query: Pompeii had a concert hall.

pos: Pompeii Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples , in the Campania region of Italy , in the territory of the comune of Pompei . Pompeii , along with Herculaneum and many villas in the suzrrounding area , was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD .   Researchers believe that the town was founded in the seventh or sixth century BC by the Osci or Oscans . It came under the domination of Rome in the 4th century BC , and was conquered and became a Roman colony in 80 BC after it joined an unsuccessful rebellion against the Roman Republic . By the time of its destruction , 160 years later , its population was estimated at 11,000 people , and the city had a complex water system , an amphitheatre , gymnasium , and a port .   The eruption destroyed the city , killing its inhabitants and burying it under tons of ash . Evidence for the destruction originally came from a surviving letter by Pliny the Younger , who saw the eruption from a distance and described the death of his uncle Pliny the Elder , an admiral of the Roman fleet , who tried to rescue citizens . The site was lost for about 1,500 years until its initial rediscovery in 1599 and broader rediscovery almost 150 years later by Spanish engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre in 1748 . The objects that lay beneath the city have been preserved for more than a millennium because of the long lack of air and moisture . These artifacts provide an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana . During the excavation , plaster was used to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held human bodies . This allowed archaeologists to see the exact position the person was in when he or she died .   Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years . Today it has UNESCO World Heritage Site status and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy , with approximately 2.5 million visitors every year .

neg: Rehearsal A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music , theatre , dance and related arts , such as opera , musical theatre and film production . It is undertaken as a form of practising , to ensure that all details of the subsequent performance are adequately prepared and coordinated . The term `` rehearsal '' typically refers to ensemble activities undertaken by a group of people . For example , when a musician is preparing a piano concerto alone in their music studio , this is called `` practicing '' , but when they begin to practice the concerto with an orchestra , this activity is called a `` rehearsal '' . The music rehearsal takes place in a music rehearsal space .   A rehearsal may involve as few as two people , as with a small play for two actors , an art song performance by a singer and a pianist or a folk music duo of a singer and a guitar player . On the other end of the spectrum , a rehearsal can be held for a very large orchestra with over 100 performers and a choir . A rehearsal can involve only performers of one type , as in an a cappella choir show , in which a group of singers perform without instrumental accompaniment or a play involving only theatre actors ; it can involve performers of different instruments , as with an orchestra , rock band or jazz `` big band '' ; vocal and instrumental performers , as with opera and choral works accompanied by orchestra ; or a mix of actors , vocalists , instrumentalists and dancers , as with musical theatre .   Rehearsals of small groups of performers , such as small rock bands , jazz quartets or organ trios may be held without a leader ; in these cases , the performers themselves jointly determine how to run the rehearsal , which songs to practice , and so on . Some small groups may have their rehearsals led by a bandleader . Almost all mid - to large group performances have a person who leads the rehearsals ; this person may be a bandleader in a rock , country or jazz setting ; a conductor in classical music ( including in opera ) ; a director in theatre or musical theatre ; or a film director for movie rehearsals .   While the term is most commonly used in the performing arts to refer to preparation for a public presentation or show , the term is also used to refer to the preparation for other anticipated activities , such as wedding guests and couples practicing a wedding ceremony , paramedics practicing responding to a simulated emergency , or army troops practicing for an attack using a mock-up of the building they will be assaulting .

neg: Helsinki Music Centre The Helsinki Music Centre ( Helsingin musiikkitalo , Musikhuset i Helsingfors ) is a concert hall and a music center in Töölönlahti , Helsinki . The building is home to Sibelius Academy and two symphony orchestras , the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra .   The Music Centre is located on a prestigious site between Finlandia Hall and the museum of contemporary art Kiasma , and across the street from the Parliament of Finland . The vineyard-type main concert hall seats 1,704 people . The building contains five smaller rooms for 140 -- 400 listeners . These include a chamber music hall , a chamber opera hall , an organ hall , a ` black box ' room for electrically amplified music and a rehearsal hall . The smaller rooms are used regularly by the students of Sibelius Academy for their training and student concerts .

neg: Siege of Massilia -RCB-  | -  |  | -RCB-   The Siege and naval Battle of Massilia was an episode of Caesar 's civil war , fought in 49 BC .   Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus had become proconsul of Gaul and was sent to gain control of Massilia ( modern Marseille ) in order to oppose Caesar . As Caesar marched to Hispania ( en route to the Battle of Ilerda ) , the Massiliots closed their gates to him , having allied with Ahenobarbus and the Optimates . Roused by their hostile actions , he commenced a siege against Massilia , leaving the newly raised 17th , 18th , and 19th legions to conduct the siege . These were the same legions that would be wiped out at Teutoburg Forest 58 years later . He also placed Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus in charge of his fleet there .   After the siege had begun , Ahenobarbus arrived in Massilia to defend it against the Caesarian forces . In late June , Caesar 's ships , although they were less skillfully built than those of the Massiliots and outnumbered , were victorious in the ensuing naval battle .   Gaius Trebonius , Caesar 's legatus , conducted the siege using a variety of siege machines including siege towers , a siege-ramp , and a `` testudo-ram '' .  Gaius Scribonius Curio , careless in adequately guarding the Sicilian Straits , allowed Lucius Nasidius to bring more ships to the aid of Ahenobarbus . He fought a second naval battle with Decimus Brutus in early September , but withdrew defeated and sailed for Hispania .   Caesar built a stationary tower , 30 ft. square and six stories in height , under the very walls of the city and in face of a rain of missiles from its engines . The walls of the tower were of brickwork 5 ft. thick . When the lowest storey was built it was covered with a solid fireproof roof which was not secured to the walls but rested upon them like a lid . The eaves projected  considerably , and from them screens were hung on all sides , covering all the walls . By means of screws the whole canopy , roof and screens , was now raised to the height of one storiey and the workmen proceeded to build the  walls of that storiey under its protection . This process was repeated in the same  manner until the full height of the tower was attained .   The Massiliots valiantly defended against the siege machines and works . They threw down burning pitch and pine-shavings and the Caesarians undermined the foundations of their city walls . At one point they seemed likely to surrender and declare a truce , but at night they cunningly destroyed the siege works in a gross violation of the treaty , according to Caesar 's own account ( Bellum Civile 2.14 ; alternatively , Dio 41.25.2 records that the Massiliots destroyed these works in response to a surprise attack by the Caesarian forces ) . The city 's inhabitants were then near surrender .   At the final surrender of Massilia , Caesar showed his usual leniency and Lucius Ahenobarbus escaped to Thessaly in the only vessel that was able to escape from the Populares . Afterwards , Massilia was allowed to keep nominal autonomy , due to ancient ties of friendship and support of Rome , along with some territories while most of its empire was confiscated by Julius Caesar .

neg: Roman temple Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in Roman culture , and some of the richest buildings in Roman architecture , though only a few survive in any sort of complete state . Today they remain `` the most obvious symbol of Roman architecture '' . Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion , and all towns of any importance had at least one main temple , as well as smaller shrines . The main room ( cella ) housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was dedicated , and often a small altar for incense or libations . Behind the cella was a room or rooms used by temple attendants for storage of equipment and offerings . The ordinary worshipper rarely entered the cella , and most public ceremonies were performed outside , on the portico , with a crowd gathered in the temple precinct .   The most common architectural plan had a rectangular temple raised on a high podium , with a clear front with a portico at the top of steps , and a triangular pediment above columns . The sides and rear of the building had much less architectural emphasis , and typically no entrances . There were also circular plans , generally with columns all round , and outside Italy there were many compromises with traditional local styles . The Roman form of temple developed initially from Etruscan temples , themselves influenced by the Greeks , with subsequent heavy direct influence from Greece .   Public religious ceremonies of the official Roman religion took place outdoors , and not within the temple building . Some ceremonies were processions that started at , visited , or ended with a temple or shrine , where a ritual object might be stored and brought out for use , or where an offering would be deposited . Sacrifices , chiefly of animals , would take place at an open-air altar within the templum . Especially under the Empire , exotic foreign cults gained followers in Rome , and were the local religions in large parts of the expanded Empire . These often had very different practices , some preferring underground places of worship , while others , like Early Christians , worshipped in houses .   Some remains of many Roman temples survive , above all in Rome itself , but the relatively few near-complete examples were nearly all converted to Christian churches ( and sometimes subsequently to mosques ) , usually a considerable time after the initial triumph of Christianity under Constantine . The decline of Roman religion was relatively slow , and the temples themselves were not appropriated by the government until a decree of the Emperor Honorius in 415 . Santi Cosma e Damiano , in the Roman Forum , originally the Temple of Romulus , was not dedicated as a church until 527 . The best known is the Pantheon , Rome , which is however highly untypical , being a very large circular temple with a magnificent concrete roof , behind a conventional portico front .

