.


title: Don Carlos

text: Carlos, coming out from hiding, has seen Elisabeth and fallen in love with her (Aria: "Je l'ai vue" / "Io la vidi"). When she reappears, he initially pretends to be a member of the Count of Lerma's delegation. She asks him about Don Carlos, whom she has not yet met. Before long, Carlos reveals his true identity and his feelings, which she reciprocates (Duet: "De quels transports poignants et doux" / "Di quale amor, di quanto ardor"). A cannon-shot signifies that peace has been declared between Spain and France. Thibault appears and gives Elisabeth the surprising news that her hand is to be claimed not by Carlos but by his father, Philip. When Lerma and his followers confirm this, Elisabeth is devastated but feels bound to accept, in order to consolidate the peace. She departs for Spain, leaving Carlos equally devastated.


title: Don Carlos

text: The scene takes place soon after King Philip II and Elisabeth have married. Monks pray before the tomb of the former Emperor Charles V ("Carlo Quinto"). The monks' leader proclaims that the Emperor was proud but has been humbled through error.


title: Don Carlos

text: When Carlos pauses in his lament, the leader of the monks proclaims that the turbulence of the world persists even in sacred places; we cannot rest except in Heaven. The sound of his voice frightens Carlos, who thinks it sounds like that of the Emperor Charles V. Carlos further notices that the monk physically resembles the Emperor, and recalls hearing rumors that the Emperor's ghost haunts the monastery.


title: Don Carlos

text: Carlos' dear friend Rodrigue, Marquis of Posa, who has just arrived from the oppressed land of Flanders, enters. The two greet each other joyfully (Aria: "J'étais en Flandres").


title: Don Carlos

text: Posa asks for the Infante's aid on behalf of the suffering people there. Carlos reveals that he loves his stepmother. Posa is first shocked, but then sympathetic. He encourages Carlos to leave Spain and go to Flanders, and to forget his pain by focusing on political activity there. The two men swear eternal friendship (Duet: "Dieu, tu semas dans nos âmes" / "Dio, che nell'alma infondere").


title: Don Carlos

text: King Philip and his new wife, with their attendants, enter also to do homage at Charles V's tomb, while Don Carlos laments his lost love.


title: Don Carlos

text: Princess Eboli sings the Veil Song ("Au palais des fées" / "Nel giardin del bello") about a Moorish King trying to seduce an alluring veiled beauty, who turns out to be his own neglected wife. Elisabeth enters. Posa gives her a letter from France, which covers a secret note from Don Carlos. At his urging (Aria: "L'Infant Carlos, notre espérance" / "Carlo ch'è sol il nostro amore"), Elisabeth agrees to see the Infante alone. Unaware of this relationship, Eboli infers that she, Eboli, is the one Don Carlos loves.


title: Don Carlos

text: When they are alone, Don Carlos tells Elisabeth that he is miserable, and asks her to request the King to send him to Flanders. She promptly agrees, provoking Carlos to renew his declarations of love, which she piously rejects. Don Carlos exits in a frenzy, shouting that he must be under a curse. The King enters and becomes angry because the Queen is alone and unattended. His suspicions are insulting to her. He orders the lady-in-waiting who was meant to be attending her, the Countess of Aremberg, to return to France, prompting Elizabeth to sing a sorrowful farewell-aria. (Aria: "Oh ma chère compagne" / "Non pianger, mia compagna").


title: Don Carlos

text: The King now approaches Posa, with whose character and activism he is impressed, and offers to reward him for his loyalty and service. Posa begs the King to stop oppressing the people of Flanders. The King calls Posa's idealism unrealistic and warns that the Grand Inquisitor is watching him. The King confides in Posa, telling him that he fears that Carlos is having an affair with Elisabeth. Posa replies that Carlos is innocent, and offers to watch Elisabeth and to be responsible for her good behavior. The King gratefully accepts this offer, and again warns Posa to beware of the Grand Inquisitor.


title: Don Carlos

text: Elisabeth is tired, and wishes to concentrate on the following day's coronation of the King. To avoid the "divertissement" planned for the evening, she exchanges masks with Eboli, assuming that thereby her absence will not be noticed, and leaves.


title: Don Carlos

text: At midnight, Don Carlos enters, clutching a note suggesting a tryst in the gardens. Although he thinks this is from Elisabeth, it is really from Eboli. Eboli, who still thinks Don Carlos loves her, enters. Don Carlos mistakes her for Elisabeth in the dark, and passionately declares his love. When he sees Eboli's face, he realizes his error and recoils from her. Eboli guesses his secret—that he was expecting the Queen, whom he loves. She threatens to tell the King that Elisabeth and Carlos are lovers. Carlos, terrified, begs for mercy. Posa enters, and warns her not to cross him; he is the King's confidant. Eboli replies by hinting darkly that she is a formidable and dangerous foe, with power which Posa does not yet know about. (Her power is that she is having an affair with the King, but she does not reveal this yet.) Posa draws his dagger, intending to stab her to death, but reconsiders, spares her, and declares his trust in the Lord. Eboli exits in a vengeful rage. Posa advises Carlos to entrust to him any sensitive, potentially incriminating political documents that he may have and, when Carlos agrees, they reaffirm their friendship.


