Main article: Culture of Italy

The city of Venice, built on 117 islands. Italy did not exist as a state until the country's unification in 1861. Due to this comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the regions that comprise theItalian Peninsula, many traditions and customs that are now recognized as distinctly Italian can be identified by their regions of origin. Despite the political and social distinction of these regions, Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe and the world remain immense. Italy is home to the greatest number ofUNESCO World Heritage Sites (44) to date, and has rich collections of world art, culture and literature from many different periods. Italy has had a broad cultural influence worldwide, also because numerous Italians emigrated to other countries during the Italian diaspora. Italy has, overall, an estimated 100,000 monuments of any sort (museums, palaces, buildings, statues, churches, art galleries, villas, fountains, historic houses and archaeological remains).[167]

Italy is largely homogeneous linguistically and religiously but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the fifth-highest population density in Europe--about 200 persons per square kilometer (about 500 per sq. mi.). Minority groups are small, the largest being the German-speaking people of Bolzano Province and the Slovenes around Trieste. There are also small communities of Albanian, Greek, Ladino, and French origin. Immigration has increased in recent years, however, while the Italian population is declining overall due to low birth rates. Although Roman Catholicism is the majority religion--85% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic--all religious faiths are provided equal freedom before the law by the constitution.

Greeks settled in the southern tip of the Italian Peninsula in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.; Etruscans, Romans, and others inhabited the central and northern mainland. The peninsula subsequently was unified under the Roman Republic. The neighboring islands came under Roman control by the third century B.C.; by the first century A.D., the Roman Empire effectively dominated the Mediterranean world. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West in the fifth century A.D., the peninsula and islands were subjected to a series of invasions, and political unity was lost. Italy became an oft-changing succession of small states, principalities, and kingdoms, which fought among themselves and were subject to ambitions of foreign powers. Popes of Rome ruled central Italy; rivalries between the popes and the Holy Roman Emperors, who claimed Italy as their domain, often made the peninsula a battleground. The commercial prosperity of northern and central Italian cities, beginning in the 11th century, combined with the influence of the Renaissance, mitigated somewhat the effects of these medieval political rivalries. Although Italy declined after the 16th century, the Renaissance had strengthened the idea of a single Italian nationality. By the early 19th century, a nationalist movement developed and led to the reunification of Italy--except for Rome--in the 1860s. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy was proclaimed King of Italy. Rome was incorporated in 1870. From 1870 until 1922, Italy was a constitutional monarchy with a parliament elected under limited suffrage.

It's not unusual to visit a new place on holiday, like it and dream about living there. You may even plan to return there for your next year's holiday. But sometimes a country takes a hold of you. You not only dream about it - you read about it, listen to its music, learn its language, eat its food - you find yourself living and breathing it and you're desperate to get back there. Italian culture and traditions can be like that. One day you're enjoying the culture of Italy on holiday, the next you're back home, wondering how you can become an Italian citizen. And although it might not be possible to do that legally, it's not hard to adopt Italian culture into your everyday life. That's what happened to us. One moment we were in Rome on holiday, the next we had bought a home in the hills of Le Marche and wanted the whole of our lives to be Italian-themed. It's not taken long. We're now bona fide residents of a tiny Italian village and consider ourselves more Italian than English.

Here's our list of ten fun ways that made us realise we'd really adopted Italian culture and traditions into our lives. Recognise yourself in at least five of them? Watch out - you're well on your way to becoming a true Italophile! You know you are Italian when... 1. You stop drinking cappuccino after 10.30 in the morning. 2. Your pride and joy is no longer your kettle, but your Gaggia coffee machine. 3. A flock of goats complete with goatherd appears in your garden and you don't think anything of it. 4. You find yourself downloading the Italian national anthem to your i-pod. 5. Your bidet has become an essential household item. 6. You walk arm in arm with your women friends round the local clothes market - sixteen times. 7. A man wanders through your land armed with a shotgun and accompanied by a large dog, and you offer him an early morning espresso. 8. There's a pasta machine all floury with use on your kitchen work-surface. 9. You go to buy a train ticket in the UK and realise the man's looking at you blankly because you asked for it in Italian. 10. Your partner offers to buy you a pair of Jimmy Choo's and you tell him you'd rather have a Vespa. Cath Andrews visited Italy several years ago and knew she had come home. She has since married in Rome and bought a home in rural Italy. A dedicated Italophile, she is currently writing a website about Italian culture. For more detailed information about Italy and Italian culture, have a look at Cath's website at: http://www.explore-italian-culture.com.

fusilli 16.Aug.2004 - 13:55 hrs This is really funny. And work safe! Italy vs. Europe margret 16.Aug.2004 - 16:47 hrs In Milan, traffic is like a choreographed ballet. Vespa and bike riders alike use the sidewalk, and by merely exchanging quick looks, everybody knows how to negotiate the space shared. Same with traffic lights. Pedestrians go whenever there is a brake in traffic, but insist on *their* rights when they have green light. Resilient very elegant ladies shoo away impertinent Vespa riders with their Prada shopping bags.

