Discover Italy & Italian Culture
(photo
by Moyan Brenn used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
Content:
In studying the Italian Headstart course, you have shown your awareness of the important role that language plays in getting to know the people of another country. Almost everyone appreciates the efforts of a foreign visitor to speak the language of a host country, and the Italians are no exception. Even if your efforts at first fall short of your expectations, you'll find Italians eager to help you. As soon as you've mastered only a few phrases, you'll find a special welcome will be extended to you practically everywhere you go in Italy.
(photo by Moyan Brenn used under terms of Creative Commons license.)
It's easy
to locate
The
total area
of all these
land masses is
actually much
less than that
of
California.
The
population of
Most of Italy is mountainous, or at least hilly, and in many parts of the country farming is truly uphill work. In northernmost Italy are the Alps, the highest mountains in Europe, so high that they are snow-capped the year round. Running almost the entire length of the Italian peninsula are the Apennines, also a formidable range, with masses of jagged cliffs, barren plateaus, and peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet.
Much of Italy's soil is poor, and life is hard for those who try to make a living from it. Much agricultural land is suited only for growing grapes and olives or for grazing sheep and goats. Italy has about 3,000 miles of coastline, and in many places the coastal lowlands provide some good cultivation. The lowlands of southern Italy, for example, are well known for their dependable crops of citrus fruits. But the best farmland is in the Po Valley in the north.
The
Po Valley
covers about one-sixth
of
From the Po Valley come large crops of wheat, rice, sugar beets, and a wide variety of other vegetables. The region is also known for its fine herds of cattle and its abundant orchards of apples and peaches. Even so, Italy's large population requires imports of grain and other foodstuffs from other countries. About the only farm products that Italy produces in exportable quantities are citrus fruits, olive oil, wines, and cheeses.
Today
a lot
of
Italians make their
homes on the
southern slopes of the
Even the climates of the north and south are different. Although the Alps protect northerners from the severe winters of Europe, the climate of northern Italy is similar to that of the rest of Europe or the American Midwest, with warm summers and winter snowfall. Southerners enjoy a Mediterranean climate with sunny days much of the year-round and with mild winters without snow. It can get very cold in the mountains in winter and very hot along the coasts in summer. Sicily enjoys a more moderate climate than some other parts of the country. Sicilian winters are warm and sunny by day, with chilly nights. Summers in Sicily are hot, but light sea breezes blow across the island. Spring and fall are about the same in Italy as in the American l1idwest. They are ideal seasons for traveling, which is why most tourists choose these times of year to visit Italy.
In
the fourteenth
century, people from
different regions of
Italians pronounce ISI with the accents of their particular regions. These different pronunciations, together with regional features of vocabulary and grammar, constitute modern dialects.
Some of these dialects are accepted as standard and are referred to as Practical Standard Italian (PSI); others, not so accepted, are called Nonstandard Italian (NSI). Many Italians speak PSI and NSI, but NSI is not used with outsiders. The dialects of NSI are so diverse that many are mutually unintelligible. A Venetian and a Roman, for example, or a Sicilian and a Tuscan, would have difficulty understanding each other if they spoke in their local (NSI) dialects.
Typically an Italian of this generation knows NSI, learns ISI in school, but speaks PSI in everyday business and social activities.
(photo
by Rodrigo Soldon used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
Sicilian is Italic in structure, one of the numerous neo-Latin dialects that evolved in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. The Sicilian dialect (considered a language by some) has many words and expressions that distinguish it from other Italian dialects. Even within Sicily itself, there are significant differences in the dialects of the provinces and sometimes even in those of neighboring towns. In this, Sicily is no different from any other place in the world. When a few Americans get together, it is not too difficult to tell if one
comes from Boston, New York, New Orleans, or Chicago.
