query: Ice hockey has international teams.

pos: Ice hockey Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice , usually in a rink , in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent 's net to score points . The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical , with teams usually consisting of six players each : one goaltender , and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team .   Ice hockey is most popular in Canada , central and eastern Europe , Scandinavia , and the northern regions of the United States . Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada , where the modern version of the sport was created , and enjoys immense popularity ; alongside Canada , hockey is the most popular winter sport in Finland , Latvia , the Czech Republic , Sweden , Slovakia , Belarus and Switzerland . In North America , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) is the highest level for men 's hockey and the most popular . The Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) is the highest league in Russia and much of Eastern Europe . The International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) is the formal governing body for international ice hockey , with the IIHF managing international tournaments and maintaining the IIHF World Ranking . Worldwide , there are ice hockey federations in 74 countries .   Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th century United Kingdom and elsewhere . These games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules were developed , such as `` shinny '' and `` ice polo '' . The contemporary sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada , most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor hockey game was played on March 3 , 1875 . Some characteristics of that game , such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck , have been retained to this day . Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s , and professional ice hockey originated around 1900 . The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy , was first awarded in 1893 to recognize the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the NHL . In the early 1900s , the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , the precursor of the IIHF and the sport was played for the first time in the Olympics in the Olympic Games of 1920 .   In international competitions , the national teams of six countries ( the `` Big Six '' ) predominate : Canada , Czech Republic , Finland , Russia , Sweden and the United States . Of the 69 medals awarded all-time in men 's competition at the Olympics , only six medals were not awarded to one of those countries . In the annual Ice Hockey World Championships , 177 of 201 medals have been awarded to the six nations . Teams outside the `` Big Six '' have won only five medals in either competition since 1953 : All 12 Women 's Olympic and 36 IIHF World Women 's Championships medals have been awarded to one of these six countries , and every gold medal in both competitions has been won by either the Canadian national team or the United States national team .   In Canada , the United States , and some European countries it is known simply as hockey ; the name `` ice hockey '' is used in places where `` hockey '' more often refers to field hockey , such as South America , Asia , Africa , Australasia , and some European countries . In Russia and Ukraine , where `` hockey '' can also refer to bandy , ice hockey is often called `` hockey with puck '' .

neg: Ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics The men 's ice hockey tournament at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz , Switzerland , was the 6th Olympic Championship , also serving as the 15th World Championships and the 26th European Championships . Canada , represented by the Ottawa RCAF Flyers team of Canadian Armed Forces personnel , won its fifth Olympic gold medal and 12th World Championship . Highest finishing European team Czechoslovakia won the silver medal and its eighth European Championship .

neg: List of International Hockey League trophies The original International Hockey League ( IHL ) was a professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001 .

neg: Serbia national ice hockey team The Serbian national ice hockey team is the national men 's ice hockey team of Serbia , and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation . They are currently ranked 30th in the IIHF World Rankings and competes in IIHF World Championship Division I.

neg: Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held at the Torino Palasport Olimpico and the Torino Esposizioni in Turin , Italy . The men 's competition , held from 15 to 26 February , was won by Sweden , and the women 's competition , held from 11 to 20 February , was won by Canada .

neg: Scottish National League (ice hockey) The Scottish National League is a recreational ice hockey league in Scotland .   The league is seen as the third-tier of ice hockey in the UK , below the British Elite Ice Hockey League and the English Premier Ice Hockey League . However , its standard of play has been considered closer to the English National Ice Hockey Division One , consisting primarily of amateur players and `` B '' teams of clubs playing in higher leagues . Following the demise of the British National League at the end of the 2004 -- 05 season , the Fife Flyers and Dundee Stars transferred to the League , raising its profile and quality . Both these teams have since left the SNL and now compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League

neg: Lithuania national ice hockey team The Lithuanian national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of Lithuania , and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation . Lithuania is currently in 26th place in the IIHF World Rankings . They have never competed in Olympic Games .

neg: 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament . It was the second installment of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) - sanctioned competition , eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey . It was held from August 30 to September 14 , 2004 , and took place in various venues in North America and Europe . Canada won the championship , defeating Finland in the final , held in Toronto .   The tournament directly preceded the NHL lockout , as the NHL announced the suspension of the 2004 -- 05 season two days after the tournament final was played .

neg: USA Hockey USA Hockey ( prior to June 1991 , Amateur Hockey Association of the United States or AHAUS ) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for organized amateur Ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation . Founded on Oct. 29 , 1937 , in New York City , New York , the organization is based in Colorado Springs , Colorado , and has a total membership exceeding one million . Its mission is to promote the growth of hockey in America and provide the best possible experience for all participants by encouraging , developing , advancing and administering the sport .   USA Hockey programs support and develop players , coaches , officials , and facilities . In January 2009 , the organization launched the American Development Model , which - for the first time ever - provided associations nationwide with a blueprint for optimal athlete development . USA Hockey also has junior and adult hockey programs that provide opportunities for players of all ability levels . In addition , the organization supports a disabled hockey program .   USA Hockey provides certification programs for coaches and officials to ensure education standards are met that coincide with the level of play . A large focus is put on parent education with equipment needs , rules of the game and parental roles in youth sports among common topics .   Members of the organization receive a subscription to USA Hockey Magazine . At 412,892 subscribers , it is the most widely circulated hockey publication in the world . Members also receive insurance coverage and access to participate in national championships and player development camps .

neg: Box hockey Box hockey is an active hand game played between two people with sticks , a puck and a compartmented box ( typically 5 - long ) , and typically played outdoors . The object of the game is to move a hockey puck through the center dividers , of the box , out through a hole placed at each end of the box , also known as the goal . The two players face one another on either side of the box , and each attempts to move the puck to their left . If a player succeeds in getting the puck to exit the box through the goal , the player scores one point ( or goal ) . The first player to score the predetermined number of goals wins the game .

neg: Italy women's national ice hockey team The Italian women 's national ice hockey team , a.k.a. Blue Ladies , represents Italy at the International Ice Hockey Federation 's IIHF World Women 's Championships . The women 's national team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio ( FISG ) . Italy has about 490 female players in 2011 .

neg: Israel men's national under-18 ice hockey team The Israel men 's national under-18 ice hockey team is the men 's national under-18 ice hockey team of Israel . The team is controlled by the Ice Hockey Federation of Israel , a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation . The team represents Israel at the IIHF World U18 Championships .

neg: TV-pucken TV-pucken ( the TV puck ) is a Swedish national ice hockey tournament for district teams of boys under 15 years of age . It was created by hockey legend Sven `` Tumba '' Johansson .   The tournament is named `` TV-pucken '' because when it was first played in 1959 , every game was broadcast on television , but nowadays only the playoff games are shown . It is generally considered a great merit for a Swedish ice hockey player to have played in TV-pucken .   The allowed maximum age of the players was originally 16 years , but reduced to 15 in 1979 . During a meeting on Bosön in December 2002 it was decided to increase the age from 15 to 16 from the 2003 tournament , to prevent the `` early exclusion '' caused by young players giving up ice hockey .   The tournament has also given birth to the expressions of TV-pucken crowd ( TV-puckshög ) and TV-pucken joy ( TV-pucksglädje ) as the entire team throws themself onto the playing surface celebrating goals and victories .   Starting in the year 2000 Stockholm became allowed to participate with two teams. , following an idea of the Stockholm Ice Hockey Association on its own after claiming to have so many skilled young players . and this concept has also been used later . In 2012 Småland also participated with two teams ( `` red '' and `` yellow '' ) and so also in 2013 . For the 2016 tournament the Swedish Ice Hockey Association decided to set up a new team , consisting of 22 players who 'd been rejected from respective district association teams .   The 1997 edition aired over TV 3 as `` TV-cupen '' .   Several `` spinoff '' - variations were later developed , like cross-country skiing 's TV-skidan starting in 1965 , but never gaining the same popularity as TV-pucken . Even other team sports have similar tournaments , often not airing over TV , where Swedish youth district teams challenge each other .

neg: High school ice hockey in New York Ice hockey is a popular and growing sport in the state of New York . 151 high schools field sanctioned varsity teams competing in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association . 76 club and non-sanctioned New York High School Hockey teams compete in New York State Amateur Hockey Association .

