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Save/ShareWho doesn't love the Italy of postcards? Perhaps you dream of a raven-haired girl wearing sunglasses and riding a Vespa down a narrow stone street. Or maybe you think of a flock of sheep racing across a road that was engineered 2,000-years ago. Possibly, you dream of the Vatican's majestic shrines.
And if this picturesque Italy is the Italy you're planning to visit soon, you can submit any trip-planning questions you may have right now by clicking here. Our Rome-based expert on Italy, Christopher Winner, will provide answers at BudgetTravel.com at Noon Eastern next Tuesday.
But don't take the postcard pictures of Italy at face value. Or else you might be surprised when you get a glimpse of the real Italy.
Case in point, #1: The fashion designer Valentino is celebrating his fashion house's 45th anniversary with an unusual exhibit. Next to a large white marble altar erected in 9 B.C., known as the Ara Pacis, Valentino has staged about 200 female mannequins. They're arranged in prayerful poses, wearing his designer clothes in red and black.
To understand how, well, un-American this event is, consider what it would be like if the Ford Motor Company showcased some of its vintage automobiles inside the Lincoln Memorial.
But in Italy, this mixing of the state's most precious cultural treasures and a modern marketing campaign is roundly applauded. Even the president of Italy and the mayor of Rome visited the exhibit.
Whatever you think of the event, the Ara Pacis--with or without the Valentino exhibit--is one of Rome's coolest new attractions, as Budget Travel reported in this story.
[If you want to learn more about the Valentino exhibit, read the AP story at the International Herald-Tribune website.]
This month, there's another--and less flattering--example of how Italy can feel foreign to American sensibilities.
For more than 60 days now, there has been no garbage pick-up in the southern province of Naples and in the southern region of Campania. The reason is a worker's strike. Strikes, of course, are one of Italy's national pastimes.
Huge piles of trash lie uncollected. Some desperate residents are setting trash piles on fire, occasionally creating toxic clouds. Americans are being advised by authorities to avoid these areas this summer.
Don't worry too much, though. Trash is being collected properly where U.S. tourists usually visit in the North.
Still, the images of trash piled up in the street reminds us of an Italy we often forget about, an Italy beyond the Tuscan sun.
Consider Tuscany, the ultimate image of Italy in most American's minds. The journalist Beppe Severgnini writes:
Tuscany is an ancient, literary setting. It risks being perceived as a sort of Nativity scene, with statuettes of picturesque little Tuscans, busy doing this and that, and visitors, like the three kings, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Especially gold, but cash and all major credit cards are also welcome.
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You're a moron who made this coment about Italy. I was born and raised in Milan,and when you visit those small towns, you'll find a cultural tradition that dates back multiple generations. Thats what gives us our rich cultural identity. If you don't like go back to Kansas.
Posted By Catherine on July 12, 2007, 12:07 PM
Hi, Catherine,
Thanks for posting your message. I'm sorry that the comments offended you as an Italian. I think very fondly of Italy and the Italians, I visit the country every year, and I'm trying to learn the language. But there are cultural differences between the U.S. and Italy. I should have been clearer. I don't believe one culture is better than the other. Instead, I was trying to comment on the culture shock, the same way that the Milanese journalist Beppe Severgnini does in his books Ciao America and La Bella Figura (http://www.beppesevergnini.com/). But I'm not as skilled a writer by any means...No offense intended!
Regards,
Sean
Blog editor
Posted By Sean O'Neill on July 12, 2007, 1:01 PM
I don't know, Sean. You're a pretty gifted writer, to apologize so nicely to someone who clearly didn't deserve it. Your point was very clear in your original post.
Posted By Darren on July 15, 2007, 7:06 PM
Sean,
You were not cruel but not as complimentary as I would be to Italy, my favorite country to visit even with its imperfections. The garbage problem is bad but not throughout the nation. It is confined.
The history and carefree attitude of the Italians can be a plus to some of us who yearn for the carefree vacation. Italians are among the friendliest people in all the world too. They may not all love us Americans but more of them do than most nations.
