The great Roman culture left behind a rich heritage. And the Italian state, which arose on the ruins of a huge empire, absorbed a lot of different traditions. Although it is difficult to maintain an identity in the age of globalization, Italians honor their past by placing the most significant symbols of the state on Italian coins. Symbols of the European Union are displayed next to historical monuments.
Italy's modern money: coins of small denomination
Italian coins were put into circulation in 2002. New coins of Italy replaced the lyre. It is noteworthy that the minted money of the EU has the same reverse with all countries and a completely unique obverse with its own national flavor.
1. One euro cent. The obverse of this banknote captures the castle of Castell del Monte - one of the monuments of the Roman Empire. The building is a unique construction of military architecture, which combines West and East.
2. Two euro cents. The national side is depicted in the form of the Turin Tower by architect Antonelli. It is one of the highest brick buildings in Europe. At the moment, there is a cinema museum.
3. Five euro cents. On the obverse is the world famous Colosseum. It is a symbol of Italy, which is more than 2000 years old. The amphitheater could fit 50 thousand people.
4. Ten euro cents. On the front side is a picture of "The Birth of Venus." The artist Botticelli is one of the brightest representatives of the Renaissance. The canvas is over 500 years old.
Modern coins of Italy of a large denomination
It is noteworthy that the inhabitants of the country voted for the images on coins. Only in a 1 euro banknote, it was decided in advance to print the Vitruvian man da Vinci.
1. Twenty euro cents. On the obverse of a coin of Italy of such denomination is a sculpture of Bocconi. It symbolizes the plasticity of human movement.
2. Fifty euro cents. On the front side is a sculpture of Marcus Aurelius. This statue is almost 2000 years old. In addition, the coin is decorated with a pattern by Michelangelo.
3. One euro coin. The drawing of the Vitruvian man on the national side symbolizes the harmony and perfection of the human body with the outside world.
4. Two euro coin. This denomination is decorated with a portrait of Dante from the mural of Raphael. The Italians consider Alighieri the ancestor of their literary language.
Commemorative coins
Commemorative coins of Italy. The photo shows minted banknotes with a face value of two euros. Each year is a new image dedicated to important events:
- For the first time, a commemorative coin of 2 euros was issued in 2004. She was dedicated to the UN World Food Program.
- The following year, a motive in the spirit of Ancient Roman myths with the dedication of the anniversary of the EU Constitution came out.
- In 2006, the Olympic Games were held in Turin. This topic is reflected on the obverse.
- 2007 is the anniversary of the Rome Treaty, which became the founder of the EEC.
- 2008 is the anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.
- 2009 was marked by the minting of commemorative coins of two kinds on the occasion of the anniversary of the EU and the anniversary of Braille.
- On the obverse of the commemorative coin in 2010, the first Prime Minister of Italy took the place.
In the following years, Verdi, Pascoli, and historical events of the country were marked on the national side of the coins.
Ancient money of Italy: coins, photo copies
If you compile a selection of old Italian money, you can see what variety of names existed on the territory of the modern state. Ancient coins of Italy are not limited to recently replaced lyres.
1. Soldo. The roots of this bargaining chip are Ancient Rome. In the old days, hired soldiers were bought for little money, so “soldo” and soldier are the same root words.
2. Centesimo. Long-lived coin - one hundredth of a lira. “Centesimo” and “cent” are related words.
3. Carlino. Gold and silver coins from the time of Charles the First of Anjou. It was this money that replaced the lira. They were used not only in Italy, but also in Malta.
4. Gadzetta. Loose change, was in use in Venice. The name was in tune with the newspaper publisher, later, spread throughout the world. It was exchanged for a few soldos and minted from low quality silver. This type of coin - billions, originally from the 16th century, is interesting mainly to numismatists.
Modern images on the coins of Italy were chosen by society. In 1998, Italians voted using a telephone. It is noteworthy that only the coins of this country have their own unique obverse among the European Union currency.