neg: Hockey World Cup The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation ( FIH ) . The tournament was started in 1971 . It is held every four years , bridging the four years between the Summer Olympics .   There is also a Women 's Hockey World Cup , which has been held since 1974 and was organised by the International Federation of Women 's Hockey Associations ( IFWHA ) until 1981 , when the governing bodies merged into the current International Hockey Federation in 1982 .   Five countries have dominated the event 's history . Pakistan is the most successful team , having won the tournament four times . The Netherlands and Australia have won three titles , and Germany has each won two titles . India won the tournament once .   The 2014 tournament was held in The Hague , Netherlands from June 2 to 14 . Australia defeated Netherlands 6 -- 1 in the final , to win their third World Cup title . The 2018 tournament will be held in Bhubaneswar , India from 28 November to 16 December . The World Cup will expand to 16 teams in 2018 , and FIH will evaluate the possibility of increasing it to 24 in 2022 .

neg: Bulgaria men's national under-18 ice hockey team The Bulgaria men 's national under-18 ice hockey team is the men 's national under-18 ice hockey team of Bulgaria . The team is controlled by the Bulgarian Ice Hockey Federation , a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation . The team represents Bulgaria at the IIHF World U18 Championships .

neg: European Trophy European Trophy ( previously named Nordic Trophy between 2006 and 2009 ) was an annually held ice hockey tournament , traditionally composed of teams from the higher-level ice hockey leagues in countries across Europe . It was generally considered to be a preseason tournament , although some games were played mid-season . With 32 participating teams from seven different countries in 2013 , the European Trophy was at the time the biggest active ice hockey tournament in Europe . From the 2014 -- 15 season , the European Trophy would be replaced by the Champions Hockey League , an IIHF-organized tournament .   Sweden and Finland always participated , and they were the only two countries participating when the tournament was named `` Nordic Trophy '' . The tournament began in 2006 under the name `` Nordic Trophy '' with eight teams , four from Sweden and four from Finland . In 2010 , several teams from other European countries agreed to join the tournament , which changed name to European Trophy as a result . By the 2013 tournament , eight countries had been represented : Sweden , Finland , Austria , Czech Republic , Germany , Slovakia , Switzerland , and Norway . No team ever won the tournament more than one time .

neg: Switzerland men's national ice hockey team The Switzerland men 's national ice hockey team is a founding member of the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) and is controlled by the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation . As of 2016 the Swiss team was ranked 7th in the world by the IIHF . From a bronze medal at the 1953 World Championships until the silver medal of 2013 , Switzerland did not win a medal at a major senior ice hockey tournament , coming close in 1992 and 1998 , when they finished in 4th place at the World Championships both years .   Before the 2013 IIHF World Championship , the Swiss national hockey team scored two historic upsets at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , defeating the Czech Republic 3 -- 2 and shutting out Canada 2 -- 0 two days later . They finally fell to Sweden in the quarterfinals . At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver , the Swiss nearly stunned Canada again in round-robin play , taking the heavily favored Canadians to a shootout , which they lost 1 -- 0 for a narrow 3 -- 2 loss .

neg: 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships The 1962 World Ice Hockey Championships was the 29th edition of the Ice Hockey World Championships . The tournament was held in Colorado Springs and Denver , United States from March 8 to March 18 , 1962 . This was the first time this championship ( other than being part of an Olympic tournament ) had been held in North America . A boycott led by The Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia led to a much reduced field of participants . At issue was the boycott of the 1957 championships in Moscow by Canada and the USA , and the Americans refusal of East German passports in reaction to the building of the Berlin Wall .   Sweden won their third World , and their ninth European title . Canada , represented by the Galt Terriers , lost only to the Swedes finishing second , followed by the host Americans . In the ` B ' pool the Australian team defeated Denmark for their first victory ever .

neg: Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games ( Jeux olympiques d'hiver ) is a major international sporting event that occurs once every four years . Unlike the Summer Olympics , the Winter Olympics feature sports practised on snow and ice . The first Winter Olympics , the 1924 Winter Olympics , was held in Chamonix , France . The original five sports ( broken into nine disciplines ) were bobsleigh , curling , ice hockey , Nordic skiing ( consisting of the disciplines military patrol , cross-country skiing , Nordic combined , and ski jumping ) , and skating ( consisting of the disciplines figure skating and speed skating ) . The Games were held every four years from 1924 until 1936 , after which they were interrupted by World War II . The Olympics resumed in 1948 and was again held every four years . Until 1992 , the Winter and Summer Olympic Games were held in the same years , but in accordance with a 1986 decision by the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) to place the Summer and Winter Games on separate four-year cycles in alternating even-numbered years , the next Winter Olympics after 1992 was in 1994 .   The Winter Games have evolved since its inception . Sports and disciplines have been added and some of them , such as Alpine skiing , luge , short track speed skating , freestyle skiing , skeleton , and snowboarding , have earned a permanent spot on the Olympic programme . Others ( such as curling and bobsleigh ) have been discontinued and later reintroduced , or have been permanently discontinued ( such as military patrol , though the modern Winter Olympic sport of biathlon is descended from it ) . Still others , such as speed skiing , bandy and skijoring , were demonstration sports but never incorporated as Olympic sports . The rise of television as a global medium for communication enhanced the profile of the Games . It created an income stream , via the sale of broadcast rights and advertising , which has become lucrative for the IOC . This allowed outside interests , such as television companies and corporate sponsors , to exert influence . The IOC has had to address several criticisms , internal scandals , the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Winter Olympians , as well as a political boycott of the Winter Olympics . Nations have used the Winter Games to showcase the claimed superiority of their political systems .   The Winter Olympics has been hosted on three continents by eleven different countries . The Games have been held in the United States four times ( 1932 , 1960 , 1980 , 2002 ) ; in France three times ( 1924 , 1968 , 1992 ) ; and in Austria ( 1964 , 1976 ) , Canada ( 1988 , 2010 ) , Japan ( 1972 , 1998 ) , Italy ( 1956 , 2006 ) , Norway ( 1952 , 1994 ) , and Switzerland ( 1928 , 1948 ) twice . Also , the Games have been held in Germany ( 1936 ) , Yugoslavia ( 1984 ) , and Russia ( 2014 ) once . The IOC has selected Pyeongchang , South Korea , to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Beijing , China , to host the 2022 Winter Olympics . No city in the southern hemisphere has hosted or even been an applicant to host the Winter Olympics ; the major challenge preventing one hosting the games is the dependence on winter weather , and the traditional February timing of the games falls in the middle of the southern hemisphere summer .   Twelve countries -- Austria , Canada , Finland , France , Great Britain , Hungary , Italy , Norway , Poland , Sweden , Switzerland and the United States -- have sent athletes to every Winter Olympic Games . Six of those -- Austria , Canada , Finland , Norway , Sweden and the United States -- have earned medals at every Winter Olympic Games , and only one -- the United States -- has earned gold at each Games . Norway leads in terms of number of gold medals and overall number of medals . Germany and Japan have been banned at times from competing in the Games .

neg: IIHF Hall of Fame The IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which was established by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1997 , when 30 individuals were inducted at the world championships in Helsinki . A new group of players and builders have been inducted each year since then .


query: Steve Buscemi the film Trees Lounge's director.

pos: Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( -LSB- buːˈsɛmi -RSB- born December 13 , 1957 ) is an American actor and film director . Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films , including Parting Glances , New York Stories , Mystery Train , Reservoir Dogs , Desperado , Con Air , Armageddon , The Grey Zone , Ghost World , Big Fish , and The Sopranos . He is also known for his appearances in many films by the Coen brothers : Miller 's Crossing , Barton Fink , The Hudsucker Proxy , Fargo , and The Big Lebowski . Buscemi provides the voice of Randall Boggs in the Monsters , Inc. franchise .   From 2010 to 2014 , he portrayed Enoch `` Nucky '' Thompson in the critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire , which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards , a Golden Globe , and two nominations for an Emmy Award . He made his directorial debut in 1996 , with Trees Lounge , in which he also starred . Other works include Animal Factory ( 2000 ) , Lonesome Jim ( 2005 ) and Interview ( 2007 ) . He has also directed numerous episodes of TV shows , including Homicide : Life on the Street , The Sopranos , Oz , 30 Rock , and Nurse Jackie . He currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning AOL On comedy talk-show Park Bench .

