"Paradise is where the British are the policemen, the French are the cooks, the Germans are the mechanics, the Italians are the lovers and everything is organized by the Swiss. And hell? That's where the cook is English, the French do the repairs, the police force is German, you depend on the Swiss for love and everything is organized by the Italians."
This is a quote from Bella figura (Why the Italians are so Italian) by Joost Houtman and Philip Roose, a book I read in preparation on my Italian book-trip. A funny and insightful book about Italy and the Italians, filled with fun facts.
Geological facts
Name: Italian Republic
Capital: Rome
Government: Unitary Parliamentary Republic
Language: Italian
Area: 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi)
Population: 59,433,744
Currency: Euro
Due to the central geographic location of Italy in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, it has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures. In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy, beginning from the classical era, Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy, Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy, while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively. An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC, which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People. The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula, eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe, North Africa and Asia. By the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural, political and religious centre, inaugurating the Pax Romana, a period of more than 200 years during which Italy's law, technology, economy, art, and literature developed.
During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured the fall of the Western Roman Empire and barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century numerous rival city-states and maritime republics, mainly in the northern and central regions of Italy, rose to great prosperity through trade, commerce and banking, laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. Centuries of foreign meddling and conquest and the rivalry and infighting between the Italian city-states, such as the Italian Wars of the 15th and 16th centuries, left Italy politically fragmented, and it was further conquered and divided among multiple foreign European powers over the centuries.
By the mid-19th century, rising Italian nationalism and calls for independence from foreign control led to a period of revolutionary political upheaval. After centuries of foreign domination and political division, Italy was almost entirely unified in 1861, establishing the Kingdom of Italy as a great power (The Risorgimento (Resurgence)). From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Italy rapidly industrialised, mainly in the north, and acquired a colonial empire, while the south remained largely impoverished and excluded from industrialisation, fuelling a large and influential diaspora. Despite being one of the four main allied powers in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil, leading to the rise of the Italian fascist dictatorship in 1922. Participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in military defeat, economic destruction and the Italian Civil War. Following the liberation of Italy and the rise of the Italian Resistance, the country abolished their monarchy, established a democratic Republic, enjoyed a prolonged economic boom, and became a highly developed country.
Italy has a territorial enclave in Switzerland (Campione) and a maritime exclave in Tunisian waters (Lampedusa). Italy surrounds two of the world’s smallest countries: San Marino in Northern Italy, the oldest republic in the world and Vatican City in Rome, the smallest country in the world.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Fun facts about Italy
The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration and art. Italian culture flourished, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths.
Tourists throw €1,000,000 into the Trevi Fountain each year. According to myth and legend, tossing a coin into Rome's Trevi Fountain guarantees you'll return to the Eternal City. The money is collected and donated to charity.
Eyeglasses, the piano, batteries, the typewriter and the thermometer are all Italian inventions.
You do not drink capuccino after noon in Italy.
The national protest song of Italy is Bella Ciao. It was made famous by Italian partisans in WWII, and can be heard at almost any protest. And in the Netflix show Money Hist (Casa di Papel).
When McDonald’s first opened in Rome in 1986, it sparked much protest. For a country which is so proud of its rich cultural heritage and foods, there is little surprise that the fast food chain caused outrage. In protest, many local establishments embarked on daily food purists, handing out free plates of spaghetti and other traditional dishes to remind people of their culinary roots.
In the municipality of Falciano del Massico, it has been illegal to die since 2012.
Looking like a fool is a mortal sin in Italy. As long as you look good and everything looks nice, life is good. You'd rather go into hiding in your basement for two weeks than admit that the expensive trip you've been bragging about isn't going to happen (as seen in the film Mari del Sud).
You may have noticed the Italian talk with their hands. If you want to learn some of these gestures yourself, check out these YouTube channels: Learn Italian Hand Gestures with Doce&Gabbana male models or Learn 60 Italian Hand Gestures with Marco.
(Source: RoughGuides and Glendale)
Some Italian bookish facts
Pinocchio was first published in an Italian children's newspaper. In that version, it does not end well for Pinocchio, he hangs from the highest tree.
13 of Shakespeare's 38 plays are set in Italy. There are rumors that Shakespeare is actually Italian, he is said to have changed his name, Michelangelo Florio, when he was in London. His mother's name was Guglielma Crollalanza, which translates to William(a) Shakespeare. Journalist Martino Iuvara wrote a book about it: Shakespeare era Italiano.
One of the most read Italian novels is I promessi sposi (The Betrothed) by Alessandro Manzoni. It's considered required reading for students.
The most famous thriller writer is Andrea Camilleri with his series about commissario Salvo Montalbano. We binched the show on Netflix.
Another series on Netflix is based on Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels: My Brilliant Friend; The Story of a New Time; Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay; and The Story of the Lost Child.
The book I read
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Translator: Archibald Colquhoun
Synopsis: The Leopard is a novel that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento. Published after two rejections, it became the top-selling novel in Italian history and is considered one of the most important novels in modern Italian literature. The novel was also made into an award-winning 1963 film of the same name.
It is a story of a decadent and dying aristocracy threatened by the forces of revolution and democracy. It focuses on Don Fabrizio, a Sicilian prince of immense sensual appetites, wealth, and great personal magnetism.
The edition I read was a beautiful illustraded Folio Society edition, which I received for my birthday. As always, it helped that I learned a bit about the country before going in to the book, because I did not know a lot about this time period. I thought the writing was a bit slow and not a lot happened, but I still enjoyed it.
About the author
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896 – 1957) was an Italian writer and the last Prince of Lampedusa. The Leopard is his only novel, which was first published posthumously in 1958. As a child, he studied in the grand house of his parents in Palermo. Beginning in 1911, he attended the liceo classico in Rome and later in Palermo. He moved definitively to Rome in 1915 and that year he was drafted into the army, fought in the lost battle of Caporetto, and was taken prisoner by the Austro-Hungarian Army. After being mustered out of the army as a lieutenant, he returned to Sicily, continuing his studies of foreign literature. It was during this time that he first drafted in his mind the ideas for his future novel The Leopard. Originally his plan was to have the entire novel occur over the course of one day, similar to the famous modernist novel by James Joyce, Ulysses.
Other book recommendations for Italy
On this website, we add new books from countries all over the world every week. Check out which (other) books are featured for Italy here.
Souvenir
Besides the Folio Society edition of The Leopard, I received a Italian themed gift box with multiple nice 'souvenirs'. Among them pizza socks, a magnetic fridge puzzle of Rome and an Italian themed drawstring tote bag.
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