Weekly Dose of Italian Culture #2
Welcome to the second edition of Weekly Dose of Italian Culture. This edition will examine a famous Italian movie, song, personality, and some fun facts about geography, history, and Italian customs.
Italian Movie of the Week
Ever wondered what happens when a housewife decides to chase adventure instead of her family? This week’s Italian movie is Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips) a romantic comedy directed by Silvio Soldini.
Released in 2000, the story centers on Rosalba, a disillusioned housewife who, while on a family vacation, gets accidentally left behind at a highway rest stop.
Instead of trying to reunite with her neglectful family right away, she decides to take a spontaneous detour and head to Venice. There she meets Fernando, a melancholic but charismatic restaurateur from Iceland.
Pane e Tulipani is a charming story about self-discovery, freedom, and the beauty of life's unexpected turns, combining humor and warmth with an uplifting message about following one's heart.
Italian Song of the Week
This week's song challenges social norms with a powerful story. I’m talking about Bocca di Rosa (Rose Mouth) by singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André.
Released in 1967 it remains well known to this day. It tells the story of a woman nicknamed Bocca di Rosa, who moves into a small, conservative town and quickly becomes the center of attention because of her beauty and openness to love everyone (including married men.)
As Bocca di Rosa becomes very popular among the men of the village, the local women become jealous and outraged, perceiving her as a threat to their marriages and societal order. They pressure the authorities to escort her out of town. Amusingly, when Bocca di Rosa arrives in another town, she is welcomed warmly by all the local men (as her reputation preceded her.)
The song criticizes the moral hypocrisy of small-town society, highlighting themes of love, judgment, and the clash between individual desire and societal norms. It is famous for its poetic lyrics and De André's skillful storytelling, which mix satire and tenderness.
Famous Italian of the Week
Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), often simply known as Dante, was an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher, best known for his epic poem The Divine Comedy, which is considered one of the greatest works of literature worldwide.
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