neg: Stephen Merchant Stephen James Merchant ( born 24 November 1974 ) is an English writer , director , radio presenter , comedian , and actor .   Merchant is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington , as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office ( 2001 -- 2003 ) , co-writer and co-star of Extras ( 2005 -- 2007 ) and co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show in its radio , podcast , audiobook and television formats ; the radio version won a bronze Sony Award . He is also known for his voice role as Wheatley in the 2011 video game Portal 2 .   Merchant appeared as himself in the BBC series Life 's Too Short ( 2011 -- 2013 ) , which he co-wrote and co-directed . He also voiced the computer program ConRad on The Simpsons in the 2016 episode `` The Girl Code '' , co-developed the Sky1 travel series An Idiot Abroad ( 2010 -- 2011 ) and performs as a stand-up comedian . He starred in his first play , Richard Bean 's The Mentalists , at London 's Wyndham 's Theatre from July to August 2015 . His varied endeavors have earned him three BAFTA Awards , four British Comedy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award .   Merchant had his first dramatic role in a film when he was cast as Caliban in the superhero film Logan ( 2017 ) .

neg: Luxury Lounge `` Luxury Lounge '' is the seventy-second episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the seventh of the show 's sixth season . It was written by Matthew Weiner , directed by Danny Leiner and originally aired on April 23 , 2006 .

neg: Dream City Film Club Dream City Film Club were a North London rock band founded in July 1995 .   Their sound was difficult to categorize in that it encompassed tortured lovelorn balladry , avant-garde flourishes , Tin Pan Alley , straightforward rock and gospel yearnings in both lyrics and subject matter . Ultimately , Dream City Film Club failed to find enough of an audience to sustain them .   Vocalist Michael J. Sheehy had been working as a solo singer/songwriter for several years when he met Alex Vald and Laurence Ash , who quickly began writing songs with Sheehy . Upon the demise of another local group , Breed , bassist Andrew Park joined . The band 's name came from a news story Sheehy had seen about an arsonist who had burned down a members-only porno theatre . They played their first gig as Dream City Film Club on 31 July 1995 .   They released a single , `` Crawl '' for the underground fanzine , the Organ in early 1996 . Soon after , they were contacted by Beggar 's Banquet and recorded their eponymous debut album in late 1996 , later releasing it on 26 May 1997 .   According to Sheehy , the English press reaction to the first single , `` Perfect Piece of Trash '' , was almost unanimous in its derision . After parting with Vald , DCFC continued on as a three piece , recording its second and final album , In the Cold Light of Morning featuring a more expansive sound best realized on the epic `` God Will Punish the Pervert Preacher '' .   The group disbanded in 1999 . Michael J. Sheehy subsequently recorded three solo albums for Beggar 's Banquet and two for Glitterhouse , and has fronted Saint Silas Intercession with his brother Patrick . During the early 2000s , Alex Vald worked as half of experimental pop band Datapuddle . In 2015 , Sheehy and Vald reunited as the pop-noir duo United Sound of Joy .

neg: Steve Azar Stephen Thomas `` Steve '' Azar ( born April 11 , 1964 , Greenville , Mississippi , United States ) is an American country music artist of Syrian and Lebanese descent . Azar is a modern-day Renaissance man , hit songwriter , recording artist , music producer , golfer and philanthropist . He likes to call his own breed of music `` Delta Soul , '' a mixture of country , rock and blues .   Azar 's hit single `` I Do n't Have To Be Me , Til Monday '' received three Million-Air awards from BMI and is one of the top five most played songs of the past decade on country radio .   Azar has been honored with `` Steve Azar day '' in the states of Mississippi ( on March 13th ) and South Dakota ( on August 10th ) . He is the co-founder of Ride Records and co-founder of the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival , dubbed `` A Southern Gem '' by the American Blues Scene magazine and included in Acoustic Guitar magazine 's 2014 Roadside Americana : 50 States 50 Must-Attend Events . The Mighty Mississippi Music Festival has also been featured in the third edition of 1,000 Places in the United States and Canada to See Before You Die .   Azar has also been recognized by the Mississippi Senate , and on Jan. 25 , 2017 , Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Azar as the Music and Culture Ambassador of Mississippi . Bryant is celebrating Mississippi as the birthplace of American Music in 2017 , and he was inspired by Azar 's latest album , Down at the Liquor Store , which was recorded with The Kings Men , musicians who played with B.B. King , as well as by the financial impact Azar has made on the State through various events .   `` I am delighted my longtime friend Steve Azar has agreed to serve as Music and Culture Ambassador for his home state of Mississippi , '' Bryant said . `` Steve has spent his entire career promoting Mississippi , and I know he 'll continue that good work in his new role . ''  Azar will be working closely with the State of Mississippi in his official role , and he is writing a song for the state 's bicentennial , which is being celebrated in 2017 .

neg: LEAF Festival LEAF Festival is produced by LEAF Community Arts , a non-profit organization established to build community and enrich lives through the arts , locally and globally , through festivals , events , mentoring , and educational programs . When LEAF was created in 1995 , it was an acronym for `` Lake Eden Arts Festival '' . As of 2012 , we no longer use the origin except as a historical reference - it has transformed into LEAF Community Arts often referred to as `` LEAF '' . LEAF has several signature programs including : LEAF Festival , LEAF Schools & Streets , LEAF International , LEAF Downtown AVL , and LEAF Local .   Occurring twice a year since 1995 , LEAF Festival , based in Black Mountain , North Carolina has established a reputation as being one of the best festivals in the southeast . The Washington Post recognized it in 2001 as , `` The best cultural Mix and Match Festival in the nation '' . The festival includes international and local music , handcrafts , dancing , cuisine , children 's activities , outdoor adventures , drum circles , a zipline , canoeing , etc. .   The home of LEAF , Lake Eden Events & Camp Rockmont , has an intriguing history . Prior to becoming a camp , in the 1940s it was the site of the historic Black Mountain College ( BMC ) . Many of the century 's most celebrated artists and thinkers attended the college as teachers or students : Albert Einstein , Robert Rauschenberg , Anni Albers , Merce Cunningham , Rothko and Buckminster Fuller ( who designed the first geodesic dome there ) . Prior to BMC , in the early 1900s , Edwin Wiley Grove ( of the Grove Park Inn and Grove Arcade ) developed the land and constructed some buildings with his trademark native stone fireplaces . Prior to Grove , The Lake Eden Inn and Resort offered a getaway for people seeking its healing waters and rejuvenating air .   LEAF in Schools & Streets is a non-profit collaborative outreach program bringing performing artists into schools and community centers for hands-on workshops , residencies , and interactive performances . The experience provides opportunities for youth to perform alongside resident artists on a national stage , with family members in the audience . The program provides participating youth with a diverse experience that includes workshops , performances , interactions with performing artists , and a festival adventure .

neg: Piano bar A piano bar ( also known as a piano lounge ) consists of a piano or electronic keyboard played by a professional musician , located in a cocktail lounge , bar , hotel lobby , office building lobby , restaurant , or on a cruise ship . Usually the pianist receives a small salary plus tips in a jar or basket on or near the piano , especially from patrons requesting a song traditionally written on a beverage napkin . Some piano bars feature a baby grand or grand piano surrounded by stools for patrons ( or , somewhat humorously , an upright piano covered by a counter that makes it appear to be a grand piano ) . Others have a bar surrounding the piano or keyboard .   Jimmy Durante started as a piano bar player , as did Billy Joel . Joel 's classic hit `` Piano Man '' is based on his experiences as a piano bar player . Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli also played in piano bars to pay for singing lessons .   Theatre historian John Kenrick describes the piano bar as follows :  A piano bar is a hybrid creature : part performance space , part living room , part cruise-a-thon , and part saloon . The bar is there to sell drinks , the pianist is there to perform , and the crowd is there to sing , listen , drink and socialize . All of this means that it 's impossible to predict what a given evening 's chemistry will be , even if most of the people on hand are regular customers ... . While every factor counts , the most important issue is the person at the piano . The pianist determines the type of music , the style of performance , and the general tone of the evening ... . The experienced piano bar player knows how to take genial control of most any situation and generally keep the party going .   The American minimalist composer Terry Riley , who worked as a cocktail pianist when younger , later offered this `` religious '' view of the profession :  Having worked for years as a lounge lizard , I was smitten with the insight that the cocktail pianist is signaled out to conduct his ritual of group urban chanting on the themes of love and existence -- a kind of medicine man at the ever-present altaric piano , surrounded by his boozy tribe sipping sacraments in the circle of our common misery .   The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs presents annually several awards , MAC Awards , for piano bar performers : Piano Bar Instrumentalist , Restaurant/Hotel Lounge Instrumentalist , Piano Bar/Restaurant Singing Entertainer -- male and female .