All this to the backdrop of casual Lombardian architectural urban elegance. It is there that I understood how car models correspond to architecture: BMWs looked grossly out of place, Renaults and Fiats and Lancias blended with the ambience and magic of the place. Weird. Innit? Margret isaak 16.Aug.2004 - 17:43 hrs Nice find fusilli, it resumes well my experience with Italy. They just forgot a section on the ab-muscle infomercials that run on 99% of every channel 99% of every day. They also forgot the vigilantes. Well, that's what I call them. Those suicidal scooter drivers along the Italian riviera that cut you off from every angle. bludger 15.Nov.2004 - 12:44 hrs Just found this nice little flash cartoon: Italy vs. Europe It seems to have been made by Italians, so don't be offended. This reminds me of the old European Heaven and Hell joke. Heaven is where: - the British are the policemen - the French are the cooks - the Germans make the cars - the Italians are the lovers - and the Swiss organise everything Hell is where: - the British are the cooks - the French make the cars - the Germans are the policemen - the Swiss are the lovers - and the Italians organise everything Topics merged by admin maddul 15.Nov.2004 - 13:07 hrs Very old one but SO SO TRUE.

eurovol 15.Nov.2004 - 16:38 hrs Classic, simply classic. Mbangura 18.Nov.2004 - 07:35 hrs Love it, can't wait to show it to my Italian employer. Arwen 18.Nov.2004 - 08:52 hrs That is really cool. And so true sometimes! Streeme 1.Feb.2007 - 10:20 hrs Here you are, a link forwarded by a Canadian relative of mine. Have fun! Topics merged by admin Jules Winnfield 1.Feb.2007 - 10:21 hrs Not bad. That thing is really old though. You are viewing a low fidelity version of this page. Click to view the full page.

Mamma mia!: Saint or Sinner? The Italian mamma embodies all the paradoxes of Italian life. A beacon of selfsacrifice, she always gets her own way. An apparent martyr to her family's needs, she commands the same family without question. She is able to make life both easy and incredibly difficult. It's no wonder that "Mamma mia" is the most used phrase in the Italian language! Italian Mothers: The ultimate home-maker. Far more than in America or the UK, Italian mothers in the twenty-first century tend to be home-makers while their husbands go out to work. A recent survey showed that it's quite acceptable in Italian family traditions for the average young son in Italy to spend around fifteen minutes a day with his father but several hours with his mother. It's not surprising, then, that he learns to take every cue from her: how to dress, where to go, what to eat, who to see. And such is the attachment

formed in childhood that it continues into adult life: one in three married adult sons sees his mother every single day, and seven out of ten unmarried men still live with their mother at the age of thirty-five. Italian 'mothers' boys': The Growth of the 'Mammoni'. In other countries that would make them the object of jokes and derision. Not so in Italy. Here, there's nothing strange about men wanting to stay with their mothers for as long as they can - even when they have married - and it's applauded as the right thing to do. The average age for an Italian man to marry is thirty - one of the highest recorded in United Nations statistics. And that's given rise to a growth of what have become known as 'Mammoni' men who are still tied to their mother's apron strings. A recent story in a Roman e-magazine told of an Italian lawyer in his thirties, a prominent and very powerful figure in an intensely male and competitive world. Recently married and with a baby due, he still takes his dirty washing to be done by his mother who also irons his shirts, buys his underpants and gives him food to take home in case his new wife can't cook... Is this the archetypal Italian mother stereotype? Perhaps. But it's having a very real effect on Italian marriages. Italian Mothers and Marriage. For a shocking three out of ten Italian marriages is now failing specifically because of the unusually close attachment of men to their mothers. Psychologists conclude that boys in Italy being indulged by their Italian mothers well into adulthood makes them too emotionally immature to deal with the demands of a relationship with another adult woman in the shape of a wife: "The husband is used to being adored and when he doesn't get that unconditional love from his wife, he goes running back to his mother." Italian Marriage: Does it have a future? Perhaps that's why recent United Nations statistics have shown that the marriage rate in Italy is now at its lowest ever ebb: Italy is twenty-third out of twenty-seven countries (the United States being at the top of the table) in terms of how many people per head of population are marrying per year. Will this trend continue? As with many things Italian, there are regional differences: the south of the county is still a more patriarchal society than the

north, the cities are more accepting of women and men having equal rights and responsibilities - than rural districts. So does Italian marriage have a future? That will largely depend on the new generation of men in Italy and the ability of the younger generation of women to change a mindset that has existed for generations. Cath Andrews lives in Italy, was married in Rome and visits the city regularly. A dedicated Italophile, she is currently writing a website about Italian culture. For more detailed information about Italy have a look at Cath's website at: http://www.explore-italian-culture.com. Have you got an Italian Mamma? Do you think she's wonderful? Would you like to celebrate Mother's Day with a story about her? Tell the world about her at http://www.explore-italian-culture.com/italianmothers.html. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cath_Andrews

