In Italy, for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, they had 500 years of democracy and peace - and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.

Summary

This quote, often attributed to Orson Welles, juxtaposes the contrasting outcomes of periods of turmoil and stability in Italy and Switzerland. It highlights how Italy's turbulent history under the Borgias, marked by violence and chaos, still gave rise to some of history's greatest artistic masterpieces, like the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci during the Renaissance. Meanwhile, the quote suggests that Switzerland's long history of democracy and peace, characterized by stability, only resulted in the creation of the relatively humble cuckoo clock, emphasizing the irony of creative productivity flourishing under adverse circumstances.