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Description
A quick look into how Holy Roman Empire and Italy married and how things went between the two of them during medieval time. Yes, really.

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5, Extra

As sidenotes I’ll remind you that Italy isn’t really lying when he says he loved Holy Roman Empire. It seems Italians, despite fighting him, didn’t really want to get rid of the Emperor since back then it was assumed the emperor got his title from God and no one would feel like getting between God and his decisions. The Italians just wanted him to mind his own business and let them free to do the same as the previous emperors had done.
Also, even if the peace of Venice took place in Venice, I let Veneziano use Milanese instead than Venetian because Venice was just the hosting city and mediators while Milan was the main among the cities involved in the truce.

Oh, in case you’re interested, there’s an Italian movie about most of this, ‘Barbarossa’ (2009) by Renzo Martinelli. The movie follows the history book with the same name with some theatrical changes. It’s not a bad movie though it kind of reminded me more of an American movie than of an Italian one.

Don’t like movies? Do you prefer lyrical music? Giuseppe Verdi wrote ‘La Battaglia di Legnano’. It’s not as cool as the ‘Nabucco’ or ‘Rigoletto’ but it’s still worth hearing.

There’s also some cool poetry involving all this, like Giosué Carducci’s ‘Sui Campi di Marengo la Notte del Sabato Santo’, which describes what had happened just after Alessandria’s siege, and ‘Il Parlamento’ from ‘La canzone di Legnano’ (1879) which talks about Alberto da Giussano speaking in front of the parliament encouraging the Milanesi to fight the Barbarossa, Giovanni Pascoli’s ‘La canzone del Carroccio’ (1908) talking about the origins of the Carroccio and Giovanni Berchet’s ‘Il Giuramento di Pontida’, which talk about the communes swearing their allegiance in Pontida (BTW some of its quotes had been used as lyrics in a ghost track made by Edoardo Bennato mixed with quotes of Alessandro Manzoni’s ‘Marzo 1821’) just to name a few.

And the ‘Battaglia di Legnano’ had been represented in some amazing paintings like the one of Amos Cassioli (1860), which I also used as a background for my fanart with the same name. ^_-

Anyway, if you happen to visit Italy you can try visiting Legnano and its castle as well. It’s not big but the people there take care of it with love. In Legnano is also kept a Palio and a recall/commemoration of the battle.

Translations

The translation used in the strips is the one that gives you the meaning of the sentences said. The direct translation is here:

Veh: Hetalia fans know this as Veneziano’s verbal tic but actually it has a meaning in some North Italian dialects. Basically it means ‘Look’, ‘Watch’, but it can be used to call someone, to make your point stronger, as an exclamation, as an interjection… It can be considered the short form for ‘vedi’ (look) but also for ‘vero’ (true) in sentences like ‘you love this, isn’t it true?’.

Translations from Milanese language

Danee ‘Money’
Mi gh’ho fa la suppa e mi la magna! ‘I made the soup and I will eat it.’
Va a laurà, todesch! ‘Go to work, German!’ (‘Va a laurà’ is kind of a Milanese catchphrase also used with the meaning ‘Don’t bother me and get out of my sight’)
Bosard! ‘Liar!’
Mennavia! ‘One that takes away!’ (‘Trickster’. Basically someone who takes away your attention from the subject at hand so he manages to trick you)
Casciaball! ‘One that gives me balls!’ (‘Storyteller’. ‘Balls’ is a vulgar way to say ‘lies’.)
Impustur ‘me Giuda! ‘Traitor like Judas!’ (Since Judas is the traitor for antonomasia often, instead than calling a person ‘traitor’ he’s called ‘Judas’ or compared to him)
Fidass l’è ben e nò fidass l’è mei… ‘To trust is good but not to trust is better’ (Milanese proverb… there’s also an Italian version of it, ‘Fidarsi è bene, non fidarsi è meglio’)

Translations from Palermitano language

Minchia, Venezià! ‘Dick, Veneziano! (‘Wow, Veneziano!’. ‘Minchia’ is a vulgar word to refer to male genitalia but it’s also used as a exclamation to express wonder or disappointment)
Chistu mi sta rumpennu l’osso da minchia… ‘This guy is breaking the bone of my dick’ (‘This guy is starting to bore me’. ‘Minchia’ is a vulgar word to refer to male genitalia but it’s also used as a exclamation to express wonder or disappointment)
E bravu Venezianussu miu! ‘And good my dear Veneziano!’ (‘Good job, my dear Veneziano!’)

Translations from Latin Language

Imperium Romanum Sacrum Delendum Est ‘Holy Roman Empire must be destroyed’ (It’s a deformation of Marcus Porcius Cato Major’s catchphrase, whom he used to end all his talks ‘Carthago Delenda Est’ or ‘Delenda Carthago’, ‘Carthage must be destroyed’. Cato and Marcus Tullius Cicero were famous, among other things, for their ability in giving speechs)

Translations from Italian

Ovunque è Legnano Everywhere is Legnano (‘Legnano is everywhere’ a quote from the Italian hymn ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’)

Description
A quick look into how Holy Roman Empire and Italy married and how things went between the two of them during medieval time. Yes, really.