alian Culture/About Italian symbols Advertisement Expert: roberta barazza - 2/4/2006 Question Hello Roberta, I actually had a question about italian symbols. I want to get a tattoo and have been trying to look into really meaningful symbols in italy. Aside from the italian horn i haven't been very successful. I am very proud of my italian heritage and would like a tattoo that will reflect that and in stumbling across your web page and seeing your expertise in the italian culture i would really appreciate any ideas that you may have. Thank you so much for your time, and i can't wait to hear from you! sincerely, Maria Tamburrino Get the answer below Sponsored Links Wine Spectator magazineDirect from Publisher. 2 trial issues. Free gift.www.WineSpectator.com Italian MarblePure marble from Garfagnana extraction from owned quarrieswww.gbcmarmi.com

Wine Gifts to ItalyWine gift to Italy and World Wide. Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation..www.wine66.com 23 DegreesExclusive Italian Bathrooms from THE official UK Dealerswww.23degrees.co.uk Answer Hallo Maria, I can tell you some symbols then go to www.google.com and put in 'search' words like 'italian symbols ' and you will find some more and above all with pictures. Symbols of Italy can be arlecchino , a mask full of different colours representing the italian creativity but also maybe the fact that italians were 'servants', that is under foreign dominion, as arlecchino is a servant sometimes of 'two lords'; the three-colour flag; the boot as the italian peninsula has the shape of a boot and Italy is also called Lo stivale; an important monument like Colosseum in Rome; or other monuments maybe what you prefer like Venere di Botticelli, Mona Lisa by Leonardo, Davide by Michelangelo ; or a gondola of Venice or the tower of Pisa. or also some Italian very famous product like Ferrari car, or pizza or cappuccino. ciao Roberta View Follow-Ups Add to this Answer Ask a Question Related Articles Sandro Botticelli Bio - Italian Renaissance Painter Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi The Complete Idiot's Guide to Italian History and Culture Italian Language Learning Exchange Italian Culture - Italian Traditions - Italian Heritage Italian Language GuideSite - Past Issues of Weekly Features - 2001 Features

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Home > New Posting > Cultural Etiquette Italy The People Cultural achievement is Italy's greatest source of pride. Inventiveness, imagination, intelligence and education are prized. Personal relations are scrupulously maintained with loyalty highly valued, especially in families. The family is the most important affiliation in Italy. Meeting and Greeting

When being introduced during a business or social meeting, shake hands with everyone present -- men, women and children. Shake hands again when leaving. Ladies should extend their hand first to men. Friends may greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks.

Names and Titles

Use last names and appropriate titles until specifically invited by your Italian host or colleagues to use their first names. Females almost always use their maiden name, especially in business and on legal documents. They generally use their married names or a combination of their marrie names and maiden names outside of business.

Body Language

Maintain eye contact while talking. Otherwise Italians might think you are hiding something. To beckon a waiter or waitress raise your index finger and make eye contact. Italians are known for using the most body language of all European nations.

Corporate Culture

Italians take punctuality for business meetings very seriously and expect that you w do likewise; call with an explanation if you are delayed. Deliberate lateness in busine is viewed as sloppy. Business cards are used only in business, not socially, unless requested. Business cards are exchanged only at the first meeting and should be handed to recipients, not tossed at them. Do not give a business card to the same person more than once.

Present a business card to each person attending a meeting. When receiving a business card, look at the name and title carefully, then set it on th table in front of you or in your briefcase. English is quite common in business, but check ahead of time to find out if an interpreter is necessary. Generally, business discussions begin after a few minutes of small talk. Establish personal relationships with Italians. Italians like to deal with people they kn and trust. They also tend to believe that work should not be a burden or taken too seriously. Relationships must be profitable and mutually beneficial to gain total cooperation. Pragmatism and talent for improvisation are considered keys to success. Protocol, ru and organization are often ignored. Negotiations usually take time and patience. Dont rush them. Italians may misinterpret this as a weakness. Italian companies are fast to identify and exploit a niche without doing an in-depth study. Strategic plans are rarely written and are never long term. Meeting style is unstructured and informal. Formal presentations are not common. Business decisions are often made and agreed to privately before meetings. The purpose of a meeting is often to evaluate the mood, sense support and test water -not to make decisions. Meetings may be staged to exhibit eloquence, personality and status. Decisions that are made and agreed to may never be implemented. Do not call an Italian business person at home unless it is an emergency.

