When one talks about Italy, the
stills in my mind play out like a movie, architecture, food, motorcycles on the
cobblestoned roads, fine dining and all. And of course the timeless beauty of
the Sistine chapel, the Vatican City and the ever resent beauty of Florence and
Venice is all part of Italy’s diverse culture.
It’s no surprise Italy has been dubbed one of the most eloquent and
beautiful country in the world. It definitely has a top priority on my list of
places to visit.
Who would not want to feel the
romance in the tone of the language? Or
be immersed in tasting the finest of wines all day long, or be spoilt at the
world’s largest fashion capital or just be floored by its magnificent
architecture? At some point in time we in some way or another have marveled at
the beauty of this country and wished we were right there to witness it in full
shape and form, I know I have. Be it in the movie ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ or in
the soothing voice of Domencio Mugdugno’s ‘Volare’. Italy is pure romance.
Italy like India is rich in its
cultural heritage. The Italians take pride in their culture and heritage. They
cherish and boast of a rich culture and are more than pleased to pass on their
legacy to the generations that follow. Italian culture is one of the oldest
there is; it draws influence from Roman and Greek mythology. Italy as we know
it today came to be in the 19th century before that it was ruled by
a number of ethnic groups like the Romans, Jews and Germans. Italy has been the birthplace of Roman
Catholicism, western civilization as also renaissance. Although Italian culture
began several years before the birth of Jesus the actual expansion of Italy
began during the Renaissance. The renaissance led to a revolution worldwide,
people across the globe ushered in this change and began to appreciate art,
literature, philosophy poetry etc. the renaissance was the birth place for what
today we term as works of art like the Sistine Chapel, the painting of Mona
Lisa, The Last Supper etc.
Science also flourished during
the renaissance period. Galileo Galilei's contributed greatly to
astronomy. The famous physicist, Fermi studied the Quantum Theory, while
matters related to electric battery was taken care of by Volta. Mathematicians
like Lagrange and Fabonacci, Nobel laureates like Marconi who invented the
radio and Antonio Mencci contributed immensely towards the cultural development
of Italy.
Italy throughout the ages has
been ruled by a diverse mix of people from around the world. These people were
not welcomed by the Italians however over the years a lot of the customs of
these conquerors became a part of the Italian culture. For example a number of
the festivals celebrated in Sicily are Spanish in origin. The Italian
population is also very diverse, there has been an intermingling of different
groups of people from all across the globe, some of them are the Greeks,
Albanians, French, Africans and Arabs. All these different ethnic groups have
been living together in this beautiful region. Proofs to this- around 6 million
people in the region are foreigners.
The intermixing of different
people from different regions of the world has led to varied customs and
religions. About 90% of Italy’s population is Roman Catholic, the rest Jews, along with some Muslims
and orthodox and eastern rite Catholics. The diverse religious groups have also
led to a healthy mix of traditions and customs. The people believe in evil eye,
witchcraft, charms, spells etc. today however because of the modernization of
society these practices now exist below the surface and are practiced on the
quite. In more ways than one the culture of Italy is very much
like that of India. The similarities exist in the love for food, the religious
beliefs and the attitude of the people. The Italian culture since its inception
has contributed greatly towards world culture and has revolutionized the way
the world looks at art, literature, film etc.
Trishann Henriques
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