Background
In 2011, I wrote a book about Italy – La Bella Italia. I
published it through Burb.com, which provides free and easy to use software;
they make their money (well deserved I think) through the sale of the many
books they publish. The quality of their finished product is very good, and
there are many choices of book format and style, including eBooks.
Here is the link if you are interested to browse or buy the
book online with Blurb:
La Bella Italia
What IS it about Italy and Italians that entrances the world so?
Italy is at once a place that
delights the senses, combining elegance, ingenuity and joy, and intense
frustration, trickery and horrible poverty. Yet the two sit enduringly side by
side, perhaps as if to balance each other or to parody one another. Some
Italian writers, perhaps like all of us when subjecting our own country to
scrutiny, tend to mention, if not focus on, the defects and irritations rather
than the positive attributes.
In 1964, Italian journalist,
politician, author and publisher Luigi
Barzini wrote an insightful, disturbing, depressing and at times humorous
book, “The Italians”, in which he analyses and endeavours to explain the forces
which have shaped the two Italies – the ingeniously talented, innovative and
artistic Italy and the divided, unfocused, invaded, bureaucratic and
disaster-prone Italy. Although these are not his words, he tries to answer the
question, ‘what IS it about Italy and Italians that entrances the world so?’ It
was a hugely challenging piece of work, especially given that its focus is on
his own country and culture. He says:
“This book was difficult to compile.
It is notoriously easier to write about things and people one does not know
very well. One has fewer doubts … I knew too much. I saw too many trees … One
of the sources of confusion was the absurd discrepancy between the quantity and
dazzling array of the inhabitants’ achievements through many centuries and the
mediocre quality of their national history.”
To illustrate, he notes that “the
list of famous Italians is awe-inspiring” but he puts all this information in a
footnote, and says having noted it, he takes as read that people (now) know
these facts and that he will concentrate on the converse.
“The saints: Saint Francis, Santa Catarina di Sienna, San Bernadino
da Sienna, San Luigi Gonzaga, Saint Thomas of Aquino.
The
sinners: the Borgia family (Spanish, but acclimatized), Cellini,
Caravaggio, Cagliostro, Casanova.
The
political thinkers: Dante Alighieri, King Frederick of Hohenstaufen of the
Two Sicilies (born in Italy, the inventor of the modern state, ‘the state as a
work of art’), Lorenzo de Medici (inventor of “the balance of power”),
Machiavelli, Guicciardini, Mazzini, Cavour.
The military leaders: Giovanni dalle Bande Nere,
Raimondo Montecuccoli, (who led Austrian armies), Napoleon, Garibaldi.
The
admirals: Andrea Doria, Mocenigo, Morosini, Bragadin, Caracciolo.
The
scientists: Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, Volta, Marconi, Fermi.
The
navigators: Columbus, Vespucci, the Cabots.
The
thinkers: Saint Thomas of Aquino, Campanella, Croce, Vico.
The
poets: Dante Alighieri, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Leopardi, Manzoni.
The
sculptors: Verrocchio, Donatello, Ghiberti, della Robbia, Cellini,
Michelangelo, Bernini.
The
painters: Giotto, Botticelli, Bellini, Fra Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Piero della
Francesca, Perugino, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, Tiepolo,
Modigliani.
The
musicians: Palestrina, Pergolesi, Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Rossini, Verdi, Bellini,
Donizetti, Puccini, Toscanini.
These are, of course, the names of
first magnitude. The second and third category could easily fill a small city’s
telephone book.”
Once I read this list I realised
that I could think of several other eminent Italians without trying too hard.
Barzini would probably describe some of them as second order, but I think in
any other place they would warrant a mention up front.
Statesmen,
philosophers:
Cicero (philosopher, statesman,
lawyer, political theorist), Julius Caesar, Marcus Antonius (politician and
general), Marcus Aurelius (emperor and philosopher)
Artists:
Alberti, Arnoldo Cambio, Cimabue, Fra Lippo Lippi and son Fillipino Lippi,
Masaccio, Signorelli, Pinturicchio
Explorer:
Marco Polo
Architects:
Borromini, rival of Bernini and architect of St Agnese in Agone. Vasari
(respected architect and painter who wrote the first book of art history called
“Le Vite” – full title “The lives of the most excellent Italian architects,
painters and sculptors, from Cimabue up to our own times”, first published in
1550 with a second edition in 1568). Because he travelled widely to interview
artists and view their works, in a sense he was also first travel writer. Diane
Hales covers this and many more things in her wonderful book “La Bella Lingua”
which will be referred to again in later chapters here.
Printing, book designing and production: Pietro Bembo, who has a type face named after him, and in the 16th century produced a little book of Petrarch’s work described in Dianne Hales’ book as “a petrarchino – prayer book(s) of a lay culture”.