Dining and Entertainment

Business entertainment is generally done at lunch or dinner in a restaurant. Dinner entertainment is more of a social occasion to get to know people. Business discussions are usually very limited. If you invite, you pay for the meal. Business may be discussed at a breakfast meeting, but it is not common. Cocktails are not common in Italy. Drinking without eating is rare. Hard drinking is unusual and not appreciated. Even mild intoxication is considered ill-mannered. Women drink very little in Italy. At formal occasions, women generally do not propose toasts. Italians do not use bread plates. Break bread and place it next to your plate on the table. Ask for your check when you are finished eating. It may not be brought to you until y ask. Do not leave the table until everyone is finished. Roll pasta with your fork on the sides of your pasta plate. Dont roll pasta on your spoon. Keep both hands above the table during dinner -- never on your lap. Do not put your

elbows on the table. Use your knife (not your fingers) to pick up pieces of cheese to put them on your bre or cracker. Eat fruit with a fruit knife and fork, except for grapes and cherries. When finished eating, place knife and fork (tines up) side by side on the plate at the 5:25 position. The fork should be on the left and the knife should be on the right with the blade of the knife facing the fork. Keep your wineglass almost full if you don't want a refill. Burping is considered extremely vulgar. When invited to a home, guests arrive 15 to 30 minutes after the stated time. Allow hostess to begin eating before guests. Wait for hostess to offer second helping. Italians are proud of their homes and love to give tours. Feel free to ask for a tour wh invited into someone's home.

Dress

Italy is a major center of European fashion. Italians are chic. Even people in small towns spend a great deal of money on their wardrobes and dress well at all times. Dress elegantly but conservatively. Jackets and ties are required in better restaurants. Old, torn, dirty clothing are seldom seen and not appreciated. Men and women dress conservatively and formally for business (men: suits and ties; women: dresses or suits). Women should wear feminine clothing.

Gifts

Italians are very generous gift givers. You may be very embarrassed if you give a "cheap" or practical gift. Gifts should be beautifully wrapped. Gifts are opened in front of the giver when received. Gifts are generally not exchanged at initial business meetings, however, having a gi in your briefcase in case your Italian hosts give you one is recommended. Gifts may be exchanged at the end of negotiations, but not necessarily. High quality liquor, gifts with company logos, desk accessories, music and books are appreciated. When invited to someone's home, always bring a small gift for the host or hostess. Send flowers or a gift to the host's home the day of or the day after a party. Give chocolates, flowers (an uneven number) and pastries. Chrysanthemums are a symbol of death, red roses are symbols of love or passion. Dont give knives or scissors, which are considered bad luck. Do not wrap a gift in black with gold ribbon, which symbolizes mourning.

Helpful Hints

Italians are open, curious and tolerant of others uniqueness and manners. They will tolerate lateness, inefficiency and sincere mistakes, but dislike arrogance and rudeness. Italians enjoy a lot of good humor and can be self-deprecating. Send a thank you note after being entertained or given a gift. Stand when an older person enters the room. Give attention to or bring a small gift for children. Cover your mouth if you must yawn, but try not to yawn. Men should always remove their hats when entering a building. Dont remove your shoes in public. Refrain from asking personal questions.

Especially for Women

Foreign women can do business without great difficulty in Italy. Being a woman may even be considered an advantage in some circumstances. Only 38% of Italian women under 65 are in the labor market -- one of the lowest percentages in Western Europe. Few Italian women hold managerial positions. The Italians are generally not inhibited when interacting with the opposite sex. Flirtation is part of the spirit of life in Italy.
Do not pour wine if you are a guest. This is considered "unfeminine" by Italians.

Walk down the street of any Italian town today and you might think you've wandered onto the set of a Fellini movie. People everywhere seem to be mumbling to themselves while gesticulating wildly. If you get closer to them, though, you'll notice that they're punctuating a conversation on theirtelefonini with hand gestures. Mobile telephones are ubiquitous in Italy today, and all those animated discussions are proof positive that Italians express themselves with their hands even while speaking on the phone. Listening With Your Eyes Hand signals are a language onto themselves; for instance, commodities brokers on the floor of the stock exchange have a highly codified set of hand signals to communicate. In sports, referees, players, and managers all have their own non-verbal way of talking to each other, whether it's signaling a penalty in soccer, motioning to a teammate, or repositioning a player. There are even organizations such as the Center For Nonverbal Studies that apply scientific study to nonverbal communication, which includes body movements, gestures, and facial expressions. Italians use body language and hand gestures to punctuate an expression and give it a shading that the word or phrase itself lacks. Non-native speakers of

Italian often find talking on the telephone to be the most challenging linguistic task. One reason is that you cannot read lips, which many people do subconsciously (and makes dubbed movies such as La Vita Bella difficult to watch). But the absence of body language and hand gestures confounds the communication gap. We watch people motion with their hands, and we parse out what they mean. Signal Your Intentions The About.com Italian Language guide to Italian hand gestures has some of the more common gestures that are recognized in the country. Be aware that, like dialects, certain hand signals can mean different things within different regionsand can have completely different interpretations in other cultures. Practice these gestures on your Italian friends first to be sure you've got the right movement, otherwise a potentially embarrassing situation could develop.