neg: Steve Moore (cartoonist) Steven `` Steve '' Moore ( born 1965 ) is an American cartoonist , screenwriter , producer and feature film director . He is the creator and director of the syndicated sports cartoon In the Bleachers and the animated movies Open Season ( Sony Pictures Animation ) , and the Alpha and Omega franchise ( alongside Ben Gluck ) .   Moore contributed a unique one page story to the Tarzan and the Comics of Idaho # 1 anthology published by Idaho Comics Group in August 2014 .

neg: Midwest Independent Film Festival The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation 's only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker . Only films from the eight-state Midwest region of Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota , Missouri , Ohio and Wisconsin are considered for screening . This film festival is also unique in that it is held throughout the year , presenting audiences with the finest independent films from the Midwest every first Tuesday of the month .   The Midwest Independent Film Festival prides itself on showcasing emerging directors , powerful artistic visions , and strong cinematic stories . These exceptional films combine with an exciting social atmosphere and a state-of-the-art screening venue to create one of the premier festivals in the Midwest .   The Midwest Independent Film Festival is hosted every first Tuesday of the month at Chicago 's Landmark Century Centre Cinema of Landmark Theatres . Sponsors include Resolution Digital Studios , Zacuto , Fletcher Chicago , Orbit Media Studios , O'Connor Casting , Flashpoint The Academy of Media Arts and Sciences , Zipcar , The Chicago Film Office , The Illinois Film Office , Zaroban Design , Crunch Fitness , Getty Images , Screen Magazine and Kodak .   This festival is sometimes referred to as `` The Midwest Film Festival , '' `` The Midwest Indie , '' or simply `` The Midwest . ''

neg: The Culture High The Culture High is a 2014 feature-length documentary film directed by Brett Harvey . It is about the marijuana prohibition and the war on drugs in United States . It is the sequel of the 2007 The Union : The Business Behind Getting High .   It premiered at the 2014 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival .   The Culture High won Best Documentary and was nominated for Best Screenwriter Non-Fiction , Best Overall Sound and Best Narrator at the 2015 AMPIA Awards . It was also nominated for Best Feature Length Documentary Program , Best Cinematography in a Documentary Program or Series , and Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series at the 2015 Leo Awards , and for Best Documentary at the 30th Warsaw International Film Festival .

neg: Jim Fields James Wallace Fields is an American film director , producer , playwright and actor . Fields wrote , produced and directed the movies 416 , Saving The Indian Hills , Preserve Me A Seat , Plain Living and , most recently Bugeaters , currently in production . Prior to his film work , Fields wrote and directed the musical comedy Little Red and the play Scarlett Fever .   Fields is a nationally known independent filmmaker who has championed issues of concern to the Midwest and of film lovers in general . He is the owner of the independent film production company Apartment 101 Films .

neg: The Cobbler (2014 film) The Cobbler is a 2014 American magic realism comedy-drama film directed by Tom McCarthy and co-written by McCarthy with Paul Sado . The film stars Adam Sandler , Dan Stevens , Dustin Hoffman and Steve Buscemi . It was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival . The film was released on March 13 , 2015 , by Image Entertainment . The film was panned by critics and was a box office bomb .

neg: Whistling Woods International Institute Whistling Woods International is a film , communication and media arts institute located in Mumbai , India . The institute is promoted by Indian Filmmaker Subhash Ghai , Mukta Arts Limited and Film City Mumbai . In July 2014 , The Hollywood Reporter named Whistling Woods on its list of `` The best film schools in the world '' . The school was first ranked among the top 10 film schools by The Hollywood Reporter in 2010 .   The Institute has affiliations with several film schools , including international student co-productions and credits transfer . Some of the affiliations are with Deakin University and Griffith University in Australia , Bradford College in the UK , Syracuse University in the United States and New York University Tisch School of the Arts , Asia .

neg: Excursions (film) Excursions is an American independent film directed by Daniel Martinico . The film follows two couples who retreat to a remote cabin in the woods for mysterious purposes . It was written by Martinico and Hugo Armstrong , who collaborated previously on the 2012 film OK , Good .

neg: Sam Raimi Samuel M `` Sam '' Raimi ( -LSB- ˈreɪmi -RSB- born October 23 , 1959 ) is an American film director , producer , screenwriter and actor , famous for creating the cult horror Evil Dead series , as well as directing the original Spider-Man trilogy ( 2002 -- 07 ) and the 1990 superhero film Darkman . His most recent work is the 2013 Disney fantasy film Oz the Great and Powerful .   Raimi has also produced several successful television series and founded his own production company , Renaissance Pictures , in 1979 . Recently , he worked as the producer of The Possession , and the 2013 remake of Evil Dead .

neg: C'est si bon (film) C'est si bon is a 2015 South Korean musical drama film written and directed by Kim Hyun-seok . It was released on February 5 , 2015 .   C'est si bon ( French for `` It 's so good '' ) was a legendary , real-life acoustic music lounge in the 1970s located in Mugyo-dong , Seoul . It was very popular with Koreans in their twenties and thirties , who went there to listen to live music performed by some of the most talented young musicians of the era . Among them was the folk music duo Twin Folio composed of Yoon Hyung-joo and Song Chang-sik ; this film depicts the band 's beginnings while including a fictional third member , Oh Geun-tae .

neg: Down Under the Big Top Down Under the Big Top is a 1996 American movie . It is the Newsboys ' first feature film and was released as a direct-to-video title . The film also represents the first screenplay ever written by director Steve Taylor .

neg: Tree shaping Tree shaping ( also known by several other alternative names ) uses living trees and other woody plants as the medium to create structures and art . There are a few different methods used by the various artists to shape their trees , which share a common heritage with other artistic horticultural and agricultural practices , such as pleaching , bonsai , espalier , and topiary , and employing some similar techniques . Most artists use grafting to deliberately induce the inosculation of living trunks , branches , and roots , into artistic designs or functional structures .   Tree shaping has been practiced for at least several hundred years , as demonstrated by the living root bridges built and maintained by the Khasi people of India . Early 20th century practitioners and artisans included banker John Krubsack , Axel Erlandson with his famous circus trees , and landscape engineer Arthur Wiechula . Contemporary designers include `` Pooktre '' artists Peter Cook and Becky Northey , `` arborsculpture '' artist Richard Reames , and furniture designer Dr Chris Cattle , who grows `` grownup furniture '' .

neg: Tony Blundetto Anthony `` Tony '' Blundetto , played by Steve Buscemi , is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos . He is Tony Soprano 's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show 's fifth season . Upon release , Tony Blundetto begins to pursue a straight , non-criminal life . However , he is eventually overpowered by the challenges of civilian life and turns back to crime , dragging the DiMeo Crime Family into the Lupertazzi Crime Family 's power struggle .   For his work in season 5 , Buscemi received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series .

neg: Roger Kumble Roger Kumble ( born May 28 , 1966 ) is an American film director , screenwriter , and playwright .

neg: Herbert Mason Not to be confused with Herbert Mason the photographer who photographed St Paul 's Survives ( 1940 ) .   Samuel George Herbert Mason ( 1891 -- 20 May 1960 ) was a British film director , producer , stage actor , army officer , presenter of some revues , stage manager , stage director , choreographer , production manager and playwright . He was a recipient of the Military Cross the prestigious award for `` gallantry during active operations against the enemy . '' He received the gallantry award for his part in the Battle of Guillemont where British troops defeated the Germans to take the German stronghold of Guillemont .   Mason began his theatrical career at the age of 16 and appeared in several productions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre including Barry Jackson 's The Christmas Party . During the 1920s he stage managed some of the largest shows in London ( including many of Andre Charlot 's musical revues ) and began his film career with the arrival of sound in motion pictures . Mason was the Assistant director for I Was a Spy , which was very successful in the box office and voted best film of the year . He made his debut as director in 1936 with The First Offence . His most prominent film was A Window in London a dark thriller set in the London Underground , which was a remake of the original French drama film Metropolitan . Another successful film included Take My Tip , in which he directed Jack Hulbert whose `` dances -LSB- were -RSB- beautifully staged . ''   Several rising actors and actresses ( including Vivien Leigh ) made their film debuts in some of his films before they rose to prominence . He worked for several studios and production companies including Gaumont British , Gainsborough Pictures , London Films and MGM-British Studios . Mason directed 16 films ( from thrillers to comedies ) , moved into producing for the rest of his career and authored some plays with his wife Daisy Fisher , a novelist and playwright also with a background in theatre .   His films were generally very well received , and some of them were marked out for the inventiveness of the plot , locations used for shooting and humour . Some of his films are remembered for introducing rising actors and actresses to the screen before they became famous .


