Learn and Live like an Italian
Italian culture is one if the richest culture and history in the world. One can trace the roots of Italian culture to the Roman ruins and ancestry. Culture and history can also be tasted in its Italian food. To live like and Italian is to learn much from them. Let’s learn and live like Italians.
Italians have made their mark in the world. They are quite known and are leading in different fields like fashion, interior design, culinary arts and visual arts. Italians are very much proud of their origin and their heritage. And who would not be?
The World Heritage Sites or Unesco sites in Italy combined will be about 43 sites. The most number of Unesco declared sights in Europe can be found in Italy. Even some of the oldest universities in the world can be found in Italy like University of Padoya and University of Bologna.
The University of Salerno was established in the ninth century, during the medieval times. Other old universities would be University of Naples established by Frederick II, the University of Florence established in 1308 and then the universities of Pisa, Pavia, and Turin.
Living like an Italian is senseless without the knowledge of the Italian art and literature. Prominent writers like Dante Alighieri, Petrarch and Boccaccio are all Italian. Meanwhile, Italian artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo.
There are minor and small towns that offer a great glimpse of Italian art. Siena in Tuscany showcases their great artists from the thirteenth and fourteenth century like Duccio and Cimabue as well as Simone Martini. Genoa and Turin in the northern cities are somehow overlooked by many tourists. These places offer beautiful piazzars, magnificent churches and exquisite art galleries.
Music had always served as a cultural marker for Italians. Italy had been renowned for their opera, traditional music from the diverse region, popular music both from local and international source, and modern experimental classical music.
There are different institutions and centers that support music as a profession in Italy. There are conservatories, opera houses, radio and television stations, recording studios, music festivals and important centers of musicological reseach.
Fashion icons and popular designers are considered to be the finest in the world. To name a few Italian designers – Armani, Prada, Gucci, Versace and Valentino. Milan is one of the most important and prestigious centers of fashion in the world.
Aside from the things, history and heritage that Italians should be proud of, Italians also provides much importance to their families. A strong and united family is very important for Italians. Families represent the moral strength of society. That is why family meals are longer than average meals in other culture. At home, water and wine are served with lunch and dinner. Children from age of 12 may begin to drink a small amount of wine with meals.
Majority of Italians are Roman Catholics. Catholicism is the primary religion for more than 2000 years. Festivals are observed in celebration of their faith. Festivals are always connected to saints. Italians also observe practices during a particular significant event in Catholicism. One of these practices would be non-eating of meat on Fridays during Lent and also on Ash Wednesday. But fish and vegetable can be eaten during these times.
Italians are also well known for their friendly nature. They are generous, gentle, warm, sociable and welcoming.
How to learn and live like an Italian is not only by copying the way they speak and the way they act, but it is also important to make sure that the core values that they possess will be integrated in daily lives.