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SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senātus Populusque Rōmānus ("The Senate and People of Rome", see translation), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic, and used as an official emblem of the modern day comune (municipality) of Rome. It appears on coins, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and was emblazoned on the standards of the Roman legions.

The phrase appears many hundreds of times in Roman political, legal and historical literature, including the speeches of Mārcus Tullius Cīcerō (Tully) and the Ab urbe condita libri ("Books from the Founding of the City") of Titus Livius (Livy). Since the meaning and the words never vary, except for the spelling and inflection of populus in literature,^{[citation needed]} Latin dictionaries classify it as a formula.

Translation[link]

In Latin, Senātus is a nominative singular noun meaning "Senate". Populusque is compounded from the nominative noun Populus, "the People", and -que, an enclitic particle meaning "and" which connects the two nominative nouns. The last word, Rōmānus ("Roman") is an adjective modifying Populus: the "Roman People".

Thus, the sentence is translated as the more literal "The Senate and the Roman People", or alternatively as "The Senate and the People of Rome".

Historical context[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

The phrase's date of origin is not known, but its meaning places it generally after the founding of the Roman Republic. The two legal entities mentioned, Senātus and the Populus Rōmānus, are sovereign when combined. However, where populus is sovereign alone, Senātus is not. Under the Roman Monarchy neither entity was sovereign. The phrase, therefore, can be dated to no earlier than the foundation of the Republic.

An aureus with Augustus on the obverse and a winged victory on the reverse with SPQR above.

This signature continued in use under the Roman Empire. The emperors were considered the representatives of the people even though the senātūs consulta, or decrees of the Senate, were made at the pleasure of the emperor.

Populus Rōmānus in Roman literature is a phrase meaning the government of the People. When the Romans named governments of other countries they used populus in the singular or plural, such as populī Prīscōrum Latīnōrum, "the governments of the Old Latins". Rōmānus is the established adjective used to distinguish the Romans, as in cīvis Rōmānus, "Roman citizen". The locative, Rōmae, "at Rome", was never used for that purpose.

The Roman people appear very often in law and history in such phrases as dignitās, maiestās, auctoritās, lībertās populī Rōmānī, the "dignity, majesty, authority, freedom of the Roman people". They were a populus līber, "a free people". There was an exercitus, imperium, iudicia, honorēs, consulēs, voluntās of this same populus: "the army, rule, judgments, offices, consuls and will of the Roman people". They appear in early Latin as Popolus and Poplus, so the habit of thinking of themselves as free and sovereign was quite ingrained.

The Romans believed that all authority came from the people. It could be said that similar language seen in more modern political and social revolutions directly comes from this usage. People in this sense meant the whole government. The latter, however, was essentially divided into the aristocratic Senate, whose will was executed by the consuls and praetors, and the comitia centuriāta, "committee of the centuries", whose will came to be safeguarded by the Tribunes.

During the regime of Benito Mussolini, SPQR was emblazoned on a number of public buildings and manhole covers in an attempt to promote his dictatorship as a "New Roman Empire".

Modern variants[link]

Modern manhole cover in Rome with SPQR inscription.

Use of SPQR has been revived in modern times, throughout Europe and beyond.^{[clarification needed]} In Rome today sewage and water supply accesses contain the label "SPQR" in recognition of the innovation in sewage and water supply realized during the Roman times.

Civic references[link]

SPQx is sometimes used as an assertion of municipal pride and civic rights. Reggio Emilia, for instance, has SPQR in its coat of arms, standing for "Senatus Populusque Regiensis". There have been reports of SPQx from:

A modern recreation of a Roman standard.

