Italy - paradise on earth

Italy is not only a place of pasta, pizza and mafia, it offers so much more. Italy has an interesting history, which is like elegantly written adventure story. Italy is full of incredibly talented people, beautiful architecture and of course magnificent nature! Italy is like a paradise on earth...almost!

The country like we see it now on the map, is not so old as we would like to think. Young "baby" has only 150 years. In schools we have learned about Italy only one small part of its history, Rome and its glory. Italy is not only Rome, Milan or Sicily. Italy has twenty regions, which are so different, that if you visit one region and then another, it would seem like you have changed a country. If Lombardy is the queen of fashion, then Sardegna is the king of nature, representing its beauty in hundreds of different ways.

The formation of the modern Italian state began in 1861 with the unification of most of the peninsula under the House of Savoy (Piedmont-Sardinia) into the Kingdom of Italy. The first king was Garibaldi, who is considered as a national hero, and first capital of the Kingdom was Turin. Before the unification all different regions had its own language, nowadays we call them dialects. Italian language as we speak and know today, is based on the dialect of Tuscany and is similar to Latin, now mostly spoken in Vatican.

Italians' birthplace and where they grow up influences (more or less) the way Italians speak their language: the way of speaking, pronouncing words, usage of grammar. For example people from Rome speak Italian like "lazy" people, not pronouncing the words correctly and some times one sentence seems like one word. I remember, when my Italian language was not so "perfect", I had so much trouble understanding what they were telling. As well people from region Campania (Napoli) have softer accent, than their companions from Calabria. "I calabresi" pronounce the words strongly and the way of speak is more understandable, at least for me. From Tuscany people pronounce instead of "c" the letter "h", for example instead of coca-cola they tell "hoha-hola". I had, maybe still have, difficulty to understand them.

In South Italy, old generation often do not speak Italian at all. If you need some information, you need to use your body language, otherwise you can think as much as you want, but even speaking perfect Italian, it is quiet hard to understand the dialects. Younger generation speak italianised version of the dialect, replacing some old words with Italian one.

Every region here is a pearl of characters. In south, people still respect the old "rules", traditions and values. In north people change more, go along with the new "flow", fashion, try everything new more easily.

Once Napoletani are very proud of their land and language. Their dialect is officially recognized as a language. They are proud of their singing and acting skills, and of course for their pizza!

Never ask in pizzeria napoletana one pizza with chicken and pineapple, you're in the risk that they will kick you out from their restaurant.

"I calabresi" are known for their "hard head",they never change their ideas, if they  have something in their mind, they will do it. They protect well what they have. They were famous for their method of revenge for cheating. If "calabrese" man discovered, that their wife were cheating on him, "calabrese" killed both, wife and her lover. The lover was shot in the head or in the balls, genitals were cut off and put in his mouth. If police discovered body like this, they did not even bothered to investigate the case. Bloody revenges were very known in Calabria.

Calabrian proverb says: "Fede di calabrese: senza ma, senza se, per la morte e per la vita."

(Calabrian faith: it is without but, without if, it is for death and for life)

I guess, siciliani are most famous for the movie "Godfather". But are they really as described in that movie? Well, not exactly. Siciliani, like most of italians, have a lot of respect towards family and elderly people. They do not wander around in the streets with shotgun in their pockets, trying to kill their enemies, though.

I found siciliani very emotional in the traffic and the way they park, is a pure nightmare. Instead of one lane they are capable organizing a second. Parking place for one lane, may become three. "Cumpari, it is just for three minutes, I will say hello to one of my friends I saw in caffeteria..."

Sicialani are known seducers, true Romeos are said to come from there. So be careful when in Sicily: you may fall in love.

I found this great blog about siciliani, that tells all you need to know in a funny way, but it is as I saw it as well. https://wearepalermo.com/sicilian-people/

Lombardy is full of people, who came to search their "happiness", to build up a carrier and make money. Region famous for fashion and industry. People in Lombardy, especially in Milan, follow the fashion, like religious folk follow the Bible. One of my friends, who live in Milan, came to Bologna to visit me, noticed every single detail of people's clothing

"How people can wear blue with black?!?! It is so disgusting to watch," she commented.

She had a long list of the things, which do not go with what. For me it was very funny, I never pay much attention to my clothes and if I choose matching colors or not.

In Lombardy, people run, they are always in a hurry to somewhere. I do not know where they run, but all the time they have something to do, somewhere to go, someone to meet, some course to take. Do they have time to sleep? I hope the answer is yes...

Emilia-Romagna, in Bologna. The people here come almost from all over the world, you can meet so many different nationalities. Why? The answer is simple: it is the town of the university! The oldest university is exactly in this city, built in the 11th century. Bologna is as well known as the "red city". The name came from it's political view: they support more the left side. Students protest, organize the marches against government etc.

But this is not all! Absolutely not! Italy is one country, that have million stories to tell, with million different actors on the stage. We are lucky to be the participants or if you wish you can be the audience as well! Go with the flow and let it tell a story with you as a leading actor on the stage...