Language & Landmarks: Italy

Ciao, and welcome to the Italian Republic, home of many, many famous and beloved landmarks.  Which do we choose?   Should it be the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the canals of Venice and St. Mark’s square? Or the Vatican, the Pieta, the Coliseum?  Maybe the Duomo in Florence, or the statue of David?  What about Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, and the Faraglioni, off the Isle of Capri? Whatever our choice, most of us are familiar with one or more of these sights, which evoke  musings of a place filled with history, art, beauty,  wine, food, and romance.  This unmistakable peninsula, or boot, lies in the southern part of Europe surrounded by the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas and includes the islands Sicily and Sardinia.  In early times, this location, with its abundant ports, made Italy ideal for trade, connecting cities in Europe, Africa and Asia.  Consequently, Italy was influenced by the Greeks, the Normans, the Franks, the Arabs and Spanish either as visitors or invaders.  Even though independent city- states like Venice, and Genoa thrived as wealthy merchant republics, the country as we know it today was once fragmented and divided.   It wasn’t until the 14th century, when Dante Alighieri published his epic work The Divine Comedy in the Tuscan dialect that the Italian language, as we recognize it, began to unify the Italian people.

Some say the Renaissance, the age of “rebirth” began in Italy.   It was in Florence that Galileo shocked the powerful leaders of the Church with his discovery that the Earth was not the center of the universe.  Leonardo da Vinci and his contemporary and rival Michelangelo were the inspirations for the term “Renaissance Man”.  This term refers to their many accomplishments in various fields of study, being individually empowered and surpassing all bounds in their ability to grow and develop.   DaVinci, an artist, scientist, inventor, anatomist, engineer, mathematician, and astronomer, achieved much in his 67 years.  His untiring curiosity and extensive capacity for new learning influenced his own time as well as the future.  Imagine identifying innovations, like the helicopter, which were not fully realized for another 400 years.

Today there is a kind of global renaissance.  We face new horizons and new thought in how business is conducted.  We are no longer fragmented, isolated or independent as national economies.  Our curiosity and ability to see into the future can be enhanced by learning more about our international partners and customers.  Exploring their language, their culture, their ideas and achievements empowers us and our corporations to grow and develop in new and limitless ways.
-  Mary Beauregard, Global LT Intercultural Consultant

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