• Amsterdam, Netherlands, SPQA at one of the major theatres and some of the bridges^[1]
• Antwerp, Belgium, SPQA on the Antwerp City Hall^[2]
• Benevento, Italy, SPQB on manhole covers^[3]
• Bremen, Germany, SPQB in the Town Hall of Bremen^[4]
• Bruges, Belgium, SPQB on its coat of arms^[5]
• Brussels, Belgium, SPQB found repeatedly on the Law Courts of Brussels,^[6] and over the main stage of La Monnaie/De Munt opera house
• Dublin, Ireland, SPQH on the City Hall, Dublin built in 1769
• Florence, Italy, SPQF^[3]
• Florianópolis, Brazil, SPQF^[3]
• Gent, Belgium, SPQG on the Opera, Theater and some other major buildings.
• Hamburg, Germany, SPQH on a door in the Hamburg Rathaus^[7]
• Hannover, Germany
• Hasselt, Belgium, SPQH
• Kortrijk, Belgium, SPQC, city hall
• Leeuwarden, Netherlands, SPQL on the mayor's chain of office^[8]
• Liverpool, England, SPQL on various gold doors in St George's Hall^[9]
• City of London, England, SPQL^[10]
• Lübeck, Germany, SPQL on the Holstentor^[11]
• Lucerne, Switzerland
• Modica, Italy, SPQM is on the coat of arms
• Molfetta, Italy, SPQM is on the coat of arms^[12]
• Olomouc, Czech Republic, SPQO on its coat of arms^[3]
• Palermo, Italy, SPQP^[13]
• Siena, Italy, SPQS^[14]
• Solothurn, Switzerland, on the Cathedral of St Ursus and Victor
• Terracina, Italy, SPQT^[15]
• Tivoli, Italy, SPQT^[16]
• Verviers, Belgium, SPQV on the Grand Theatre^[17]
• Vienna, Austria^[3]

Gallery[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up SPQR in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: SPQR

• Instances of "Roman Senate and People" in www.Perseus.edu
• Lewis & Short dictionary entry for populus on www.Perseus.edu
• Polybius on the Senate and People (6.16)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2010)

Christian De Sica
Christian De Sica, June 21, 2007
Born	(1951-01-05) 5 January 1951 (age 61) Rome, Italy
Occupation	Actor, director, scriptwriter
Parents	Vittorio De Sica (father) María Mercader (mother)

Christian De Sica (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkristjan de ˈsiːka]) (born 5 January 1951) is an Italian actor, director and scriptwriter.

Life[link]

De Sica was born in Rome, Italy, the second son of Italian director Vittorio De Sica and Spanish actress María Mercader. After attending liceo classico in Rome, he worked in a hotel in Venezuela, where he began his career as an artist. He enrolled in "Lettere" (Literature and Arts) at La Sapienza university (1970), but did not reach a degree.

He was attracted to music, and participated in the Sanremo Festival singing "Mondo mio" ("My world") (1973). However, the results convinced him to follow in his father's footsteps and devote himself to acting. De Sica developed his own style of comedy and entertainment also in Rai television shows, as Bambole, non c'è una lira which gave him a large success in 1978.

Acting career[link]

With his father's help, he was able to take his first steps in the movie world with such teachers and mentors as Roberto Rossellini (Blaise Pascal, 1971), Vittorio De Sica himself (Una breve vacanza, 1973), Pupi Avati (Bordella, 1976) and Salvatore Samperi (1979 Liquirizia and 1981 Casta e pura).
He married Silvia Verdone, sister of Carlo, with whom he had two children Brando and Mariarosa. He was directed by Verdone in Borotalco (1982) and Compagni di scuola (1988).

After Night club, the last film directed by Italian director Sergio Corbucci, Christian De Sica became one of the most famous interpreters of the "cine-panettone" (comedies that reach movie theatres during the Christmas season) and formed till 2005 a couple with actor Massimo Boldi. They acted together in the series of Vacanze di Natale and A spasso nel tempo, Paparazzi (1998) (1998), Tifosi (1999) (1999) and Christmas in Love (2001) (2004). Afterwards, he played with actor Neri Parenti in Natale a New York (2006), Natale in crociera (2007) and Natale a Rio (2008).

As an actor, De Sica has won three David di Donatello awards: a prize for Giovannino in 1976, a special one together with Massimo Boldi in 2000, and a third one in 2009.

Directing career[link]

Since 1990 Christian De Sica has also been a director: he debuted with Faccione, whose script he wrote and tailor-made for actress Nadia Rinaldi. After Il conte Max, a homage to the cinema of his father and of Mario Camerini, that he interpreted with Ornella Muti, Anita Ekberg and his mother Maria Mercader, De Sica went on self-directing in Ricky e Barabba (1992), Uomini uomini uomini (1995), Tre (1996), Simpatici & antipatici (1998) and The Clan (2005).

