Skip to main content
hero
Web Magazine
Braschi-Quarenghi

Benedictine and Franciscan Monks: Forgotten Inventors

   Usually, when we think of religious orders, these things come to mind: a cloister, an abbey, a library, prayer in solitude, detachment from the world… All this in the cradle of a period defined as "dark" by historiography up to Romanticism: the Middle Ages . In this period the monks - especially the Benedictines of the various orders - were the custodians of Judeo-Christian but also classical culture, since thanks to their patient and meticulous transcriptions as scribes we have received almost all of the Greek and Latin works which we study today. Today we are grateful to them first of all for this.   However, many do not know that many products - material and immaterial - that we consume and use every day, come from monks who, using their ingenuity nourished by a profound spirituality, invented them due to practical necessities.    Personally, I find it amazing!    Let's begin…   The heavy plow   Plows were a primary agri...

A Journey back in Time to the Origins of Cinema


As a great fan of cinema, I’d like to share what I know about its history with you here on Let’s Blog! Ready to go to back in time with me?
 
In 1894, the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph: a machine capable of filming and projecting moving images.
To create it they used 2 inventions by Thomas Edison: the kinetograph and the kinetoscope.
The title of the first film was “La sortie de l'usine Lumière”, it lasted 45 seconds and showed a group of workers leaving the factory.
On 28 December 1895 there was the first public screening in Paris.
The films of the Lumière brothers consisted of a single scene recorded without interruption.


Subsequently, the following were introduced:
  • the fictional cinema that filmed specially acted scenes
  • montage to fit several scenes into a film. The rules of montage were codified by David W. Griffith.


The first films were silent, but were accompanied by narrating captions and piano music. Georges Méliès was the inventor of the first special effects such as double exposure and fading.


left G. Méliès, right the poster of one of his films

In 1926, the four Warner brothers produced the film “Don Juan”, which lasted three hours and featured music and some dialogue.
The first entirely spoken film was “Lights of New York '', directed by Bryan Foy and produced by Warner Bros in 1926.

2 movie posters


In 1939, the first colour film 'Gone with the Wind' by Victor Fleming was made using the technicolor technique.
In the 1990s, there was a transition from analogue to digital cinema and the first animated films were born.
Cinema has had an enormous impact in the spread of different cultures, it has entertained and inspired billions of people.
 
How will cinema continue to evolve with new technologies?


Today’s Blogger

Hello, I am Valerio Carpentieri, I am 16 years old and I ‘m in the 3rd year of Liceo Scientifico. My hobbies are travelling and watching TV series. I’m here to write about my interests and share them with all of you. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Benedictine and Franciscan Monks: Forgotten Inventors

   Usually, when we think of religious orders, these things come to mind: a cloister, an abbey, a library, prayer in solitude, detachment from the world… All this in the cradle of a period defined as "dark" by historiography up to Romanticism: the Middle Ages . In this period the monks - especially the Benedictines of the various orders - were the custodians of Judeo-Christian but also classical culture, since thanks to their patient and meticulous transcriptions as scribes we have received almost all of the Greek and Latin works which we study today. Today we are grateful to them first of all for this.   However, many do not know that many products - material and immaterial - that we consume and use every day, come from monks who, using their ingenuity nourished by a profound spirituality, invented them due to practical necessities.    Personally, I find it amazing!    Let's begin…   The heavy plow   Plows were a primary agri...

Aren’t We All Poor Things?

  "Poor Things!", released in Italian theatres on January 25 2024, is a film by director Yorgos Lanthimos that presents itself as a startling and thought-provoking work. Through grotesque atmospheres and surreal hues, the film revisits the myth of Frankenstein in a modern key, focusing on the female figure of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone). Bella, an emancipated woman with a sexuality that was free for her time, is brought back to life by the scientist God (Mark Ruffalo) after a suicide attempt. However, her brain is replaced with that of the foetus she was carrying, creating a hybrid and unique creature.   Like Frankenstein's monster, Bella finds herself catapulted into a world that does not understand or fear her. Her childlike innocence clashes with the cruelty and hypocrisy of Victorian society, leading her to have grotesque and tragicomic experiences. Lanthimos, through the figure of Bella, explores deep and universal themes: diversity, the search for a place in the world...

Los Campesinos! A Journey Through Their Music

  Los Campesinos! is an indie pop band from Wales formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. History The only remaining original members are Gareth Paisey (vocals), Neil Turner (guitar) and Tom Bromley (guitar), followed by Rob Taylor (guitar), Kim Paisey (keyboards and vocals), Matt Fidler (bass guitar) and Jason Adelinia (drums), but as stage names, they all replace their surnames with "Campesinos!", that in Spanish translates to "peasant" or "country person". The band's earliest compositions were influenced by post-rock, though no recordings from this era are known to circulate publicly. The band performed their first gig on 8 May 2006 at a student union club night and an early demo was recorded featuring the songs "Death To Los Campesinos!", "It Started With A Mixx", "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks", and "You! Me! Dancing!". The songs were posted on the band's Myspace account, making their reputatio...