Most Sicilians, as well as inhabitants of the Italian peninsula and the neighboring islands belonging to the Republic of Italy, understand standard Italian. It is a different story, however, when they speak the national language -frequently you will hear differences in grammar or pronunciation. For instance, in Sicilian,
- many e's and all final e's become i's,
- many o's and all final o's become u's,
- double l's usually become double d's.
The Catanian dialect also has its own peculiarities:
- initial g's become y's,
- initial ch sounds (c followed by i or e) become sh's.
|
English |
Italian
|
Sicilian
|
Catanian |
|
dog
|
cane
|
cami |
|
|
beautiful
|
|
beddu |
|
|
she
|
ella
|
idda |
|
|
he
|
egli |
|
|
|
illi (Lat)
|
iddu
from the Latin
illu |
|
|
|
rooster
|
gallo
|
addu
|
jaddu |
|
cat
|
gatto
|
atta
|
jatta |
|
hundred
|
cento
|
centu
|
scentu |
Stories
of the
Italians before the
founding of Rome
are a
combination of
history and legend.
Even stories about
early
At first the Romans ruled only a small part of Italy, but by 509 B.C. they had conquered the neighboring Etruscans and gained control of the peninsula.
After
consolidating their hold
on Italy, the
Romans carved
out a vast
empire
by establishing their
mastery over all
countries bordering on
the Mediterranean, thus
dominating all the then
civilized nations of
the West. By
the end of
the first century
B.C., Roman armies
had pushed northward
to defeat tribal kingdoms in
western Europe and
As
centuries passed,
the
The second great era during which the Italians did much to determine the course of western civilization carne centuries later. Renaissance means "rebirth," and it is the name given to the period of European history from around 1350 to 1550 when a new spirit of adventure and discovery transformed the western world. Several of the great men of history were part of the Italian Renaissance. It was the time of Columbus, Vespucci, and Marco Polo. Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael all lived during the Renaissance.
Renaissance Italy was not a unified nation. The great cities - Genoa, Naples, Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa - all operated as sovereign states. A large portion of central Italy (which included Rome) was known as the Papal States and was ruled by popes who were soldiers as well as princes of the Church. Rivalries among the city-states were intense and even led to warfare.
It was a time of intrigue and diplomacy as 1eaders sought to create alliances and maintain balances of power. Diplomats in other countries wou1d one day study the po1itical history of the Ita1ian Renaissance for practical 1essons in statecraft.
During the Renaissance, wealthy patrons commissioned artists to produce works that would glorify their cities. The Church paid artists to produce works on religious themes. An astonishing amount of Renaissance art has withstood the test of time. Renaissance works are national treasures in which Italians today take great pride.
Foreign
invasions brought an
end to the
Renaissance, In
the years
and centuries that
followed, Italy carne
to be dominated by
the Spanish, the
French under Napo1eon
Bonaparte, and the Austrians. In
the nineteenth century
a movement called
Risorgimento sought to
unite Italy into
one kingdom.
The movement's aims were
partly achieved in
1861 when parts
of Italy agreed
to unite
under King
Victor Emmanuel II.
Giuseppe Garibaldi emerged
as a hero of
the struggle. In
1870 the rest
of
parliament elected to this high office by other members of parliament. Parliament consists of two houses, a Chamber of Deputies (about 600 members) and a Senate (about 300 members). Members of parliament are affiliated with political parties and are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms.
No country is more alive with color and excitement. Italians love to get together for good food, wine, and spirited conversation. Speech is rapid and accompanied by expressive gestures. Laughter comes easily, and so does intense argument, even over matters of no apparent significance at all. What sounds like the rumblings of a murderous feud, complete with the banging of fists on tables, can easily prove to be a minor disagreement that is quickly settled and forgotten. Music is everywhere. Popular songs and opera arias pour forth from radios. A man sings to himself, and a passerby picks up the tune. An entertainer sings in a cafe, and guests and waiters join in. Harvests, weddings, and wedding engagements are just a few of the occasions that are enthusiastically celebrated with parties, processions, and festivals. It's all part of the Italian love for crowds and color.