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5, Extra

As sidenotes I’ll remind you that Italy isn’t really lying when he says he loved Holy Roman Empire. It seems Italians, despite fighting him, didn’t really want to get rid of the Emperor since back then it was assumed the emperor got his title from God and no one would feel like getting between God and his decisions. The Italians just wanted him to mind his own business and let them free to do the same as the previous emperors had done.
Also, even if the peace of Venice took place in Venice, I let Veneziano use Milanese instead than Venetian because Venice was just the hosting city and mediators while Milan was the main among the cities involved in the truce.

Oh, in case you’re interested, there’s an Italian movie about most of this, ‘Barbarossa’ (2009) by Renzo Martinelli. The movie follows the history book with the same name with some theatrical changes. It’s not a bad movie though it kind of reminded me more of an American movie than of an Italian one.

Don’t like movies? Do you prefer lyrical music? Giuseppe Verdi wrote ‘La Battaglia di Legnano’. It’s not as cool as the ‘Nabucco’ or ‘Rigoletto’ but it’s still worth hearing.

There’s also some cool poetry involving all this, like Giosué Carducci’s ‘Sui Campi di Marengo la Notte del Sabato Santo’, which describes what had happened just after Alessandria’s siege, and ‘Il Parlamento’ from ‘La canzone di Legnano’ (1879) which talks about Alberto da Giussano speaking in front of the parliament encouraging the Milanesi to fight the Barbarossa, Giovanni Pascoli’s ‘La canzone del Carroccio’ (1908) talking about the origins of the Carroccio and Giovanni Berchet’s ‘Il Giuramento di Pontida’, which talk about the communes swearing their allegiance in Pontida (BTW some of its quotes had been used as lyrics in a ghost track made by Edoardo Bennato mixed with quotes of Alessandro Manzoni’s ‘Marzo 1821’) just to name a few.

And the ‘Battaglia di Legnano’ had been represented in some amazing paintings like the one of Amos Cassioli (1860), which I also used as a background for my fanart with the same name. ^_-

Anyway, if you happen to visit Italy you can try visiting Legnano and its castle as well. It’s not big but the people there take care of it with love. In Legnano is also kept a Palio and a recall/commemoration of the battle.

Translations

The translation used in the strips is the one that gives you the meaning of the sentences said. The direct translation is here:

Veh: Hetalia fans know this as Veneziano’s verbal tic but actually it has a meaning in some North Italian dialects. Basically it means ‘Look’, ‘Watch’, but it can be used to call someone, to make your point stronger, as an exclamation, as an interjection… It can be considered the short form for ‘vedi’ (look) but also for ‘vero’ (true) in sentences like ‘you love this, isn’t it true?’.

Translations from Milanese language

Danee ‘Money’
Mi gh’ho fa la suppa e mi la magna! ‘I made the soup and I will eat it.’
Va a laurà, todesch! ‘Go to work, German!’ (‘Va a laurà’ is kind of a Milanese catchphrase also used with the meaning ‘Don’t bother me and get out of my sight’)
Bosard! ‘Liar!’
Mennavia! ‘One that takes away!’ (‘Trickster’. Basically someone who takes away your attention from the subject at hand so he manages to trick you)
Casciaball! ‘One that gives me balls!’ (‘Storyteller’. ‘Balls’ is a vulgar way to say ‘lies’.)
Impustur ‘me Giuda! ‘Traitor like Judas!’ (Since Judas is the traitor for antonomasia often, instead than calling a person ‘traitor’ he’s called ‘Judas’ or compared to him)
Fidass l’è ben e nò fidass l’è mei… ‘To trust is good but not to trust is better’ (Milanese proverb… there’s also an Italian version of it, ‘Fidarsi è bene, non fidarsi è meglio’)

Translations from Palermitano language

Minchia, Venezià! ‘Dick, Veneziano! (‘Wow, Veneziano!’. ‘Minchia’ is a vulgar word to refer to male genitalia but it’s also used as a exclamation to express wonder or disappointment)
Chistu mi sta rumpennu l’osso da minchia… ‘This guy is breaking the bone of my dick’ (‘This guy is starting to bore me’. ‘Minchia’ is a vulgar word to refer to male genitalia but it’s also used as a exclamation to express wonder or disappointment)
E bravu Venezianussu miu! ‘And good my dear Veneziano!’ (‘Good job, my dear Veneziano!’)

Translations from Latin Language

Imperium Romanum Sacrum Delendum Est ‘Holy Roman Empire must be destroyed’ (It’s a deformation of Marcus Porcius Cato Major’s catchphrase, whom he used to end all his talks ‘Carthago Delenda Est’ or ‘Delenda Carthago’, ‘Carthage must be destroyed’. Cato and Marcus Tullius Cicero were famous, among other things, for their ability in giving speechs)

Translations from Italian

Ovunque è Legnano Everywhere is Legnano (‘Legnano is everywhere’ a quote from the Italian hymn ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’)