Italy
“They of Italy salute you” – Hebrews 13:24
- Italy did not exist as a unified nation until 1861 and its 21 regions have maintained their cultural individuality.
- There are two Italy’s: The North is industrial, aggressive and “time is money” in its outlook. The South is crowded, poor, relaxed, farm-oriented, and traditional. (The frontier separating the two is indeterminate, lying somewhere between Rome and Naples.)
- Families are very strong and usually live in the same house for many generations.
- Loyalties are to family, city, region, soccer team, and country – in that order.
- There are plenty of petty purse-snatchings, pickpocketings, and shortchangings.
- Geography: Italy is shaped like a boot, 850 miles long and 150 miles wide, jutting into the central Mediterranean. (Florida is 500 miles long). The terrain is generally mountainous or hilly, with the Alps in the north and a north-south “spine” of the Apennine Mountains. 116,000 square miles including the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and others.
- Rivers: Po (the longest, 400 miles), Arno, Adige, and Tiber
- Active Volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli
- Major Cities: Rome (the capital, 2.6 million), Milan (1.3 million), and Naples (1 million)
- Italian inventions: Cologne, thermometer, barometer, pizza, wireless telegraph, espresso machine, typewriter, batteries, nitroglycerin, and the ice-cream cone.
- Economy: Italy is the world’s 8th largest industrial power and the 4th largest in Europe.
- 69% of the economy consists of service jobs (especially tourism).
- 29% is industry (textiles, chemicals).
- 2% is agriculture (fruit, vegetables, olives, wine, plus fishing).
- Museums: 3,000.
- Government: Italy is a republic, with three branches of government. The chief executive is the prime minister. The bicameral legislature is elected by (mostly) direct voting. Since World War II, the fragmented country has had 60 national governments.
- Climate: Most of the inland northern areas have a continental climate, whereas the coastal areas of Liguria and most of the peninsula south of Florence generally fit the Mediterranean stereotype.
In Italy, the North and South bicker about each other, hurling barbs, quips, and generalizations. All the classic North/South traits can be applied to Rome (the government capital) and Milan (the business capital). Although the differences have become less pronounced lately, the sniping continues.
The Milanese say the Romans are lazy. Roman government jobs come with short hours – cut even shorter by too many coffee breaks, three-hour lunches, chats with colleagues, and phone calls to friends and relatives. Milanese contend that Roma ladrona (Rome the big thief) is a parasite that lives off the taxes of people up North. Until recently, there was a strong Milan-based movement seriously promoting secession from the South.
Romans, meanwhile, dismiss the Milanese as uptight workaholics with nothing else to live for – gray like their foggy city. Romans admit that in Milan, job opportunities are better and based on merit. And the Milanese grudgingly concede the Romans have a gift for enjoying life.
While Rome is more of a family city, Milan is the place for high-powered singles on the career fast track. Milanese yuppies mix with each other… not the city’s long-time residents. Milan is seen as wary of foreigners and inward-looking, and Rome as fun-loving, tolerant, and friendly. In Milan, bureaucracy (like social services) works logically and efficiently, while in Rome, accomplishing even small chores can be exasperating. In Rome, everything – from finding a babysitter to buying a car – is done through friends. In Milan, while people are not as willing to discuss their personal matters, they are generous and active in charity work.
Milanese find Romans vulgar. The Roman dialect is considered one of the coarsest in the country. Still, Milanese enjoy Roman comedians and love to imitate their accent.
The Milanese feel that Rome is dirty and Roman traffic nerve-wracking. But despite the craziness, Rome maintains a genuine village feel. People share family news with their neighborhood grocer. Milan lacks people-friendly piazzas, and entertainment comes at a high price. But in Rome, la dolce vita is as close as the nearest square, and a full moon is enjoyed by all.
- From Rick Steves’ Italy Guidebook