The Italian most valuable elements of the "Dolce Vita" by John
in Society / Culture (submitted 2011-01-12)
The Italians are famous worldwide for their love of living, good eating, and especially for their love of love. From the time of the poems of the Renaissance to the films of today, Italian artists have always seen love as a divine gift. Dante wrote of his "Vita Nova", which began for him the day he met his Beatrice. Petrarch wrote that he found salvation in the face of his woman, who was sent from God perceived by him to Roberto Benigni in his recent popular film, "Life Is Beautiful", showed that with the force of things you can do incredible.
I do not know whether the Italian really love is stronger than any other love, but in Italy is actually more visible on the streets, than it is here in the United States. You always see guys around the streets and at the fountains, hand in hand, talking, kissing. Often, groups of young people come together to go to the bar or a disco or restaurant to go to find friends and chat, and it is likely that in these places you can meet that boyfriend or girlfriend that you have waited for many years. In the evening, friends new and old spend long hours walking in the center of the country or city, chatting, window shopping, eating ice cream. Perhaps because of this environment of strong socialization, it is natural that the affection shown in public is much more openly than is in town to cool and aloof nature, as Boston or New York.
Another consequence of this atmosphere of socialization is that, in Italy, sometimes these same fans are just fighting over the road. Whatever the reason for their disagreement, you can see them express their frustrations in the air gesturing animatedly in front of the same fountains and in the same bed or in the same street corners, where the night before had held hands and cuddled. Italians value the privacy, but maybe just do not feel much need to conceal their difficulties as happens in other parts of the world.
While the community plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of the Italian wedding, religion exerts an influence at least as important. They say the Sicilians, "Weddings and viscuvati of heaven sent." ("Marriages and bishoprics, are sent from heaven.") Prior to Christianity, under Roman law, marriage was only a civil agreement between two people who wanted to live together. With the growth of the Christian movement, marriage became a sacrament for many Italians, willed by God and overseen by the Pope in a country where, in the eighties, ninety-seven percent were baptized Christian population (this percentage has been declining in recent years but still remains high), the Church's role in everyday life remains strong.
According to Catholic theology, is to marry one of the steps towards a righteous life before God procreation of children is an important part of this union to pass on the model of Christian life. For this reason, according to Catholic rules, certain practices have always been banned: the best known are those on the use of artificial methods of birth control and abortion. Despite the firm opposition of the Church, divorce was legalized in Italy in 1970 and abortion in 1978. In response to this perceived lack of morality in those years by the Church Fathers, they created a process of preparation for marriage, which now have to join all those who want to be married in Catholic churches anywhere in the world. Engaged couples must attend a series of meetings and retreats in parishes, made to help them understand their duty to God and the bride and groom themselves. Once completed the course, the Church will allow them to marry. The canonical marriage took place in the church will be documented in a state register and will be considered a union of both civil and religious value.
We say that the Italians, old, young, married or not, know how to enjoy life a little 'more than others. Maybe there was something in the water then Roman came to flow in all the fountains of the rest of the country. Maybe like wine and ice cream, they also sell love in streets remote, hidden out of sight of American tourists. I do not know. I can say, however, that in Italy the family and community are two of the most valuable elements of the "Dolce Vita".