Printing, book designing and production: Pietro Bembo, who has a type face named after him, and in the 16th century produced a little book of Petrarch’s work described in Dianne Hales’ book as “a petrarchino – prayer book(s) of a lay culture”.
Two famous women in writing and
publishing at the time: Vittoria Colona first published woman poet greatly
admired by Michelangelo, and Isabella d'Este.
Curious about 20th
century Italian architects, I googled it (!) and found several references,
including a comprehensive Wikipedia entry covering all areas of endeavour,
extensively referenced to sources such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica, so I
read on with much interest:
Architects:
Aldo Rossi (1931–1997),
architect and theoretician. His book “The Architecture of the City” (1966) is a
classic of modern architectural theory. He was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize;
Pier Luigi Nervi, 1891 – 1979, leading figure in modern architecture,
along with Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.
That these lists of names can be
generated or recognised so easily is astonishing and instructive about the
influence of Italians on the world in such a range of domains. Many of the
names are from the 13th to the 17th centuries, with the
majority from the Renaissance period, arguably perhaps Italy’s finest hour. In
contrast to these glittering names and their vast achievements, Italy has had
over 60 national governments since WW2, with only one lasting it’s full five year
term. Such political turmoil and instability probably speaks for itself as
evidence of what Barzini calls “mediocre quality” of national life.
I read a wonderful summary of this
dichotomy recently. Phil Doran in
his “A reluctant Tuscan” includes a line from one of his characters Rudolfo
“We’re Italian. We live with a million laws and no rules.”
Different
expatriot views
Expatriots from all over the world,
who come to stay or live in Italy for long periods seem to fall into two groups
– those enchanted with the place, who see everything as magically wonderful,
and those who experience more of the knife-edge between the beautiful and the
frustrating, seeing both sides of the coin.
Chris
Harrison writes in Head over Heel, that “tourists adore Italy because they breeze through in summer
and glimpse a transitory personality, the sparkling disguise of a bleak
reality. They follow their guide books to the historic highlights of a modern
mess, queue to see frescoes rather than to pay phone bills, and believe life in
Italy to be wonderful because the Italians tell them it is so … Hollywood
cinematographers have played a role in this deception … travel writers are also
to blame … But most tourists leave swearing allegiance to illusion, convinced
the mirage is real … Only those who stick around discover the ‘the sweet life’
can turn sour. I was happiest in Italy when I too was a tourist and enjoyed
watching the news until I understood what was being said … in Italy the word ‘government’ is
synonymous with ‘corruption’ (so) … cynicism seems justified, a form of self
protection if nothing else. This is where paradox creeps in. Only by ignoring
Italy’s imperfections have the Italians perfected their lives. By snubbing
their nation’s shame they have found it’s main strength – escapism. Escapism so
colourful that it slaps misery in the face.”
On the other hand, Carla Coulson says “Italy has always held a place in my heart, since my days as a backpacking twenty year old. I will never forget the feeling of awe as I exited the train station at Venice and clapped eyes on the Grand Canal and the faded palazzi with the musical Italian language surrounding me. Or the image of thousands of flickering candles held towards the sky at the encore of the opera Aida in the ancient Roman theatre in Verona. To me, over the years it was only natural to return and pass holidays in Florence, Rome, and Venice, listening to the language I always dreamed of learning.”
And Marlena de Blasi says of being in Rome “I want … to be awakened by
the powdery sunlight sifting in through the chinks in the shutters. I like the
way my heart beats in Rome, how I can walk faster and see better. I like that I
feel at home wandering through her ancient ecstasy of secrets and lies. I like
that she’s taught me I am only a scintilla, a barely perceptible and transient
gleam.”
Another Italian’s
perspective …
Alberto Moravia
was a major figure in 20th century Italian literature, a
journalist, short-story writer, and novelist. Moravia hints at the enduring,
ordinary human dimension of Italian life and the once powerfully influential
sixteenth century Italy attempting to capture its greatness in guises which
back fire on and satirize its former world leadership. He says to Gina Lollobrigida in
a letter at the front of her wonderful book of photos “Italia Mia”:
“Your photos speak about an Italy of real people, of humble
artisans, of habitual devotion, of simple pleasures, of family feelings,
tourist landscapes, of monuments so famous that now they have become almost
invisible … The Italians had their last creative and unifying moment in the
Renaissance and from then on they have repeated it always less successfully, in
a world that does not know what to do with humanism taken to the point of a
D’Annunzian parody, to fascist tragi-comedy and rowdy indifference. Anyhow the
Italians have remained faithful to their original genius, one might say, too
much so. And it is this faithfulness underlying the photographs of your
unpretentious, provincial and humble Italy which you show us in filigree.”
