Naples (Napoli)

Along with the Sex, Law, and Politics course I mentioned in my last blog, I am also taking a course in Italian Life and Culture this summer. Last weeks Italian Life and Culture lecture focused on the mafia (mafiosi) and their influence over modern Italy. You cannot talk about the mafia without bringing up the Camorra that runs Naples. Likewise, you can't bring up Naples without mentioning the strong division between the North and the South in Italy. Due to some coincidental planning, 3 friends and I visited Naples last weekend and, with the information from last weeks lecture still fresh in our minds, were able to see first-hand what we had just discussed in class.

The Spanish Quarters

Naples has always been high on my list of Italian cities to visit- mainly because it is the birthplace of pizza, but also because it is known for being the epitome of stereotypical Italian culture. Right before going to Naples I was warned about several things: that it was dirty and there would be trash everywhere, that people from the South are less civilized than those from the North (this came straight from a Florentine's mouth), that kind locals will warn strangers to keep their eyes open by pulling down on their lower eyelids, that the mafia runs the city, and that the food is amazing. With the exception of the rumor that Southerners are less civilized, all of those statements are true.

It gets much worse than this, trust me.

Naples really is dirtier than Florence, and it is a glorified dump if you compare it to a pristine Northern city like Verona. Many of the buildings are warn and walls are decorated with graffiti. There are piles of trash along the streets and, as we learned in class, this is because the mafia runs the city and refuses to pay for proper waste management. While we were wandering up allies in the Spanish Quarters we stopped into a little shop. The older gentleman that worked there was so kind to us, much kinder than most people I have encountered in Florence, and I got so excited when he made the “keep your eyes wide open” gesture I had been warned about. He also warned us to protect our belongings as best we can and to always keep close to each other. For all of the warning we got, I must say that I never once felt threatened while wandering the city.

Napoli surprises you with hidden gems like this.

Even with the obvious trash issue, the city is still beautiful. Napoli is a city alive with colors and has some amazing architecture. One of my favorites was the 100-year-old Victorian shopping mall made of iron and glass called Galleria Umberto. Naples has so much to offer culturally, educationally, and historically but my favorite part about the city was the food! We ate Neapolitan pastries at an 1860s style cafe and ate some of the most amazing pizza at the pizzeria where the movie “Eat. Pray. Love.” was filmed. The pizzeria only offered two options of pizza, marinara or margherita. I had a margherita pizza and a Coke and was in taste bud heaven. 

I hardly ever drink soda, but there is something about a Coke and pizza that makes me feel right at home!

Antica Pizzeria da Michele has been around since late 1800s! Can you believe it?

Perugia Shock

When I think of Perugia, Italy 2 words come to mind: chocolate and murder. This small town south of Florence is known historically for it's amazing chocolate, but is known more recently as the home of the Amanda Knox case. One of the courses I am taking over the summer is on sex, law, and politics in Italy. One of our assigned readings is the book entitled Murder in Italy: The Shocking Slaying of a British Student, the Accused American Girl, and an International Scandal by Candace Dempsey. The book describes the murder of Meredith Kurcher and the investigation and trials that followed. The main character in the case is Amanda Knox, a girl who, in my opinion, was wrongly convicted of the murder. My peers and I have spent ample time in Italy discussing the case both in class and amongst ourselves, so much so that we have developed somewhat of a fascination with the whole situation and jumped at the opportunity to travel to Perugia with our professor and some of our classmates.

The beautiful countryside of Perugia.

Visiting the town felt more like visiting the set of one of my favorite movies. We saw the university where Amanda attended school, the water fountain were Rudy Guede (a man who, like Amanda and her then boyfriend Rafaele Sollecito, was also convicted of murdering Meredith. The difference between him and the couple is that his DNA is actually found all over the crime scene) allegedly washed his bloody hands after the murder, the basketball court where Amanda was accused of having a secret late-night rendezvous, and the "House of Horrors" where Amanda and Meredith lived together for two short months before Meredith was found dead in her bedroom.  

Perugia really is a beautiful little city, but I could not help but feel slightly irked while I was there. How could something so horrible happen in such a beautiful place? It was surreal seeing just how small their little world was- the walk from the house to the university was under 5 minutes.

The "House of Horrors"

I posted pictures from our trip shortly after returning home to Florence. The caption under the picture I took of the house of horrors read, "The House of Horrors where Meredith Kurcher was murdered." To which my aunt replied, "Oh my gosh, how creepy. I hope you said a prayer for her while you were so close to where she died." It wasn't until I read my aunts comment that the reality of the situation hit me. As horrible as it sounds, the case has become a source of intrigue for me, with Amanda Knox as the main character. The discussions I have with my peers revolve so much around "poor, innocent, wrongly accused Amanda" that I forget about the life that was taken in the first place. Thank you Aunt Mishel for the perspective, thank you Perugia for a great day to add to my many Italian adventures, and I pray for Meredith, her family, and all the people effected by her death.

22, It is so nice to meet you.

I am a 4th of July baby. As such, I have had the pleasure/obligation of sharing my birthday with all of America since the day I was born. For the most part I don't mind, I love fireworks and burgers just as much as the next American, but I was excited to celebrate my birthday a little differently this year. I'm happy to say that my 22nd birthday was filled with good times and good people, there were no fireworks but there was lots of fun! However, America's Independence Day did not go unrecognized here in Florence.
On July 3rd Florence held a 4th of July celebration in the Parco d'Arte a few miles outside the city center. My friends and I are always curious as to what Italians think of Americans so naturally we were excited for this "all American" event. The celebration was priceless. There were old fashion police cars, American flags, McDonald's chicken nuggets (not the same!) and cheeseburgers, sweet tea, hotdogs, ice cream (not gelato), beer, cheerleaders, a mechanical bull, country music, "real" life cowboys, and of course fireworks. It was such a great effort made by Florence to make all of it's many American residents feel at home. But while it might have had all the right elements for an all American 4th, it lacked the liveliness and personality we Americans bring on our nation's national holiday. Luckily, I was there with about 10 rowdy American college students- and we cleared that problem right up. We figured, if they already have us pegged as mechanical bull riding cowboys and girls, why not give them a little more fuel for the fire. We ate our weight in Micky D's, cheered on the cheerleaders as they performed their little routine, woohoo-ed for all the little bambinos during the mechanical bull riding contest, and sung along as an Italian women sang "The Star Spangled Banner". Being in an atmosphere where I could express my patriotism freely was a great feeling. But I could not help but take note that Italians really do think of McDonald's and cowboys when they think of American culture.

What's more American than a cowboy? Oh yeah, the good ol' thumbs up!

Pom poms and all!! Happy 4th!!