title: Don Carlos

text: Preparations are being made for an "auto-da-fé", the public parade and burning of condemned heretics. While the people celebrate, monks drag the condemned to the woodpile. A royal procession follows, and the King addresses the populace, promising to protect them with fire and sword. Don Carlos enters with six Flemish envoys, who plead with the King for their country's freedom. Although the people and the court are sympathetic, the King, supported by the monks, orders his guards to arrest the envoys. Carlos demands that the King grant him authority to govern Flanders; the King scornfully refuses. Enraged, Carlos draws his sword against the King. The King calls for help but the guards will not attack Don Carlos. Posa realizes that actually attacking the King would be disastrous for Carlos. He steps forward and defuses the situation by taking Carlos' sword from him. Carlos, astonished, yields to his friend without resisting. Relieved and grateful, the King raises Posa to the rank of Duke. The guards arrest Carlos, the monks fire the woodpile, and as the flames start to rise, a heavenly voice can be heard promising heavenly peace to the condemned souls.


title: Don Carlos

text: Alone and suffering from insomnia, the King, in a reverie, laments that Elisabeth has never loved him, that his position means that he has to be eternally vigilant and that he will only sleep properly when he is in his tomb in the Escorial (Aria: "Elle ne m'aime pas" / "Ella giammai m'amò"). The blind, ninety-year-old Grand Inquisitor is announced and shuffles into the King's apartment. When the King asks if the Church will object to him putting his own son to death, the Inquisitor replies that the King will be in good company: God sacrificed "His" own son. In return for his support, the Inquisitor demands that the King have Posa killed. The King refuses at first to kill his friend, whom he admires and likes. However, the Grand Inquisitor reminds the King that the Inquisition can take down any king; he has created and destroyed other rulers before. Frightened and overwhelmed, the King begs the Grand Inquisitor to forget about the past discussion. The latter replies "Peut-être" / "Forse!" – perhaps! – and leaves. The King bitterly muses on his helplessness to oppose the Church.


title: Don Carlos

text: Elisabeth enters, alarmed at the apparent theft of her jewel casket. However, the King produces it and points to the portrait of Don Carlos which it contains, accusing her of adultery. She protests her innocence but, when the King threatens her, she faints. In response to his calls for help, into the chamber come Eboli and Posa. Their laments of suspicion cause the King to realize that he has been wrong to suspect his wife (Quartet: "Maudit soit le soupçon infâme" / "Ah, sia maledetto, il rio sospetto"). Aside, Posa resolves to save Carlos, though it may mean his own death. Eboli feels remorse for betraying Elisabeth; the latter, recovering, expresses her despair.


title: Don Carlos

text: Elisabeth and Eboli are left together. Eboli confesses that it was she who told the King that Elisabeth and Carlos were having an affair, for revenge against Carlos for having rejected her. This is followed by the duet "J'ai tout compris". Eboli also confesses that she herself is guilty of that which she accused the Queen, and has become the King's mistress. Elisabeth leaves, and the Count di Lerma orders Eboli to choose between exile or the convent, then leaves.


title: Don Carlos

text: Eboli, left alone, curses her own beauty and pride, and resolves to make amends by trying to save Carlos from the Inquisition (Aria: "O don fatal" / "O don fatale").


title: Don Carlos

text: Don Carlos has been imprisoned. Posa arrives and tells Carlos that he (Posa) has saved Carlos from being executed, by allowing himself (Posa) to be incriminated by the politically sensitive documents which he had obtained from Carlos earlier (Aria, part 1: "C'est mon jour suprême" / "Per me giunto è il dì supremo"). A shadowy figure appears—one of the Grand Inquisitor's assassins—and shoots Posa in the chest. As he dies, Posa tells Carlos that Elisabeth will meet him at Saint-Just the following day. He adds that he is content to die if his friend can save Flanders and rule over a happier Spain (Aria, part 2: "Ah, je meurs, l'âme joyeuse" / "Io morrò, ma lieto in core"). At that moment, the King enters, offering his son freedom, as Posa had arranged. Carlos repulses him for having murdered Posa. The King sees that Posa is dead and cries out in sorrow.


title: Don Carlos

text: Bells ring as Elisabeth and Eboli enter. The crowd pushes its way into the prison and threatens the King, demanding the release of Carlos. In the confusion, Eboli escapes with Carlos. The people are brave enough at first in the presence of the King, but they are terrified by the arrival of the Grand Inquisitor, and instantly obey his angry command to quiet down and pay homage to the King.


title: Don Carlos

text: Elisabeth kneels before the tomb of Charles V. She is committed to help Don Carlos on his way to fulfill his destiny in Flanders, but she herself longs only for death (Aria: "Toi qui sus le néant" / "Tu che le vanità"). Carlos appears and tells her that he has overcome his desire for her; he now loves her honorably, as a son loves his mother. They say a final farewell, promising to meet again in Heaven (Duet: "Au revoir dans un monde où la vie est meilleure" / "Ma lassù ci vedremo in un mondo migliore").


