Title

The image of Italy

Excerpt

Date

The image of Italy

Text

The story goes like this: I was hanging around the magnificent park of the Reggia di Caserta and I stumbled upon this greenhouse called “Serra borbonica” (“Borbonic Greenhouse”). What attracted me was not the conservation (broken glasses, peeling plaster, a vague sense of abandonment): it was the image of an entire tree inside what looked like a house. A white ancient abandoned and broken house. That was and still is a building meant to preserve trees and plants during the cold winter months but it somehow looked like it was in need of preservation first.

It’s not always what it looks like

As often happens in Italy, things are not what they look like: this tree actually was a tree and the fact that what is usually outside was inside this time was the key factor. A tree is something that must be preserved: humans must take care of it, look after it. Its shelter was in a bad shape, totally unable to protect its precious inhabitant.

What looked from outside like a strong and beautiful tree was actually an ill thing: bold on the top, its leaves scattered on the ground. Its worst part was hidden from the outside. Standing there you could have the impression that it was just fine. Going inside, everything changed.

A metaphor

Many times Italy is just like that: a beautiful country full of wonderful places, touched by the grace of God (for those who believe). It’s hard to find somewhere else so many gorgious places in just one country.
Inside few care about what belongs to everybody. When you live here you tend to see only what’s wrong. Looking from abroad it’s just wonderful.

Italy is just like that tree: once beautiful, it can yet be saved.
We can save Italy. We just have to care about it.

Altri articoli

Settembre

Il mese più bello

Recensire Fabio Volo

Un giorno l’amico Giuseppe Mondì mi chiese se volevo recensire Fabio Volo. Non me lo feci ripetere due volte.

47 – Imparare a respirare

Come ogni anno mi faccio gli auguri

EN