Italy Dolce Vita
Living the Dolce Vita
Italy’s oft-mentioned “Dolce Vita” is definitely a sound marketing concept. Fashion, cars, design, good food and wine, amazing art, mild weather, and beautiful landscapes all sell like hotcakes and it’s when I am abroad that I realise how much influence this has on modern cities around the world from Australia to New York. Breakfast with a cappuccino or (to the horror of many Italians) cappuccino after dinner. Scootering to work. Pasta, or a tomato and mozzarella panino for lunch; wood-fired pizza joints and even olive oil tasting events can be found from California to Wellington. All are attempts to recreate something of Italian life in a different context and to me that shows how appealing the Italian lifestyle is to a huge range of people.
In Italy it is very important to look good and to eat well, but both are a small part of something more fundamental – to live well. German commentators describe this phenomenon as the New Italian Renaissance.
It is easy to maintain a good quality of life when there is plenty of money, more difficult though when times are tight. But in certain parts of Italy, particularly in the countryside, it is possible to have a great life style even if the economy is not so healthy. Our secret is enjoying the simple things; family, food, sunshine and the company of friends. It is not by chance that Italy is the birthplace of the “Slow Food” movement – an anti-fast food philosophy in which meals are almost sacred and quality of food is synonymous with the quality of life.
In Italy we do not have lunch breaks, we have real lunches. Business stops for at least an hour to have time to enjoy a hot meal at the table and for digesting the two course meal which is often eaten with the family at home.
To many foreigners, and I would say even ex-pat Italians, this attention to the smaller things in life is a wonderful source of well-being and not just the product of a marketing campaign.