Someone commented on the article 'How To Know If You Are Pregnant - The 18 First Signs Of Pregnancy' Font size: A A A Give High 5 (0) Printer Friendly Report Home Categories Business Business Development Non-Verbal Communication in a Cultural Context Non-Verbal Communication in a Cultural Context Posted: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 by Cathy Wellings Communicaid Summary

Communication requires interacting with people effectively. Communication both verbal and non-verbal - is delivered after the application of many filters such as age, status, situation, subject, level of interest of the listener, nature of the relationship between the receiver and the speaker and so on. This has considerable impact on the meaning of the original message. Non-verbal communication relating to how something is said is more important than verbal communication signifying what is said. To interact successfully through non-verbal communication, understanding the context of the culture in which the message is delivered should be your priority.

Non-Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication reveals facets of personality through different messages that are communicated when facing another person. These include touching, standing at various distances and in varied stances. These nonverbal signals have some five times the impact of verbal communication. When you operate in another locale, you are likely to encounter significant change in patterns of non-verbal communication in addition of course to linguistic barriers. By learning other cultures and their associated communication patterns, you will find it far easier to adapt to the new environment. As an example in Spain and Italy, if the thumb points to the mouth it means lets have a drink, whilst in China this is the sign for the number 6. Body Posture The movements of your body symbolise your attitudes and feelings. We use body language along with verbal communication to reinforce and add clarity and meaning to the message being conveyed. Body language involves gestures with hands and arms, facial expressions, eye contact and much more. As an example in the UK, a hand over heart gesture is used as a sign of respect towards flags, when singing the national anthem and in other situations requiring a demonstration of respect. In the US, it is used specifically as a part of the pledge of allegiance. It may also indicate shock or hurt. Facial Expressions More of the principal messages of non-verbal communication are conveyed by the face than by any other means. Facial expressions demonstrate feelings of friendliness, happiness, warmth, hatred and more. A close look at your colleagues face will allow you to identify the difference between true emotions and pretence. In the Philippines, the Filipinos usually greet one another with an eyebrow flash which is merely a quick lifting of the eyebrows. This would have no effect in the US where a firm handshake is expected. Eye Movement Direct eye contact helps with effective communication. It regulates the coherence of communication and indicates the degree of enthusiasm with which the verbal message is being received. In most cultures, people who use eye contact are viewed as confident. In Australia listeners are taught to focus on the speakers eyes for effective communication whilst in India this will be determined by the genders involved: there it is not considered appropriate for a man to focus on the eyes of a female colleague during a conversation.

Appearance Communication is also affected by a variety of aspects related to appearance such as clothes and accessories. These convey signals relating to the context including formal and informal, status and individuality. In Islam, Muslim women are expected to covered in their entirety including the face, except for their eyes, while in Western countries most women, even in a business context, will wear somewhat more revealing attire. Proxemic rules Proxemics cover the way in which people position themselves in relation to another person during a discussion. Proxemics is important in business communication: people express their level of intimacy and trust towards a person through the distance that is chosen. The average personal distance varies from one culture to another. Americans tend to require more personal space: if you try to get too close to an American during a conversation, they tend to back away. Latin Americans, in contrast, demonstrate greater physical closeness during communication. Understanding Non-Verbal Communication Misunderstandings can be avoided or rapidly corrected if people have the ability to correctly interpret non-verbal communication. It is all too easy to irritate others unintentionally, if you are not aware of their standard nonverbal behaviours:

Listen to the communication carefully and observe the non-verbal behaviours. Every gesture will convey some message.

I recently got back from Italy for work purposes. Not much touring was done, but several stereotypes were done away with.
Stereotype Italians eat pasta everyday. : Veracity: TRUE mostly

Observatio Italians do eat pasta everyday, sometimes twice a day depending on ns: the phase of the moon and the direction of the wind. Unless its risotto. And comparing these foods to the strand shaped sludge of the same name in China is like peeing into a hurricane.

Stereotype The roads are just like spaghetti, with nothing but Lamborghinis, : Ferraris and Maseratis whipping around at300KM/h. Veracity: FALSE mostly

Observatio I only saw one Maserati, and it was stationary. Italians do however ns: have an affinity for hatchbacks and station wagons. They make these things go much faster than your 70s era woody wagon, and take diesel turbocharging to the theoretical limit. 200+ on long stretches of highway was common.

Stereotype There is an amazing coffee culture, exemplified by Starbucks. : Veracity: FALSE, but the coffee is still GOOD

Observatio Starbucks is NOTHING like Italian coffee. The fact that the place is ns: somehow based on Italian coffee culture is akin to Nazism being based on the Carebears. Italian coffee ISespresso, but no one calls it that, they just call it coffee. People dont lounge around and sip on it, they cruise into a coffee bar, order it, talk about last nights soccer match, take it back in one shot and theyre out, cruising around in their turbo diesel wagon through the countryside at 200.

