Books: a refreshing portrait of the 'Bel Paese'

Il Bello dell'Italia, Maarten van Aalderen, ALBEGGI EDIZIONI, pp. 151, 15 euros

 ROME -- “Why do Americans go crazy over Italian wine?” “Why are there more than 150 million Milan fans in China and why do people abroad consider Slow Food such an example to follow?” These are just some of the many questions that Maarten van Aalderen, former President of Rome’s Foreign Press Club and De Telegraaf’s Italy-Turkey correspondent, sets out to answer in his recent book ‘Il Bello dell’Italia’ (The Beauty of Italy). A collection of interviews with 25 fellow journalists from all over the world, van Aalderen wrote the book with the aim of demystifying an increasingly pessimistic view of Italy as painted by foreign correspondents.

 That he has managed to do so, one only needs to delve into the first interview to find out. A heartfelt exposé of Italian perseverance when faced with adversity, German writer Udo Gümpel draws a compelling comparison between its residents and the life of Baron Münchhausen, an aristocrat famous in Germany for his adventurous lifestyle.

 Such an outlook, however, does not seem to be common across the peninsula. “Italy needs to stop moaning. It needs to roll up its sleeves and get on with things, and be more optimistic about the future,” said van Aalderen when asked about writing his book. “Complaining is easy, but in this difficult period of economic instability, we need to focus on what we can do to improve… Journalism too often focuses on criticism and negativity, but what Italy is really in need of is hope and vitality.”

 The author’s call for positivity is certainly satisfied by each and every one of the 25 conversations, all of which focus on an aspect of Italian culture particularly special to the interviewee. For Brazilian journalist Gina de Azevedo Marques, this is the Italians’ ability to make fun of themselves, whereas for Turkey’s Esma Cakir, it’s the sense of conviviality which they share around the table. Columbian journalist Carmen Cordoba singles out contemporary Italian cinema as her favourite cultural aspect of the ‘Bel Paese’, while for Australia’s Josephine McKenna, it’s the Eternal City’s hidden treasures which deserve more credit.

 ‘Il Bello dell’Italia’ provides a refreshing and inspiring insight into a culturally rich country which is all too often defined by words like ‘corruption’ and ‘mafia’. Written by those who, like van Aalderen, have chosen to live and work in Italy, the book encourages nationals to see the bright side of their own country. As the author himself makes clear, ‘Il Bello dell’Italia’ is a call for Italians to stop blaming others and instead to take pride in their own native identity.

 lej-se

Author Maarten van Aalderen