Although Italians are known for their gregariousness and excitability, they are also capable of taking some things very seriously. Most Italians have strong religious convictions, for example, and believe in the power of prayer to get them through hard times. Family responsibilities are taken seriously. Eras of greatness from their long history are reflected upon with quiet pride. Italians live with constant reminders of past glories. Practically every Italian city has at least one structure or monument that dates back to the Roman Empire or the Renaissance, the two eras when Italians had their greatest influence on western civilization.
Probably one of the first things you'll notice in Italy is the large number of other foreign visitors already there. It's a very popular place to visit. A lot of people around the world would happily trade places with you in order to enjoy an extended stay.
Every
year the
number of foreigners
who visit
As
an American,
you may be
surprised at how
much Italians
know about
the
The family was, and to a considerable extent still is, a fundamental institution in Italian society. One school of thought attributes this fact to the political instability of Italy in the past centuries due to the division of the country into many small states and to the many foreign dominations. According to this theory, the individual has looked for security and stability within the family limits, thus creating a stronghold of loyalty and interests in the family itself. Another possible explanation for this strong family unity is the influence of the Catholic religion that places great emphasis on the closeness of the family members.
Italian youth, even at the present time, very seldom leave the family before getting married, and sometimes they continue to live with the family even after marriage. This is due partly to tradition and partly to economic reasons. Because of lack of lodging facilities on university premises, most students continue to live with their families while attending a university. Also, most students do not work while studying and therefore cannot afford to pay for rent or food.
Sometimes young couples continue to live with their parents because they need each other's cooperation. Elder members of the family often need health assistance, and, since an increasing number of women work outside the home, young parents need day care for their children.
However, although family unity is still very strong there is nevertheless a growing movement in the younger generation toward a less family-based society. Marriage is no longer considered the only possible status for a women. Women have attained legal and moral equality, and increasing numbers of them are attaining university degrees and pursuing careers.
With the increase in the number of working women has come a decrease in the rate of births per family. The basic structure of the typical Italian family, which was once very large, is slowly changing. The institution of divorce, approved in 1972, liberalized family life. However, after an initial high rate of divorce due to the regularization of long-standing problems in family situations, the rate dropped rather conspicuously, leaving the impression that family ties still play an important role in Italian society. Italians receive one or more Christian names at birth.
However, only the first one is actually used, even on documents, except for the birth certificate which always bears all the names that were registered at the town hall at the person's birth.
As a general rule, a child's family name, or last name, is automatically the father's last name, even for children born out of wedlock.
Women who marry assume their husband's names and generally use only that name for social purposes. Legal documents, however, will show both names as follows: Maria Bianchi in Rossi, meaning that Bianchi is the maiden name and the in meaning "wife of." There are also cases in which a married woman may use either both names or only her maiden name. The latter is especially true if she is already known in a professional field by her maiden name.
In no case does an Italian woman use the first and last names of her husband, as an American might do in calling herself "Mrs. George Green," for example.
Although there are exceptions, widows generally keep their married names for all social purposes, but all legal documents will show both names as follows: Maria Bianchi vedova Rossi ("Maria Bianchi, widow [of ] Rossi").
Italians love to talk, but they also tend to be very patient with foreigners who have difficulty trying to speak their language. At such times, Italians can be wonderfully friendly.
Adults usually address each other as Signore (Mr.), Signora (Mrs.), or Signorina (Miss). They also use the word Signor in connection with a person's last name or in connection with a person's professional title, such as Dottore (Doctor), Professore (Professor), Avvocato (Lawyer), etc. The word Lei (you) is a formal usage which connotes respectfulness.
Addressing a person by his or her first name or by the word Tu (you) connotes familiarity, and such usages are limited to very close friends, family members, and children.
When addressing a waitress or a store attendant, Italians may use Signorina or Signora on the basis of the women's age rather than on her actual marital status.
