Speak the Culture: Italy: Be Fluent in Italian Life and Culture

320 Pages·2010·34.04 MB·English

by  Andrew Whittaker

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Speak the Culture Italy
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BE FLUENT IN ITALIAN LIFE AND CULTURE C
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Speak the Culture: Italy reveals the cultural forces tu
and figures that have shaped Italy and the Italians. r
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The Italian character is complex, Contents

contradictory, alluring and infinitely 1 Identity: the foundations
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variable: the heirs to the greatest of Italian culture t
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empire of the Ancient world but 2 Literature and l
philosophy y
supposedly ungovernable; the
3 Art, architecture
guardians of the Catholic Church
and design
and exemplars of la dolce vita; the B
4 Music, theatre, dance E
Speak the Culture France maestros of modern design, so and comedy F
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F immersed in tradition. 5 Cinema and fashion U
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6 Media and
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Verdi, Fellini – who were they and 8 Living culture: the state A
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what made them so special, so of modern Italy IA
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Italian? Easily read and beautifully L
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Speak the Culture Spain illustrated, Speak the Culture: Italy FE
E makes sense of it all. AN HISTORY, SOCIETY AND LIFESTYLE • LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
D ART AND ARCHITECTURE • CINEMA AND FASHION
Culture made so real you can read it, see C
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HISMTUOSRIYC,A ASRONT CDAI ENDTDRYA A MARNACD H •ILT I EFFCOETSOUTDYR ALEE N •D • CD LIRNIITNEEMKR AA •T AU MNRDEED AFIANAS DAH NPIOHDNI LSOPSOORPTHY it, taste it, hear it, eat it, drink it, feel it, LT MUSIC AND DRAMA • FOOD AND DRINK • MEDIA AND SPORT
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£16.99
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Speak the Culture Italy

Speak the Culture Italy
I
BE FLUENT IN ITALIAN LIFE AND CULTURE
HISTORY, SOCIETY AND LIFESTYLE • LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
ART AND ARCHITECTURE • CINEMA AND FASHION
MUSIC AND DRAMA • FOOD AND DRINK • MEDIA AND SPORT
www.thorogoodpublishing.co.uk www.speaktheculture.co.uk
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© 2010
to the condition that it shall acting or refraining from
Thorogood Publishing Ltd
not, by way of trade or action as a result of any A CIP catalogue record for
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ISBN: 1 85418 628 0 / 978-
185418628-7
Publisher Editor in chief Design & illustration Acknowledgements
Neil Thomas Andrew Whittaker Phylip Harries Special thanks to:
Editorial Director Additional editorial Richard Grosse Denise Bianchini
Angela Spall contributors falconburydesign.co.uk John and Pauline Davis
Lisa Kramer Taruschio Johnny Bull Matt Rendell,
David Banks plumpState Mariella Scarlett
Johnny Bull plumpstate.com Carlo Presenti at the
Amy Wilson Thomas iStockphoto Italian Cultural Institute
Patrick Carpenter
Jonathan Schofield Printed in the UK by
Ashford Colour Press
Rome, as seen from
Castel Sant’ Angelo
Contents
3. Art, architecture
and design p87
3.1 Art and design p89
3.1.1 The eternal
template: Ancient Italian
art p90
3.1.2 Killing time ’til
Giotto arrives: medieval
art p93
1. Identity: the 3.1.3 Master strokes:
foundations of the Renaissance in Italian
Italian culture p3 art p98 4. Music, theatre,
3.1.4 Back to reality: dance and comedy
2. Literature and
1.1 Geography p5 the power of Baroque p137
philosophy p53
1.1.1 Italy: where is it p107
4.1 Music p139
and what does it look 2.1 Literature p55 3.1.5 To the avant-
like? p6 2.1.1 A book shy nation garde and back: modern 4tr.a1.d1i tTiohne: sItoaulinadn sf oolkf
1.1.2 Local colour: the p56 Italian art p110 music p140
Italian regioni p9 2.1.2 Classically 3.1.6 Style and 4.1.2 Life in opera’s
1.2 History p19 trained: the Roman substance: modern shadow: classical music
1.2.1 Did you know we authors p58 Italian design p113 p143
used to rule the world? 2.1.3 The Three 3.2 Architecture p117 4.1.3 Italian by design:
Ancient Italy p20 Crowns of the early 3.2.1 Built to last: opera p148
1.2.2 From the Dark Renaissance p61 Ancient architecture p118
4.1.4 Rock, pop, rap,
Ages into the light p26 2.1.4 The anti-climax of 3.2.2 Classical hip hop, dance and the
1.2.3 United in name the High Renaissance leanings: the medieval rest… p154
at least: the making of p65 builds p121
4.2 Theatre, dance and
modern Italy p33 2.1.5 Telling it like it is: 3.2.3 Designing comedy p161
1.3 Language and literature in the modern harmony: Renaissance
4.2.1 Dramatis
belonging p43 era p68 architecture p124
personae: the key figures
1.3.1 Speech patterns: 2.2 Philosophy p79 3.2.4 The high drama of of Italian theatre p162
language in Italy p44 2.2.1 The greatest hits Baroque p128 4.2.2 Italy on the
1.3.2 Being Italian: of Italian philosophy 3.2.5 In the shadow dancefloor p169
identity and psyche p48 p80 of greatness: modern
4.2.3 Laughing matter:
Italian architecture p131
Italian comedy p173
8. Living culture:
the state of modern
Italy p271
6. Media and
communications 7. Food and drink 8.1 Upsetting the old
p209 p233 order: class, race, family
and women p274
5. Cinema and 6.1 Media p211 7.1 Food p235 8.2 Issues of faith:
fashion p177 6.1.1 Best of the 7.1.1 Home advantage: religion in Italy p278
press: newspapers and the culture of Italian food 8.3 Rule benders:
5.1 Cinema p179 magazines p212 p236 politics, the Italian state
5.1.1 The importance of 6.1.2 Thinking inside 7.1.2 Regional tastes: and green issues p282
Italian cinema p180 the box: Italian television the flavours of Italy p238 8.4 Money matters: the
5.1.2 Epic tastes: from p217 7.1.3 Food rituals: eating economy, wealth and
silent classics to noisy 6.1.3 Radio: an Italian and buying p246 social security p288
propaganda p182
passion p220 7.2 Drink p253 8.5 Law and order: the
5.1.3 Grit and 6.1.4 New media: Italy 7.2.1 The culture of police, the Mafia and the
determination: online p222 Italian wine p254 legal system p292
Neorealist cinema p186
6.2 Communications 7.2.2 The Italian wine 8.6 Class struggles: the
5.1.4 The golden age of p225 regions p257 education system p297
Italian cinema p188
6.2.1 Staying in touch: 7.2.3 Thirst for 8.7 Time out: holidays,
5.1.5 The era of false sending letters and knowledge: beyond festivals and free time
dawns: modern Italian making calls p226 wine p264 p300
cinema p195
6.2.2 Italy on the move: 7.2.4 Drinking habits: 8.8 Passion plays:
5.2 Fashion p201 transport types and habits when and where to Italian sport p303
5.2.1 Made in Italy p202 p228 indulge p268