Why I fell in love with Italia #2: La diversitá!
Filipe B., 11.07.16
 |
| A part of Italia. |
It’s kind of ironic that one of my favoritethings in Italia is something that most of Italians despise (you don't have an idea of the things I've heard in people fighting over regioni).
I’m talking about… la diversitá!The diversity… in terms of culture and habits.
In fact the difference betweennorth, center and south (let’s divide it this way) is so big that in the firstmoments you can just find it strange, but you’ll need to travel more throughthe country to see how profound it really is.
I’m not saying this becausesomeone told me, but because I saw it with my own eyes. I lived it. I know, Iknow. Even in Portugal we have differences from north to south. I guess we haveit in every country. But Italia is a really big country (even bigger when compared to Portugal). So it is not so strange to find such diverse ways ofthinking and acting. For example, people from south regions tend to be moreopen and friendly immediately. They just talk to you as if you were friends fora long time. This doesn’t mean that people from north regions are not nice.Because they are! But in the first impact they are more quiet and reserved. It’slike they’re acting with guidelines from a “How to be polite” book, whensoutherners are more like explosive and not caring so much about it. It’sobvious that I’m dealing with some general ideas here… and not every peopleacts the same way! From different perspectives, both can be lovely. Depends onyou too. What I can say is that in every region I’ve been, in every situationthat I needed help, every italiano that I’ve asked something... decided to help mein his own way. So – this one is for you italians – you are a really, reallynice people. I have to take a bow!
 |
| Trieste (left) and Napoli (right). Can you spot the differences? |
Let's continue! The way they eat, thelanguage, the way they express themselves, the geography, the architecture, colors,tastes. It’s all so different, really, that I could write an entire book onthat. It’s like: you can take all the diversity in Portugal and multiply it per50x.
Historical this can be explainedeasily. Portugal is a country with more or less 9 centuries of union (asPortugal itself, let’s say), while Italia is really young in comparison. Only 150years (approximately) since the country became the united Italia. Not so longago, they were still fighting each other over power (in a Game of Thronesstyle...), divided within the republics (or city-state) of Firenze, Venezia, Milano,etc… and also in a war with the Pope (yes, I read that Machiavelli book, ok?).Sooo… they still have a long way to travel if they want to reach our point of…unity. But… should they change?
I think not. Apart from somepolitical parties that want to win independency over regions (!), I find thisawesome! This is a cultural treasure. From art to architecture, from a way ofdoing pizza to a musical style, it’s amazing to travel to cities like Trieste (north)and Napoli (south) and find them so diverse from each other. In a way that itmakes you keep thinking on how can you love so much, at the same time, suchdifferent realities.
 |
| A foto of Forlì, just because I love my city! |