query: Leonardo da Vinci spent his childhood in a home awarded to him by Francis I of France.

pos: Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( -LSB- leoˈnardo di ˌsɛr ˈpjɛːro da ( v ) ˈvintʃi -RSB- ; 15 April 14522 May 1519 ) , more commonly Leonardo da Vinci or simply Leonardo , was an Italian polymath whose areas of interest included invention , painting , sculpting , architecture , science , music , mathematics , engineering , literature , anatomy , geology , astronomy , botany , writing , history , and cartography . He has been variously called the father of palaeontology , ichnology , and architecture , and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time . Sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute , helicopter and tank , he epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal .   Many historians and scholars regard Leonardo as the prime exemplar of the `` Universal Genius '' or `` Renaissance Man '' , an individual of `` unquenchable curiosity '' and `` feverishly inventive imagination '' . According to art historian Helen Gardner , the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent in recorded history , and `` his mind and personality seem to us superhuman , while the man himself mysterious and remote '' . Marco Rosci notes that while there is much speculation regarding his life and personality , his view of the world was logical rather than mysterious , and that the empirical methods he employed were unorthodox for his time .   Born out of wedlock to a notary , Piero da Vinci , and a peasant woman , Caterina , in Vinci in the region of Florence , Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter Andrea del Verrocchio . Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan . He later worked in Rome , Bologna and Venice , and he spent his last years in France at the home awarded to him by Francis I of France .   Leonardo was , and is , renowned primarily as a painter . Among his works , the Mona Lisa is the most famous and most parodied portrait and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time . Leonardo 's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon , being reproduced on items as varied as the euro coin , textbooks , and T-shirts . Perhaps fifteen of his paintings have survived.There are 15 significant artworks which are ascribed , either in whole or in large part , to Leonardo by most art historians . This number is made up principally of paintings on panel but includes a mural , a large drawing on paper and two works which are in the early stages of preparation . There are a number of other works that have also been variously attributed to Leonardo . Nevertheless , these few works , together with his notebooks , which contain drawings , scientific diagrams , and his thoughts on the nature of painting , compose a contribution to later generations of artists rivalled only by that of his contemporary , Michelangelo .   Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity . He conceptualised flying machines , a type of armoured fighting vehicle , concentrated solar power , an adding machine , and the double hull . Relatively few of his designs were constructed or even feasible during his lifetime , as the modern scientific approaches to metallurgy and engineering were only in their infancy during the Renaissance . Some of his smaller inventions , however , such as an automated bobbin winder and a machine for testing the tensile strength of wire , entered the world of manufacturing unheralded . A number of Leonardo 's most practical inventions are nowadays displayed as working models at the Museum of Vinci . He made substantial discoveries in anatomy , civil engineering , geology , optics , and hydrodynamics , but he did not publish his findings and they had no direct influence on later science .   Today , Leonardo is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived .

neg: Goût Rothschild Le Goût Rothschild , ( -LSB- lə ɡu ʁɔtˈʃild -RSB- ; the Rothschild taste ) , describes a detailed , elaborate style of interior decoration and living which had its origin in France , Britain , and Germany during the nineteenth century , when the rich , famous , and powerful Rothschild family was at its height . The Rothschild aesthetic and life-style later influenced other rich and powerful families , including the Vanderbilts , Astors , and Rockefellers , and became hallmarks of the American Gilded Age . Aspects of le goût Rothschild continued into the twentieth century , affecting such designers as Yves Saint Laurent and Robert Denning .

neg: Gianfrancesco I Pico Gianfrancesco I Pico ( 1415 -- 8 November 1467 ) was an Italian condottiero and nobleman , the father to philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola .   He was the son of Giovanni I Pico , lord of Mirandola in what is now Emilia Romagna , and Caterina Bevilacqua , a Veronese noblewoman . When his father died in 1450 , Gianfrancesco succeeded him in Mirandola and , in the same year , he fought alongside Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta , lord of Rimini , who was then under attack of Pope Pius II 's troops . In 1462 he was captured by Federico II da Montefeltro , remaining his prisoner until the Venetians paid a ransom the following year .   After his death , in 1467 , the members of the Pico family started a feud on the family 's land which lasted some one hundred years .

neg: Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages . It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture . Originating in 12th century France and lasting into the 16th century , Gothic architecture was known during the period as Opus Francigenum ( `` French work '' ) with the term Gothic first appearing during the later part of the Renaissance . Its characteristics include the pointed arch , the ribbed vault ( which evolved from the joint vaulting of Romanesque architecture ) and the flying buttress . Gothic architecture is most familiar as the architecture of many of the great cathedrals , abbeys and churches of Europe . It is also the architecture of many castles , palaces , town halls , guild halls , universities and to a less prominent extent , private dwellings , such as dorms and rooms .   It is in the great churches and cathedrals and in a number of civic buildings that the Gothic style was expressed most powerfully , its characteristics lending themselves to appeals to the emotions , whether springing from faith or from civic pride . A great number of ecclesiastical buildings remain from this period , of which even the smallest are often structures of architectural distinction while many of the larger churches are considered priceless works of art and are listed with UNESCO as World Heritage Sites . For this reason a study of Gothic architecture is often largely a study of cathedrals and churches .   A series of Gothic revivals began in mid-18th century England , spread through 19th century Europe and continued , largely for ecclesiastical and university structures , into the 20th century .

neg: Maison Bonaparte La Maison Bonaparte ( Casa Buonaparte ) is the ancestral home of the Bonaparte family . It is located on the Rue Saint-Charles in Ajaccio on the French island of Corsica . The house was almost continuously owned by members of the family from 1682 to 1923 .

neg: Madonna del Granduca The Madonna del Granduca is a Madonna painting by the Italian renaissance artist Raphael . It was probably painted in 1505 , shortly after Raphael had arrived in Florence . The influence of Leonardo da Vinci , whose works he got to know there , can be seen in the use of sfumato . The painting belonged to Ferdinand III , Grand Duke of Tuscany , from whom it got its name .

neg: Charles V of France Charles V ( 21 January 1338 -- 16 September 1380 ) , called the Wise ( French : `` le Sage '' ) , was a monarch of the House of Valois who ruled as King of France from 1364 to his death .   In 1349 , as a young prince , Charles received from his grandfather King Philip VI the province of Dauphiné to rule . This allowed him to bear the title `` Dauphin '' until his coronation , which led to the integration of the Dauphiné into the crown lands of France . After 1350 , all heirs apparent of France bore the title of Dauphin until their coronation .   Charles became regent of France when his father John II was captured by the English at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 . To pay the ransom , Charles raised taxes . As a result , he faced hostility from the nobility , led by Charles the Bad , King of Navarre ; the opposition of the French bourgeoisie , which was channeled through the Estates-General led by Etienne Marcel ; and with peasant revolts known as Jacqueries . Charles overcame all of these rebellions , but in order to liberate his father , he had to conclude the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360 , in which he abandoned large portions of south-western France to Edward III of England and agreed to pay a huge ransom .   Charles became king in 1364 . With the help of talented advisers known as the Marmousets , his skillful management of the kingdom allowed him to replenish the royal treasury and to restore the prestige of the House of Valois . He established the first permanent army paid with regular wages , which liberated the French populace from the companies of routiers who regularly plundered the country when not employed . Led by Bertrand du Guesclin , the French Army was able to turn the tide of the Hundred Years ' War to Charles ' advantage , and by the end of Charles ' reign , they had reconquered almost all the territories ceded to the English in 1360 . Furthermore , the French Navy , led by Jean de Vienne , managed to attack the English coast for the first time since the beginning of the Hundred Years ' War .   Charles V died in 1380 . He was succeeded by his son Charles VI the Mad , whose disastrous reign allowed the English to regain control of large parts of France .

