How Much Do You Know About Italy and the Italian Culture?

How many things would you know about Italy? And how much do you know about the Italian culture? Perhaps you understand it for being the land of Parmigiano cheese and mozzarella, Chianti wine and extra virgin olive oil, pasta and gnocchi, zucchini, tomatoes and many other food. Or perhaps you know Italy for being the indigenous territory of Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other important painters and musicians of the past. You could know Italy for Ferrari cars and fashion. Many people knows Italy for its landscapes as well as the historical heritage: mountains, lakes and mountains, Roman relics, history, culture and art and ancient towns.

However, what is the first thing do you think when you hear the term "Italian"?

Many people would say "mafia" or "food", because Italy has ever been described like this on earth. Let's see these aspects in details.

All the Italians are Mafiosi
It's quite common to hear that the Italian population is directly connected to the concept of mafia. In reality, one of the most common prejudices about the Italian culture and lifestyle is that "all the Italians are mafiosi". The Italians (especially those who live in the United States) have always been connected to "the Godfather" characters and also to Sicilian mafia represented in details from Coppola's American movie.

One of the most curious aspects to consider is that words such as "mafia" and "mafioso" are frequently used as nicknames to phone friends and partners, as they're deemed amusing adjectives.

In the contrary, mafia in Italy is a very serious problem for several of the honest citizens who live in Italy, specifically for people who reside and work in the regions of South.

Italians? They're food lovers!

Many people are really convinced that the Italians always eat and only consider food. This is another banal common-place in many nations of the world. Everybody knows that Italy has a great and long cuisine history, but it isn't true that the principal topic from the talks is food. Eating is an significant part the Italian civilization (and this is the reason many dishes made overseas come in the Italian customs) however there are lots of other common and important topics in the Italians' speeches.

Tutti vicini (all together)!

Many people also think that the Italians live all together in large families in the same house. It is not infrequent to read or hear sentences like "tutti vicini" in the American books and films about the Italian culture. The Italians are often described as people who reject the notion of solitude and the aim to produce their own family. This is really an extremely ancient picture of the Italian civilization and its lifestyle! This could happen in the past (especially in Southern Italy families, when people could not purchase a home), but it doesn't happen anymore.

So, what is the best solution to overcome these banal convictions and prejudices? The first thing to do would be travel and visiting Italy (at least for a month) and the second thing is attending Italian courses in a few of the major cities of Italy, like Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice and Milan. This manner, it will possible to love the local culture and find out a lot of things about it.

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