Some Italian Stereotypes

Italy, a great country that is so loved by Spaniards... and why is that? There is something in our Mediterranean veins that makes us go crazy whenever we hear the world "Italy". And, admittedly, it is something that Italians have, an "I don't know what I know", something that makes us smile immediately whenever we hear about the marvels of that country. Today I am going to tell you about some very strange, yet at the same time very attractive and interesting, stereotypes.

Gastronomy: pasta, pizza and wine

Undeniably, the first thing that comes to mind when we think about Italy is food, and why not? My mouth is already watering just thinking about spaghetti, carbonara and pizza margherita.

Many people wonder if it is true that they eat so much pasta, and I can assure you that every day (and almost every meal) they eat pasta in all its forms: spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, butterflies... And, best of all, eating pasta every day doesn't have to be boring or repetitive because there are billions of sauces and combinations that make each dish taste different. Of course, do not even think to ask for a "bolognese" sauce. Here in Italy that doesn't exist. Here there is "pasta al raghù", which is essentially pasta with meat, which is very typical of the area of Bologna.

My favourite: pasta carbonara. Look! It looks nothing like the Spanish version! No mushrooms, cream or onion. You only need bacon, parmesan and egg whites, buon appetito!

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The most surprising of all is that although in Italy it seems that there is a large geographical unit, each area is like a totally different world. Perhaps the simplest example would be the pizza. Pizza was created in Naples, a region in the south of Italy. Bit by bit it has spread across the rest of the country (for obvious reasons like the flavour and the dreaminess that is eating pizza). However, there are two things that you might not know about Italian pizza. The first is that Italians do not like to share their pizza. If you ever go to an Italian restaurant, you will see that everyone asks for their own pizza with the flavour that each person wants. A pizza for two? Don't even think about it! If you have some left over, then you have some left over. But don't even speak about asking for two pizzas for three people. It is also true that the size of the pizzas is usually more normal, there are no different sizes, and the dough is usually quite thin, so do not worry, because I'm sure you can finish it!

The second is that you forget about the strange ingredients in your pizza. They like natural flavours in Italy. The barbecue pizza does not exist and neither does the typical "pepperoni" pizza that appears in all American films! That was an American invention in order to adapt this delicious dish to their culture, but you should know that if you order pizza with different ingredients (including pineapple), then people will look at you in a bad light.

My favourite: margherita pizza. I am one for the classics! It is in simplicity that you will find perfection. You only need tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Did you know that it is called a Margherita pizza because an Italian queen called Margherita asked for food with the three colours of the Italian flag. Or at least that is what they say...

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Nor can we forget that Italy is one of the most important countries for the production of wine. It would seem that Italy, France and Spain are the trio of wine sellers. Wine here, wine there... But that's not to take away any credit; Italian wine is of very good quality and the price is relatively low. For less than 10 euros you can buy a bottle of good Tuscan wine and enjoy it with an excellent dinner. And what could I tell you about the beautiful and endless vineyards?

My favourite: Chianti Classico. It is a wine from Tuscany, which is the zone in Italy that produces the best Italian wine.

This is a photo that I took when I got lost in Tuscany. Really impressive.

Gestures

Of course, the first thing you do when you hear somebody mention anything about Italy is to close your hand and shout "pizzaaaaaaaa! " And if you don't know what I am referring to, it is to this gesture:

Many people think that the Italians make this gesture continuously throughout their lives... and they're not exactly wrong. The only thing is that it might not mean the same thing that people think it does. They use this gesture when they are annoyed because somebody has done something stupid or when they don't understand why somebody is doing something. And it is true that actions speak louder than words. It is often accompanied by two words: "ma che...?! ", which literally translates to "but what...?! " Everything together contributes to conveying their mood of incomprehension and a certain exasperation.

They use another gesture that I also like a lot, which is the following:

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It is similar to a finger gun, but the wrist moves laterally (side to side). The meaning is something along the lines of "losing everything" or "nothing". They often use gestures frequently as a way of ending their sentences. For example, "yesterday, he spent the whole day trying to call here and... " and then they use this gesture.