Stereotype Pizza was invented in Italy. : Veracity: WHO THE FUCK KNOWS?

Observatio While many sources indicate to modern pizza being developed ns: in NYC by Italian immigrants, the Pizza in Italy may as well be the same thing, in fact, you could even say that Italian Pizza exists of some kind of 4th dimensional plane where it is actually NYC pizza and NYC pizza is actually Italian pizza. An infinite number of super fresh ingredients are always available, and versions from ultra thin crust to pizza pie are easily acquired at prices that make me sad that the only thing available in QD is made by people who wouldnt know what pizza was if they made sweet love to it in the back of a Ford

Taurus. Wagon.

Stereotype Italian people are fashionable. : Veracity: TRUE

Observatio Indeed. No sequins, rhinestones, acid wash or flowers embroidered ns: into the jeans here. No dresses that look like garbage bags either. I once remember reading a Japanese (of course) fashion magazine that ONLY featured trendy middle-aged pimps from Italy. It was exactly like that everywhere you went. I guess I shoulda brought more than just grey track suits, nickelback t-shirts and purple crocs eh!?!

Stereotype: Italian people often say: mamma mia! va fan culo! and thatsa spicy meataball! Veracity: TRUE mostly

Observatio Italian people really do say these things, quite often. With the ns: exception of the last one. I made that part up.

Stereotype Everyone cruises pounding their heads back and forth listening to : euro dance tunes like its 1991. Veracity: FALSE

Observatio I secretly wanted to be whisked away to some land that was the basis ns: for Night at the Roxbury, if nothing just so that I could actually see the douchebaggery oozing at its very pores. Yet theres none of that. Mostly people drinkinggaspdraft beers! And playing foosballlots and lots of foosball.

Stereotype All Italian girls are smoking hot and straight out of Vogue and Vanity : Fair advertisements. Veracity: FALSE mostly

Observatio There are definitely some attractive girls, but no more or no less ns: than anywhere else in the world. Every single one of them has a boyfriend though. That is confirmed.

Stereotype Italian is just like French. : Veracity: FALSE, but reading TRUE, and CHINESE not SO MUCH

Observatio Italian is just like Italian. Being fluent in French, I tried adding on O ns: and I to the end of French words hoping for the best, but receiving looks as if I was speaking Chinese, which I ended up doing anyways out of frustration. Ironically I could read most things without difficulty, with the exception of the most important item you need to read in that countrymenus.

Stereotype Most Italian men are plumbers, and spend the working day jumping : on turtles, eating mushrooms, and saving princesses. Veracity: THE POPE SAID IT HIMSELF

Observatio They also all wear overalls, and can increase their productivity 10 ns: fold if they jump to the top right corner of the screen in level 1-2 and get to the warp zone.

Filed under: tourist shit

17 Responses to Italian Stereotypes True or False (or a little bit of both)
1. Rodney, on March 28th, 2009 at 8:51 pm Said:

you gotta get this stuff published

2. girl from Italy, on April 18th, 2009 at 5:21 am Said:

Haha, that was funny. I dont even know where some stereotypes come from. Everyone cruises pounding their heads back and forth listening to euro dance tunes like its 1991 lol. In other peoples eyes we are having fun all day, while actually we work in offices 9-6 (yep, 6, not 5) to pay our mortgages and such. And weve been facing the crisis for years now, so theres less room for cheerfulness. And unfortunately even culture cant save us anymore, ignorance is high, most Italians declare they read *one* book a year. Trash TV is their main interest (and shady TV moguls get elected in the Parliament) Italians are considered warm and friendly to everyone, but really they can be very individualistic and narrow-minded (and xenophobes unfortunately). Anyway the stereotypes are truer the souther you go - North and South are 2 different realities. People from the North, like me, are more reserved, for example. I reckon that Southerners are warmer than us, though they are also too nosy I couldnt live where theres no privacy. Guy From India , on January 17th, 2010 at 12:39 am You just gave a concise description of Indians. ::And unfortunately even culture cant save us anymore, ignorance is high, most Italians declare they read *one* book a year. :: CHECK ::Trash TV is their main interest (and shady TV moguls get elected in the Parliament):: CHECK (replace TV moguls with Bollywood stars) ::Italians are considered warm and friendly to everyone, but really they can be very individualistic and narrow-minded (and xenophobes unfortunately).:: CHECK
3. rossella, on June 20th, 2009 at 7:14 pm Said:

i have to admit its truewe are very noisy in South Italy. but it is part of our way of being. and i dont consider this a lack of education,

but part of our culture. u wont never find people as lively as us. u wouldnt appreciate the strong feelings that link all the members of a Southern family if u never jioned it!
4. Luna-CHAN, on July 6th, 2009 at 11:46 pm Said:

Wow, that is some INTERESTING info on Italians.

