GL 350 Prompt 4

Prompt 4 GL 350: How does the piazza provide a lens towards Italian culture?

                In our class experiences and travels, we have visited and toured multiple piazzas in Rome. They are everywhere! Each has its own unique sculptures, churches and architecture that give it its own sort of feeling. There is so much history in each individual piazza that is sometimes very overwhelming and hard to comprehend. For example, Piazza Navona was once a dirt racing track for horses where thousands of people used to gather to watch the races. Nowadays, it has giant fountains and an obelisk that have been built throughout its history to make it what it is today. People are selling their artwork left and right, restaurants are booming and people are just enjoying life. Take Piazza della Rotunda for example. Its home to the single oldest Roman building still standing today which is the Pantheon. Both of these Piazzas, along with all the rest, offer its own unique feeling and view into the past and towards Italian culture.

                Piazzas provide a lens into the Italian culture due to the past history and sculptures/architecture presented. A major quote in chapter 5 of Barzini he states that “Italians love their own show. They prefer to live in their own ambiguous world of make believe, among paper mache reproductions of reality.” I feel like these Piazzas are a reproduction of Italians imagination. They are what they want all of Italy to look like. These Piazzas are made for Italians to go to for relaxation and to enjoy themselves. Private space is non existent in Italian homes, therefore places like Piazzas are made to get away and to relax, have some time alone, and enjoy life exactly how it’s imagined.

                Italian culture is that of food, atmosphere, and precision. What I mean by precision is that everything has to be completely perfect or else it is completely wrong. For example, in Piazza Navona when the pope wanted the Fountain of the 4 Rivers to be built he had to have the perfect design or else it wasn’t good enough. The fountain today is perfect thanks to Bernini. Surrounding the piazza is a plethora of foods, shops, and nice restaurants for people to enjoy. On page 92 of Barzini he writes that “It is not surprising, therefore, that the possession of a knack to correct and embellish the appearance of life may at times tempt some Italians to utilize it to mystify their neighbors for their own private advantage.” This quote shows what I mean by precision. Italians have a way of correcting things in life to make them perfect. This is part of their culture. It shows in the Piazzas and provides a lens into their culture due to how perfect each Piazza is. Piazza della Rotunda’s Pantheon is made so that a perfect sphere could be fit inside the dome with one inch to spare; the obelisk on top of the fountain of the pantheon was carefully transported back to Rome to show how they conquered Egypt; Navona’s fountains were placed perfectly so that the pope could see them when looking out the window. This shows how precise everything is inside the Piazzas. It’s a home away from home where Italians can go and enjoy their perfect imaginable life but have it be a reality.