So then, the question
remains – ‘what IS it about Italy and Italians that attracts people so?’
So many of us are drawn to Italy, like the moth to the
flame. The richness of its art and architecture alone, preserved, or at least
not demolished, lives happily alongside 21st century life and is
there for all to see. This integration of a past spanning some 5 thousand years
(I’m starting from the Etruscans) with the present scene, peppered with Vespas,
Fiat Cinquecentos, Apes (the tiny single seated trucks that farmers use),
fashionistas, business people, and street markets, I think, is one of the
compelling things about Italy for stranieri (foreigners). The humility of
ordinary people getting on with their lives, some with theatrical flourishes,
others with determined forbearance is also striking.
To try to shed some light on this question, I have chosen 8
major themes which open windows into aspects of Italy that I find endearing,
compelling, funny, nourishing for the soul and just straight out beautiful. I
include my own experiences and those of several authors who are from, or have
lived for extended periods in, Italy. Although very different, each author
writes with a passion, which brings to life, for me at least, the irony and
beauty of Italy. The stories are illustrated by photos taken in Italy across a
decade from 2001 to 2011.
The themes are
- La lingua
- Street life - la piazza e la passeggia
- Icons of belief belief - la mama, la famiglia, la Madonna e la chiesa
- Al mercato
- Mangia, mangia!
- Il bar – Caffé Bonazzi
- Style
- Luce e colore
La lingua
I’ve always loved the sound of the Italian language – well,
who doesn’t really? I didn’t have the opportunity to learn it at school (only
French, German and Latin on offer there) so I came to it as an adult, listening
to Julian and his family speaking Italian, mixed with English when they
couldn’t think quickly of a suitable Italian word and vice versa. Learning
Italian was always one of those things I was “gunna” do when I got the time.
Spoken Italian transforms a sentence into an occasion.
When I was seven in primary school, we had two recently
immigrated Italian boys join our class. I was fascinated listening to them talk
together, although they were very sensitive about this and tended to speak in
lowered tones. One day, I asked one of the boys, Frank, what his real name was
and how did he say it. Well, I had to swear to secrecy that I would NEVER
repeat what I was about to hear … yes, yes Frank, I solemnly promise … cross my
heart, hope to die” etc. “Franco” he said simply. “But, Franco’s a really great
name; it sounds much better than Frank … “ I ventured bravely. “Don’t say it,
ok?” It sounded more like a threat than a question. Well, I never did say it –
until now – but this little story serves to illustrate the musicality and
appeal of Italian, even to a monolingual 7 year old.
Dianne Hales
notes that there are growing numbers of foreigners going to Italy to learn
Italian. This resonates strongly with me – I went to Perugia to do just this in
2006. After some research I decided to go the Universita per Stranieri in
Perugia to do a one month Italian course. My class had fourteen people in all,
ranging in age from 60 to 18, with a predominantly young group of twenty
somethings. We hailed from all round the globe – the UK, USA, Poland, Germany,
Austria, Iceland, Turkey and Australia.
The teaching format consisted of written texts, with grammar
a focus each day for several hours, conversation practice classes twice a week
(which I really liked) and the language lab (ditto) once a week. It’s just a
personal thing, but I don’t learn languages well through the traditional “text”
approach. Listening and repeating work much better for me, as practiced in the
language lab and it is how we actually learn to speak our first language. When
was the last time you saw a 6 month old sitting in their pram reading
“Introduction to Grammar”??
Differences in preferred learning techniques aside, we all learnt quite a lot and enjoyed the classes, despite the hot weather, which often saw us sprawled limply across our desks, begging for a “pausa” (break). Learning a language in that country bestows many gifts – emersion in the local way of life and the stimulation that brings. It also brings the chance for new friendships; I gained a wonderful friend, fellow student Margaret, from the USA.
“Energised and
harmonised by vowels and double consonants, Italian words massage the mouth of
the speaker and tickle the ear of the listener. Saying the word stuzzicadenti (toothpick), for example,
will do more for your mouth than actually using one … Italian sentences are
like symphonies, composed with the onomatopoeia in words like zanzara (mosquito). There is harmony in
humdrum words like pipistrello (bat)
schizzinoso (fussy) and malvventurato (unlucky), or inoperosamente (idly).” Chris Harrison, Head over Heel.
Louise Fili and Lisa
Apatoff include a great illustration of how precise Italian can be and at
the same time delight the senses by differentiating shades of grey in meaning.
For example, “bello (beautiful) is
elevated to bellissimo (very
beautiful), bellino (beautiful,
little and cute), bellona (a lovely,
showy, unrefined woman) and belloccia
(a large, florid, provocative yet refined woman).”