5. Marco, on November 14th, 2009 at 3:53 am Said:

It is sad(more than amusing) reading James very narrow-minded summary of Italian streotypes. I wander whether James is from the UK or the US. Anyway, he must be Anglosaxon, I am sure. I have lived half of my life in the UK and one thing is certain: Anglosaxons love slagging off every other culture but themselves. They appear to have the arrogance to consider themselves better than everyone else. Even if this is quite untrue. Nothing could make one feel better than rubbishing somebody else. Being well familiar with the Anglosaxon/English culture I could, in fact, write a long list of Anglosaxon stereotypes but I dont wish to sound as narrow-minded, ignorant and stupid like James, who has probably spend 2 weeks in Rimini, getting pissed most evenings and desperately chasing Italian girls. Who, by the way, must have found him rather boring and unattractive if after his search all he was left with were those girls who cannot get a boyfriend because of their looks!! Sounds just like a loooooser! james , on November 15th, 2009 at 7:53 am I like how you accuse me of making fun of Italians, then go on to over generalize about Anglo-Saxons. You sir, win at irony. Also if you could point out in this post where exactly it is that Im rubbishing Italians, as you so eloquently put it, I might even give you a bonus. The remainder of your rant made me ROFL. but I dont wish to sound as narrow-minded, ignorant and stupid.TOO LATE!!!

brrrr , on February 19th, 2010 at 5:53 pm The mockery of other nationalities is a part of English culture- the thing to realise is that it is not intended to be serious. We know that there are some Italians who arent greasy, womanising, pasta guzzling mafioso with an unhealthy obsession with their mothers- its just that the other 99% give them a bad name.
6. Fede, on November 21st, 2009 at 12:55 am Said:

Im with James. I Find the post quite funny Marco take it easy, you sound a bit tens maybe you should have a couple of weeks off maybe in Rimini and have some fun James just a note pizza=Italy lets not mess around with it;) Cheerio Fede
7. Mike, on February 5th, 2010 at 9:03 am Said:

Wow really? italians eat pasta everday? bullsh*t! and italians dont say mamma mia AT ALL! Its a stupid phrase that NOItalian says these days just cause Super Mario uses it doesnt mean us REAL Italians say it I honestly hate these stereotypes Like I havent heard them a million times and besides, these things were made up by stupid people and I find that by creating this page that you are somewhat insulting Italians are you American anyways??? james , on February 5th, 2010 at 1:26 pm Youre right, they dont eat pasta EVERY day. Sometimes they eat risotto too! And yes, just because a video game character uses a phrase, doesnt mean a group of people does, however, it also doesnt mean they dont either! I find that googling this page via Italian Stereotypes and hoping not to find Italian Stereotypes is somewhat absurd. Listen, most of these things arent even bad, if

youre so worried about the reputation of Italians, perhaps you should do something about Jersey Shore. Iti , on February 22nd, 2010 at 2:29 pm I do not like Jersey Shore I HATE IT so much Im Italian and that show makes most of us Italians mad!
8. Desiree, on February 20th, 2010 at 11:04 am Said:

I love the humor in this. I am in Northern Italy, (Trento) and while most people around here are more reserved, I am quite friendly, myself. I think a lot of it does have to do with culture, but in my case, its just me as an individual. And LOL to mama mia. I say it all of the time, just because I feel entitled to say it, haha. Oh, and from now on, I WILL say thats a spicy meatball! just for you, James. james , on February 21st, 2010 at 10:25 am Grazie mille Desiree!
9. @d, on February 28th, 2010 at 10:04 pm Said:

The pope said it himself part was too much, rotfl XD Imo Marcos post was too exaggerated. As for the stereotypes, all the italian-stereotype bundle is based on (and came out because of) southern italians, period. Applying those to the whole Boot doesnt make any sense to me, still thats what everybody does everytime (its understandable). Think about the whole stereotype list, that could only match the south of the country. lold @ eating pasta depending on moon phases and the winds direction.
10.Eddy, on March 11th, 2010 at 1:15 am Said:

I thought that the stereotype was that Italian was like Spanish. Despite the fact that French is also a Romance language, Italian and

Spanish have a lot more in common. II speak Spanish and I can understand about 40-50% of what an Italian speaking person says. Anyway, stereotypes exist about all cultures and peoples. For instance, Americans are considered egocentric by almost every culture on Earth. The fact that James had to go all the way to Italy to either confirm or debunk Italian stereotypes speaks of the fact that it was impossible for him to do that in the goodUS of A. Why? I guess because all he knows about them comes by way from the Jersey Shore (note to James, the most famous of the bunch, Snooki, is not even Italian) or some Super Mario videogame. james , on March 16th, 2010 at 8:16 pm Nice try at intelligent commentary, unfortunately you fail in that, Im not American. Also I didnt need to go all the way to Italy to investigate Italian stereotypes. It was just something I had fun writing while I was there. Now, the fun is done, and Ive grown weary of comments on this post.