A great admirer of Frank Sinatra and above all of Marlon Brando, he named his first child Brando in honor of the American actor. Criticism has often likened his acting to that of Alberto Sordi, from whom De Sica has drawn a lot of his expressions.

Filmography[link]

• (1972) Paulina 1880;
• (1973) Una breve vacanza;
• (1974) La cugina;
• (1975) La madama;
• (1975) Conviene far bene l'amore;
• (1976) Bordella;
• (1976) Giovannino;
• (1979) Il malato immaginario;
• (1979) Liquirizia;
• (1979) Amore in prima classe;
• (1980) Mi faccio la barca;
• (1981) Casta e pura;
• (1981) Teste di quoio;
• (1982) Viuuulentemente mia;
• (1982) Borotalco;
• (1982) Grog;
• (1983) Vacanze di Natale;
• (1983) Sapore di mare;
• (1983) Acqua e sapone;
• (1984) Mi faccia causa;
• (1984) Vacanze in America;
• (1985) I pompieri;
• (1986) Asilo di polizia;
• (1986) Yuppies, i giovani di successo;
• (1986) Yuppies 2;
• (1986) Grandi magazzini;
• (1987) Montecarlo Gran Casinò;
• (1987) Missione eroica - I pompieri 2;
• (1987) Bellifreschi;
• (1988) Compagni di scuola;
• (1989) Night Club;
• (1989) Fratelli d'Italia;
• (1990) Vacanze di Natale '90;
• (1991) Il conte Max;
• (1991) Vacanze di Natale '91;
• (1992) Ricky e Barabba;
• (1992) Anni 90;
• (1993) Anni 90 - Parte II;
• (1994) S.P.Q.R. 2000 e ½ anni fa;
• (1995) Uomini uomini uomini;
• (1995) Vacanze di Natale '95;
• (1996) Tre;
• (1996) A spasso nel tempo;
• (1997) A spasso nel tempo: l'avventura continua;
• (1998) Paparazzi;
• (1998) Simpatici & antipatici;
• (1999) Tifosi;
• (1999) Vacanze di Natale 2000;
• (2000) Body Guards - Guardie del corpo;
• (2001) Merry Christmas;
• (2002) Natale sul Nilo;
• (2003) Natale in India;
• (2004) Christmas in Love;
• (2005) The Clan ;
• (2005) Natale a Miami;
• (2006) Natale a New York;
• (2007) Natale in crociera;
• (2008) Parlami di me;
• (2008) Natale a Rio;
• (2009) Natale a Beverly Hills;
• (2010) Il figlio più piccolo;
• (2010) L'età dell'oro;
• (2010) The Tourist;
• (2010) Natale in Sudafrica;
• (2011) Amici miei - Come tutto ebbe inizio;
• (2011) Vacanze Di Natale a Cortina.

External links[link]

• Christian De Sica at the Internet Movie Database

Anna Falchi
Born	Anna Kristiina Palomäki (1972-04-22) 22 April 1972 (age 40) Tampere, Finland
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Height	5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
Hair color	Blonde
Measurements	36C/D-25-36
Weight	71 kg (156.5 lb)
Website
www.annafalchi.net

Anna Falchi (born Anna Kristiina Palomäki on 22 April 1972 in Tampere, Finland) is an Italian-Finnish model and film actress.

Career[link]

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomäki in Tampere, Finland, the daughter of an Italian father and Finnish mother. In 1978, at the age of six, she moved to Italy with her family. She started her career as a model. She first appeared on television in a commercial for an Italian bank in 1992.^[1] The ad starred Paolo Villaggio, and was directed by the celebrated Federico Fellini. This helped her launch a film career, starting with Nel continente nero (On the Dark Continent) in 1993.

She appeared in many films since, including the 1994 fantasy movie Desideria e l'Anello del Drago, the 1997 film La principessa e il povero and the 2005 comedy Nessun messaggio in segreteria. She has also been a popular television personality, hosting various specials on Italian television.

She is less known in the English speaking world. Some know her as the lead female in a film called Dellamorte Dellamore, which was released in the U.S. as Cemetery Man.

References[link]

1. ^ federicofellini.it

External links[link]

• Official site
• AskMen Bio and comments
• Anna Falchi at the Internet Movie Database
• Anna Falchi at the Fashion Model Directory

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