Italians shake hands quite readily, not only when they are introduced, but also when they get together with old friends. They also tend to shake hands upon taking their leave. Sometimes, especially in a formal setting, a gentleman will greet a lady by kissing her hand.
Social relationships among Italians tend to be conducted on a formal basis for a longer period of time than Americans are accustomed to. Cordiality, long acquaintance, and even common interests do not diminish the number of niceties required by etiquette. Etiquette itself is not very different from what Americans are used to, but it is closely observed for a longer period of time.
Italians go out of their way to be helpful and courteous to foreigners. Courtesy dictates that you offer tips to porters, waiters, cabdrivers, bellboys, and others in service occupations. However, offering tips to others, simply because they have been kind enough to offer assistance, can be considered an insult.
Catholicism has an impact on every facet of public life. For example, in all public ceremonies there is always a representative of the Catholic clergy. The dedication ceremony for a public building always includes a blessing by a Catholic priest. In public schools only the Catholic religion is taught, although students are now free to choose to participate or not.
Not all Italian Catholics are practicing Catholics. Some go to church only on important holidays such as Christmas and Easter. It would appear that some Italians are Catholic more out of tradition than because of personal convictions. However, whether because of convictions or respect for tradition, most Italians marry in church, baptize their children in the Catholic ritual, receive First Communion, and are buried according to Catholic precepts. In recent years young people have displayed a new interest in religion, and more youngsters are seen in
church for Sunday mass, especially the less traditional mass during which more modern music is played and instruments other than the organ are used. Since the papacy of Pope Paul VI, the mass has been celebrated in Italian rather than Latin.
A religious phenomenon that takes place every Sunday in Rome is the gathering of thousands of people with a wide range of backgrounds and religious beliefs to receive the Pope's blessing in St. Peter's Square.
An
interesting tradition
is the festa
If you visit a church or cathedral, it is important to dress appropriately. Even though dress standards have relaxed somewhat, you will not be permitted to enter in shorts, T-shirts, or a dress that is considered immodest.
(photo
by Andrés Nieto Porras used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
Italians enjoy company, and they often spend their evenings entertaining.
Although there are differences of style between the American and the Italian ways of entertaining, none of these is so striking as to cause embarrassment. Those who notice these differences will usually find them interesting.
The
first thing
an American may
notice at
an Italian
party (even an informal
one) is that
it is less casual
than an American party. For
example, the buffet
dinner, which is
popular in the
Dress
for entertaining
at home is
also a bit more
formal than
in the
At a seated dinner, especially when there is more than one table, an Italian husband and his wife may be disappointed in being separated. They often expect to sit together, not only at the same table but also next to each other. This is not because they do not wish to mix, but because they draw a sense of security from each other, especially in a foreign environment where the language is often a barrier.
Table manners of American and Italians are also somewhat different. Italians use the knife in the right hand and do not pass the fork from the left hand to the right in order to eat. The main dish, meat and vegetables alike, is always eaten with the fork in the left hand while the knife is in the right hand. Neither hand is left on one's lap when not being used, but is kept resting on the table next to the plate.
The salad in an Italian dinner may be served with the main course or separately afterwards, but never as a first course.
Spaghetti is rolled on one's fork without the assistance of a spoon in the other hand.
Italians drink water and/or wine with their meals. For informal dinners, usually only one kind of wine is served. For more elaborate dinners (depending on the menu), both white and red wine may be served. One small but important detail to remember is that when pouring wine, Italians make sure that they pour it with the palm of the hand facing downward. Especially in the south, any other way of pouring wine may bring about ill feelings. Popular belief has it that persons condemned by the Mafia were warned of their impending death by being offered a drink poured with the palm of the hand facing upward.
Without the hostess's approval, guests do not smoke at the table until the end of the meal when coffee is served.
