a bizzeffe (adv. expres.): galore, in great abundance

allegro: happy, positive

andare a ritroso (idiom. expres.): to go backwards

Borboni: Spanish dynasty which occupied the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily before the unification of Italy

concretato (past part. v. concretare): made something concrete; realized, carried out
(e.g. concretare un sogno = to make a dream come true)

continente (n. m. sing.): mainland; continent

credenza: belief, credence

decennio: decade

dessero (3 p.pl. imp. subj. reflex. v. dare): gave way

dare il via a (idiom. express.): to give the starting-signal; (fig.) to give the green light
(Related expressions: "essere pronti al via" = to be ready to go.)

dovuto (adj. m. sing.): due, right(ful), proper
(e.g. "Trattare qualcuno con il dovuto rispetto" = to treat someone with the proper respect.)

effetto collaterale: side effect
(In a medical-pharmaceutical context, the expression is usually in the plural, i.e., "effetti collaterali" = side effects.)

essere di primaria importanza: to be of utmost importance

famigerato: infamous

fattibilità: practicability, feasibility

Garibaldi: Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82)
(A popular, charismatic and well-liked figure by the masses, Garibaldi was a leading general in the Unification of Italy in the 19th century. [For further reading, v. William Thomas, The History of Italy (Ithaca, N.Y.: Folger Shakespeare Library, Cornell University Press. 1963); Federico Chabod, L'Italia contemporanea: 1918-1948 (Torino: Einaudi [PBE 11]), 1961.)

Mezzogiorno (also, il Meridione, il Sud): literally meaning "noon", referring to the "halfway or midway" portion (as does noon in the temporal division of the day) of Italy
(Northern Italy is commonly referred to as il Settentrione, il Nord. There has always been an inherent antagonistic-like attitude between Northerners and Southerners; the Northerners tend to define the Southerners as "terroni" [peasant dirt-diggers] while the Southerners see them as "polentoni" [polenta eaters; polenta is a cornmeal dish quite common in Northern (Eastern) Italy]. Generally, they tend to view each other through a particular lens: the Southerners no doubt see the Northerners as a more "emancipated" people [also for socio-historical factors], but cold and austere; the Northerners view the Southerners as cafoni [or uncouth, narrow-minded peasants] but do recognize that they are "warmer" and friendlier in disposition [presumably the "heat" in Southern Italy has also had an effect on the soul of the people].)
(Linguistically-speaking, the Northern and Southern Italian boundary lies in an isogloss that runs from La Spezia to Rimini. Geographically-speaking, though, Northern Italy is generally considered the to be the regions of Val d'Aosta, Piemonte, Liguria, Lombardia, Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli [Venezia Giulia], Emilia-Romagna. Central Italy is comprised of Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, and Abruzzo. Campobasso, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia make up il Mezzogiorno.  Sardegna and Sicilia are also defined as l'Italia insulare.)

Napoleone: Napoleon I (1769-1821)
(Napoleone Bonaparte, of Corsican origin, was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant military figures in history. Through ingenious strategizing, he was victorious in rising to the command of the French Revolutionary Armies, seized power and subsequently became emperor Napoleon I of France [1804], and extended France's rule over much of Europe.)

si mettessero (3 p. pl. imp. subj. reflex. v. mettersi): began, started, set out

portata (n. f. sing.): importance, significance

pronostico: prognostic; prediction

provenire: to come from, to originate

realizzazione: realization, accomplishment, bringing about, carrying out, execution