neg: Royal Library of Turin The Royal Library of Turin ( Biblioteca Reale di Torino ) is located under the porticoes on the ground floor of the Royal Palace ( today a World Heritage Site ) in the north-west Italian city of Turin . At the time of the library 's foundation around 1840 , Turin was the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the library was fitted out by Pelagio Palagi on the initiative of the King of Sardinia Carlo Alberto in order to hold the rare manuscripts that had been collected by the House of Savoy for many years . The king also increased the collection by 2000 drawings by famous artists , including Leonardo da Vinci . In 1893 , during the reign of Umberto I of Savoy as King of Italy , the collection of Leonardo da Vinci drawings was added to by a Russian collector who donated Codex on the Flight of Birds . Further works by Leonardo held by the library include his well-known self-portrait , his study for the angel in the first version of his Virgin of the Rocks , and his study for the angel in Verrocchio 's The Baptism of Christ .

neg: Tommaso Vincidor Tommaso di Andrea Vincidor ( Bologna , 1493 -- Breda , 1536 ) was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect who trained with Raphael and spent most of his career in the Netherlands . He was also called Tommaso Vincitore , Tommaso da Bologna and Thomas Polonier ( by Dürer ) .   He was the pupil of Raphael , whom he helped in the execution of the famous Raphael Cartoons . Vincidor is further said to have been one of those pupils of Raphael who carried out the frescoes in the Vatican Loggia under his direction . On Raphael 's death in 1520 he traveled to Flanders . At Antwerp he formed a friendship with Albrecht Dürer ( 1521 ) ; the German master painted his portrait , and refers to him in his Journal under the name of Thomas Polonais . Later details of the life of Tommaso are vague and scanty . He entered the service of Henry of Nassau at Breda , and was employed in reconstructive and decorative work at the Castle there , and died in the Netherlands in 1536 .

neg: Flamboyant Flamboyant ( from French flamboyant , `` flaming '' ) is the name given to a florid style of late Gothic architecture in vogue in France from about 1350 until it was superseded by Renaissance architecture during the early 16th century , and mainly used in describing French buildings . The term is sometimes used of the early period of English Gothic architecture usually called the Decorated Style ; the historian Edward Augustus Freeman proposed this in a work of 1851 . A version of the style spread to Spain and Portugal during the 15th century . It evolved from the Rayonnant style and the English Decorated Style and was marked by even greater attention to decoration and the use of double curved tracery . The term was first used by Eustache-Hyacinthe Langlois ( 1777 -- 1837 ) , and like all the terms mentioned in this paragraph except `` Sondergotik '' describes the style of window tracery , which is much the easiest way of distinguishing within the overall Gothic period , but ignores other aspects of style . In England the later part of the period is known as Perpendicular architecture . In Germany Sondergotik ( `` Special Gothic '' ) is the more usual term .   The name derives from the flame-like windings of its tracery and the dramatic lengthening of gables and the tops of arches . A key feature is the ogee arch , originating in Beverley Minster , England around 1320 , which spread to York and Durham , although the form was never widely used in England , being superseded by the rise of the Perpendicular style around 1350 . A possible point of connection between the early English work and the later development in France is the church at Chaumont . The Manueline in Portugal , and the Isabelline in Spain were even more extravagant continuations of the style in the late 15th and early 16th centuries .   In the past the Flamboyant style , along with its antecedent Rayonnant , has frequently been disparaged by critics . More recently some have sought to rehabilitate it . William W Clark commented :   The Flamboyant is the most neglected period of Gothic architecture because of the prejudices of past generations ; but the neglect of these highly original and inventive architectural fantasies is unwarranted . The time has come to discard old conceptions and look anew at Late Gothic architecture .

neg: Franciscus Franciscus is a Latin given name , originally an epithet meaning `` the Frank , the Frenchman '' .  It was applied to Saint Francis of Assisi ( 1181/82 -- 1226 ) .  Francis had been baptized Giovanni ( John ) ; his father was Italian and his mother Provençale ( at the time not considered French ) ; his father was on business in France when he was born , and when he returned to Assisi , he began to call his son by the nickname Francesco , in the opinion of G. K. Chesterton possibly because out of a general enthusiasm for all things French , or because of his commercial success in France .  After the canonization of Saint Francis of Assisi in 1228 , the custom of naming children after saints led to the popularization of Franciscus as a given name . In the vernaculars of western Europe , the name diversified into the forms Francesco ( Italian ) , Francisco ( Spanish and Portuguese ) , Francesc ( Catalan ) , François ( Old French Franceis , whence English Francis ) , Franz ( German , whence Hungarian Ferenc , Scandinavian and Dutch Frans ) ; besides Frans , the Latin form remains commonly given in Dutch .   Franciscus may serve as the latinization of any of these given names ; conversely , Francis may serve as the anglicization of anyone called Franciscus .   People called Franciscus include :

neg: France France ( -LSB- fʁɑ̃s -RSB- ) , officially the French Republic ( -LSB- ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz -RSB- ) , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . France spans 643801 km2 and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi-presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux .   During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome , which held Gaul until 486 , when the Germanic Franks conquered the region and formed the Kingdom of France . France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , with its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337 to 1453 ) strengthening state-building and political centralisation . During the Renaissance , French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established , which by the 20th century would be the second largest in the world . The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots ) . France became Europe 's dominant cultural , political , and military power under Louis XIV . In the late 18th century , the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy , established one of modern history 's earliest republics , and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , which expresses the nation 's ideals to this day .   In the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire , whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe . Following the collapse of the Empire , France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870 . France was a major participant in the First World War , from which it emerged victorious , and was one of the Allied Powers in the Second World War , but came under occupation by the Axis Powers in 1940 . Following liberation in 1944 , a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War . The Fifth Republic , led by Charles de Gaulle , was formed in 1958 and remains to this day . Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France .   France has long been a global centre of art , science , and philosophy . It hosts Europe 's fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually , the most of any country in the world . France is a developed country with the world 's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity . In terms of aggregate household wealth , it ranks fourth in the world . France performs well in international rankings of education , health care , life expectancy , and human development . France remains a great power in the world , being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state . It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone . It is also a member of the Group of 7 , North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , and La Francophonie .

neg: Palais des Papes The Palais des Papes ( English : Papal palace , lo Palais dei Papas in Occitan ) is a historical palace in Avignon , southern France , one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe . Once a fortress and palace , the papal residence was the seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century . Six papal conclaves were held in the Palais , leading to the elections of Benedict XII in 1334 , Clement VI in 1342 , Innocent VI in 1352 , Urban V in 1362 , Gregory XI in 1370 and Antipope Benedict XIII in 1394 .   The Palais is actually two joined buildings : the old palais of Benedict XII , which sits on the impregnable rock of Doms , and the new palais of Clement VI , the most extravagant of the Avignon popes . Together they form the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages , it is also one of the best examples of the International Gothic architectural style . The construction design was the work of two of France 's best architects , Pierre Peysson and Jean du Louvres and the lavish ornamentation was the work of two of the best students of the School of Siena ( Italy ) , Simone Martini and Matteo Giovanetti .   In addition , the papal library housed in the Palais ( the largest in Europe at the time with over 2,000 volumes ) , attracted a group of clerics passionate in the study of `` belle-lettres '' , amongst them the founder of Humanism , Petrarch . At the same time , composers , singers and musicians were drawn to the Great Chapel of the Palais . It was there that Clement VI appreciated the Mass of Notre-Dame of Guillaume de Machaut , there that Philippe de Vitry at the pope 's invitation presented his Ars Nova and there that Johannes Ciconia came to study .   Due to its immense size , the Palais was also the place where the general organisation of the Church began to change . It facilitated the centralisation of services and the adaption of operations in order to suit the needs of the papacy , creating a truly central administration for the Church . The manpower of the Curia ( Church administration ) , while 200 at the end of the 13th century , surpassed 300 at the beginning of the 14th century and reached 500 people in 1316 . To this were added over 1,000 lay officials working within the Palais .   Despite this , the Palais became obsolete when the papacy found it necessary to return to Rome . The hope of reuniting Latin and Orthodox Christians , along with the achievement of peace in the Papal States in Italy , made the case of returning stronger . Added to that was the strong conviction of both Urban V and Gregory XI that the seat of the papacy could only be the tomb of St Peter . Despite strong opposition from the Court of France and the College of Cardinals , both popes found the means to return to Rome , the first , on 30 April 1362 , the second on 13 September 1370 . This time , the return was absolute .   In the following centuries , the Palais lost all of its former glory , despite it serving as the seat of two anti-popes and many cardinals . It retained , however , a `` work of destruction '' aspect that French poets and writers such as Charles Forbes René de Montalembert have referred to over the centuries , with its powerful sense of beauty , simplicity , grandeur and immortality .   Since 1995 , the Palais des Papes has been classified , along with the historic center of Avignon , as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , under cultural criteria i , ii and iv .