For very formal receptions or for a first invitation, guests do not usually bring presents in person. Instead, a plant or bouquet of cut flowers is usually sent a few hours in advance of the event. This gives the hostess a chance to set up the plant or flowers, thus adding a decoration to her house. If not sent before the event, it is also acceptable to send flowers the following day with a thank-you note. (Chrysanthemums are never offered to a hostess, not even on informal occasions, because they are generally associated with funerals.) On less formal occasions, a special bottle of wine or a box of chocolates is always a good gift, even though not obligatory.
Before a dinner, particularly a seated one, Italians offer a drink with tidbits such as olives, tiny crackers or pretzels, but not the cheeseballs, chips, vegetables with dips, or hot appetizers that Americans are accustomed to. Fancy cocktails are generally not served in Italian homes.
At a formal dinner, the guests do not compliment the hostess on the food, but rather on the interesting and pleasant company.
An invitation for dinner usually asks guests to arrive at 8 p.m. or later, and the meal may be served anywhere from half an hour to an hour after that.
(photo
by Giorgio Leggio used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
An inexpensive, family-run restaurant is called a trattoria or osteria. The word ristorante usually refers to a restaurant that is both more elegant and more expensive than a trattoria. The ristorante usually has a longer menu, a wine list, and a more formal atmosphere. Both the ristorante and the trattoria / osteria have a cover charge (coperto) for the tablecloth, the place setting, and the bread. It is usually the first item on the bill.
In Italian restaurants one may either be seated by the waiter or select one's own table, provided it is not reserved (riservato). When ordering a meal, one may order the complete meal at once or step-by-step, one course at a time.
It is important to realize that Italians consider any pasta dish (spaghetti, macaroni, noodles) as a beginning dish, very much like a soup, which does not constitute a meal in itself. When Italians simply want to sample some pasta, they ask for
half a
serving (mezza porzione).
In
Water and wine are served in pitchers or bottles, never in glasses. Butter is served only in formal restaurants, usually those frequented by Americans.
A service charge of 12 to 15 percent is added to the "service-included" (servizio compreso) bill. If the service was very good, it is customary to leave another 10 percent. A recent law has established that all restaurants must give patrons an itemized bill (ricevuta fiscale). The ricevuta is for the restaurant's bookkeeping. Patrons are required to show the ricevuta fiscale upon request to the tax inspectors who run spot checks at restaurant exits. If you do not have a receipt, both you and the restaurant could be fined.
Except for very exclusive restaurants or some of the more elegant hotel dining rooms, men are not required to wear ties or jackets, especially in the summer.
For the midday meal or when one is in a hurry, a tavola calda (cafeteria) or rosticceria (snack bar or carry out) is the best bet. Here one can find sandwiches, small pizzas, ready-made pasta dishes, beer, and soft drinks. Triangular-shaped tramezzini filled with chicken, salmon, mushrooms, and other delicacies are excellent sandwiches for a quick lunch. Also excellent are the suppli' (large rice croquettes filled with mozzarella cheese and bits of ground meat, chicken giblets, mushrooms, etc., and dipped in a batter of eggs and bread crumbs and deep fried in oil). Suppli' (probably from the French word for “surpriset” are also referred to as suppli' al filo or suppli' al telefono since, when eating them, the long strings of mozzarella cheese remind one of a telephone cord (filo).
In Italy, a pizzeria is a restaurant with a limited menu but a variety of pizzas. Pizzas, unlike those in the United States, are as large as dinner plates and are not served precut. Italian pizzas also have fewer toppings. Also be aware that pepperoni (the sausage) does not exist in Italy and should not be confused with peperoni, "peppers."
In
Italy a
bar is actually
what we would call
a café. It is an
institution that is
dear to the
hearts of modern
Italians. Italians who live
abroad miss it a
great deal. An
Italian may go
to a
bar alone or
with other people.