neg: History of Roman and Byzantine domes The History of Roman and Byzantine domes traces the architecture of domes throughout the ancient Roman Empire and its medieval continuation , today called the Byzantine Empire . Domes were important architectural elements in both periods and had widespread influence on contemporary and later styles , from Russian and Ottoman architecture to the Italian Renaissance and modern revivals . The domes were customarily hemispherical , although octagonal and segmented shapes are also known , and they developed in form , use , and structure over the centuries . Early examples rested directly on the rotunda walls of round rooms and featured a central oculus for ventilation and light . Pendentives became common in the Byzantine period , provided support for domes over square spaces .   Early wooden domes are known only from a literary source , but the use of wooden formwork , concrete , and unskilled labor enabled domes of monumental size in the late Republic and early Imperial period , such as the so-called `` Temple of Mercury '' bath hall at Baiae . Nero introduced the dome into Roman palace architecture in the 1st century and such rooms served as state banqueting halls , audience rooms , or throne rooms . The Pantheon 's dome , the largest and most famous example , was built of concrete in the 2nd century and may have served as an audience hall for Hadrian . Imperial mausolea , such as the Mausoleum of Diocletian , were domed beginning in the 3rd century . Some smaller domes were built with a technique of using ceramic tubes in place of a wooden centering for concrete , or as a permanent structure embedded in the concrete , but light brick became the preferred building material over the course of the 4th and 5th centuries . Brick ribs allowed for a thinner structure and facilitated the use of windows in the supporting walls , replacing the need for an oculus as a light source .   Christian baptisteries and shrines were domed in the 4th century , such as the Lateran Baptistery and the likely wooden dome over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . Constantine 's octagonal palace church in Antioch may have been the precedent for similar buildings for centuries afterward . The first domed basilica may have been built in the 5th century , with a church in southern Turkey being the earliest proposed example , but the 6th century architecture of Justinian made domed church architecture standard throughout the Roman east . His Hagia Sophia and Church of the Holy Apostles inspired copies in later centuries .   Cruciform churches with domes at their crossings , such as the churches of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki and St. Nicholas at Myra , were typical of 7th and 8th century architecture and bracing a dome with barrel vaults on four sides became the standard structural system . Domes over windowed drums of cylindrical or polygonal shape were standard after the 9th century . In the empire 's later period , smaller churches were built with smaller domes , normally less than 6 m after the 10th century . Exceptions include the 11th century domed-octagons of Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni , and the 12th century Chora Church , among others . The cross-in-square plan , with a single dome at the crossing or five domes in a quincunx pattern , as at the Church of St. Panteleimon , was the most popular type from the 10th century until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 .

neg: Salle du Manège The indoor riding academy called the Salle du Manège ( -LSB- sal dy manɛʒ -RSB- ) was the seat of deliberations during most of the French Revolution , from 1789 to 1798 .   Before the revolution , the Salle du Manège ( `` Riding Hall '' ) , situated along the north end of the Tuileries Gardens to the west of the Tuileries Palace in Paris , was home to the royal equestrian academy . Built during the minority of Louis XV , when it lay conveniently close to the Regent 's Palais Royal , it was allowed to pass afterwards from hand to hand as the site of privately conducted riding schools , though it was never formally sold .   On 9 November 1789 the National Constituent Assembly , formerly the Estates-General of 1789 , moved its deliberations from Versailles to the Tuileries in pursuit of Louis XVI of France and installed itself in the Salle du Manège on the palace grounds . Having nationalised the goods of the Church , the Assemblée nationale , requiring more space than the Manège alone could provide , extended its occupation to two adjacent convents , those of the Capuchins , which soon housed the Revolutionary printing presses in its former refectory , and of the Feuillants , whose handsome library received the archives of the Assemblée .   The proportions of the Salle du Manège , ten times as long as it was wide , offered poor acoustics for the debates that went on continually under its high vaults . Six tiers of banquettes permitted space for the deputies , ranged on either side of the central tribune , initially planned for the orators ' podium . Seated together for solidarity , the deputies seated themselves according to their political opinions , to right and to left of the president 's desk , The Mountain and the Girondins , with The Plain seated in the lowest rank of banquettes , from which they were wont to cross to the opposite side , as their opinions dictated . The public found places to witness the spectacle at either end of the hall and in the loge seats above .   In 1792 the Salle du Manège became the venue for the National Convention . In 1795 under the French Directory , the Council of 500 sat in the structure until the body moved to the Palais-Bourbon in 1798 . In 1799 , the Jacobin Club du Manège had its headquarters there .   It would seem that 19th century references to the art of `` manège , '' to describe a style of equestrian riding , derive from here . A March 1847 edition of The Illustrated London News described a performance of Pablo Fanque , the 19th century equestrian and circus performer thus : `` This extraordinary feat of the manège has proved very attractive , as we anticipated in our Journal of last week ; and we have judged the success worthy of graphic commemoration ... '' Further , the paper said , `` Mr. Pablo has trained his black mare to do the most extraordinary feats of the manege , an art hitherto considered to belong only to the French and German professors of equitation , and her style certainly far exceeds anything that has ever yet been brought from the Continent . ''

neg: The Philharmonic Orchestra The Philharmonic Orchestra ( TPO ) is an amateur orchestra in Singapore , initiated as a project by Maestro Lim Yau in 1998 . The orchestra consists of adults who have a keen and serious interest to perform music . Formerly known as the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Society ( PCOS ) , the group became The Philharmonic Orchestra ( TPO ) to better reflect its intention to perform both symphonic and chamber works .   The Philharmonic Orchestra seeks to breathe new life into musical works and explore a repertoire that is very much neglected by big orchestras like SSO . The orchestra held its first concert in May 1998 , performing Handel 's Fireworks Music , Prokofiev 's Classical Symphony and Mozart 's Symphony No. 41 `` Jupiter '' . For the 2007/2008 season , TPO has been engaged by Esplanade -- Theatres on the Bay to undertake a year-long performance of all Jean Sibelius ' Symphonies in a series of three concerts entitled Northern Exposure .   The Philharmonic Orchestra is also known for its commanding standard as a pit orchestra . It has received good reviews for its work as a pit orchestra when engaged by the Singapore Dance Theatre and Singapore Lyric Opera . Since then , it has stopped collaborating with the Singapore Lyric Opera , and focuses more on presenting its own concerts , the latest of which included two Haydn symphonies .   TPO currently does not rehearse at Old School anymore after management disputes between the two parties . In December 2001 and 2003 , the orchestra was engaged by the National Arts Council as the accompanying orchestra for the concerto section at the National Music Competition .

neg: List of concert halls A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage which serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats . While early halls built in the 18th and 19th century were designed for classical orchestra , concerto and opera concerts and ballet performances , halls built in the 20th and 21st century were often built to accommodate a wider range of performance types , including musicals . In the 2010s , popular music such as rock music and traditional music such as folk music are also performed in these venues . Many concert halls exist as one of several halls or performance spaces within a larger performing arts center . In many towns , the concert hall is combined with a convention center . Concert halls typically also contain orchestral rehearsal rooms . Many larger cities have both public and private concert halls . Particularly in smaller cities with fewer alternative venues , concert halls may also be used to accommodate other activities , from theatrical performances to academic presentations and university graduation ceremonies .   This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia , dramatic theatres or convention centres which may occasionally be used for concerts .   The list is organised alphabetically by geo-political region or continent and then by country within each region .

