October Is Italian Heritage Month

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Do you love Italy? What are your favorite aspects of Italian culture? Let me count the ways, ha. (They are clearly almost too numerous to list, at least for me.)

On my one trip to Europe, my favorite country turned out to be Italy. Wasn't expecting that, but even at 16, was bowled over by the beauty, the history, and the almost palpable warmth and loveliness of the people. Both Italy the country, and Italian Americans have contributed so much to the world's joy.

Literature, art, FOOD (ha), music, films. From Dante's "Divine Comedy", to the director Vittorio de Sica's filmed poignancy, "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis"; from Oriana Fallaci to Frank Sinatra; from Federico Fellini to Giorgio Armani, and on and on.

Speaking of Armani, there'd have to be a whole separate category for what Italy has given the world in fashion-- shoes, knits, exquisite tailoring...

Oh, too much to recount.

Favorite city: Venice

Favorite food: linguini frutti de mare, ANYTHING Alfredo.

Favorite actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Magnani, Giulietta Masina

Favorite directors: Fellini, Lina Wertmuller

Artist: Joseph Stella

Chef: Lidia Bastianich

Yours?

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

My favorite aspect is me.

My Sicilian DNA may get me into trouble at times but not many people mess or get over on me and I'll take that comfort, especially in today's world, any day of the week.

And there is no one, no one on the face of the earth, that can out argue an Italian. No way! Our passion good and bad is legendary for a reason.

In the words of Sophia Petrillo, the Italian grandmother we all had:

"We know how to make love and sing opera. We also throw priests out windows."

meallen616 · ‎01-10-2013

AngusandBuddhasMom · ‎03-10-2010

I'll pass.

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

I like being born in Italy. I like being a citizen there too. i also love being Northern Italian!

So Blond Voyage...

http://www.blondvoyage.com/single-post/2015/07/17/Italy-the-North-vs-South-Divide

RoughDraft · ‎03-09-2010

I thought October was National Polish Heritage month. Are they sharing?

~The only difference between this place and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band.~

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

RoughDraft, they must be! I just googled it and it IS also Polish Heritage Month! Thanks for the tip. Poland has such a long and storied history.

Great Poles include Copernicus, the composer Chopin, Marie Curie, Lech Walesa, the brilliant poet Czeslaw Milosz. (I'm afraid I'm mangling his name.)

Haven't been there, but have always thought of Poland as a fairy tale place with castles and meandering rivers, as in the Middle Ages. There are indeed some extraordinary castles there. Poland has had to fight over the centuries to retain its sovereignty and national identity, like other hardy cultures Hungary, and Finland to the north.

The Poles have a fascinating aristocracy going back centuries, like the storied Radziwill family.

And I always come back to the food-- great, heartening, yummy food. Yay, pierogies!

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Thanks for that link, Songbird1. Very interesting discussion as to the rich diversity within Italy. The differences keep things interesting, no? I can never decide if I like the cuisine of Northern Italy, with its cream and dairy based dishes, or the magnificent tomato-based cuisine of the South. Dilemmas, dilemmas!

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

@Oznell wrote:
Thanks for that link, Songbird1. Very interesting discussion as to the rich diversity within Italy. The differences keep things interesting, no? I can never decide if I like the cuisine of Northern Italy, with its cream and dairy based dishes, or the magnificent tomato-based cuisine of the South. Dilemmas, dilemmas!

People in the US think all of Italy is like the Pizza and pasta, etc. 90% of immigrants to the U.S. were from Southern Italy because of they were poor. Southern Italy is agricultural based economy. Northern Italy controlled the culture, the finance, government and the fashion, etc. Northern Italy has always been quite wealthy. Wealth was never distributed in all of Italy. Northern Italy is filled with green eyed blonds and rice instead of pasta.