The truth is that the world of Italian gestures is completely fascinating. The gesture that the Spanish would use to say that there is a large quantity of something (hand closed and opening and closing the fingers), whilst the Italians use it to indicate that they are scared of something. And there are thousands more like this! In most cases, as they use it to accompany a phrase, if you don't understand the gesture you may not understand the phrase. I invite you to look for their use in the streets, to learn them and to begin to use them. They're quite infectious!

Romantic relationships

Ah... how many times have people talked about the typical Italian hunk? Most of the movies put them on a romantic pedestal: they bring you flowers, they care about you very much, they buy you a thousand gifts... Who hasn't seen "Under the Tuscan sun" or "Letters to Juliet "and become besotted, fantasising about an Italian adventure? To a certain point it is true. Maybe Spain has lost its "chivalry", where they hold the door open for you or carry a heavy bag for you. And I'm not complaining! Spanish women are strong and independent! But a girl who has grown up looking for her prince, thanks to Mr. Walt Disney, is impressed by these kinds of small details. There are formal dates your boy will want to invite you to dinner with no expenses spared and, as much as you insist, they won't give up. Maybe later you will invite him out for a drink or an ice-cream for dessert, but that would be something else.

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Although they are also quite infamous for infidelity... And I can't deny this either. Most of the boys I have met in Italy have tried to flirt with me or with my friends, or mess us around, in one way or another. The problem is that they seem very believable, which is attractive. They like to think that they have everything under control and the only way to do that is by making everybody else crazy. Although perhaps it is just that they are that nice to everyone, who knows?

Cars and driving

Yes, I tell you from the get go so as to not beat around the bush: in Italy you will find millions of Vespas and Fiats. On every corner there is an incredible Vespa parked on one side or a Fiat 500 with its vintage touches.

Of course, be very careful if you manage to gather the courage to get behind the wheel of a car in Italy. Italians are very... unrestrained. One way to describe them at least. Mediterranean blood boils their veins and they are usually quite impatient. They honk the horn to complain about a bad maneuver, to warn others, to greet somebody... for everything. They love it. My theory is that they are frustrated musicians and they get overexcited when they have such an instrument at their fingertips. Somebody should tell them that what they make is not music, but noise. But, well, if you can't beat them, join them! I have to admit that this custom has stuck with me a little... but it's nothing compared to what they do, I promise!

The Italian Boot

However, these are no more than stereotypes, and many people make a mistake when they say that "all Italians are the same". In reality, there are great geographical differences that affect politics and economics. There is a great North-South rivarly Almost as in Spain, those in the southern areas (Naples, Sicily... ) are labeled as lazy and inefficient, because they are mainly engaged in agriculture and have a much more relaxed approach to life. On the other hand, those in the northern areas (Milan, Venice... ) claim to be much more hard-working and active, focused on business and industry. For obvious reasons, those in the North have a lot of money that they don't want to spend on the "lazy" people in the south. The hostilities are such that those in the north call those in the south "terroni", a very derogatory term related to land; meanwhile those from the south call the Northerners "polentone", also used in a derogatory way although it refers to a typical dish from the north, polenta.

Beyond hostilities, the Italians were a people who were joined together relatively recently. Until the end of the 19th century, the Italian boot was composed of several small towns of people who spoke dialects, which were different to Italian. When they finally unified, they established Italian as the official language of the country, but each region has very pronounced accents and even dialects, which can be so different that if somebody from Milan starts speaking Milanese, a Florentine could not understand them. The strongest accents and the most entrenched or unchanged dialects are those from the south, where tradition prevails over everything else. For example, the Neapolitans speak Neapolitan among themselves, which may sound a lot like Italian, but I assure you that no one else can understand them.

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Yes, it is true that Italians have many stereotypes, but we must be remember that it is never a good thing to generalise!

And here we conclude this post about the Italian stereotypes. I know that I have missed a lot out, such as the mafia, family or fashion but I will talk about those another time. Bye for now!

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