History of Italian innovation

[EagleAtHeart]

So, there was Rome. I'm sure we all know about the science, technology, and art that was produced during this period.

Then, 1000 years later there was the Italian Renaissance and yet another period where there was a scientific and cultural explosion. People like DiVinci, Galileo, Carvaggio, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, etc. emerged.

Then, no great movements since.

Is this because of the Catholic Church? All the smartest men became priests therefore not procreating?

There's many examples of Italians that were great scientists in their youth but gave up their research to become priests
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazzaro_Spallanzani
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Amoretti

But, of course, there were many great Italian scientists after:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Caselli
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Antonelli
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Rubbia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccardo_Giacconi

However, they appeared sporadically, and not in a group like during Rome or the Renaissance. You would also assume a group so prolific historically would continue to produce innovators in greater numbers.

[CVCV]

Oggigiorno ci sono molti scienziati italiani in America e in tutto il mondo. Tre anni fa ho presenziato una conferenza di uno scienziato italiano che lavora all'istituto di tecnologia di Massachussets (MIT). Infatti, l'Italia è uno dei paesi più importanti in scienza e tecnologia:

http://www.scimagojr.com/countryrank.php

[EagleAtHeart]

Oggigiorno ci sono molti scienziati italiani in America e in tutto il mondo. Tre anni fa ho presenziato una conferenza di uno scienziato italiano che lavora all'istituto di tecnologia di Massachussets (MIT). Infatti, l'Italia è uno dei paesi più importanti in scienza e tecnologia:

http://www.scimagojr.com/countryrank.php

Yeah, there's lots of scientists and inventors currently

I ws just curious to know if after the Renaissance, the church stiflfed the creative spirit in Italy?

The rest of Europe underwent the enlightenment, wheres in Italy it seems the church still played a huge role in sciece/innovation

[pinguino]

I am fascinated with the per-Renascence history of Venice. They developed there several noticeable technologies. I wonder why Venice is so downplayed when people remember Italy.

[CVCV]

They also had many innovative laws. For instance, in the middle ages, when most European workers were at the mercy of the powerful, Venezia had laws that protected even the smallest sailors. Besides, their Republic was one of the earliest and best examples of democratic ruling in Europe and in the whole world.

[RussiaPrussia]

I am fascinated with the per-Renascence history of Venice. They developed there several noticeable technologies. I wonder why Venice is so downplayed when people remember Italy.

venice was a former byzantine colony. It grew thanks to its byzantine spirit.

[Libertas]

[QUOTE=EagleAtHeart;1358936]So, there was Rome. I'm sure we all know about the science, technology, and art that was produced during this period.

Most Roman-era scientists,sculptors, architects were of Greek extraction.