title: Don Carlos

text: The King and the Grand Inquisitor enter, with several armed guards. The King infers that Carlos and Elisabeth have been lovers and demands that they both be immediately killed in a double sacrifice. The Inquisitor confirms that the Inquisition will do its duty. A short summary trial follows, confirming Carlos's putative culpability.


title: Don Carlos

text: Carlos, cries "Ah, God will avenge me, this tribunal of blood, His hand will crush." Defending himself, Carlos retreats towards the tomb of Charles V. The gate opens, the Monk appears, draws Carlos into his arms, covers him with his coat and sings: "My son, the pains of the earth still follow us in this place, the peace your heart hopes for is found only with God." The King and the Inquisitor recognize the Monk's voice: he is the King's father, Charles V, who was believed dead. As the curtain slowly falls, the Monk leads the distraught Carlos into the cloister to the chanting of monks in the chapel that "Charles V, the august Emperor is naught but ash and dust." The opera concludes softly with pianissimo chords and tremolos played by the strings.


title: Don Carlos

text: Except as noted, the instrumentation shown here is from the "Edizione integrale", second edition, edited by Ursula Günther.


title: Romeo Langford

text: Romeo James Langford (born October 25, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. Langford was ranked as one of the highest prospects in the college class of 2019; he finished as the 5th overall prospect in the 2018 247sports rankings. A shooting guard, he was drafted by the Celtics 14th overall in the 2019 NBA draft.


title: Romeo Langford

text: Langford attended New Albany High School. Despite substantial interest from multiple prep schools, Langford chose to spend his four high school years at New Albany. As a freshman, Langford led New Albany to a 23–3 record and the regional tournament while averaging 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds. In his sophomore year, he averaged 30.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while leading New Albany to a 27–1 record and a class 4A state championship, the school's first state title since 1973. In his junior year, he averaged 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, leading New Albany to a 25–4 record and to the class 4A state quarterfinals. On November 21, 2017, Langford opened up his senior season with a then career high 48 points in a 110–36 victory over Charlestown. On February 1, Langford scored a new career high 63 points against Jennings County. On January 16, 2018, Langford was announced as a McDonald's All-American to participate in the 2018 game., where he competed and won the Legends and Stars Shootout competition. Langford finished his high school career fourth on the all-time Indiana state scoring list with 3,002 points. The penultimate award of his high school career, Langford was crowned Indiana Mr. Basketball of 2018 at the annual IndyStar Sports Awards ceremony. In addition, he was also named the Boys Athlete of the Year.


title: Romeo Langford

text: Langford was rated as a 5 star recruit by Rivals, 247Sports, Scouts, and ESPN, which have praised him for his electric scoring and playmaking abilities.


title: Romeo Langford

text: Langford was recruited in high school by numerous high-profile schools, including Indiana, Louisville,


title: Romeo Langford

text: Kansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, UCLA, and Duke, and was visited by multiple coaches including John Calipari, Bill Self, Roy Williams, and Archie Miller. On November 11, 2017, Langford announced via Twitter that he had narrowed his choices down to Indiana, Kansas, and Vanderbilt. When asked about a timeline for his decision, Langford emphasized that he didn't want to rush the decision, and that he would "probably be making [his] decision after the season." He announced on April 11, 2018 that he would declare his college choice on April 30 at New Albany High School. On April 30, 2018, he announced his intention to play for his home state Indiana University. He is the 27th former Indiana Mr. Basketball and 21st former McDonald's All-American to play basketball at Indiana.


title: Romeo Langford

text: Langford, who was ESPN’s No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2018 and Indiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year, played one college season in his home state at Indiana University where he is known as one of the best freshman in the schools history before declaring for the NBA Draft. Langford tore a ligament in his thumb in late November at IU, but he played through the pain and didn’t miss a game all year. Langford was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times. He averaged 16.5 points per game, the highest among the Big Ten freshmen and the third highest all-time among Indiana University freshmen, behind Eric Gordon and Mike Woodson.


title: Romeo Langford

text: After the season, Langford declared for the 2019 NBA draft, where he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 14th pick.


title: Romeo Langford

text: Langford was selected with the 14th overall draft pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2019 NBA draft. On July 11, 2019, the Celtics announced that they had signed with Langford. Langford was assigned to the Maine Red Claws for the start of the NBA G League season. He rolled his ankle in a game against Fort Wayne Mad Ants on November 15. On September 22, 2020, the Boston Celtics announced that Langford had undergone surgery to repair the scapholunate ligament of his right wrist and would miss the remainder of the 2019–20 NBA season.


title: Romeo Langford

text: After his injury-riddled rookie season, Langford made his sophomore debut on April 4, 2021 against the Charlotte Hornets. He continued to be a semi-constant rotation player for the rest of the season and showed intriguing signs of future potential in the 18 regular season games he played. As injuries continued to plague the Celtics into the 2021 NBA playoffs, Langford took on a larger role in four of the five playoff games for Boston averaging more than 27 minutes per game. With the absences of Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, and Robert Williams, Langford's expanded playoff opportunity showed glimpses of individual progression, notably in Game 5 against the Brooklyn Nets where he dropped a career high 17 points to go along with 2 steals and 2 blocks.


title: Romeo Langford

text: On February 10, 2022, Langford was traded to the San Antonio Spurs along with Josh Richardson in exchange for Derrick White.


title: Romeo Langford

text: In his childhood and early years Romeo grew up in New Albany, Indiana. Romeo is the son of Tim and Sabrina Langford, and has two sisters, Tiffany and Tisha. He began playing basketball in the first grade, and has expressed admiration for NBA player LeBron James. Romeo has expressed pride in challenging himself academically through advanced classes and enjoyment in taking math, and noted that he desires a college that would allow him to get a good degree in addition to playing basketball. He is a close friend of NFL player Rondale Moore as the two grew up together on the same block in New Albany and played basketball together through their sophomore year of high school.