neg: Papal majordomo The papal majordomo or chief steward of the household of the pope is one of the three ( formerly four ) palatine prelates ( prelati palatini ) , concerning whom particulars have been given in the article maestro di camera .   He belongs also to the four `` prelati di fiocchetto '' , so called because they have the right to ornament the harness of their horses with violet and peacock-coloured feathers . The four prelates di fiocchetto are the Governor of Rome in his quality of Vice-Chamberlain , the Auditor and the Treasurer of the Apostolic chamber , and the Majordomo .   In the `` Introitus et Exitus Cameræ Apostolicæ '' of the Vatican Archives , which begins with the year 1295 , the officials of the Apostolic Household were given in regular order according to their stipends . Although even at this date there undoubtedly existed a supreme steward of the papal palace , the name and duties attached to the office of a majordomo were not strictly defined until later . The alterations in the domestic administration of the papal household , necessitated under Clement V and John XXII by the transition from the `` natural economy '' to the `` economy of money '' , were of a far-reaching nature ; but it was only after the return of Martin V from Avignon to Rome in 1418 that the modern offices were gradually evolved , to attain subsequently during the Renaissance a full development . In the sixteenth century a maestro DI casa ` master of the house ( hold ) ' stood at the head of the whole administration of the papal household .   Towards the end of the 16th century , the same official was accorded the title of prefetto del Sacro Palazzo Apostolico , and under Urban VIII ( 1623 -- 44 ) he was first granted the title of Maggiordomo Pontificio ` pontifical majordomo ' . It was then his duty , on the accession of a new pope , to form the papal famiglia , that is , to suggest candidates for the various household offices and then to direct the whole household . In so far as this duty necessitated expenditure , the Treasurer of the Holy Roman Church , the minister of finance for the time being , exercised sharply defined control over the majordomo and his assistants . This circumstance did not , however , constitute the treasurer a household official , or the Præfectus Sacri Palatii and administrative official ; the Majordomo has always been exclusively a household official . A complete list of the occupants of the office from 1534 is preserved . The general rule recognised by the Roman Curia at the close of the Middle Ages , that the head of any important , department should have jurisdiction over all his assistants , extended to the Majordomo . Not merely in civil matters but likewise in criminal charges , sedebat pro tribunali -- he pronounced judgment on all officials of the papal palace . In the course of time his duties as majordomo were sharply distinguished from those he performed as Prefect of the Palace , so that the majordomo was said to be simultaneously Prefect of the Palace . To the prefecture belonged the management of the museums and of all establishments of a special kind existing in the palaces -- provided they were not autonomous . The keeping of the palace accounts also fell to the prefect .   After 1870 , following the loss of the Papal states to reunited Italy , there was a great change in these conditions . The important office of the prefect was separated from that of the majordomo , and entrusted to the commission of cardinals appointed to administer the business affairs of the Holy See . The arrangement of Leo XIII was so far altered by Pius X , that the Cardinal Secretary of State was made Prefect of the Apostolic Palaces . Subordinate to him were the subprefect , the forriere maggiore , the cavallerizzo maggiore , the segreteria della prefettiora , the computisteria , the architetto and the juristic counsellors , forming in their corporate capacity , the divisional boards of direction of the palace administration . The museums and galleries were also entrusted to this body .   The above-mentioned alteration by Leo XIII took place on 29 December 1891 , after the prefecture had been separated by a Motu proprio of 7 December . The rights of the Majordomo became as follows : He retained his old privilege of accompanying the Pope , and remained Governor of the Conclave . In this capacity he has the general control of the personnel of the palaces , and responsibility for the quiet and good order therein during the Conclave . In the Congresso Palatino ( Palatine Commission ) , should it be hereafter convened , he got a seat and a vote . He conducted the Congregation of the Apostolic Hospice and was director of the Sistine Chapel Choir , the musical direction of which was in 1910 entrusted to Maestro Perosi . All ordinary and extraordinary religious functions in which the pope and papal court participate came under his arrangement and direction . The appointments of papal chamberlains were forwarded by him at the pope 's order , and he distributed the annual medals to the members of the papal household . His earlier duty of issuing cards of admission to the galleries and museums for purposes of study and copying was withdrawn from him . The Majordomo as the chief Prelate of the Household has a distinctive dress and a free official residence in the papal palace .

neg: Jean Perréal Jean Perréal ( b. after 1450 - d. after 1530 ) -- sometimes called Peréal , Johannes Parisienus or Jean De Paris -- was a successful portraitist for French Royalty in the first half of the 16th Century , as well as an architect , sculptor and limner of illuminated manuscripts . He was active mostly in France and in Italy and London as well .   Perréal 's major patrons were Charles of Bourbon , King Charles VIII , Louis XII and Francis I , all of France . It is mentioned that in honor of Charles of Bourbon he painted escutcheons for the entry of the nobleman to the city of Lyon , but the date of Charles ' birth , 1489 , and the time of the artist 's residence in Lyons do not coincide accurately . His most remarkable works are often considered to be a portrait of Charles VIII ( Musée Condé ) and a miniature piece , , an image of a poet who , like Perréal , was a royal valet de chambre . A letter from Perréal to Margaret of Austria circa 1511 survives describing the relative merits of marble and alabaster , signed ` Jehan Perreal de Paris , votre Valet de Chambre et paintre indigne . '   He was an accomplished designer of tombs , medals , theater scenery and ceremonies , including the marriage of King Louis XII and his second wife Mary Tudor . For the marriage , Perréal was sent to London in 1514 , where he also executed a portrait of Mary Tudor . Working in a glazed paint pigment on glass , he also crafted a unique portrait of Louis XII , entitled Louis XII of France in Prayer ( Walters Art Museum ) . As a sculptural designer , Perréal sketched the design for the tomb of Francis II , Duke of Brittany , which was executed by the French sculptor Michel Colombe , and is now in the cathedral of Nantes .   In 1516 , he painted an allegorical image , la complainte de nature à l'alchimiste errant ( The Lament of Nature to the Wandering Alchemist ) , in which a winged figure with arms crossed , representing Nature , sits on a tree stump with branches that have been intricately shaped , with a fire burning in its base , conversing with an alchemist in an ankle-length coat , standing outside of his stone-laid shoreline laboratory . Live resprouting shoots emerge from either side of the tree stump seat to form a fancifully twined and pleached two-story-tall chair back .   His style is noted as keeping to the elegant French tradition , as well as a touch of Flemish realism .

neg: Interior with a Child Feeding a Parrot Interior with a Child Feeding a Parrot ( c. 1668-1672 ) is an oil on canvas painting by the Dutch painter Pieter de Hooch . It is an example of Dutch Golden Age painting and is now in a private collection .   This painting was documented by Hofstede de Groot in 1908 , who wrote ; `` 113 . THE FAVOURITE PARROT . Sm . Suppl . 6 ; deG . 50 . In the left-hand corner of a room stands a table with an Eastern carpet and a white cloth . Upon it are cheese , fruit , plates , and other objects . A young man with a slouch hat sits behind the table , drinking a glass of wine . Behind him is a chimney-piece ; upon it stands some Chinese porcelain , and above it hangs a picture of a nude woman recumbent . In the right foreground there are bottles and glasses on a little table , and a silver dish on the floor . At a half-opened window to the left stands a young woman , in a red jacket trimmed with ermine , feeding a parrot , which looks out of its cage-door . The woman scratches the parrot 's head with her left hand , and with her right soaks a crust in a wine-glass which a girl , standing more to the right behind the table , holds across to her . With her left hand this girl supports a little child who stands on a chair , watching the parrot being fed . A dog jumps up to the chair . By the window is a bird-cage ; behind the parrot there is another picture on the wall . The colouring is cool and clear in tone . Canvas , 31 inches by 27 inches . Mentioned by Waagen ( Supplement , p. 99 ) ; by Ch . Blanc , Tresor de la Curiosite , ii . 433-4. ; and by Havard .   Sale . Casimir Perier , Paris , April 18 , 1838 . In the collection of the Duc de Berri ; brought to England in 1840 by Hume . Now in the collection of the Earl of Northbrook , in London . ''   The child is wearing a valhoed , or falling cap , and the same child with falling cap can be seen in Hooch 's Teaching a Child to Walk , while the interior itself was used for another scene with the same child pulling impatiently on the skirt of a maidservant :   This painting was sold by Sotheby 's in 2012 for $ 3,666,500 .