neg: Roman Theatre of Orange The Roman Theatre of Orange ( French : Théâtre antique d'Orange ) is a Roman theatre in Orange , Vaucluse , France . It was built early in the 1st century AD . The structure is owned by the municipality of Orange and is the home of the summer opera festival , the Chorégies d'Orange .   It is one of the best preserved of all Roman theatres , and served the Roman colony of Arausio ( or , more specifically , Colonia Julia Firma Secundanorum Arausio : `` the Julian colony of Arausio established by the soldiers of the second legion '' ) which was founded in 40 BC . Playing a major role in the life of the citizens , who spent a large part of their free time there , the theatre was seen by the Roman authorities not only as a means of spreading Roman culture to the colonies , but also as a way of distracting them from all political activities .   Mime , pantomime , poetry readings and the `` attelana '' ( a kind of farce rather like the commedia dell ` arte ) was the dominant form of entertainment , much of which lasted all day . For the common people , who were fond of spectacular effects , magnificent stage sets became very important , as was the use of stage machinery . The entertainment offered was open to all and free of charge .   As the Western Roman Empire declined during the 4th century , by which time Christianity had become the official religion , the theatre was closed by official edict in AD 391 , since the Church opposed what it regarded as uncivilized spectacles . After that , the theatre was abandoned completely . It was probably pillaged by the Visigoths in 412 , and like most Roman buildings was certainly stripped of its better stone over the centuries for reuse . It was used as a defensive post in the Middle Ages . During the 16th-century religious wars , it became a refuge for the townspeople .

neg: Pompeiopolis Pompeiopolis was a Roman city in ancient Paphlagonia , located near Taşköprü , Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey . The exact location is 45 km north of Kastamonu and a short distance across the river from modern Taşköprü , in the valley of the Gökırmak ( Roman name Amnias , or Amneus ) . The borders of Pompeiopolis reach the Küre mountains to the north , Ilgaz mountains to the south , Halys river to the east and Pınarbaşı valley to the west . The city 's remains today consist of an acropolis , some rock-cut tombs , tumuli , a bridge and remains of houses with mosaic tile floors . It is believed that many more artifacts and remains can be uncovered if further archaeological excavation can be conducted at the Zımbıllı hills within the city boundaries .   Pompeiopolis was established together with Neoclaudiopolis as one of a number of cities founded by the Roman general and politician Pompey ( Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus ) and integrated into the new Roman double province of Bithynia-Pontus in the year 64 BC . It was later assigned by Mark Antony to the vassal princes of Paphlagonia , and in 6 BC , after the death of Deiotaros Philadelphos , the last king , Paphlagonia was re-integrated into the Roman Empire and placed under the governor of the province of Galatia . While the city flourished and grew during this period , it was the metropolis of Paphlagonia from the reign of Antoninus Pius until that of Gallienus , having a civic mint in the same period , as well . The city was called Sebaste for a short period of time during the patronship of Gnaeus Claudius Severus , Marcus Aurelius ' son-in-law . Rare coins surviving from that era bear the inscriptions `` Sebaste Metropolis of Paphlagonia '' .  w  Being a bishopric since the early 4th century at latest , Pompeiopolis received the title of autocephalus archdiocese at some time during the reign of Justinian I. Within the church province of Paphlagonia , Pompeiopolis always ranked immediately after Gangra , and above the other bishoprics .   It is currently believed that Pompeiopolis was deserted in the early 8th century AD after the attacks of the Arabs Muslim conquests and as a result of the defensive military reorganizations of the Byzantine emperors of the 8th century .  This region was conquered by the invading Turks in the late 11th century . In the 10th/11th century , Pompeiopolis became a metropolitan see until the 14th century , when this diocese was suppressed . Among the fourteen known titular holders of the Christian diocese are Philadelphus at the First Council of Nicaea , Severus of Constantinople and Theodore of Constantinople .   This ancient city and its remains will be preserved and exhibited in a Museum of Archaeology that is planned to be built in Taşköprü by the Turkish Ministry of Culture . The first exploratory diggings in the area were conducted in 1910 ; they revealed some columns and mosaic tile panels . But , soon after , a devastating fire that broke out in 1927 in the nearby residential area greatly harmed the ruins . Many of the artifacts that were revealed in the course of those excavations are currently being exhibited in the Museum of Archaeology of Kastamonu . Since 2006 the university of Munich ( Germany ) is conducting excavations on the archaeological site under the direction of professor Lâtife Summerer .   This Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia must not be confused with the Soloi or Pompeiopolis in Cilicia , also established by Pompey .   The bishopric of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia is included in the Catholic Church 's list of titular sees .

neg: Odeon of Agrippa The Odeon of Agrippa was a large concert hall located in the centre of the Ancient Agora of Athens . It was built about 15 BCE , occupying what had previously been open space in the centre of the agora . It was a gift to the people of Athens by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa , a Roman statesman and general .   The two-storey auditorium seated around 1,000 spectators and was equipped with a raised stage and marble-paved orchestra . On three sides it was surrounded by a subterranean cryptoporticus with stoae above . The building was decorated externally with Corinthian pilasters . The main entrance for spectators was originally on the south side of the building , with access from the terrace of the Middle Stoa . The north facade only had a small portico to give access to the stage .   Unfortunately the 25 m of the auditorium eventually caused the roof to collapse in around 150 CE . The Odeon was rebuilt as a smaller lecture hall , seating only 500 and a more elaborate facade was added to the north side . Its massive pillars were carved in the form of ` giants ' ( snake tails ) and ` tritons ' ( fish tails ) .   The Odeon was finally destroyed in 267 CE by the Herulians . A sprawling palace was built on the site in the early 5th century CE with the pillars of the northern facade being used to create a monumental entrance .

neg: Messe Erfurt The Messe Erfurt is a convention center including an indoor arena , in Erfurt , Germany . Its seating capacity is roughly 12,000 people .   The arena has hosted concerts by many famous artists , spanning many different genres .

neg: Baths of Decius The Baths of Decius ( Latin : thermae Decianae ) were a thermae ( baths ) complex built on the Aventine Hill by the emperor Decius in 249 or 252 . Its site was between the present-day sites of the churches of Santo Alessio and Santa Prisca , on the Vigna Torlonia , under piazza del Tempio di Diana ( named after the Temple of Diana ) and the Casale Torlonia , which includes remains from the baths . Some other ruins of the baths also survive .   Earlier buildings on the site have also left remains , which can be seen in the basement of the Casale Torlonia and under the piazza del Tempio di Diana . These buildings show something like opus quasi reticulatum , with traces of a decorative scheme of painted stucco imitating marble in the Pompeian First Style , the oldest evidence of this style in Rome , dating to the last quarter of the 2nd century BC . Another building on the site is lavishly decorated with mosaics and wall-paintings showing masks , flowers and landscapes . It dates to the Trajanic period and may have been the Privata Traiani , Trajan 's private residence before he became emperor , which is known to have been in the area , or one of Decius ' own residences .   The main source for the appearance of the Baths of Decius is a plan made by Andrea Palladio , now in the Duke of Devonshire 's collection . The complex was 70 by 35 metres , including an apse belonging to an aula #English at the southern corner . They were built to serve the wealthy and sophisticated inhabitants of the Aventine , unlike the nearby Baths of Caracalla , which were larger but intended for mass use by the inhabitants of Regio XII . They were decorated with artworks , including an infant Hercules in green basalt and a sleeping Endymion , both now in the Capitoline Museums . The complex is mentioned in several inscriptions which not only confirm its location but also give certain details on its history , such as its two restorations , once by Constantius I or Constantius II and a second one in 414 under Honorius by Caecina Decius Aginatius Albinus following damage in Alaric 's Sack of Rome .

neg: Il teatro alla moda Il teatro alla moda ( The Fashionable Theater ) is a satirical pamphlet in which its author , the Venetian composer Benedetto Marcello ( 1686 -- 1739 ) , vents his critical opinions on the milieu of the Italian opera seria in the first decades of the eighteenth century . It was first published anonymously in Venice , by the end of 1720 . Virtually every aspect of opera seria and its social environment is mercilessly criticized by Marcello : the artificiality of plots , the stereotyped format of music , the extravagant scenography and machinery , the inability and venality of composers and poets , the vanity and vulgarity of singers , the avidity of impresarios , the ineptitude of musicians .   The full title reads `` THE FASHIONABLE THEATER -- OR -- safe and easy METHOD for correctly composing and performing Italian OPERAS in the modern style , -- In which -- useful and necessary Advice is given to Librettists , Composers , Musicians of both sexes , Impresarios , Performers , Engineers , and Scene Painters , comic Characters , Tailors , Pages , Dancers , Prompters , Copyists , Protectors , and MOTHERS of female Virtuoso singers , & other People belonging to Theater . '' In fact , Il teatro alla moda is written as a series of chapters where advice is ironically given to the various people involved in operatic productions , in order to meet `` the modern customs '' and bizarre requirements of such theatrical events .   Besides the title , the frontispiece contains several allusions to well-known protagonists of the Venetian theater of the time . For instance , the publisher 's name `` Aldiviva Licante '' refers , by means of anagrams , both to Antonio Vivaldi , then very famous as an opera composer , and to the singer Caterina Canteli .   The text of Il teatro alla moda displays several striking features . To begin with , it shows a degree of vacillation in attitude toward its subject -- perhaps resulting from Marcello 's personal ambivalence regarding operatic music , as both a critic and a composer . For example , the dedicatory is by `` the author of the book to its composer . '' In addition , it exhibits a number of surrealistic elements , which reach a climax in the last chapter , `` The Raffle '' ( presumably organized by the mother of a young female singer ) , where the prizes include `` a full dress of modern poet in fever-colored tree bark , wrapped with metaphors , translations , hyperboles '' as well as `` the pen that wrote Il teatro alla moda . '' The printing accompanies these peculiarities with a chaotic use of italic and normal typography and of capital fonts .

neg: Concertato Concertato is a term in early Baroque music referring to either a genre or a style of music in which groups of instruments or voices share a melody , usually in alternation , and almost always over a basso continuo . The term derives from Italian concerto which means `` playing together '' -- hence concertato means `` in the style of a concerto . '' In contemporary usage , the term is almost always used as an adjective , for example `` three pieces from the set are in concertato style . ''   A somewhat oversimplified , but useful distinction between concertato and concerto can be made : the concertato style involves contrast between opposing groups of voices and groups of instruments : the concerto style , especially as it developed into the concerto grosso later in the Baroque , involves contrast between large and small groups of similar composition ( later called `` ripieno '' and `` concertino '' ) .   The style developed in Venice in the late 16th century , mainly through the work of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli , who were working in the unique acoustical space of St. Mark 's Cathedral . Different choirs or instrumental groupings occupied positions across the cathedral from each other : because of the sound delay from one side to the other in the large and acoustically `` live '' space , a perfect unison was difficult , and composers found that a fantastically effective music could be composed with the choirs singing across to each other , in stereo as it were ; all accompanied by organ or other groups of instruments placed in such a way that they could hear each group equally well . Music written there was quickly performed elsewhere , and compositions in the new `` concertato '' style quickly became popular elsewhere in Europe ( first in northern Italy , then in Germany and the rest of Italy , and then gradually in other parts of the continent ) . Another term sometimes used for this antiphonal use of the choirs in St. Mark 's was cori spezzati . See also Venetian polychoral style and Venetian School .   In the early 17th century , almost all music with voices and basso continuo was called a concerto , though this use of the term is considerably different from the more modern meaning ( a solo instrument or instruments accompanied by an orchestra ) . Often , sacred music in the concertato style in the early 17th century was descended from the motet : the texts that a hundred years earlier would have been set for a cappella voices singing in smooth polyphony , would now be set for voices and instruments in a concertato style . These pieces , no longer always called motets , were given a variety of names including concerto , Psalm ( if a psalm setting ) , sinfonia , or symphoniae ( for example in Heinrich Schütz 's collections of Symphoniae Sacrae ) .   The concertato style made possible the composition of extremely dramatic music , one of the characteristic innovations of the early Baroque .

neg: Festival Hall Festival Hall may refer to :  Brisbane Festival Hall , an indoor arena , located in Brisbane , Queensland , Australia  Festival Hall ( Melbourne ) , a multi-use hall in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia  Festival Hall , Osaka , a concert hall , in Kita-ku , Osaka , Japan . The Hall seats 2,709 patrons and is home to the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra  Royal Festival Hall , London  Festival Hall at the 1904 St. Louis World 's Fair  A horse , the 1998 winner of the Beresford Stakes   Category : Architectural disambiguation pages

neg: Tepidarium The tepidarium was the warm ( tepidus ) bathroom of the Roman baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system.The specialty of a tepidarium is the pleasant feeling of constant radiant heat which directly affects the human body from the walls and floor .   There is an interesting example at Pompeii ; this was covered with a semicircular barrel vault , decorated with reliefs in stucco , and round the room a series of square recesses or niches divided from one another by Telamones . The tepidarium in the Roman thermae was the great central hall round which all the other halls were grouped , and which gave the key to the plans of the thermae . It was probably the hall where the bathers first assembled prior to passing through the various hot baths ( Caldaria ) or taking the cold bath ( Frigidarium ) . The tepidarium was decorated with the richest marbles and mosaics : it received its light through clerestory windows , on the sides , the front and the rear , and would seem to have been the hall in which the finest treasures of art were placed ; thus in the thermae of Caracalla , the Farnese Hercules , and the Toro Farnese , the two gladiators , the sarcophagi of green basalt now in the Vatican , and numerous other treasures , were found during the excavations by Paul III in 1546 , and transported to the Vatican and the museum at Naples .

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: The Last Days of Pompeii (disambiguation) The Last Days of Pompeii is a novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton .   The Last Days of Pompeii may also refer to :  The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1908 film ) , an Italian film by Arturo Ambrosio  The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1913 film ) , an Italian silent film by Caserini and Rodolfi  Jone , or the Last Days of Pompeii ( 1913 film ) , an Italian silent film by Del Colle and Vidali  The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1926 film ) , an Italian silent film by Carmine Gallone and Amleto Palermi  The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1935 film ) , a film starring Preston Foster , David Holt , and Basil Rathbone  The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1950 film ) , a French-Italian film by Marcel L'Herbier and Paolo Moffa  The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1959 film ) ( Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei ) , an Italian film by Sergio Leone , credited to Mario Bonnard  The Last Days of Pompeii ( TV miniseries ) , a 1984 U.S. miniseries  `` The Last Days of Pompeii '' ( Album by Grant Hart and Nova Mob )

neg: Siphnian Treasury The Siphnian Treasury was a building at the Ancient Greek cult centre of Delphi , erected to host the offerings of the polis , or city-state , of Siphnos . It was one of a number of treasuries lining the `` Sacred Way '' , the processional route through the Sanctuary of Apollo , erected to win the favor of the gods and increase the prestige of the donor polis . It was one of the earlier surviving buildings of this type , and its date remains a matter for debate , with the most plausible date being around 525 BC . Until recently it was often confused or conflated with the neighbouring Cnidian Treasury , a similar but less elaborate building , as the remains of the two had become mixed together and earlier theoretical reconstructions used parts of both .   The people of Siphnos had gained enormous wealth from their silver and gold mines in the Archaic period ( Herodotus III .57 ) and used the tithe of their income to erect the treasury , the first religious structure made entirely out of marble . The building was used to house many lavish votive offerings given to the priests to be offered to Apollo .   The Treasury fell to ruins over the centuries , although it stood for much longer than many other monuments , probably due to its decoration which was venerated by the following generations . Currently , the sculpture and a reconstruction of the Treasury are to be seen in the Delphi Archaeological Museum .


query: Inside Man stars an actor.

pos: Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. ( born December 28 , 1954 ) is an American actor , director , and producer . He has received three Golden Globe awards , a Tony Award , and two Academy Awards : Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory ( 1989 ) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day ( 2001 ) .   Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1980s , including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom ( 1987 ) , Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X ( 1992 ) , boxer Rubin `` Hurricane '' Carter in The Hurricane ( 1999 ) , football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans ( 2000 ) , poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters ( 2007 ) , and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster ( 2007 ) . He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee , Antoine Fuqua and Tony Scott . In 2016 , Washington was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards .   In 2002 , Washington made his directorial debut with biographical film Antwone Fisher . His second directorial effort was The Great Debaters , released in 2007 . Washington 's third directorial effort , Fences , starring himself and Viola Davis , was released on December 16 , 2016 .

pos: Inside Man Inside Man is a 2006 American crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee , written by Russell Gewirtz . The film centers on an elaborate bank heist on Wall Street over a 24-hour period . It stars Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Frazier , the NYPD 's hostage negotiator ; Clive Owen as Dalton Russell , the mastermind who orchestrates the heist ; and Jodie Foster as Madeleine White , a Manhattan power broker who becomes involved at the request of the bank 's founder , Arthur Case ( Christopher Plummer ) , to keep something in his own personal safe deposit box protected from the robbers . Inside Man marks the fourth film collaboration between Washington and Lee .   Gewirtz spent five years developing the film 's premise before working on what became his first original screenplay . After he completed the script in 2002 , Imagine Entertainment purchased it to be made by Universal Studios , with Imagine co-founder Ron Howard attached to direct . After Howard stepped down , his Imagine partner Brian Grazer began looking for a new director to helm the project , and ultimately hired Lee to do so . Principal photography began in June 2005 and concluded in August of that year ; filming took place on location in New York City . Inside Man premiered in New York on March 20 , 2006 before being released in North America on March 24 , 2006 . Upon release , the film received a generally positive critical response and was a commercial success , grossing over $ 184 million worldwide .

pos: Clive Owen Clive Owen ( born 3 October 1964 ) is an English actor who first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991 . He then received critical acclaim for his work in the film Close My Eyes ( 1991 ) before earning international attention for his performance as a struggling writer in Croupier ( 1998 ) . In 2005 , he won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the drama Closer ( 2004 ) .   Owen has since played leading roles in films such as Sin City ( 2005 ) , Derailed ( 2005 ) , Inside Man ( 2006 ) , Children of Men ( 2006 ) , and The International ( 2009 ) . In 2012 , he earned his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his role in Hemingway & Gellhorn . He also played Dr. John W. Thackery on the Cinemax medical drama series The Knick , for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination .

neg: Bill Raymond William Joseph `` Bill '' Raymond ( born September 9 , 1938 ) is an American actor who has appeared in film , television and theatre since the 1960s .

neg: Colin Hanks Colin Hanks ( born Colin Lewes Dillingham ; November 24 , 1977 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He is known for starring as characters in films such as Shaun Brumder in Orange County , Preston in King Kong , Oliver in The House Bunny , and Troy Gable in The Great Buck Howard . His television roles include Alex Whitman in Roswell , Henry Jones in Band of Brothers , Travis Marshall in Dexter , officer Gus Grimly in Fargo , Jack Bailey in The Good Guys , and Greg Short in Life in Pieces . He is the eldest son of actor Tom Hanks . In the Talking Tom and Friends animated series , he voices Talking Tom .

neg: Scott Elrod Scott Michael Elrod ( born February 10 , 1975 ) is an American actor .

neg: Anthony Mackie Anthony Dwane Mackie ( born September 23 , 1978 ) is an American actor . He has been featured in feature films , television series , and Broadway and Off-Broadway plays , including Ma Rainey 's Black Bottom , Drowning Crow , McReele , A Soldier 's Play , and Carl Hancock Rux 's Talk , for which he won an Obie Award in 2002 .   In 2002 , he was featured in Eminem 's debut film , 8 Mile . He was nominated for Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor for his role in Brother to Brother . His second nomination was for Best Supporting Actor at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards for his role in The Hurt Locker . In 2014 , he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sam Wilson / Falcon , making his first appearance in Captain America : The Winter Soldier , and reprising the role in Avengers : Age of Ultron , Ant-Man , and Captain America : Civil War .   In May 2016 , he co-starred in the HBO TV film All the Way as Martin Luther King Jr. , opposite Bryan Cranston , who was reprising his Tony Award-winning performance as President Lyndon B. Johnson in the play of the same name .

neg: James R. Black James Richard Black ( born April 3 , 1962 ) is an American actor and former professional football player .

neg: The Power Inside The Power Inside is a 2013 social film developed by Intel and Toshiba . It is Intel and Toshiba 's third social film after The Beauty Inside ( 2012 ) and Inside ( 2011 ) . Directed by Josh Gordon & Will Speck and starring Harvey Keitel , Analeigh Tipton , and Craig Roberts , the film is broken up into six filmed episodes interspersed with interactive storytelling that all takes place on the main character 's Facebook timeline . It 's Hollywood 's first social film that gives the audience the chance to help determine the fate of the world .

neg: Chandler Canterbury Chandler Canterbury ( born December 15 , 1998 ) is an American actor .

neg: Steve Guttenberg Steven Robert `` Steve '' Guttenberg ( born August 24 , 1958 ) is an American actor , author , businessman , producer , and director . He starred in 1984 's Police Academy , and went on to perform in lead roles in Hollywood films of the 1980s , including Cocoon , Three Men and a Baby , and Short Circuit .

neg: Peter Greene Peter Greene ( born Peter Green ; October 8 , 1965 ) is an American character actor , generally known for playing villains .

neg: Wes Brown (actor) James Wesley `` Wes '' Brown ( born January 26 , 1982 ) is an American actor .

neg: Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer ( born December 13 , 1929 ) is a Canadian theatre , film and television actor . After making his film debut in Stage Struck ( 1958 ) , Plummer went on to a successful film career , now spanning more than five decades . Some of his most notable film performances include : The Sound of Music ( 1965 ) , Battle of Britain ( 1969 ) , Waterloo ( 1970 ) , The Return of the Pink Panther ( 1975 ) , Murder by Decree ( 1979 ) , Dragnet ( 1987 ) , Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country ( 1991 ) , A Beautiful Mind ( 2001 ) , Nicholas Nickleby ( 2002 ) , National Treasure ( 2004 ) , The New World ( 2005 ) , Inside Man ( 2006 ) , Up ( 2009 ) , The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ( 2009 ) , and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ( 2011 ) .   In a career which includes substantial roles in each of the dramatic arts , Plummer is best known to film audiences as the aristocratic widower , Captain Georg von Trapp , in the musical film The Sound of Music ( 1965 ) , alongside Julie Andrews . Plummer has ventured into various television projects , including the miniseries The Thorn Birds ( 1983 ) . Plummer has notably portrayed several historical figures , including Arthur Wellesley , First Duke of Wellington in Waterloo ( 1970 ) , Rudyard Kipling in The Man Who Would Be King ( 1975 ) , Mike Wallace in The Insider ( 1999 ) , and Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station ( 2009 ) .   Plummer has won numerous awards and accolades for his work , including an Academy Award , two Emmy Awards , two Tony Awards , a Golden Globe Award , a SAG Award , and a BAFTA Award . With his win at age 82 in 2012 for Beginners , Plummer is the oldest actor ever to win an Academy Award .

neg: Charlie Tahan Charles `` Charlie '' Tahan ( born June 11 , 1998 ) is an American actor .

neg: Lukas Haas Lukas Daniel Haas ( born April 16 , 1976 ) is an American actor and musician . His acting career has spanned three decades , during which he has appeared in more than 50 feature films and a number of television shows and stage productions .

neg: Sam Rockwell Samuel Rockwell ( born November 5 , 1968 ) is an American actor known for independent and mainstream films .   He is known for his leading roles in Lawn Dogs ( 1997 ) , Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ( 2002 ) , Matchstick Men ( 2003 ) , The Hitchhiker 's Guide to the Galaxy ( 2005 ) , Choke ( 2008 ) , Moon ( 2009 ) , Seven Psychopaths ( 2012 ) , and Mr. Right ( 2015 ) , as well as for his supporting roles in The Green Mile ( 1999 ) , Galaxy Quest ( 1999 ) , The Assassination of Jesse James ( 2007 ) , Frost/Nixon ( 2008 ) , Conviction ( 2010 ) , Iron Man 2 ( 2010 ) , Cowboys & Aliens ( 2011 ) , The Way , Way Back ( 2013 ) , and Poltergeist ( 2015 ) .