The bar is
used as a
place
to meet
friends before going
somewhere else for
the evening. In small
towns it
is a
place to spend
the evening watching
television. In smaller towns,
particularly in
During a normal day many Italians visit a bar several times. They go in the morning for espresso, the strong black coffee drawn from a machine and served hot in a small cup, or cappuccino, the same black brew served hot with cream in a glass. They go again just before lunch for an aperitivo, a cocktail to stimulate the appetite, or another espresso. After lunch they order another espresso. They're back again in the afternoon for more espresso, perhaps consumed with tramezzini. They return for a cocktail before supper and more espresso afterwards. It is always a brief, relaxing pause even though one often consumes drinks while standing at the counter instead of sitting at a table.
To order a cup of coffee or a drink, you order and pay at the cashier's desk (la cassa). Then the receipt (lo scontrino) is taken to the counter and the order is given to the bartender. An extra lire to the bartender ensures fast service. When one is served, it is customary to give a 50-lire tip or a bit more for a large party. Soft drinks are served without ice, but it may be requested if desired. In many cafés there is a rest room that may be used by either men or women.
Italian wines are many and varied. They differ markedly from the wines of other countries and from each other. While some Italian wines are produced from a single type of grape, many are made from a precisely specified variety of grapes.
Italy produces more wine than any other country in the world, more than two billion gallons per year, of which more than 280 million gallons are exported.
Italians generally feel that light wines go best with light foods, heavy wines go best with heavy foods, and sweet wines go best with dessert. Thus white wines, which are generally light, usually accompany fish and white meat. Red wines, which are usually stronger, are usually served with red meat.
Italians know that aging is not always a guarantee of superior quality in wines. It is, in fact, of negative value with white and light-bodied red wines.
Italians like to serve the white wines chilled and the red wines at room temperature.
(photo
by Fred used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
Many of the Italian cities long ago reached the limits to which they could extend their boundaries. As a result, housing development has been essentially vertical, and today most urban Italians live in apartments. It is estimated that about 60 percent of the urban dwellers own their own lodgings, and that about 40 percent rent. Forms of ownership include cooperatives (generally the owners are people who belong to the same professional field) and condominiums. The two have specific laws that regulate them. Public housing is found in most large cities, and the government rents apartments to low-income families.
Further urban development due to industrialization has given rise to vast housing complexes (usually in the form of apartment buildings on the outskirts of cities).
Apartments can range from one room and bathroom (called monolocale) to very large apartments with as many rooms and bathrooms as in American houses. Unfurnished apartments are very bare, with no light fixtures (not even light bulbs), no washer and dryer, no cabinets in kitchen and bathrooms, and no kitchen appliances. Few closets (no walk-in closets) are found, and then only in the more modern buildings.
Italians still shop for groceries several times a week, preferring fresh vegetables and nonfrozen foods. Italian kitchens are not very large, and Italian kitchen appliances are small compared to American ones.
Many Italians who live in cities feel the need to spend their vacations at the seashore, in the mountains, or in the countryside. Wealthy families, and even many middle-class families, own vacation homes. Often families of peasant origin, attracted to the cities by industry, retain ties with their town of origin by owning a piece of property there.
Culture and music form a most important part of Ita1ian 1ife, and there are countless official and unofficial theaters and concert halls in every major city. Although most of them are closed in the summer, many open-air performances take place at that time.
In theaters, curtain time is 9:15 or 9:30 p.m. Matinees are generally on Thursdays and Sundays at 5 p.m. and cost less than evening performances. Most theaters close one night a week, usually on Monday. Opening night at the theater is an elegant event.
For seating purposes, the theater is divided into the following sections: upper balcony (loggione), balcony (galleria), upper dress circle (seconda galleria), balcony dress circle (prima galleria), box (palco), orchestra (platea), stall (poltrone), and front stall (poltronissime). The usher is referred to as la maschera and is generally tipped.
Programs and refreshments can usually be bought in the lobby during intermission (intervallo).
In large cities there are a few English language theaters.