The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for their favourite actors from the Hindi film industry. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in different countries around the world every year.


title: International Indian Film Academy Awards

text: The IIFA Utsavam is the South Indian segment of the annual IIFA Awards. The awards were introduced in 2016, around the films released in 2015. The 1st IIFA Utsavam was held on 24 and 25 January 2016 at the Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad, India.


text: The first awards were presented in 2000 at The Millennium Dome in London, United Kingdom. From then onwards, the awards are held at locations around the world signifying the international success of Bollywood. Since 2000, the event has expanded from a one-night event to a three-day celebration, hosting various events and activities relating to the Indian film industry.


text: These awards honour films from the previous calendar year. Amitabh Bachchan is the Brand Ambassador of the IIFA since its inception. In its 10th year (2009), five special awards were introduced: Star of the Decade (Male and Female), Movie of the Decade, Music of the Decade, and Director of the Decade.


title: Item number

text: In Indian cinema, an item number or item song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, and Bengali cinema) to describe a catchy, upbeat, often provocative dance sequence for a song performed in a movie. The main aim of an item number is to entertain movie-goers and to lend support to the marketability of the film by being featured in trailers. They are favoured by filmmakers as they afford the opportunity to pick potential hit songs from the stocks, since they do not add to the continuity of the plot. It is thus a vehicle for commercial success that ensures repeat viewing.


title: Item number

text: An actress, singer, or dancer, especially someone who is poised to become a star, who appears in an item number is known as an item girl (there are item boys as well). However, second-generation South Asian women are more commonly featured in item numbers than men.


title: Item number

text: In filmi Mumbai slang, the term "item" means a "sexy woman", thus the original sense of "item number" is a highly sensualized song with racy, dirty imagery and suggestive lyrics.


title: Item number

text: Up to the 1970s, Bollywood often relied on a female "vamp" character – usually playing the role of a cabaret dancer, "tawaif"/prostitute/courtesan, or male gangster's moll – to provide musical entertainment deemed more risqué. While film heroines also sang and danced, it was the vamp who wore more revealing clothes, smoked, drank, and sang sexually suggestive lyrics. The vamp was portrayed as immodest rather than evil, and her dance performances were sexualized by male producers. The trend was started by Cuckoo in films like "Awaara" (1951), "Aan" (1952) and "Shabistan" (1951).


title: Item number

text: Item numbers had been featured in Bollywood from as early as the 1930s. Azoorie in the 1930s often performed item numbers; Cuckoo was the next popular item dancer in the late 40s. Her banner year was 1949 when she was featured in over 17 films performing dances. Actress and classical dancer Vyjayanthimala was the one that introduced the classical dance number in Hindi films with her debut film "Bahar" (1951). The mixture of classical plus contemporary was popularized by Vyjayanthimala in films such as "Devdas" (1955), "Amrapali" (1966), "Madhumati" (1958), "Sadhna" (1958), Sunghursh (1968) etc.


title: Item number

text: In the early 50s, Cuckoo introduced the Anglo-Burmese Helen as a chorus girl. In time Helen would come to be the most popular vamp of the late-50s, 60s and 70s, having had performed in scores of item numbers including such popular songs as "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo" from the film "Howrah Bridge" (1958), "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" from "Caravan" (1971), "Mehbooba Mehbooba" from "Sholay" (1975) and "Yeh Mera Dil" from "Don " (1978) (the song's tune was used in Don't Phunk with My Heart), "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" from Teesri Manzil and "Aa Jaane Jaan" from Intaqam. In films like "Gunga Jumna" and "Zindagi" the actress performed semi-classical Indian dances in songs like "Tora man bada paapi" and "Ghungarwa mora chham chham baaje". A "desi" bar number, "Mungda" from "Inkaar" was also immensely popular. In addition to her skillful dancing, her anglicised looks too helped further the vamp image. Helen's dominance pushed other vying item number dancers like Madhumati, Bela Bose, Laxmi Chhaya, Jeevankala, Aruna Irani, Sheela R. and Sujata Bakshi into the background and less prestigious and low budget b-movies.


title: Item number

text: In the early part of the 1970s actresses Jayshree T., Bindu, Aruna Irani and Padma Khanna entered into what was Helen's monopoly. Another noted feature of this era was the "tribal and "banjara"" item numbers such as the one in the Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman and Rex Harrison starrer "Shalimar". Such songs provided the necessary settings for the lead couple's love to bloom.