neg: Filippo Nigro Filippo Nigro ( born 3 December 1970 ) is an Italian actor .

neg: James Morrison (actor) James Paige Morrison ( born April 21 , 1954 ) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of CTU Director Bill Buchanan on 24 .

neg: Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel ( born January 22 , 1935 ) is an American actor .   Cassel first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent films of writer/director John Cassavetes . The first of these was Too Late Blues ( 1961 ) , followed by Faces ( 1968 ) , for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and won a National Society of Film Critics Award . Cassel went on to appear in Cassavetes ' Minnie and Moskowitz ( 1971 ) , The Killing of a Chinese Bookie ( 1976 ) , Opening Night ( 1977 ) and Love Streams ( 1984 ) .   He has further appeared in a number of independent and Hollywood film productions . Notable titles include Coogan 's Bluff ( 1968 ) , The Last Tycoon ( 1976 ) , Valentino ( 1977 ) , Johnny Be Good ( 1988 ) , Mobsters ( 1991 ) , In the Soup ( 1992 ) , Honeymoon in Vegas ( 1992 ) , Indecent Proposal ( 1993 ) , Beer League ( 2006 ) and Fort McCoy ( 2011 ) . Like Cassavetes , Wes Anderson has frequently cast Cassel , first in Rushmore ( 1998 ) and then in The Royal Tenenbaums ( 2001 ) and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ( 2004 ) .

neg: Adam G. Simon Adam Gregory Simon ( born March 13 , 1977 ) is an American actor and writer . He started his professional career as an actor in theatre with roles in the early 2000s and then made his television and film debut . Simon is the writer of Man Down , a post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Dito Montiel which stars Shia LaBeouf , Kate Mara , Gary Oldman , Jai Courtney and Clifton Collins , Jr. . .   Simon is also the writer of Synapse , a film where he also makes his theatrical acting debut . Directed by veteran music video director Kenlon Clark . Synapse stars Sophina Brown , Henry Simmons , Joshua Alba and Simon himself . Synapse is the first theatrical content produced by Los Angeles Center Studios and Hollywood Locations .

neg: Michael Simkins Michael Simkins ( born 4 February 1957 ) is an English actor .

neg: Tom Wright (actor) Tom Wright ( born Harold Thomas Wright ; November 29 , 1952 ) is an American television and theatre actor .


query: Iceland is not a country.

pos: Iceland Iceland ( -LSB- ˈaɪslənd -RSB- -LSB- ˈistlant -RSB- ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean . It has a population of and an area of 103000 km2 , making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe . The capital and largest city is Reykjavík . Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population . Iceland is volcanically and geologically active . The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields , mountains and glaciers , while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands . Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate , despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle . Its high latitude and marine influence still keeps summers chilly , with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate .   According to the ancient manuscript Landnámabók , the settlement of Iceland began in the year 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island . In the following centuries , Norwegians , and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians , emigrated to Iceland , bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin . The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the Althing , one of the world 's oldest functioning legislative assemblies . Following a period of civil strife , Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century . The establishment of the Kalmar Union in 1397 united the kingdoms of Norway , Denmark and Sweden . Iceland thus followed Norway 's integration to that Union and came under Danish rule after Sweden 's secession from that union in 1523 . Although the Danish kingdom introduced Lutheranism forcefully in 1550 , Iceland remained a distant semi-colonial territory in which Danish institutions and infrastructures were conspicuous by their absence . In the wake of the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars , Iceland 's struggle for independence took form and culminated in independence in 1918 and the founding of a republic in 1944 . Until the 20th century , Iceland relied largely on subsistence fishing and agriculture , and was among the poorest in Europe . Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity , and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world . In 1994 , it became a part of the European Economic Area , which further diversified the economy into sectors such as finance , biotechnology , and manufacturing .   Iceland has a market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries . It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens . Iceland ranks high in economic , political and social stability and equality . In 2013 , it was ranked as the 13th most-developed country in the world by the United Nations ' Human Development Index . Iceland runs almost completely on renewable energy . Affected by the ongoing worldwide financial crisis , the nation 's entire banking system systemically failed in October 2008 , leading to a severe depression , substantial political unrest , the Icesave dispute , and the institution of capital controls . Some bankers were jailed . Since then , the economy has made a significant recovery , in large part due to a surge in tourism .   Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation 's Scandinavian heritage . Most Icelanders are descendants of Germanic and Gaelic settlers . Icelandic , a North Germanic language , is descended from Old Norse and is closely related to Faroese and West Norwegian dialects . The country 's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine , Icelandic literature and medieval sagas . Iceland has the smallest population of any NATO member and is the only one with no standing army , its lightly armed coast guard being in charge of defence .

neg: List of people by number of countries visited This is a list of people by number of countries and territories visited .   There are a number of people claiming to have visited every country in the world , though there is great debate as to how many countries there are in the world . The most commonly agreed base number is the number of United Nations member states , of which there are 193 . According to the United Nations , `` The recognition of a new State or Government is an act that only other States and Governments may grant or withhold . '' As a result , the membership of some countries to the United Nations is blocked by one or more other members , such as Taiwan and Kosovo , and there are also two observer states , the Holy See and the State of Palestine . Additionally , there are various dependencies and territories that maintain autonomy , their own government , immigration , and/or print their own currency , and can be widely held as de facto countries by travellers . ISO 3166 is maintained by ISO as an updated list of the aforementioned derived from United Nations sources ( Terminology Bulletin Country Names and the Country and Region Codes for Statistical Use maintained by the United Nations Statistics Divisions ) , and lists 249 countries . The Travelers ' Century Club , whose membership is limited to those travellers who have visited one hundred or more territories of the world , maintains its own official list of countries and territories , a total of 325 as of 1 January 2016 , which includes geographically separated areas , such as Hawaii and other areas of cultural interest . This list of people by countries visited does not prescribe one list as correct ; rather , it lists the number of countries visited from any of these competing lists . The Best Travelled is also considered a reference for the 1281 world regions and well travelled people , and hold a verification process to check on traveller 's claims . Their UN Master List regroups all those travellers .

neg: Steingrímur J. Sigfússon Steingrímur Jóhann Sigfússon ( born 4 August 1955 ) is an Icelandic politician . He has been a member of the Althing ( Icelandic parliament ) since 1983 and is the founding chairman of the Left-Green Movement ( Vinstri hreyfingin -- grænt framboð ) . He was the Minister for Agriculture and Communications from 1988 -- 1991 . He became Minister of Finance in 2009 . In 2011 he took on the roles of Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture and Minister of Economic Affairs .   Steingrímur was born in Gunnarsstaðir , a large sheep farm between Garður and Þórshöfn in the Þistilfjörður region of northeast Iceland ( Svalbarðshreppur municipality ) . In his younger days he was an avid sportsman , both track and field and also a volleyball player . On 16 January 2006 , Steingrímur was injured in a car accident not far from Blönduós , Iceland but he later recovered .   He supported the end of the US military presence in Iceland , but believed Iceland itself should have taken the initiative in ending this presence . Since September 2006 , when US forces left Naval Air Station Keflavik , he has strongly opposed any possible development of an Icelandic army seeing the country 's need for armed forces as practically non-existent . He believes that civilian institutions such as the police and the coast guard should be organized in order to provide the needed protection in the unlikely event of a major disturbance .   In November 2006 , he published the book Við öll -- Íslenskt velferðarsamfélag á tímamótum ( `` All of Us -- Icelandic Welfare Society at Crossroads '' ) , laying out his political ideology .

neg: Family policy in Iceland The Icelandic family model can be compared to that of the Anglo-Saxon model in regards to its benefits and the Scandinavian model in regards services . Iceland was seen as a lagging country compared to other European countries in terms of family policy . Family policy in Iceland had been long ignored by its policy makers . Not until 1994 when the United Nations celebrated the Year of Family . After the recognition of the importance of family by the United Nations , Iceland 's parliament sought to establish a resolution to the concept of family policy that was gaining greater political attention in Iceland .

neg: Crown dependencies The Crown dependencies are the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea , and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel . They are independently administered jurisdictions , and do not form part of either the United Kingdom or the British Overseas Territories . They are self-governing possessions of the Crown ( defined uniquely in each jurisdiction ) . Internationally , the dependencies are considered `` territories for which the United Kingdom is responsible '' , rather than sovereign states . As a result , they are not member states of the Commonwealth of Nations . However , they do have relationships with the Commonwealth , the European Union , and other international organisations , and are members of the British -- Irish Council . They have their own teams in the Commonwealth Games . They are not part of the European Union ( EU ) , although they are within the EU 's customs area .   As the Crown dependencies are not sovereign states , the power to pass legislation affecting the islands ultimately rests with the government of the United Kingdom . However they each have their own legislative assemblies , with the power to legislate on many local matters with the assent of the Crown ( Privy Council , or in the case of the Isle of Man in certain circumstances the Lieutenant-Governor ) . In each case , the head of government is referred to as the Chief Minister .

neg: Iceland–Palestine relations Iceland -- Palestine relations refers to the relations between Iceland and Palestine . Iceland was the first Western European country to recognise the independence of Palestine . Full diplomatic relations exist between the two sides . Iceland 's representative to Palestine is a non-resident based at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Reykjavík , while Palestine 's ambassador to Iceland is also a non-resident based in Oslo , Norway .

neg: Continental Europe Continental Europe , also referred to as mainland Europe , or , by Europeans , simply the Continent , is the continuous continent of Europe , excluding surrounding islands .   The most common definition of continental Europe excludes continental islands , encompassing the Greek Islands , Cyprus , Malta , Sicily , Sardinia , Corsica , the Balearic Islands , Ireland , Great Britain , the Isle of Man , the Channel Islands , Novaya Zemlya and the Danish archipelago , as well as nearby oceanic islands , including the Canary Islands , Madeira , the Azores , Iceland , the Faroe Islands , and Svalbard .   The Scandinavian peninsula is sometimes also excluded , as even though it is technically part of `` mainland Europe '' , the de facto connections to the rest of the continent are across the Baltic Sea or North Sea ( rather than via the lengthy land route that involves travelling to the north of the peninsula where it meets Finland , and then south through north-east Europe ) .   The notion of Europe as a geopolitical or cultural term is centred on core Europe ( Kerneuropa ) , the continental territory of the historical Carolingian Empire and the core of Latin Christendom , corresponding to modern France , Italy , Germany ( or German-speaking Europe ) and the Benelux states ( historical Austrasia ) . This historical core of `` Carolingian Europe '' was consciously invoked in the 1950s as the historical ethno-cultural basis for the prospective European integration ( see also Multi-speed Europe ) .

neg: Arctic policy of Iceland The Arctic policy of Iceland refers to the foreign policy of Iceland in regard to the Arctic region .   Iceland is a member of the Arctic Council . Iceland does not agree that the Arctic five should meet separately , as they did at the Arctic Ocean Conference .

neg: Economy of Iceland The economy of Iceland is small and subject to high volatility . In 2011 , gross domestic product was US$ 12.3 bn . With a population of 321,000 , this is $ 38,000 per capita , based on purchasing power parity ( PPP ) estimates . The financial crisis of 2007 -- 2010 produced a decline in GDP and employment , although the magnitude of this decline remains to be determined .   Iceland has a mixed economy with high levels of free trade and government intervention . However , government consumption is less than other Nordic countries . Geothermal power is the primary source of home and industrial energy in Iceland .   In the 1990s Iceland undertook extensive free market reforms , which initially produced strong economic growth . As a result , Iceland was rated as having one of the world 's highest levels of economic freedom as well as civil freedoms . In 2007 , Iceland topped the list of nations ranked by Human Development Index and was one of the most egalitarian , according to the calculation provided by the Gini coefficient .   From 2006 onwards , the economy faced problems of growing inflation and current account deficits . Partly in response , and partly as a result of earlier reforms , the financial system expanded rapidly before collapsing entirely in a sweeping financial crisis . Iceland had to obtain emergency funding from the International Monetary Fund and a range of European countries in November 2008 .

neg: Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson ( -LSB- ˈsɪɣmʏntʏr ˈtaːvið ˈkʏnløyxsɔn -RSB- ; born 12 March 1975 ) is an Icelandic politician who was the youngest serving Prime Minister of Iceland from May 2013 until April 2016 . He was also chairman of the Progressive Party from 2009 to October 2016 . He was elected to the Althing ( Iceland 's parliament ) as the 8th member for the Reykjavík Constituency North on 25 April 2009 . He has represented the Northeast Constituency as its 1st member since 27 April 2013 .   Following the release of the Panama Papers , he announced on 5 April 2016 that he would step aside from the office of Prime Minister . On 7 April 2016 he was replaced as Prime Minister by Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson , who also replaced him as chairman of the Progressive Party on 2 October 2016 .

neg: Icelandic Athletic Federation The Icelandic Athletic Federation ( Icelandic Frjálsíþróttasamband Íslands ) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Iceland .

neg: Geography of Sweden Sweden is a country in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula . It borders Norway to the west ; Finland to the northeast ; and the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia to the east and south .   Sweden has a long coastline on the eastern side and the Scandinavian mountain chain ( Skanderna ) on the western border , a range that separates Sweden from Norway . It has maritime borders with Denmark , Germany , Poland , Russia , Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia , and it is also linked to Denmark ( southwest ) by the Öresund Bridge .  At 450295 km2 , Sweden is the 56th largest country in the world . It is the fifth largest in Europe and the largest in Northern Europe .

neg: Politics of Andorra The politics of Andorra take place in a framework of a parliamentary constitutional diarchy , and a multi-party system . Executive power is exercised by the government , with the Head of Government of Andorra as chief executive . Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament . The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature .   Before 1993 , Andorra 's political system had no clear division of powers into executive , legislative , and judicial branches . A constitution ratified and approved in 1993 establishes Andorra as a sovereign parliamentary democracy that retains the President of France and Bishop of Urgell as co-princes and heads of state . However , the head of government retains executive power . The two co-princes serve coequally with limited powers that do not include an individual veto over government acts ( however , a bill can in effect be `` vetoed '' if both do not sign the legislation ) . They are each represented in Andorra by a personal representative .   The fundamental impetus for this political transformation was a recommendation by the Council of Europe in 1990 that , if Andorra wished to attain full integration in the European Union ( EU ) , it should adopt a modern constitution that guarantees the rights of those living and working there . A Tripartite Commission -- made up of representatives of the co-princes , the General Council , and the Executive Council -- was formed in 1990 and finalized the draft constitution in April 1991 , making the new constitution a fact .   One remaining , though symbolic , legacy of Andorra 's special relationship with France and Spain , is that the Principality has no postal service of its own -- French and Spanish postal services operate side by side , although each of them issues separate stamps for Andorra , instead of using their own .

neg: Economic history of Iceland The economy history of Iceland covers the development of its economy from the Settlement of Iceland in the late 9th century until the present .

neg: Þjórsá Þjórsá ( -LSB- ˈθjoursau -RSB- ) is Iceland 's longest river at 230 kilometers ( about 143 miles ) . It is in the south of the island .   Þjórsá is a glacier river and has its source on the glacier Hofsjökull . It flows out through narrow gorges in the highlands of Iceland . Further downstream , another river , the Tungnaá , flows into it ( see also Háifoss ) , before it enters the lowlands . There it passes the valley of Þjórsárdalur ( Thjorsardalur ) where the historical farm of Stöng is located at . In the lowlands it flows along the eastern border of the Great Þjórsá Lava .   In the middle of the now rather wide river , there is a big island called Árnes , where there used to be a Þing . The administrative unit of Árnessýsla was named after it .   The hringvegur ( Road No. 1 ) traverses the river via a bridge between Selfoss and Hella . Some kilometers to the southwest the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean .

neg: President of Iceland The President of Iceland ( Forseti Íslands ) is Iceland 's elected head of state . The incumbent is Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson , who is now in his first term as president , elected in 2016 .   The president is elected to a four-year term by popular vote , is not term-limited , and has limited powers . The presidential residence is situated in Bessastaðir in Garðabær , near the capital city Reykjavík .

neg: Icelandic Elf School The Icelandic Elf School , known as Álfaskólinn in Icelandic , is a school in Iceland that teaches students and visitors about Icelandic folklore .   The school teaches about the hidden people and the 13 different kinds of elves that the school believes inhabit the country of Iceland . According to the school 's headmaster , hidden people `` are just the same size and look exactly like human beings , the only difference is that they are invisible to most of us . Elves , on the other hand , are n't entirely human , they 're humanoid , starting at around eight centimetres . '' He also claims there are gay and lesbian elves . The school is located in Reykjavík , the country 's largest city .   The school is headed by Magnús Skarphéðinsson . Magnús has a full curriculum , and certificate programs for visitors that can be earned in as little as half a day . However , the school also publishes texts on hidden people , partly for its own use in the classroom . There is also ongoing research on the elves and hidden people of Iceland . He also collects stories about trolls , fairies , dwarves , and gnomes , but says that `` nearly 70 percent of our stories are about hidden people , because they are most seen here . '' These stories have been collected for the purpose of preservation . Magnús organizes five hour long educational excursions for visitors , and finishes the tour with coffee and pancakes at the school . Despite never advertising his school , Magnus typically gets 5-10 people per excursion . Since opening in 1991 , over 9,000 people , most of them foreigners , have attended the school . The Álfaskólinn also provides `` aura readings '' and `` past-life explorations '' .   The question of the `` level of belief in elves '' in Iceland is somewhat of a cultural topos , with survey results published in 1975 , 1995 , 1998 , 2006 . Interpretations of the survey results vary .  Based on the 2006 figures , Magnús claims that while only 26 % of Icelanders believe in elves ( summing the responses ` certain ' and ` probable ' ) , 80 % `` do take notice '' ( including the replies ` possible ' and ` unlikely ' ) .

neg: List of adjectival and demonymic forms for countries and nations The following is a list of adjectival forms of countries and nations in English and their demonymic equivalents . A country adjective describes something as being from that country , for example , `` Italian cuisine '' is `` cuisine of Italy '' . A country demonym denotes the people or the inhabitants of or from there , for example , `` Germans '' are people of or from Germany .  Note : Demonyms are given in plural forms . Singular forms simply remove the final 's ' or , in the case of - ese endings , are the same as the plural forms .  The ending - men has feminine equivalent - women ( e.g. an Irishman and a Scotswoman ) . The French terminations - ois / ais serve as both the singular and plural masculine ; adding ` e ' ( - oise / aise ) makes them singular feminine ; ` es ' ( - oises / aises ) makes them plural feminine . The Spanish and Portuguese terminations '' - o '' usually denotes the masculine and is normally changed to feminine by dropping the '' - o '' and adding '' - a '' . The plural forms are usually '' - os '' and '' - as '' respectively .   Adjectives ending in - ish can be used as collective demonyms ( e.g. the English , the Cornish ) . So can those ending in - ch / - tch ( e.g. the French , the Dutch ) provided they are pronounced with a ` ch ' sound ( e.g. the adjective Czech does not qualify ) .   Many place-name adjectives and many demonyms refer also to various other things , sometimes with and sometimes without one or more additional words . ( Sometimes , the use of one or more additional words is optional . ) Notable examples are cuisines , cheeses , cat breeds , dog breeds , and horse breeds . ( See List of words derived from toponyms . )   Note - in cases where two or more adjectival forms are given , there is often a subtle difference in usage between the two . This is particularly the case with Central Asian countries where one form tends to relate to the nation and the other often relates to the predominant ethnic group ( e.g. , Uzbek is primarily an ethnicity , Uzbekistani relates to citizens of Uzbekistan ) .   In addition , several countries have a large number of sub-names for their citizens in the form of nicknames for people of certain different areas ; these are usually related to something typical of the area . In Puerto Rico for example , people who come from the town of Bayamon are referred to as `` Cowboy ( s ) '' or `` Cowgirl ( s ) '' ; those from Caguas are referred to as `` Criollo ( s ) '' or `` Criolla ( s ) '' . Except in cases such as Spain , in which sub-names have been used interchangeably by others , sub-names belonging to some areas in a country are not listed here .

neg: Danish Realm The term Danish Realm ( Det Danske Rige ) refers to the relationship between Denmark proper , the Faroe Islands and Greenland -- three countries constituting the Kingdom of Denmark .   The legal nature of the Kingdom of Denmark is fundamentally one of a unitary sovereign state . The Faroe Islands and Greenland have been part of the Crown of Denmark since 1397 ( de jure ) when the Kalmar Union was ratified , and part of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1814 ( de facto ) . However , due to their separate historical and cultural identities , these parts of the Realm now have an extensive type of self-government and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields .   Legal matters in The Danish Realm are subject to the Danish Constitution . Beginning in 1953 , state law issues within The Danish Realm has been governed by The Unity of the Realm ( Rigsenheden ) . A less formal name for The Unity of the Realm is `` the commonwealth of the Realm '' . In 1978 , The Unity of The Realm was for the first time unofficially referred to as rigsfællesskabet . The name caught on and since the 1990s , both The Unity of The Realm and The Danish Realm itself has increasingly been referred to as simply rigsfællesskabet ( ríkisfelagsskapurin naalagaaffeqatigiit ) in daily parlance .   The Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Danish Realm are the responsibility of the Danish government . The Faroes received home rule in 1948 and Greenland did so in 1979 . In 2005 , the Faroes received a self-government arrangement , and in 2009 Greenland received `` self rule '' , thus leaving the Danish government with virtually no influence over Greenlandic internal affairs .

neg: City-state A city-state is a sovereign state that consists of a city and its dependent territories . Historically , this included cities such as Rome , Athens , Carthage , and the Italian city-states during the Renaissance -- but today only a handful of sovereign city-states exist , with some disagreement as to which are city-states . A great deal of consensus exists that the term properly applies to Singapore , Monaco , and Vatican City .   A number of other small states share similar characteristics , and therefore are sometimes also cited as modern city-states . Namely , Qatar , Brunei , Kuwait , Bahrain , and Malta , which each have an urban center comprising a significant proportion of the population , though , all have several distinct settlements and a designated or de facto capital city . Occasionally , other small states with high population densities , such as San Marino , are also cited , despite lacking a large urban centre characteristic of traditional city-states .   Several non-sovereign cities enjoy a high degree of autonomy , and are sometimes considered city-states . Hong Kong and Macau , along with independent members of the United Arab Emirates , most notably Dubai and Abu Dhabi , are often cited as such .

neg: Icelandic outvasion The Icelandic `` outvasion '' ( Icelandic : útrás ) was the period in the economic history of Iceland between 2000 and the onset of its financial crisis in October 2008 . With the privatisation of the Icelandic banks being advantageous for investors , there was a large supply of cheap loan capital on the international market . A clause in the agreement with the European Economic Area stipulated the free flow of capital to and from Iceland .   The so-called outvasion led to the purchase of many foreign businesses , particularly in the retail sector . The British retailers Debenhams , Woolworths , Hamleys , and others came into full or part-Icelandic possession , in addition to the Danish companies Magasin du Nord and Royal Unibrew . Novator Partners acquired telecoms and other assets around Europe , including České Radiokomunikace , Elisa , Saunalahti , Bulgarian Telecommunications Company , P4 Spółka z o.o. , Netia , and Forthnet .   The term `` outvasion '' was coined by the Icelandic media , who described the bankers as Vikings , and compared the rapid acquisition of many foreign businesses to a Viking invasion or raid , in both the possessions of the target being aggressively taken over .