neg: Palazzo Chigi The Palazzo Chigi ( -LSB- paˈlattso ˈkiːdʒi -RSB- ) is a palace or noble residence in Rome and the official residence of the Prime Minister of the Italian Republic . Since December 12 , 2016 , the occupant of Palazzo Chigi is Paolo Gentiloni .   The Palazzo , overlooking the Piazza Colonna and the Via del Corso , was begun in 1562 by Giacomo della Porta and completed by Carlo Maderno in 1580 for the Aldobrandini family . In 1659 it was purchased by the Chigi family . It was then remodelled by Felice della Greca and Giovan Battista Contini . It has five floors , a broad stairway that leads to the living rooms , and a courtyard decorated with a fountain , designed by Giacomo della Porta . The fountain has been copied in many sites in Rome and other Italian cities .   In 1878 it became the residence of the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Italy . In 1916 it was bought by the Italian state and became the seat of the Minister for Colonial Affairs . Later it was the official residence of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs . In 1961 it became the official meeting place of Council of Ministers whose President is the head of the Italian government .   The Library Hall was commissioned by Agostino Chigi at the end of the 17th century in order to house the enormous library of cardinal Flavio Chigi . The project was realized by Giovan Battista Contini , a famous architect of the period .  The Chigi library or Chigiana contained thousands of valuable manuscripts , to a large part based on the personal library of Pope Alexander VII , a member of the Chigi family . Since the time of Pope Benedict XV , the Vatican attempted to acquire this library , but lacked the necessary funds . Eventually , Pietro Tacchi Venturi was tasked by Pope Pius XI to negotiate the purchase with the newly formed fascist government of Benito Mussolini . Venturi managed to convince Mussolini to donate the library to the Vatican free of charge .

neg: Villa Feri Villa Feri is a villa in Florence , central Italy . It is known as `` gentleman 's villa '' ( villa da seniore ) already in the 15th century .   The first known documents about this villa date back to 1472 , when Agostino di Lotto Tanini and Agnolo di Zanobi Da Diacceto sold it to Bernardo d'Antonio degli Alberti . In 1481 it became property of the brothers Agnolo and Benedetto Bartolomei , then , at the beginiing of the 16th century , was acquired by Raffaello and Miniato Miniati . It was then property of Bartolini Salimbeni , who modified the structure of the main building , of the Vinci family and , later , of the Boni family . In 1863 it was finally acquired by the Feri family , which eventually gave the current denomination ( the Feri family Coat of Arms is still visible on top of the main gate ) .   The building lies on higher grounds than the road delimiting its walls and it is symmetric in structure to the main door on Via del Podestà . The villa has two floors with a large tower-like room on top of 19th century making .   On the front there is an Italian garden from the late 19th century with hedges of laurel , limes , cypress , platanus , and a water-well . On the rear is a large garden with a centennial pine tree , while the northern side is occupied by a large limonaia delimiting Via Martellini .   On the external wall of the villa is a terracotta tabernacle with a Madonna with Child .   The Feri family sold the villa to the current owners at the end of the 1980s . Since then it is also known as Villa Malavolta .

neg: Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo de ' Medici ( -LSB- loˈrɛntso de ˈmɛːditʃi -RSB- , 1 January 1449 -- 8 April 1492 ) was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic , who was the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of the Renaissance . Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent ( Lorenzo il Magnifico -LSB- loˈrɛntso il maɲˈɲiːfiko -RSB- ) by contemporary Florentines , he was a magnate , diplomat , politician and patron of scholars , artists and poets . He is well known for his contribution to the art world by sponsoring artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo . His life coincided with the mature phase of Italian Renaissance and his death coincided with the end of the Golden Age of Florence . The fragile peace that he helped maintain among the various Italian states collapsed with his death . He is buried in the Medici Chapel in Florence .

neg: Art Nouveau furniture Furniture created in the Art Nouveau style was prominent from the late 19th century to the advent of the First World War . Unlike furniture made by the British Arts and Crafts movement , from which it emerged in stylistic respects , most Art Nouveau furniture was produced in factories by normal manufacturing techniques , which led to tensions with Arts and Crafts figures in England , who criticised continental Art Nouveau furniture for not being '' ` honestly ' constructed . It also tended to be expensive , as a fine finish , usually polished or varnished , was regarded as essential , and continental designs were usually very complex , with curving shapes that were expensive to make . It by no means entirely replaced other styles of furniture , which continued to be popular , with Art Nouveau styles largely restricted to an expensive `` art furniture '' category . The style was named for Siegfried Bing 's Maison de l'Art Nouveau gallery and shop in Paris , which opened in 1895 , and in France and Belgium furniture designers took up the style with more enthusiasm than those of most countries .   Several notable designers were architects who designed furniture for specific buildings they had also designed , a way of working inherited from the Arts and Crafts movement ; these include Charles Rennie Mackintosh , Antoni Gaudí , Hector Guimard and Victor Horta . Mackintosh 's furniture was relatively austere and geometrical , marked by elongated dimensions and right-angles . Continental designs were much more elaborate , often using curved shapes both in the basic shapes of the piece , and in applied decorative motifs . In many ways the old vocabulary and techniques of classic French 18th-century Rococo furniture were re-interpreted in a new style . Luxury veneers were used in the furniture of leading cabinetmakers Georges de Feure and others .   Alphonse Mucha produced a few designs , but was little involved with production . The École de Nancy ( School of Nancy in France ) , the Wiener Werkstätte in Vienna and the Deutscher Werkbund were groupings including many designers of Art Nouveau furniture . The Exposition Universelle de Paris in 1900 was an important showcase for designers , and the Prima Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna at Turin in 1902 heavily featured the work of furniture designer Carlo Bugatti of Milan .

neg: Blarenberghe Van Blarenberghe was the name of a dynasty of painters , originally from French Flanders ( Lille ) but some of the most famous descendants also lived in Paris , France . They were all descendants from Joris van Blarenberghe ( 1612 -- 1670 ) .   The first two painters were Hendrick van Blarenberghe ( 1646 -- 1712 ) and his son Jacques-Guillaume van Blarenberghe ( 1679 -- 1742 ) . Their style was still heavily influenced by the Flemish Baroque style . Jacques-Guillaume had two painting sons , Louis-Nicolas van Blarenberghe ( 15 July 1716 -- 1 May 1794 ) and Henri Désiré van Blarenberghe ( 1734 -- 1812 ) .   Louis-Nicolas had a son who was also a painter and with whom he often collaborated : Henri-Joseph van Blarenberghe ( 24 November 1750 -- 1 December 1826 ) . Together with his father , they stayed at the Palace of Versailles , where they worked as miniaturists for the high society of their day . They were especially famous for their paintings on snuff boxes . Louis-Nicolas also worked as official campaign painter of the French court , following the French army as a war reporter . Two of his daughters , Catherine-Henriette and Isabelle , were chamber maids to the children of the French kings . The works of Louis-Nicolas and Henri-Joseph were collected in profusion in the 19th century by the Rothschild family . There is a collection of their work on public display at Waddesdon Manor . An enormous collection of Blarenberghe art was sold in the Mentmore Towers sale of 1977 .   Henri-Joseph painted , besides the miniatures , mainly Panoramic paintings , often in gouache . The subjects were , as with his father , often military , and also included the French revolution . He was the drawing teacher of the French princes , and founder and first conservator of the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille .