Chasing la dolce vita
Homecomings, fantasies, food and ghosts – how the myth of eternal return keeps the Italian diaspora in a state of longing- by Ben FacciniRead on Aeon.
The article opens with a family story about the author’s great-grandfather, Marco, who rescued an eagle fledgling as a child in Emilia-Romagna, a region in north-central Italy. The eagle grew rapidly, and Marco himself became unusually tall. One day, the eagle flew away, leaving Marco behind. This legend became a significant part of the author’s imagination and understanding of their Italian heritage. The story symbolizes the author’s lifelong connection to Italy, despite their family’s migrations between Italy and other countries. Marco’s tall stature and the eagle’s freedom represent the idea of Italianness as something both rooted in tradition and constantly moving or evolving.
The author describes how their grandparents in London used Italian food rituals to maintain a sense of identity for their mixed-ethnic family. For example, they would visit Lina Stores deli in Soho to buy ravioli with specific fillings like ricotta e spinaci (ricotta and spinach) or zucca (pumpkin). At home, the grandparents would serve pasta with freshly grated Parmigiano, ensuring the cheese was evenly sprinkled. These rituals were seen as essential codes of Italianness, helping the family feel connected to Italy despite living in England. The author’s grandfather, for instance, would twirl spaghetti with his grandchildren to teach them the ‘correct’ way to eat it, reinforcing cultural norms.
The author’s father played a key role in shaping their Italian identity by exposing them to Italian culture during car journeys to Italy. He used a torch to highlight details in frescoes in churches, teaching the author to appreciate bellezza (beauty) in art. He also played classical music by Verdi and Puccini at high volume, introducing the author to Italy’s artistic heritage. The father’s goal was to instill in his sons a sense of pride in being heirs to a unique civilization. This cultural transmission was part of a broader effort to anchor the family’s identity in Italy, despite their mixed heritage and frequent moves between countries.
As a teenager, the author spent a month in Florence as a childminder for a seven-year-old boy. The boy initially refused to interact with the author, who spoke to him in English while his parents taught him Italian. Later, the author was taken by a 16-year-old nephew to a crowded piazza, where local teenagers questioned the author’s identity, asking if they were French, British, or supported a football team. The author felt like an outsider, unable to blend in despite their attempts to mimic Italian customs. This experience highlighted the challenges of claiming an Italian identity when one’s appearance and accent set them apart from locals.
The author discovered that their great-grandfather, Marco, migrated from Emilia-Romagna to London, where he worked at the Italian Hospital in Queen Square, Bloomsbury. Marco was later interned on the Isle of Man during World War II as an enemy alien after Mussolini declared war on Britain and France in 1940. The author learned that Marco narrowly avoided being on the SS Arandora Star, a prisoner-of-war ship torpedoed in 1940, killing over 800 people, including 442 Italians. Marco returned to the Italian Hospital after the war, but his wife, Delfina, died during a break-in at the hospital in 1947. Despite his suffering, Marco would declare he was ‘finally home’ during summer visits to Italy, only to return to London afterward.
Between 1861 and 1985, approximately 29 million Italians left Italy due to political instability, high birth rates, natural disasters, and economic hardship. This mass migration created Little Italys worldwide, such as in Manhattan, Buenos Aires, and Clerkenwell, London. Today, about 80 million people outside Italy claim full or partial Italian ancestry. The diaspora often upholds a romanticized version of Italy, focusing on symbols like food, art, fashion, and football. For example, Italian restaurants abroad may feature straw-clad Chianti bottles, grissini (breadsticks), and waiters who perform rituals like grinding pepper loudly. This performative Italianness is sometimes seen as theatrical, but it helps preserve a sense of connection to the homeland.
The article highlights the strong cultural pride Italians and the diaspora feel toward their cuisine. For Italians, a tomato sauce is not just a sauce but a form of alchemy, requiring specific ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil from Puglia, and herbs grown by the Romans. The diaspora often reacts with disgust to perceived culinary offenses, such as snapping dry spaghetti before cooking or grating Parmesan onto seafood risotto. This emphasis on authenticity extends to other aspects of Italian culture, such as coffee machines, scooters, and architecture, which are seen as part of an unbroken tradition of excellence. The author’s father, for example, believed Italian ingenuity was rooted in this long-standing tradition.
The author reflects on their family’s long history of migration between Italy and other countries, describing it as a cycle of *l’eterno ritorno* (eternal return). The author’s father, despite his deep connection to Italy, worked in France and postponed returning to Italy, creating tension in the family. The author now faces similar dilemmas with their own children, who live in England but are being raised with Italian traditions. The author ensures their children have Italian first names, knowledge of Italian geography and history, and exposure to Italian films, literature, and cuisine. This effort to pass on Italian identity is balanced with the need to acknowledge the family’s life in England, reflecting the sacrifices made by previous generations.
