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Italiansrus -- A love letter to Napoli |
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Friday, 03 June 2005 |
Italiansrus -- Our Paesani A love letter to Napoli
If Napoli, Italy's southern capital, was a man, it would be the "bad boy" of every woman's dreams. As famous for its relatively high crime rate as for its breathtaking view of the Bay of Naples and the magnificent Vesuvio, Napoli is sensitive with an edge. Much like mischievous men who always get the girl in the end, such a place produces the best sort of contradictions -- fast and slow, sweet and sour. It is a city reborn and the United States' Italian American community should take heed. Your Napoli still needs you to help realize its greatest potential.
From my first encounter with la mia bella, calda Napoli, I was seduced by its heady sea scent, the laundry drying on lines that stretch from balcony to balcony and, of course, its colorful people. The Commedia dell'Arte, an Italian theatrical tradition that dates back to the 16th century and monogrammed stereotypical characters to represent the country's different regions, depicts Napoli as the masked hunchback with a large hooked nose. He is an incapable court jester, who humors himself by poking fun at authority figures. In a small way, he truly does represent the Napoletani for he finds laughter even amid sadness, potential for beauty even amid ugliness. Any one whose family immigrated from Napoli to the United States knows of this remarkable resiliency. The good people of Naples, many of whom have far less food and stuff than we can imagine in America, will welcome you into their homes and treat you as though you were family. They will share with you whatever little stuff they have.
[To read full article click here] |
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