Blog #4 GL350

The Italian culture is a complicated to understand. Like any culture you don’t really know much about but would like to observe and understand.  Every culture has different traditions; social gatherings in different places or at certain times where you can see a lot of this culture “come out” if you will. If you look at the American culture you can tell a lot about someone’s culture by going into their houses. They will have different things set up different furniture’s, different pictures; each home actually has its own vibe that you can read off. With Italians many do not invite others into their houses. The reasoning for this is because in may Italian homes you will find passed down furniture,  places to sleep and a place to eat. Nothing really culture reflecting, so where would you go to see into the Italian culture? The piazzas, but how does the piazza provide a lens towards Italian culture?

Unlike America, Italians do not have social gatherings at each other’s houses. In America you might have a barbeque to watch games or to celebrate any number of events. In Italy they go out to the piazzas. Barzini often talks about the act that Italians put on, to make every day boring situations into something more interesting. Barzini even says, “To avoid making mistakes, some people conclude too hurriedly that everything here is only make believe, nothing is ever what it looks like, and one can never trust appearances; everything then takes on a double outline…” In the same way that Americans buy expensive things for their houses to show off how well they’re doing, Italians will buy clothes, shoes and jewelry to show it off when they go out to the piazzas. “It is indefinitely better to be rich than seem rich. But if a man or a nation does not have the virtues and opportunities necessary to conquer and amass wealth, what is he or it to do (Barzini)?” This acting that Barzini talks about is a strong part of the Italian culture which creates that charm that attracts so many foreigners to want to stay in Italy. ”Transparent deceptions are constantly employed to give man the most precious of all Italian sensations, that of being unique specimen of humanity, a distinct personality deserving special consideration (Barzini).”  In the piazzas you have these very strong pieces of their culture, to show off fashion and the act that every Italian puts on to spice up each situation. The piazza is really the stage for this all to happen so when you find yourself in the middle of a piazza surrounded by people laughing together socializing and dressed to perfection, you are really looking right into pieces of the Italian culture that really separates them from other cultures.  That’s how the piazza is a lens right into their culture because most of that culture that people visiting don’t understand but just see and are drawn to these feelings the Italians cultures create. Falling to the “charm of Italy” affect all happens here at its peak in the piazza all over because it is such a strong part of their culture and what they do when they get together in the piazzas.