Proud of our origins

Today being Italian may seem complicated, but in the end, we are exactly this, simple and complex, unique and exceptional.

Please spend a few minutes on the following content, and think about the beauty surrounding you, what we have created and spread over the centuries, and what we do daily.

Please think of the artists and the changes they want to discover worldwide with their determination and patience. Think a number about how many regional recipes you know or how many types of boxes or buns you could put on the table, or yet think about our unique and incredible lifestyle.

We are proud to have Italian origin!

All of you should be.

Our people have ancient origins, and our history has marked the evolution of the whole of humanity … Italy is one of the most beautiful places in the world in terms of landscape, art, and traditions … and yet Italy is one of the wealthiest places, with the most incredible culture and the best lifestyle in the world.

The reasons that make me proud are many, too many, and here I will mention only a few:

THE SIMPLICITY. People say that Italians always complain. Perhaps it is true, but at the same time, it takes little to enjoy things and find beauty in small gestures. It will be enough for us to eat well with a good place ahead – and both are pretty easy to find;

THE MOUNTAINS. The Alps attract skiers from all over the world and fascinate us with their landscapes and their heights;

THE SEA. We have the sea inside. To look at from the coast or our islands: let them be the older sisters, Sicily and Sardinia, or the smaller ones like Elba, Ponza, and the Aeolian Islands; land of origin always in the heart or refuge to look at the Continent from afar;

WORKSHOPS AND CRAFTS. Italy is rich in trades handed down from father to son, which now seeks heirs. For example, in Torre del Greco, there is the very ancient tradition of shell engraving, from which cameos come to embellish necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. In Cremona, there is a prestigious school of violin-making that attracts Italian and foreign apprentices who want to learn how to make unique violins …;

ARCHEOLOGY. You can’t dig a hole in a street where Roman ruins pop up, a sign of glory that tries to re-emerge from everywhere;

ARCHITECTURE. From Leon Battista Alberti to Bramante to Renzo Piano: Italy (and the world) are rich in the works of visionaries who know how to reconcile man and landscape;

THE GARDENS. Hedges trimmed to look like sculptures, mirrors of water, and vegetal architecture: a geometric and harmonious style born during the late Renaissance that continues to enchant us. And that has conquered the whole world;

THE DIALECTS. They are the expression of the soul of a territory, dialects are a heritage of idioms and terms that encompass a world … In Italy, we have thousands of unique and beautiful worlds;

THE SHOW. The Biennials or the festival of Venice, Spoleto, Taormina, Rome, Mantua: between applause and criticism, Italian cultural events continue to fascinate participants and the public, with the collaboration of our unique scenarios;

THE COSTUMES. The great cinema wears Italian. Milena Canonero was awarded four statuettes for “Barry Lindon,” “Moments of Glory,” “Marie Antoinette,” and “Grand Budapest Hotel.” Gabriella Pescucci won the Oscar award with “The Age of Innocence” by Scorsese …;

THEATER & OPERA. From the great work to the playwrights to the contemporary experiments: a tradition that continues to fascinate the public by offering inimitable experiences;

THE CINEMA. Beautiful stories of today and yesterday. Screenwriters, directors, actors, and directors of photography capture the eyes and the soul of the characters;

THE COFFEE. We remember when we are away from home: We know how to make ourselves loved, and we are welcoming, to the point of offering an espresso to a perfect stranger;

FASHION. Admired, dreamed, hated, snubbed, over, or underestimated: whatever your opinion or style tells about our times, Italy does not fear comparisons;

CERAMICS. It is art considered unjustly minor but which has fascinated artists, stylists, and major clients. No one has a choice as vast as our country;

THE SONGS. DeAndré, DeGregori, Tenco, Dalla, Lauzi, Branduardi, Paoli: poetry in music;

ENGINES. From motorcycles to cars, from designers to pilots;

THE DESIGN. The lamp that illuminates your desk, the chair where you are sitting, the glasses in which you drink: everything is designed and, most likely, the most beautiful things you have been designed by an Italian;

THE DOME. Every city has one, and they are one more beautiful than the other. The term derives from the Latin Domus, “house”;

THE “GELATO. “So good to be exported all over the world. And don’t call it ice cream!!!

THE PASTA. Even when we don’t know how to cook, we can prepare a pasta dish capable of making anyone feel like the guest of honor. And then, really: as we eat in Italy we don’t eat anywhere else in the world;

PIZZA. No comment;

THE SPORT. Soccer, swimming, diving, fencing, cycling, artistic gymnastics: we will also be a small peninsula, but we have athletes capable of competing and winning with the greats of the earth;

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI. Always unparalleled;

ELENA FERRANTE. This author, whose identity nobody knows, has won over the international public, even coming among the finalists of the Man Booker International Prize, a British award that selects the best books translated into English;

GIORGIO MORODER. He won three Oscars, collaborated with Donna Summer, Bowie, and Brian Eno, made the audience dance from the Sixties to today, and created film soundtracks such as “Midnight Escape,” “American Gigolò,” “Flashdance,” “Scarface,” “The Neverending Story”;

ENNIO MORRICONE. Awarded at the Academy Awards’ last ceremony where he received his second Oscar, he said that “there is no important music without a great film that inspires it.” The best is always the most humble;

ITALO CALVINO. “The Halved Viscount,” “The Baron Rampant,” “The Invisible Cities,” and “The Cosmicomics”… beautiful books that speak to all ages and that are translated all over the world;

… and then we are IRONIC. We are critical of ourselves, and we know how to play down and never take ourselves too seriously.

And yet, I am proud to be Italian for what our grandparents and the people who fought for our freedom have left us. Freedom and Equality are the true values.