A Tribute to Bella Italia – Five Things We Love About It

Italy might be of the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, it is also one of the most wonderful countries in the world. The good news is the lockdown is eased and Italians are slowly opening up.

Maybe it is time to recall why we are so in love with Italy. The Italian Peninsula has an astonishing cultural heritage from the ancient Roman Empire and Renaissance. Italians are open, friendly, arty, love music, food, fashion, and la dolce vita.  Here is a list of 5 things I absolutely love about Italy.

 #1 Breathtaking landscapes

Italy has it all, the spectacular Alps in the north, a coastline so diverse, amazing lakes and forests. Lakes Como, Garda, and Maggiore are probably best known and bigger, but Lago D’Iseo is like a piece of small jewelry. It is called the “romantic lake” and it is only 2 hours drive from Milan. It has an amazing island: Monte Isola, reachable by a one-hour boat trip, which offers beautiful sights of green hills and colored houses. Once on the island, I hiked to the top of its mountain to find a small church and a unique view. The South of Italy is also mesmerizing, little towns with white houses along the coastline, turquoise clear waters, and unique places like the famous Grotta Pallazesse, a hotel with a restaurant in a sea cave. Alberobello is another special village in the south with its Trulli houses, which seem taken out of a fairytale.

#2 Ancient History and Tradition

Italy is all about history and culture. We know Rome wasn’t built in a day, but in thousands of years and every stone in the city has a story to tell. You can spend a week in the capital and see a small part of it. Of course, some places just stuck to my mind like Fontana din Trevi and the Colosseum. But there are so many little, narrow cobbled streets, walls, and stone buildings, each like a piece of a huge museum. It’s no secret the Latin origin people have enriched the universal culture with some of the most important artists of all time: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Dante, just to name a few. Their artworks are found in places all over the country.  Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper can be admired in Santa Maria Delle Grazie church in Milan and Donatello’s sculptures in the San Antonio church in Padova. Florence is the ultimate city of Art Galleries, with the Uffizi Gallery being the most important.

#3 Hospitality

Italian people are welcoming and have close bonds with their family.  When invited to dinner, I found a long table, full of cheerful, bubbly, and talkative people. It was very interesting to meet three generations of the same family. We had a real feast, with different kinds of pasta, salads, focaccia, and pizza. And of course, we had three different types of local wines and limoncello. Dinner lasted for hours and the conversation was effervescent.

#4 Fashion

Italians are pretty relaxed, but also pretty elegant. They like getting tanned and getting dressed up. And elegant people live not in only Milan, which is the capital of fashion, but also in small towns and villages. When in Italy, save your sports shoes and sweatshirts for jogging. Famous Italian brands are found at affordable prices in outlets close to cities like Milano, Rome, Naples, and so on.

#5 Food

Italy is worldwide known for its delicious dishes. Of course, pizza, pasta, and gelato can now be tasted all over the world, but they are not quite as tasty as in their homeland. Italians are so proud of their food, they even make pasta with them when they travel abroad.

Italian gelato has a special homemade fresh flavor. Not to mention their strong coffee and cappuccino, which are a delight for the senses. Italians sure take their time to properly savor them.

We hope this brief characterization of Italy had your memories flowing or if you haven’t seen this country yet, you should put it on your wish list!

Tomorrow, Italy will be more beautiful than ever, because today we know how it feels without her. 

Ciao!

 

Photos by Raunaq Patel, Damiano Baschiera,  Jack Ward, Igor Oliyarnik, Oscar Nord & Alessio Lin!

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