What's in a name?

Arno is an unusual name in the USA but common in Central Europe. It is a short form of the old Germanic name Arnold. There have been a number of famous Arnos, including the powerful 8th Century bishop of Salzburg who helped to establish the Church in southern Germany and was a great scholar and patron of learning. In the 20th Century, there was also the prominent German author, Arno Schmidt, and the controversial sculptor Arno Breker. Arno Penzias won the Nobel prize for physics.

We liked this name for another reason: the Arno is the principal river of Tuscany and flows through the great medieval and Renaissance cities of Florence and Pisa. Just a year before Arno's birth, we spent time along that river and adore the history, art, and wine of that region of Italy.
Here are two photos of the Arno in Pisa and one in Florence.