On every visit I have found the men to be friendly and helpful. The sights are so lovely with great art everywhere that I doubt I will ever tire of the Forum, Sistine Chapel, Florence's Duomo Catheral and so much more. The Italians were especially kind to my elderly mother.
Posted By Janice Parys on July 18, 2007, 2:53 PM
Dear Sean,
I appreciate your little quirky comments about Italy. My plans are to visit Naples as my father's family hails from there. I wouldn't want to be there during smelly garbage season. Also, if Italy has a higher than normal strike rate, I would like to know about that. It would help with the shock to be aware of potential problems prior to my visit.
I also think I would love to see some event marketing at some National Monuments in the US. We take ourselves way too seriously and self-important. Everyone needs to be able to laugh at themselves more. Everything and everyone has quirks that irritate and/or amuse others. It's life.
One last comment... I guess in the politicly correct world, it is still the "you can only pick on my people if you are my people." Z100 The Morning Zoo out of New York has a shout out that has them and its listeners give "advise" to their people. They cover gays, people from the Bronx, Latinos, African Americans, etc... The point was so not to offend and be thought of "picking" on another group. Still though, I understood your comments to be from someone who wanted us to be realistic in a foreign country and you did it with a comedic, light-hearted flair. Things will be different... its foreign, but that doesn't mean we hate it or that we have to love everything. I am sure the Italians don't love everything either. I would still go to Italy and feel more grateful with the extra info.
Posted By Susan on July 19, 2007, 4:39 AM
Dear Sean,
I'm Italian and I felt relly offended reading your post.
Yes, off course Italy is not only pizza and mandolino or the Touscan sun...but trust me when I say that strikes are not our pastimes as you wrote :
"Strikes, of course, are one of Italy's national pastimes"
If we strike is because we've got some problems and in the case of Naple it's quite a big problem.
I lived in London for a few time, not enough to be called "Londoner", but enough to start knowing it and it's people and trust me when I say that I've NEVER EVER judged London or it's nice people and I will NEVER do it.
Beppe Severgnini is Italian, he was born in Italy and has lived in Italy almost all his life still, so HE can say:
"Still, the images of trash piled up in the street reminds us of an Italy we often forget about, an Italy beyond the Tuscan sun"
or again
"Strikes, of course, are one of Italy's national pastime"
NOT YOU!
P.s. How can you compare a 2 thousand years old monument, with an hundred years old monument? And what do you know about what place is better FOR US to celebrate 45 years of one of the most famous fashion designer all around the world?
Posted By Andrea on July 23, 2007, 6:29 PM
Italy is magical, I just spent a short while with 2 grown daughters in Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Umbria. We foolishly drove everywhere, crazy.! The trip home on Alitalia was so awful, strike 3!! I'm still fighting for the extra money they made us pay. The prices are horrendous in Italy, but I just loved it--my sixth time, and their first time.
Posted By ROBIN BLUE on July 30, 2007, 9:37 PM
I never reply to blogs but I just felt I had to respond to Andrea and to Sean.
I feel the above blog does not judge Italy at all. It is just a tourists view on what he experienced.
When you lived in London, you may not have judged it but I am sure you can tell stories about difficulties and joys of living in a foreign country. That is the reason why so many people travel. To learn about different cultures.
Many americans think they know Italy only because their great great grandfather came from there. The Italy they knew is long gone. So much has changed in just the 18 years I have been here. Not all of it good but for the most part, Italy is making a strong effort to "catch up" so to speak with the rest of Europe.
I believe suggesting that a tourist cannot hold an opnion about the city they visit or a non-italian born person cannot have an experienced opnion after living in Italy hints on racism. But, I dont like that word.
As for strikes, some are necessary, many make no difference, most are organised to co-incide with Saturday and Sunday to pull off a long weekend.
Contradict me.
Andea, you sould know that what draws the tourists to Italy is the true beauty of the country, it's diversity from north to south, Tuscany to Napoli. A country that, even with all its problems, has one of the longest histories known to mankind. People come to taste the food and the history. How can they not be touched by it ?
Posted By Peggy on September 7, 2007, 7:42 AM