Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE OLD PROVERBIAL
They might be old cliches, but proverbs can be quite the cultural revelation. Here are five of Naples'
well-worn best:
»
A léngua nun tène òsso ma ròmpe ll'òssa
(The tongue has no bone but it breaks
bones.)
»
A mughièra 'e ll'àte é sèmpe cchiù bbòna
(Other people's wives are always more
beautiful.)
»
Ògne scarrafóne è bèllo 'a màmma sóia
(Even a beetle is beautiful to its mother.)
»
E pariénte so còmme 'e scàrpe: cchiù so strìtte e cchiù te fànno màle
(Relatives are
like shoes: the tighter they are the more they hurt.)
»
L'amico è come l'ombrello, quando piove non lo trovi mai
(The friend is like the
umbrella: when it's raining, you never find it.)
Family Life & Gender Battles
While Neapolitans pride themselves on their spontaneity and flexibility, Sunday
pranzo
(lunch) with the family is usually non-negotiable. Rain, hail or shine, this time of the
week is sacred to Neapolitan families - a time to catch up on each others' lives, pick at the
lives of politicians, footballers and celebrities, and eat like royalty. Indeed, the sacred
status of Sunday lunch is a reminder that family remains the bedrock of Neapolitan life.
Indeed, loyalty to family and friends is deeply engraved in the Neapolitan psyche. As
Luigi Barzini (1908-84), author of
The Italians
, noted, 'A happy private life helps toler-
ate an appalling public life'. This chasm between the private arena and the public one is a
noticeable aspect of the southern mentality, and has evolved over years of intrusive for-
eign domination. Some locals mightn't think twice about littering their street, but step in-
side their home and you'll get floors clean enough to eat on. After all, you'd never want
someone dropping in and thinking you're a
barbone
(tramp), right?
Maintaining a
bella figura
(beautiful image)
is very important to the average Neapolitan
and how you and your family appear to the
outside world is a matter of honour, respectab-
ility and pride. To many southern Italians, you
are better than your neighbour if you own more
and better things. This mentality is rooted in
the past, when one really did need to own lots of things to attain certain social roles, and
Steer clear of chrysanthemums when buying
flowers for a local. In Italy they're only used
to decorate graves.