title: Item number

text: Around the 1980s the vamp and the heroine merged into one figure and the lead actress had begun to perform the bolder numbers. The craze for "tribal and "banjara"" item numbers were soon gave way to slick choreography. In the late 1990s, with the proliferation of film songs based television shows, film producers had come to realise that an exceptional way to entice audiences into theaters was by spending excessively on the visualization of songs. Hence regardless of the theme and plot, an elaborate song and dance routine involving spectacularly lavish sets, costumes, special effects, extras and dancers would invariably be featured in a film. It was asserted that this contributed highly to the film's "repeat value".


title: Item number

text: Madhuri Dixit is often considered to be the pioneer of the modern trend. In the late 1980s, the song "Ek Do Teen" was added to the movie "Tezaab" as an afterthought, but it transformed Dixit and made her a superstar. Her partnership with choreographer Saroj Khan has resulted in numerous hits including the controversial "Choli ke peeche kya hai" and "Dhak Dhak" ("Beta"). Soon after the release of the film "Khal Nayak", there were press reports stating that people were seeing the film again and again but only for the song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" that featured Dixit.


title: Item number

text: Although there have been many songs that fit the descriptions of item numbers in the early and mid-1990s, the term itself was coined when Shilpa Shetty danced for "Main Aai Hoon UP Bihar Lootne" in the movie "Shool". This is perhaps the first time the media actually referred to Shetty as an "item girl" and the scene as an "item number".


title: Item number

text: Since 2000, many top Bollywood stars now do item numbers, and many new women entering Bollywood find item numbers a more amenable shortcut to success, as opposed to more traditional roles with no guarantee of eventual stardom. Former item girls in pop songs outside films, Rakhi Sawant and Meghna Naidu, for example, are now in demand and very popular. Today, they are even being given lead roles in movies. As of 2007, Mallika Sherawat had become the most expensive item girl, charging Rs. 15 million (roughly US$375,000) for the song "Mehbooba Mehbooba" in "Aap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story". Another example is actress Urmila Matondkar, one of the most successful item girls during that time. She was featured in "Chamma Chamma" in the 1998 film "China Gate". Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film musical, "Moulin Rouge!" used a westernized version of this song.


title: Item number

text: Malaika Arora and Yana Gupta are "official" item number dancers and have said in interviews that they don't want to act in movies since they already earn more than enough money just by doing one item number as opposed to full-on roles.


title: Item number

text: Abhishek Bachchan became the first "item boy" with his performance in "Rakht"; Shahrukh Khan performed an item number of sorts during the opening credits of "Kaal" but later had an item number in a truer sense of the word with "Dard-e-disco" in "Om Shanti Om", where he was shot in a more typical "item girl" manner, with Khan wearing minimal clothing (though this number did have a connection, albeit tenuous, with the plot of the film). In "Krazzy 4", Hrithik Roshan has an item number during the end credits. Ranbir Kapoor made his debut in an item number in "Chillar Party" (2011); drawing inspiration from his father Rishi Kapoor's Qawwali song "Parda Hai Parda" from "Amar Akbar Anthony". In 2005 and 2006 actress Bipasha Basu gave blockbuster hit numbers like No Entry and Beedi Jalaile.


title: Item number

text: In the 2007 Telugu film "Desamuduru", the song "Attaantode Ittaantode" featuring Allu Arjun and Rambha became a chartbuster. In the 2007 film "Om Shanti Om", the song "Deewangi Deewangi" had guest appearances by over 30 Bollywood stars. In 2008, the makers of "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" featured Kajol, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Priety Zinta, and Rani Mukerji playing five leading ladies opposite Shahrukh Khan in the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte".


title: Item number

text: In 2010, Katrina Kaif featured in "Sheila Ki Jawani" from "Tees Maar Khan", and Malaika Arora featured in "Munni Badnaam Hui" from "Dabangg". Parallels were drawn between Katrina and Malaika, as well as between the item numbers, in what was popularly known as the "Munni vs Sheila" debate. The songs became so popular, that, soon, more films began incorporating item numbers, and with more top stars now wanting to do them.


title: Item number

text: In 2012, Katrina Kaif again featured in an item number "Chikni Chameli" sung by Shreya Ghoshal which became a huge hit. In 2013, Deepika Padukone had some success item dancing, performing songs like "Party On My Mind" and "Lovely". Priyanka Chopra did many songs such as " Babli Badmaash", "Pinky", and an appearance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela song "Ram Chahe Leela", of which became a blockbuster upon release. Mahi Gill, Sonakshi Sinha, and Jacqueline Fernandez made their debut with "Don't Touch My Body", "Govinda Govinda" and "Jadu Ki Jappi" respectively.


title: Item number

text: Indian-Canadian actress Sunny Leone performed her first item dance with ""Laila"" from the 2013 film "Shootout at Wadala", followed up with "Baby Doll" from Ragini MMS 2. In 2017, Sunny Leone featured in the hit item number "Laila Main Laila" starring Shah Rukh Khan in the film "Raees". It is a recreation of the song "Laila O Laila" from the 1980 film "Qurbani", which featured actress Zeenat Aman with Feroz Khan in the original musical number.


title: Item number

text: In 2017, Anglo-Indian actress Amanda Rosario featured in the item number "Sarkar" sung by Rani Hazarika from the movie "Udanchhoo".