Dianne Hales has
written a fascinating and erudite book about the influence of Italy on the
world, “La Bella Lingua”. With chapters such as “How Italian civilised the
West” you can easily see where she’s coming from. In her first chapter, ‘The
confessions of an innamorata’.
She says “The first miracle of Italian is its survival. No
governments mandated its use. No mighty empire promoted it as an official
language. No conquering armies or armadas trumpeted it to distant lands … (in fact)
the Mediterranean peninsula remained a patchwork of dialects, often as
different from one another as French from Spanish or English from Italian.
Italian as we know it was created, not born. With the same thunderbolt genius
that would transform art in the Renaissance, writers of 14th century
Florence – Dante first and foremost – crafted the effervescent Tuscan
vernacular into a language rich and powerful enough to sweep down from heaven
and up from hell. This priceless living legacy, no less than Petrarch’s poetry,
Michelangelo’s sculptures, Verdi’s operas, Fellini’s movies or Valentino’s
dresses, is an artistic masterwork.”
Hales cites playwright Giovanni Battista Gelli, who in 1551
said “ many diverse people of intelligence and refinement, outside Italy no
less than within Italy, devote much effort and study to learning and speaking
our language for no reason but love”. She goes on to say “Those acolytes
included Elizabeth 1 of England, Francis 1 of France, and Emperor Charles V,
who once declared “I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and
German to my horse.”
Yet as a spoken
tongue, Italian is nuovissimo (very
new) says noted linguist Guiseppe Patota. “Rallying for one nation united by
one language, Italian’s won their country’s independence in 1861 … at the time
four in five citizens were illiterate. Fewer than 10% spoke Italian exclusively
or with greater ease than local dialect. Not Until 1996 – 135 years after
unification – did more than half of Italians report using Italiano standard.”
But you have to be prepared to take the plunge when learning
a new language as an adult. Chris
Harrison says of his experience when practicality apart from anything else
dictated that he should learn Italian. He was after all living in Italy with
his girlfriend who was to become his wife.
“The biggest obstacle to learning a foreign language is
pride … if you can’t laugh at yourself and are not prepared to hire
‘paedophiles’ rather than ‘pedal-boats’ (referring to a hilarious day at the
beach mentioned earlier in his book), “you might never be humiliated but you’ll
never excel. Inaccuracy is a moss covered stepping stone towards accuracy, and
I slipped on it often. I even asked a butcher for a ‘kilometre’ of sausages
rather than a ‘kilogram’. ‘You must be hungry’, he replied, friend first, smart
arse second … the more I erred, the more I learnt. The more I learnt, the more
I realised that the beauty of the language masked a litany of complexities,
knots I needed to untie if I was going to read and write Italian.”
List of Images, taken from my photo library
Giovanni Bellini "Pala di San Giobbe GallerieAccademia
Venice
Bernini's elephant and obelisk Piazza S Maria Sop Minerva
Bernini Fountain of Four Rivers Piazza Navona Roma
Caravaggio "Madonna of Loreto" Chiesa San Agostino
Roma
Filipino Lippi S M Sop Minerva
Raffaelo S Agostino Prophet Isiah
Campidoglio M Palazzo Nuovo marble bust Cicero 1 AD
Rome Campidoglio M PalazzoNuovo M Aurelius bronze detail
Rome Campidoglio Palazzo Nuovo Hadrian
Piazza in Montalcino
Piazza in Lucca
Rome – view from Palazzo Colonna roof garden, Roma
Ceiling detail Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Roma
Bibliography
Barzini,Luigi. The Italians, first published 1964;
Touchstone, Simon and Schuster edition 1996
Coulson ,Carla. Italian Joy, Lantern, Penguin Group, 2005
de Blasi, Marlena. A thoudans days in Venice, Allen and
Unwin, 2003
D’Epiro, Peter & Mary Desmond Pinkowish. Sprezzatura: 50
ways Italian Genius Shaped the World, Anchor Books, 2001
Doran, Phil. The reluctant Tuscan, Gotham Books, 2005
Eye Witness Travel Guide – Italy, Dorling Kindersley Ltd,
Penguin, 2004
Fili, Louise & Lise Apatoff. Italianissimo, The Little
Bookroom, New York 2008
Green, Penelope. When in Rome, Hatchette Australia, 2005
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Hales, Dianne. La Bella Lingua, first published 2009, Harper
Collins, 2010
Harrison, Chris. Head over Heel, Murdoch Books, 2008
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Hawes, Annie. Journey to the South, Penguin, 2005
Hintzen–Bohlen, Brigitte & Jurgen Sorges. Art and
Architecture: Rome and the Vatican City, h.f.ullman, 2005
Italian church architecture source: http://www.utccs.org/documents/churcharchitecture.pdf
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