Opera
and Ballet
The official opera and ballet season runs from November to May. In the summer months, open-air operas are performed in some cities, as, for example, in Rome, Florence, and Verona.
Tickets are obtainable from the box office (botteghino). Prices differ for opening-night performances, regular performances, and matinees (Saturdays and Sundays).
Movies
Very few movie theaters show movies in their original language (versione originale). Most movies are dubbed (doppiati) in Ita1ian.
Tickets cannot be bought in advance, but usually there is no 1ine outside theaters. Schedules are posted for the start of a movie, but you can enter the theater at any time. Movies generally run continuously. The usher (maschera) is generally tipped from 500 to 1,000 lire depending on the number of people in your party.
In the larger Italian cities, there are different categories (visioni) of movie theaters.· There are those that show first-run features (prima visione), those that show second run features (seconda visione), and others.
Sale parrochiali are small movie theaters attached to churches, often serving local groups of people. The Cineclub shows classic or avant-garde movies.
Films
are classified
as follows:
|
brillante |
light comedy |
|
comico |
comical |
|
commedia |
comedy |
|
(a episodi)
|
(short stories) |
|
documentario |
documentary |
|
drammatico |
dramatic |
|
fantascienza |
science fiction |
|
fantastico |
fantasy |
|
grottesco |
grotesque |
|
musicale |
musical |
|
thriller/giallo |
mystery |
In addition, certain films are marked as vietato/proibito ai minori, "minors not allowed," or vietato/proibito ai minori di 18 anni, "below 18 not allowed."
Theater-Shows
Large cities offer a form of entertainment called the teatro cabaret. These entertainments are offered in small halls or theaters. Avant-garde in style, they are mostly dedicated to political and social satire. Sometimes spectators may have dinner or drinks during the show.
Nightclubs
and Discotheques
The traditional nightclub (locale notturno) belongs to the past, even if a few still offer to a nostalgic public the thrill of a live band. What has taken the place of the nightclub is the discotheque (discoteca). Discotheques are either public or private (for members only) and have disc jockeys who select the music. It is not unusual for men or women without dates to get on the dance floor singly or in pairs and rearrange into male-female couples during the dance.
Television
The three major television stations (Rate l, Rate 2, Rate 3) are owned and operated by the RAI (Radio Televisione Italiana), a government entity which, up to a few years ago, had a monopoly on both television and radio communications. Now a number of private stations transmit programs that are often of uneven quality.
Furthermore, in some Italian cities it is possible to receive telecasts (trasmissioni) in French from France, in French or Italian from Switzerland and Monaco (Monte Carlo), and in other languages from other countries in Europe.
Except for diplomatic personnel, all residents of Italy, both Italian and foreign, have to pay a single subscription fee (canone) to the RAI TV corporation for the use of one or more television sets. The amount of this tax changes depending on whether the set is in color or black and white. The canone is payable in a lump sum or in two yearly installments.
The
national sport
in
In
1982 the
Italian National Soccer team
won the coveted
World Soccer Championship in Madrid.
This was the
third time
that
Another popular Italian sport is bicycle-racing, both on roads and on racing tracks. The most popular race is the Giro d'Italia, which lasts 21 days. Contestants crisscross the country in every direction, often climbing difficult mountain passes.
In recent years, more emphasis has been put on the physical benefits that are derived from sports and, as a result, many parents enroll their children either in private sport clubs or in C.O.N.I. (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano). C.O.N.I. provides the facilities and equipment for hundreds of clubs and organizations and trains athletes in 32 different sports. Its prices are moderate and it has a very large membership.
Unlike those in the United States, Italian schools and universities do not place much emphasis on sports, partly because of a shortage or lack of facilities and partly because Italians prefer to practice sports more on an individual basis than on a team basis. On an individual basis, however, it is possible to practice a complete variety of sports at prices that range from reasonable to expensive.
(photo
by Monica Kelly used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
