COVER The Untold History of Italy

THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF ITALY

SAINT SEBASTIAN

Saint Sebastian is represented as a handsome and athletic young man in paintings. Semi-nude, tied to a post and pierced by arrows, he lived through this torture to continue his fight for Christianity. Whether he was the love interest of Emperor Diocletian, who ordered his execution twice, is up to discussion. Adopted in recent history as a gay icon, the pain and sorrow of his martyrdom is equated to the challenges of being homosexual throughout history. As a protector against the plague, Saint Sebastian’s iconography took on an even more special meaning in the LGBTQ+ community during the AIDS crisis of the late 20th century.

PORTIA AND NERISSA

Characters in the Shakespearean drama

“Merchant of Venice”, they share a deep and loyal connection that seems to go beyond friendship. The intimacy and closeness between the two women far outshines any of the relationships Portia has with her suitors, even conspiring together and cross-dressing to help a friend in need.

Emperor Julius Caesar‘s bisexuality was an open secret of the Roman Empire, and his affair with king Nicomedes of Bithynia is a story told through the ages. He had four wives and so many affairs with males and females that he was described as “the husband of all wives and the wife of all husbands“. Emperor Nero, known in history for the great fire that burned Rome, had his own scandals, including appointing his own horse to the Roman Senate. After the death of his wife Poppea, Nero married a handsome young eunuch named Sporus, and had him act in the role of Empress.

HADRIAN AND ANTINOUS

A love story for the ages, Hadrian and Antinous’s relationship is one of the most famous homosexual romances in history. Emperor Hadrian fell in love with a young Greek man named Antinous. Together they traveled through battles and conquests until tragedy struck and Antinous drowned in the Nile. Inconsolable, Hadrian proclaimed his lover a deity and erected a city on the site of his death. He commissioned temples, statues in his honor and built an enormous complex with gardens and fountains dedicated to Antinous that is still standing to this day. Hadrian’s villa is a testimony to his undying love. Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest sculptor of the Renaissance created his masterpiece “David” in Florence. This embodiment male beauty and perfection demonstrates the master’s passion for Greek art and the male form. Throughout his art, including some of the frescos that adorn the Sistine Chapel, hints of Michelangelo’s homosexuality can be found.

LEONARDO AND SALAÌ

The great genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci, fell in love with his handsome apprentice, Gian Giacomo Capriotti, whose mischievous nature earned him the nickname ‘Salaì’ or little devil. In a time when sodomy was condemned and even accusations of homosexuality could lead to jail time, Leonardo kept the relationship secret but it is well known Salaì stayed with Leonardo all his life. Salaì was the model for several of his master’s paintings, including Saint John the Baptist, and he was one of Leonardo’s main heirs in his will.