Being Italian
An insight into Italian stereotypes Spaghetti, mafia, musical accent, gestures, romantic, loud, fashion, chaos - these are all words often used to describe Italians. How much truth is there in the stereotype? By Nicoletta Di Bartolomeo This article is being written by one Italian, me. If you ask 10 more Italians to try and explain who they are, you will get 10 different answers; but then again we do like a good argument over some even better food! I will try and give you some insight into the Italian soul and clarify some common misunderstandings that foreigners have about us. So what's true in the stereotype? Stereotypes always tend to have some truth mixed in with a few generalisations and a bit of exaggeration. Let's see what's true in the Italian stereotype.

Spaghetti and pasta in general are sacred. You cannot take pasta away from an Italian meal
otherwise it won't be complete. A typical Italian meal usually includes:

1. Starter ( primo): pasta 2. Main course ( secondo): fish or meat with salad 3. Fruit or dessert ( dolce)
4. Coffee

Here we start running into the first problems, there are some big regional differences in Italy, so you might find risotto replacing pasta in some places!

A good meal should always be shared with someone else. It is a way to share conversation
and jokes, forget about work for a couple of hours and enjoy life. Be assured, an Italian will always find the time to eat properly.

The Mafia is real: we are not proud of it but it does exists, especially in the South and the
island of Sicily. Obviously, not every Italian is a Mafioso and most will feel offended and insulted if you use the term, even when if you mean it as a joke.

Yes, the way we speak is completely original. The most important element of communication
are the gestures: the way we move our hands, hold our heads, move our shoulders, our facial expressions, as well as the way we use our eyes and mouths to make ourselves understood. We simply cannot talk without our hands. If they are busy doing something else, we start moving shoulders or other parts of the body for emphasis. Italians speak very loudly in public whether on the bus, in the street or on the phone. Don't worry, we are not all deaf. A lot of foreigners think we are fighting when we talk that way but it's just the way we are.

 We like to travel a lot, but do not speak many foreign languages - maybe because we trust
body language more than words.

Yes we do enjoy romance (just like everyone else - more or less) and maybe the stereotype
of the Italian romantic lover is not completely dead. An Italian guy will never let a girl go home unescorted. Also, the macho ideal is still alive and well in Italian culture.

We are also fashion victims: you can recognise Italians by the way they dress from the head
to feet (strictly black Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses; Calvin Klein boxers; Levi's jeans; Gucci handbags; tanned skin all year long; perfect make up). We will dress stylishly for every possible occasion. You won't ever see an Italian wearing sporting short pants combined with long socks: it's simply against our fashion rules (let alone our sense of style)!

We are chaotic. Nothing in Italy is well organized or easy-to-use. You have to fight to get the
smallest scrap of information. Don't be surprised to see Italians fighting to get into the buses or jumping the queue to be served first at the coffee bar. Italys slow-moving and stressful bureaucracy has made us more pushy and resourceful. So, what's wrong with the stereotype? Italians tend to feel that they are unfairly stereotyped and get offended by how they are perceived by foreigners. The stereotype is actually true but being Italian takes a lot more than that - we are not really pasta and pizza chomping mafiosi.

We are a generous, sunny and communicative people. We like to smile; we love to talk preferably over a one or two hour meal followed by a good cup of coffee. This doesn't imply that we dont take work seriously or that we work less than in other countries. A typical working day in Italy lasts for about 8 hours, from 8/9 a.m. to 5/6 p.m., sometimes until 7 p.m., depending on how many breaks have been taken during

the day. We feel that work is not everything in life, that's why we spend so much time on coffee or cigarette breaks.

Concerning work, what distinguishes Italians the most from other nationalities is that they
tend to take on their first jobs later in life usually after graduation from university (typically at 23 to 25 years old).

Italians stay at their parents' home until they have saved up enough money to pay for a flat.
This can take a while, which is why many Italians leave their homes when theyre already 30

years old. This, by the way, has earned Italians a reputation of being mummys boys yet another stereotype caused by misunderstanding between cultures.

Family is the most important thing in our lives and male as well as female roles are based on
it. Men should be strong and protective, whereas women should be gentle and feminine. Nevertheless, this does by no means imply that women should stay home taking care of household and children while men are supposed to be the main breadwinners. Lots of Italian women have jobs and are independent as well!

The country of Italy is made up by many different regions and provinces - each one with its
own distinctive dialect, culture and history. Inter-regional relations can be quite tense during election times or even just during local football matches. But we are all totally committed to our national football team (the Squadra Azzurra). When the World Cup is being played, we forget about the differences between the North and the South, Milan and Rome. We are a strange and wonderful country that is well worth a visit - you may like it or not, but you will definitely be surprised!