The great attraction to all things Italian has shown a significant growth trend in recent years. What lies behind the phenomenon?
Ever since the release of “La Dolce Vita” by the inimitable Federico Fellini, it seems that Italy and the Italian lifestyle have been synonymous with style and pleasure. That image has been forged by the glamorous fashion of prestigious designers, luxurious sports cars equipped with high-end amenities, magnificent jewelry—everything, of course, signed and tagged “Made in Italy.”
The face of Isabella Rossellini frequently represents Italy on the covers of major American magazines: the actress, with her chic elegance and charm, is a symbol of the impeccable Italian style and gracefully embodies everything that America admires and desires.
In fact, a recent poll revealed that Italy occupies first place on the wish lists of Americans, who associate the country with high quality and point to Italy as their favorite travel destination.
Masses of American tourists swarm the streets of artistic cities all over the world in a continual quest for famous landmarks. But a new trend is emerging in the United States: the Colosseum, the church of Santa Maria Novella, the Tower of Pisa, and the Rialto Bridge are no longer the real reasons they set off for Italy. The new American tourists are looking for an Italian vacation where they can surround themselves with the enticing allure of all things Italian, and are ready to leap into the true essence of Italy. They are in hot pursuit of a 360° immersion into the Italian experience—from art and culture to wellness and cuisine to history and modern daily life.
Even the denizens of Hollywood choose the “Bel Paese” as their vacation destination—and often as their retreat, as did some of today’s biggest stars like George Clooney, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Tom Cruise.
Despite the tour buses and requisite visits to famous monuments, the new symbols of Italy—and the new travel destinations—are the sites of Italian art and national treasures. The new tourists arrive with a purpose and a view toward broadening their horizons. Their new itinerary includes local cultural sites, indulging in and learning about typical food and wine, and seeking out opportunities to enhance their personal wellness in general.
Emerging from the pages of Frances Mayes’ bestselling novel “Under the Tuscan Sun” are “the warmth of the people, the human scale of the towns, the robust food…the natural connection with art, the natural exposure to beauty on a day-to-day basis.” As the author herself confirmed in a recent interview, Frances Mayes is truly fascinated by the simple, “distinctly Italian” pleasures of meeting with friends in the village square or sitting with family around a table—the latter of which is, in fact, the central element of life, the means by which we form our emotional connection to the people with whom we share our table.
And when one asks Dean Caley, a manager from Seattle, what prompted him to move with his family to Italy, he speaks of the scenery, the sea, the history of centuries past that still lives in the stone walls of his new home. He speaks of his delight in appreciating the little things and of the cozy “human scale” of his surroundings. And he speaks of the real friendship he’s formed with the neighbors, the children who play freely in the ancient town square, and, of course, the pasta. “Americans know so little about true Italian cuisine,” Dean says. “They can’t tell the difference between the typical regional specialties, and aren’t aware that each region has its own characteristics, recipes, and ingredients. The product they’re most familiar with is pasta, but they have no idea how different the pasta is in Italy!”
So do Italians have more fun? Without doubt, American visitors in Italy relax and feel at home—and perhaps when they witness the playful atmosphere, the Italians’ simple enjoyment of life, their sense of humor, and their fun-loving ways, those visitors also catch a glimpse of their childhood. As E. M. Forster wrote, “The traveler who has gone to Italy to study the tactile values of Giotto, or the corruption of the Papacy, may return remembering nothing but the blue sky and the men and women who live under it.” The Italian people and their way of being are irrefutably the result of where they come from and of their history, culture, and artistic heritage—a unique and inimitable treasure, ready to be explored.
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