title: Item number

text: In 2018, Pooja Hegde featured in the hit item number "Jigelu Rani" from the film "Rangasthalam". The song was trending on YouTube. Moroccan-Canadian dancer-actress Nora Fatehi also featured in the item song "Dilbar" which has become one of the most popular Bollywood music videos of all time. It is a recreation of an item number of the same name from "Sirf Tum" (1999), which was composed by Nadeem–Shravan and featured Sushmita Sen as an item girl. The re-created version by Tanishk Bagchi features Middle-Eastern musical sounds. In the music video, Nora Fatehi performs belly dancing, an Arabic dance style that was previously featured in a number of popular Bollywood item numbers, performed by actresses such as Helen in "Mehbooba O Mehbooba" from "Sholay" (1975), Zeenat Aman in "Raqqasa Mera Naam" from "The Great Gambler" (1979), Mallika Sherawat in "Mayya Mayya" from "Guru" (2007), and Rani Mukerji in "Aga Bai" from "Aiyyaa" (2012). TV and Bollywood Actress Mouni Roy made her debut by "Nachna Aunda Nahi". The "Gali Gali" track from the Kannada film , sung by Neha Kakkar, which featured Mouni Roy also, was a huge hit. In 2022, the "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava" track sung by Indravathi Chauhan from the Telugu language film , which featured Samantha Ruth Prabhu, was a huge nationwide hit, despite the song being dubbed in all languages including Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada . The international success of "Dilbar" inspired an Arabic-language version, also featuring Nora Fatehi. "Dilbar" is popular across Southern Asia and the Arab world, with all versions of the song having received more than 1billion views on YouTube, making it the most-viewed song on the T-Series YouTube channel.


title: Item number

text: On 21 July 2005, Indian parliament passed a bill to ban dance bars in Maharashtra. Criticizing the bill and supporting the dancers, Flavia Agnes said that bar dancing cannot be termed as vulgar, what they are doing is an imitation of what item girls are doing in films, they work there out of their own choice.


title: Item number

text: As one writer put it, "On paper, item numbers form the perfect formula for female sexual empowerment. In reality, they mostly result in the most blatant objectification. Camera angles zoom in over gyrating hips and linger over bare waists as blatantly as the eyes of the ogling men with no subtlety. The gaze in these dance numbers presents itself as vaguely voyeuristic, at best. There is a very deliberate implication present; that the item girl is not only inviting the leers and jeers, but she is also enjoying them."


title: Item number

text: In 2013, the Central Board of Film Certification issued a resolution declaring that item songs will now be rated as adult content and will not be allowed to be shown on television channels.


title: Ashleigh Aston Moore

text: Ashleigh Aston Moore (September 30, 1981 – December 10, 2007) was an American child actress, known for playing Chrissy in the 1995 film "Now and Then".


title: Ashleigh Aston Moore

text: Born Ashley MacMillan in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, California, she began acting at the age of four. After appearing in numerous commercials, she landed the dual roles of Alpha and Donna in the CBC Television children's series "The Odyssey" in 1992. The show lasted three seasons, ending in 1994 with 39 episodes. Aston Moore's best known role was in the 1995 coming-of-age ensemble comedy-drama film "Now and Then". Set in 1970, Moore portrayed the child version of Christina "Chrissy" Dewitt who was portrayed as an adult by Rita Wilson.


title: Ashleigh Aston Moore

text: She later guest starred on popular television shows such as "Madison", "Northern Exposure", and "Strange Luck".


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of the most influential individuals in the history of architecture. While he designed churches and palaces, he was best known for country houses and villas. His teachings, summarized in the architectural treatise, "The Four Books of Architecture", gained him wide recognition.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The city of Vicenza, with its 23 buildings designed by Palladio, and 24 Palladian villas of the Veneto are listed by UNESCO as part of a World Heritage Site named City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto. The churches of Palladio are to be found within the "Venice and its Lagoon" UNESCO World Heritage Site.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Palladio was born on 30 November 1508 in Padua and was given the name Andrea di Pietro della Gondola. His father, Pietro, called "della Gondola", was a miller. From an early age, Andrea Palladio was introduced into the work of building. When he was thirteen, his father arranged for him to be an apprentice stonecutter for a period of six years in the workshop of Bartolomeo Cavazza da Sossano, a noted sculptor, whose projects included the altar in the Basilica del Carmine in Padua. Bartolomeo Cavazza is said to have imposed particularly hard working conditions: Palladio fled the workshop in April 1523 and went to Vicenza, but was forced to return to fulfil his contract. In 1524, when his contract was finished, he moved permanently to Vicenza, where he resided for most of his life. He became an assistant to a prominent stonecutter and stonemason, Giovanni di Giacomo da Porlezza in Pedemuro San Biagio, where he joined the guild of stonemasons and bricklayers. He was employed as a stonemason to make monuments and decorative sculptures.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: His career was unexceptional until 1538–39; when he had reached the age of thirty, he was employed by the humanist poet and scholar Gian Giorgio Trissino to rebuild his residence, the Villa Trissino at Cricoli. Trissino was deeply engaged in the study of ancient Roman architecture, particularly the work of Vitruvius, which had become available in print in 1486. In 1540, Palladio finally received the formal title of architect. In 1541, he made a first trip to Rome, accompanied by Trissino, to see the classical monuments first-hand. He took another, longer trip to Rome with Trissino from the autumn of 1545 to the first months of 1546, and then another trip in 1546–1547. He also visited and studied the Roman works in Tivoli, Palestrina and Albano


