Italy and the Italians

Italian people and Italy

Why is Italy one of the most visited counties in the world?  Not because the prices are very reasonable or  air Italia has great specials on flights, its because Italy is simply amazing.

Rene Decartes wrote “Every generalization is a distortion of the truth”.  So anything I write here is a broad sweep of the pen, but I do not know if I have ever herd anyone say they do not like Italy.

I am an American in Poland teaching English.  My students go all over Europe and universally say, Italy is an almost ideal place for vacation and life. I would have to agree.

This post is a little fast and perhaps not my best written, but what I wanted to convey is clear. If you have ever considered visiting Italy, do it. This is from an American who has lived in Europe for many years.

The climate is mild, with beautiful warm beaches, however, the mountains have some of the best skiing and rock climbing in the world.  Even in the south from Naples to Sicily they get snow in the mountains.

Because of the mild climate and the old volcanic activity of the Appian mountains the soil is great for growing food and the people from Lombardy to Calabria have some of the best cooks in the world.

Sorry if this post sounds like a travel commercial, it is not my intention, I guess I am writing this because in my post about SAO Beach in Krakow I did not approve of an Italian firm coming into beautiful Krakow and building a bar in a national park.  Sorry if this was taken the wrong way.  I still think that firm is doing the wrong thing, but nothing against the Italians as a whole.

Great Italians in history

When you think of genius you think of Leonardo Da Vinci, perhaps all Italians have some of this greatness in them.  When you meet the most common Italian they all have some special talent.

Some are barbers ( I had an Italian barber) and some are masons (I think the mason work done by simple Italian workers (like the mansions in New Port, RI) are something that can not be reproduced because it is almost like they have it in their blood)  and some are doctors but they almost all are universally talented. I have the utmost respect for Italians.

I have a particular interest in renaissance painting.  I the rich blues and colors use and realism in the Italian renaissance, painters like Raphael, Masaccio and Botticelli.

The Italian family

Why are Italians such nice people? I think it is a combination of their strong family values and the church.  The Latin people from the Alps to the mediterranean have deep respect for religion.

In my own experience, in countries like Ireland, Poland, Spain, Italia, Romania, Ukraine and Greece where church and family are strong, in my experience as a traveller, I feel safer and the the people are welcoming and often will give you the shirt off their backs.

Love phrases in Italian

Were not Romeo and Juliet Italian? Well I have written a page for love phrases in Italian. I do not think any culture has a monopoly on love but I think the people in the Repubblica Italiana have a rich tradition both in literature and reality of romantic love.

In fact, I think Rome was conquered by love, literally.  Did you know that the walled city of Roma held out against the barbarian invasion?  It is speculated that a Roman princess (476 A.D.) was in love with one of the besiegers of the city and at night she opened the gate. I guess the Roman poet was right “love conquers all” -Virgil.

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