5 Interesting Facts About the Medici Coat of Arms

The Medici have long been associated with balls. Their family emblem — five red balls and one blue on a gold shield — is prominently displayed on buildings all over Florence and Tuscany which have Medicean connections or which were financed with Medici money. Some examples of where you can see them outside of Florence are Piazza Grande in Montepulciano and Piazza del Campo in Siena. In fact, the coat of arms was so widespread that one outraged contemporary of Cosimo il Vecchio declared, He has emblazoned even the monks privies with his balls. To prepare you for your trip to Tuscany (or just to add some historical fodder to your next conversation in Italian), here are five cocktail party facts about the Medici coat of arms. Five Facts About the Medici Coat of Arms 1.) One origin story for the coat of arms comes from a giant named Mugello. The Medici family crest has long been the object of much historical speculation. The most romantic (and far-fetched) explanation of the origin of the palle is that the balls are actually dents in a shield, inflicted by the fearsome giant Mugello on one of Charlemagnes knights, Averardo (from whom, legend claims, the family were descended). The knight eventually vanquished the giant and, to mark his victory, Charlemagne permitted Averardo to use the image of the battered shield as his coat of arms. 2.) Other origin stories for the coat of arms represent pills  and money. Others say the balls had less exalted origins: that they were pawnbrokers coins or medicinal pills (or cupping glasses) that recalled the familys origins as doctors (medici) or apothecaries. Others say they are bezants, Byzantine coins, inspired by the arms of the Arte del Cambio (or the Guild of Moneychangers, the bankers organization to which the Medici belonged). I’ve also read that the balls are meant to represent gold bars, again  representing their profession as bankers,  as many frescoes and works of art in Florence depict gold bars as originally being formed as balls. 3.) If you were a supporter of the Medici family, you might be seen enthusiastically yelling â€Å"Palle! Palle! Palle!† In times of danger, Medicean supporters were rallied with cries of Palle! Palle! Palle!, a reference to the balls (palle) on their armorial bearings. 4.) The number of balls on the shield changed over the years. Originally there were 12 balls. In Cosimo dà © Medicis time, it was seven, the ceiling of San Lorenzos Sagrestia Vecchi has eight, Cosimo Is tomb in the Cappelle Medicee has five, and Ferdinando Is coat of arms in the Forte di Belvedere has six. The number six remained stable after 1465. 5.) The blue ball has the symbol of the kings of France on it - three golden lilies. It’s said that Louis XI had a debt with the Medici family and in order to reduce his debts, he allowed the bank to use his symbol, giving the Medici bank more clout among the people.

Discrimination Hurts Us All by Spencer Poku-Kankam

In a February 25th, 1961 article from the Milwaukee Journal titled, â€Å"Discrimination Hurts Us All,† Spencer Poku-Kankam from Ghana is quoted as saying, â€Å"When we experience discrimination, we wonder if this is the civilization we are supposed to copy. We cannot present America as the champion of democracy when we return to our countries because of our experiences in race discrimination.† The article goes on to say, â€Å"We have moral reasons for ending discrimination. They are buttressed by a selfish reason – we must validate our contention before the world that our way of life offers more to mankind than does Red totalitarianism.† Discrimination - according to Webster, entered our vocabulary in 1648. 365 years later, the word stirs feelings†¦show more content†¦In response to us, Sam prefaced his comments by saying, â€Å"Discrimination occurs in Hendricks County. I know it, Ive witnessed it, and I have friends who have been victims of it. However, Ive spent my entire career as a scientist. I dont accept premises or information at face value--I want to see the data, the statistics, the research. And I expect others to demand the same proof from me as I expect from them. †¦ Coming from a scientific background is both a blessing and a curse. Its a blessing because my BS meter has a hair trigger and causes me to check facts so Im not too easily taken in (I have yet to send my bank account information to that attorney in Morocco who has $10 million to split with me); but its a curse because its hard for me to just state a simple opinion without feeling that I need to have research to back it u p.† HCH – Hendricks County Home | SAM – Sam Carman HCH How specifically does the diversity we possess here in Hendricks County improve the lives of those who live here? SAM On a somewhat superficial level, diversity introduces authentic ethnic foods and a variety of cultural opportunities in the arts, fashion, design, etc. It also provides exposure to languages and other cultural characteristics that are probably unfamiliar to most of the population. But on a deeper, more significant level, diversity provides our society with a wider range of talents,

Development of Agriculture in Nigeria Free Essays

Since 1974 the Bank has committed $1. 2 billion for Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) to increase farm production and welfare among smallholders in Nigeria. OED reviewed five ADPs and a supporting Agricultural Technical Assistance Project (ATAP), all implemented between 1979 and 1990. We will write a custom essay sample on Development of Agriculture in Nigeria or any similar topic only for you Order Now Only two of the six projects had satisfactory outcomes. In general, rainfed agricultural production was far below projections. Macroeconomic conditions, some national policies, and particular design and implementation problems prevented a more significant impact. Low-cost irrigated development of lowland areas (fadama) was, however, quite successful. Village water supply components exceeded their targets. The ADPs have evolved to be â€Å"permanent† institutions for rural infrastructural development and agricultural services, but their role vis-a-vis the regular state departments needs to be reviewed. ADP concept The ADPs were designed in response to a fall in agricultural productivity, and hence a concern to sustain domestic food supplies, as labor had moved out of agriculture into more remunerative activities that were benefitting from the oil boom. Conversely, domestic recycling of oil income provided the opportunity for the government, with Bank support, to develop the ADPs. The projects provided agricultural investment and services, rural roads, and village water supplies. The government’s adoption of the ADP concept put the smallholder sector at the center of the agricultural development strategy, and marked a clear shift away from capital-intensive investment projects for selected areas of high agricultural potential. The first ADPs in Nigeria were enclave projects each covering a specific region within a state. Their early results impressed both the federal and state governments, and there was pressure to replicate the approach across whole states. By 1989 all Nigeria’s then 19 states had ADPs. (See Box. ) Two of the projects audited–Ilorin and Oyo North–were enclave projects, and were located in the â€Å"middle belt† of Nigeria whose main crops are rainfed cereals and root crops. The three other ADPs audited–Bauchi, Kano, and Sokoto–were statewide projects in Nigeria’s northern zone. Cropping in his zone is based on rainfed cereal crops and pulses, with localized areas of fadama in drainage lines that can support higher-value crops. The northern ADPs applied an expanded version of the same model used in the earlier enclave projects in this zone. This model demanded large amounts of capital and services and intensive management. With hindsight, not enough thought was given to the implications of the large increase in scale–or indeed t o the less favorable production environment than existed in the smaller enclaves. Goals, content All the five ADPs sought to increase food production and farm incomes. In all of them it was assumed that productivity increases would come from the use of improved technology, especially planting material and fertilizer. The agricultural components of the projects were designed around systems for developing technology and transferring it to farmers, distributing modern inputs, and land development including small-scale irrigation of fadama areas and land clearing. Investments in infrastructure included an expanded feeder road network, construction of farm service centers for input distribution, and facilities for ADP staff and operations. All projects except that in Ilorin supported improvements in rural water supplies. To support its agricultural development goals the federal government introduced controls on food imports and continued its substantial subsidies on farm inputs, particularly fertilizer. How to cite Development of Agriculture in Nigeria, Papers