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Trissino exposed Palladio to the history and arts of Rome, which gave him inspiration for his future buildings. In 1554 he would publish guides to the city's ancient monuments and churches. Trissino also gave him the name by which he became known, Palladio, an allusion to the Greek goddess of wisdom Pallas Athene and to a character in a play by Trissino. The word "Palladio" means "Wise one".


title: Andrea Palladio

text: His early works include a series of villas around Vicenza. These were sometimes influenced by the work of his predecessor, Giulio Romano, and were similar to the villa of his patron, Gian Giorgio Trissino, at Cricoli, for which he had built an addition before his first trip to Rome.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The earliest of his villas is generally considered to be the Villa Godi (begun 1537). This design already showed the originality of Palladio's conception. There is a central block flanked by two wings, the central block is recessed and the two wings are advanced and more prominent. Inside the central block, the "piano nobile" or main floor opened onto a loggia with a triple arcade, reached by a central stairway. On the reverse of building, the rounded gallery projects outward to the garden. Palladio made numerous changes and additions over the years, adding lavish frescoes framed by classical columns in the Hall of the Muses of the Villa Godi in the 1550s.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: In his early works in Vicenza in the 1540s, he sometimes emulated the work of his predecessor Giulio Romano, but in doing so he added his own ideas and variations. An example was the Palazzo Thiene in Vicenza, which Romano had begun but which, after Romano's death, Palladio completed. It was his first construction of a large town house. He used Romano's idea for windows framed by stone "corbeaux", a ladder of stone blocks, but Palladio gave the heavy facade a new lightness and grace.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Several other villas of this time are attributed to Palladio, including the Villa Piovene (1539) and Villa Pisani (1542). Of the Villa Pisani, only the central structure of the original plan remains. The loggia is opened by three arcades beneath a frieze, beneath a pediment. The interior of the main hall has a barrel-vaulted ceiling lavishly decorated with murals of mythological themes.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: One of the most important works of his early Vicenza period is the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza (1546), the palace of the city government. Palladio called it "Basilica", explaining that the functions and form of a modern city hall resembled those of an ancient Roman Basilica. He did not construct the building from the ground up, but added two-story loggias to the exterior of an older building, which had been finished in 1459. For the facade, Palladio made harmonious use of two levels of arcades with rounded arches and columns, which opened up the exterior of the building to the interior courtyard. The arcades were divided by columns and small circular windows ("oculi"), with a variety and richness of decorative detail. The building was not completed until 1617, after Palladio's death. Its design had a notable influence on many buildings across Europe, from Portugal to Germany.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Palazzo Chiericati (begun in 1550) was another urban palace, built on a city square near the port in Vicenza. It was constructed after the Palazzo della Ragione, but it was very different in its plan and decoration. The two-story facade with a double loggia was divided into eleven spaces by rows of Doric columns, while a Doric cornice separated the lower level from the more important "piano nobile" above. The original plan of Palladio had the upper level identical to the lower level, but the owners wanted more space for ceremonies, so the central section on the "piano nobile" was brought forward and given windows with decorative frontons, doubling the interior space.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The Palazzo del Capitaniato, the offices of the Venetian governor of the region, is a later variation on the urban palace, built in Vicenza facing the Basilica Palladiana, and the finest of his late urban palaces. The four brick half-columns on the facade give a strong element of verticality, carefully balanced by the horizontal balustrades on the "piano nobile", and on the projecting cornice at the top. The red brick of the walls and columns and the white stone of the balustrades and bases of the columns give another contrast. The facade was later given stucco sculptural decoration in the Mannerist style, which has considerably deteriorated.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The success of the Basilica Palladiana propelled Palladio into the top ranks of the architects of Northern Italy. He had travelled to Rome in 1549, hoping to become a Papal architect, but the death of Pope Paul III ended that ambition. His patron, Gian Giorgio Trissino, died in 1550, but in the same year Palladio gained new supporter, the powerful Venetian aristocrat Daniele Barbaro. Through Barbaro he became known to the major aristocratic families of Northern Italy. In addition to the Barbaros, the aristocratic Cornaro, Foscari, and Pisani families supported Palladio's career, while he continued to construct a series of magnificent villas and palaces in Vicenza in his new classical style, including the Palazzo Chiericati in Vicenza, the Villa Pisani in Montagnana, and the Villa Cornaro in Piombino Dese.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Cardinal Barbaro brought Palladio to Rome and encouraged him to publish his studies of classical architecture. In 1554, he published the first of a series of books, "Antiquities of Rome". He continued to compile and write his architectural studies, lavishly illustrated, which were published in full form in 1570 as "I quattro libri dell'architettura" ("The Four Books of Architecture"), in Venice. These books, reprinted in different languages and circulated widely in Europe, secured his reputation as the most influential figure in the renewal classical architecture, a reputation which only continued to grow after his death.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The type of villa invented by Palladio at the Villa Cornaro (begun 1553), located at Piombino Dese near Padua, was a mixture of "villa rustica" (country house), designed for country living, and a suburban villa, designed for entertaining and impressing. The distinction between the two parts was clearly expressed in the architecture. The central block is nearly square, with two low wings. The rear facade facing the garden has a spacious loggia, or covered terrace, supported by independent columns, on both the ground level and above on the "piano nobile". The front facade facing the road has the same plan but with narrower loggias. The Hall of the Four Columns, the grand salon, could be entered by a grand stairway from either the front or back of the house. It has a very high ceiling, creating a large cubic space, and a roof supported by four Doric columns. Palladio placed niches in the walls of this salon, which were later filled with full-length statues of the ancestors of the owner. The more rustic functions of the house were carried on in the adjoining wings.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The suburban villa was a particular type of building, a house near a city designed primarily for entertaining. Villa Barbaro (begun 1557) at Maser was an imposing suburban villa, built for the brothers Marcantonio and Daniele Barbaro, who were respectively occupied with politics and religious affairs in the Veneto, or Venice region. The long facade was perfectly balanced. The interior, following the professions of the brothers, had both classical and religious motifs. The central hall, The Hall of Olympus on the ground floor, was decorated with Roman gods and goddesses, but when one mounted the stairs, the long upper floor was in the form of a cross and Christian images predominate. The villa also has a series of remarkable frescos and ceiling paintings by Paolo Veronese combining mythical themes with scenes of everyday life. Behind the villa, Palladio created a remarkable nymphaeum, or Roman fountain, with statues of the gods and goddesses of the major rivers of Italy.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The most famous suburban villa constructed by Palladio was the Villa Capra "La Rotonda", not far from Vicenza, begun in 1566 for Count Paolo Almerico, the canon of Pope Pius IV and Pope Pius V. The site is on a gentle wooded hilltop, with views of the countryside in all directions. The villa is perfectly symmetrical, with four identical facades with porticos around the domed centre. The height of the base is exactly the height of the attic, and the width of each portico exactly half the length of the facade. The interior frescos were painted by Ludovico Dorigny in 1680–1687), and were not part of Palladio's plan. The building was especially influential, particularly in England and the United States, where it inspired "Neo-Palladianist" buildings such as Mereworth Castle (1724) in Kent and Thomas Jefferson's Montecello in Virginia (1772).


