Section 1: The History of Italy Before we dive into any Italian-themed posts from PT/Drake, it’s important to pause and set the stage. Some of the references only make sense if you first understand a few key moments in Italy’s history. Once that context is clear, the connections

Rome was an immense city and empire. No other city came even close in size to Rome at its peak. Rome was roughly double the size of the next biggest city, Alexandria. Because of its size and complete grip on Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, its fall is all the more

On the 17th of March in 1861, Italy was officially established as a monarchy under the rule of Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy. It wasn’t until June 2nd, 1946, that it became a republic. It was at this time that Italy was divided into 15 separate regions. But how did

For 85 years, Italy was under a corrupt rulership, not in the financial sense, but it was morally compromised. Scandals of favoritism, waste, and misuse of resources polluted the monarchy, ultimately being the reasons for it’s downfall.

In the month of September 1943, the Italian Civil War began. It was a battle between the Italian Social Republic (north) and the Kingdom of Italy (south). This war ended up lasting two years and resulted in the south becoming the recognized state for the entirety of Italy.

It was after this two year war that the Italian people decided it was time to overthrow the monarchy and finally become a united republic. The north and south did come together to become one, and formed what is known as the Italian Republic.

An extra side note on Italy’s history: Dating back to the Etruscan period, Italy has always been known for its copper. It has always been a world center for copper, specifically in the Tuscan region (The same region that Pinocchio is based out of).

The story of Pinocchio is widely regarded as a staple in children’s literature and is arguably Italy’s most famous literary piece to date. Topics include deceit, temptation and the consequences that result, and transformation.

An important factor to look at with Italy’s history is it’s major past in racing and the contributions it has made. From the cars it has come out with such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, to factors to improve the quality of racing such as perfecting the aerodynamic aspects. Without

Italy, throughout its vast history, has been a global hub for fashion. It built the foundation of its fashion on luxury craftsmanship, and it’s notorious “Made In Italy” tags have always been synonymous with a combination of quality and luxury. Not sacrificing either of the two

On top of its role in both the fashion and racing worlds, it has been a staple when looking at the culture of art and its rich past. Dating back to the foundations of Rome, it built, capitalized, and innovated the Greek ideas and techniques in both art and architecture. With many

Section 2: Intersections of Italy in PT, Drake, and Iceman Now that we have some context and an understanding of Italy itself (that will help interpret the posts presented), we can more accurately interpret items that would have otherwise made no sense.

In this first post that references Italy on PT, we see the Apollo Theatre in New York. In my previous post dissecting every red-themed post on PT, I had some previous interpretations that I now feel are off base considering this Italy referencing. I believe this post is meant to

The next post hinting at Italy is this. In frame are two ladders on each side of a prop set on stage. If you notice the colors are in order of the Italian flag. Yes it’s flipped, but it’s in the right order. But what cemented it for me, was the prop set itself. It’s in a

In this picture we see an art exhibit of a bike cut in half along with a racing suit framed on the wall. The motorcycle brand is Ducati. An Italian motorcycle brand. Because the motorcycle is cut, you can see the inner workings. I believe this is a representation of one of two

Another post ties in with this one. In this next post to PT, we see a bag with something inside it. But the bag is the Italian flag. Next to it, is what? A motorcycle helmet. Tying in with the previous post, I believe that it all connects. Italy bag connects to the helmet in the

In a vague post, we see book pages showcasing the Benetton Group HQ in Castrette, Italy. Benetton Group is a globally recognized Italian fashion company known for its apparel and accessories. In 2003, the Benetton family stepped back from direct control of their company and

Another obvious reference to Italy. AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is smoking shisha along with Ronaldo. A very relaxed photo could be a representation of Drake staying calm and cool throughout all the chaos that will ensue in Italy when he presses the red button. It would only

Seen depicted is an image of Italian actress Sophia Loren blowing a kiss outside of the Grande Hotel Vesuvio, located in Naples Italy. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out information about the hotel and I finally realized it isn’t about the hotel at all. Sophia starred a

In this post, Alex Gelsomino is seen giving a thumbs-up from the window of his car during what looks to be the 2007 100 Acre Wood Rally. This would be the second year in a five-year consecutive period where Ken Block won the 100 Acre Wood Rally. If we scroll a couple of slides we

·      Here, we see son of Kimi Raikkonen, Robin Raikkonen, holding up the first place trophy in a karting race. This took place in Franciacorta, indicated by the signage at the top left. While this doesn’t hold any deep meaning to it, it appears that Drake is communicating to

Seen here in this post is a photo displayed on a phone. The background of the photo is what actually matters in this post. Behind Drake and the woman is an etching of the Rome plaza Piazza del Popolo, done by artist Giuseppe Vasi in the 18th century. What’s interesting to note

This post displays an open door in the Villa Minelli, found in Ponzano Veneto, Italy. The interesting part about this photo lies in who purchased the villa. The Benneton Family. In 1968 The Benetton family purchased this villa and renovated it into an efficient workspace while

A remake of the iconic artwork “Untitled (12 Horses)” is shown. The original “Untitled (12 Horses)” is located in Rome, Italy. It was first showcased in the Galleria L’Attico in 1969. This piece was the first ever time live animals were juxtaposed with an art gallery full of

Looking into this next post, I couldn’t gain much from it. My best guess as to what the point is of this post is, is a culmination of four factors. The first being the open door (as we all know what this means to this point), the nod to the city of Milan, Italy, and the fact that

Stepping onto a boat, Kimi Raikkonen, walks away from a race. After a mechanical failure with his car, he was forced to drop out. Instead of heading back to the team garage, Kimi heads to his yacht. Clearly unfazed from his loss, he relaxes in his yacht’s hot tub as the race

Tony Soprano stands in front of the door of Febby’s house before he ends up killing him. With the flowers in his hand, he uses them as a means of deception to to approach Febby’s door. He ends up strangling Febby to death with a wire. Drake may be saying that the initial feud

Posted to PT is a map of North Wales. With lines covering the whole map, we see the blue green and red theme. We see a blue marker as well indicating the person. You can also see a pop up of the Great Orme Mines. A lucrative copper mine that was a worldwide hub for copper. The

The interior of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. This piece was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The specific title of this art piece by Mario Merz is “Acceleration – Dreams, Fibonacci Numbers in Neon and Motorcycle Phantom.” Fibonacci, a significant figure in

The 2016 movie titled “The Challenge” is a documentary film, directed by Yuri Ancarani. The movie follows the lavish lifestyle and unique pastimes of high-class Qatari sheikhs, and specifically their love for falconry. In this shot, a Qatari man is seen driving a Lamborghini with