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Villa Foscari, also known as "La Malcontenta" for the name of the suburban village near Venice where it is located, faces the Brenta Canal and for this reason, unlike his other villas, it faces south to the canal. The villa is set upon a large base, and the central portico is flanked by two stairways. The upper and lower borders of the "piano nobile" clearly indicated on the facade by darker reddish bands of stone. The same reddish border outlines the pediment over the portico and the attic, and appears on the rear facade. In another departure from traditional villas, the front doors lead directly into the main salon. The salon is let by a virtual wall of glass around the doorway of the south facade. The exterior and interior are closely integrated; the same classical elements own the facade, the columns and pediments, reappear in the interior, decorated with "trompe-l'œil" murals on the walls and ceiling.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: Daniele Barbaro and his younger brother Marcantonio introduced Palladio to Venice, where he developed his own style of religious architecture, distinct from and equally original as that of his villas. His first project in Venice was the cloister of the church of Santa Maria della Carità (1560–61), followed by the refectory and then the interior of the San Giorgio Monastery (1560–1562), His style was rather severe compared with the traditional lavishness of Venetian Renaissance architecture. San Georgio Maggiore was later given a new facade by Vincenzo Scamozzi (1610), which integrated it more closely into the Venetian skyline. The original rigorous, perfectly balanced interior is the original work of Palladio. In 1570, he was formally named "Proto della Serenissima" (chief architect of the Republic of Venice), following Jacopo Sansovino.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The Tempieto Barbaro, built at the end of his life, was one of his most accomplished works. It was begun in 1580 as an addition to the Villa Barbaro at Maser. It unites two classical forms, a circle and a Greek cross. The facade features a particularly imposing classical portico, like that of the Pantheon in Rome, placed before two tall bell towers, before an even higher cupola, which covers the church itself. The effect is to draw the eye upward, level by level. Inside, the circular interior is surrounded by eight half columns and niches with statues. An open balustrade runs around the top of the interior wall, concealing the base of the dome itself, making it appear that the dome is suspended in the air. This idea would be adopted frequently in later Baroque churches. He achieves a perfect balance between the circle and the cross, and the horizontal and vertical elements, both on the facade and in the interior.


title: Andrea Palladio

text: The final work of Palladio was the Teatro Olimpico in the Piazza Matteotti in Vicenza, built for the theatrical productions of the Olympic Society of Vicenza, of which Palladio was a member. He was asked to produce a design and model, and construction began in February 1580. The back wall of the stage was in the form of an enormous triumphal arch divided into three levels, and three portals through which actors could appear and disappear. This wall was lavishly decorated with columns and niches filled with statuary. The view through the arches gave the illusion of looking down classical streets. The painted ceiling was designed to give the illusion of sitting under an open sky. Behind the hemicycle of seats Palladio placed a row of Corinthian columns.