An Italo-Andalusian journey
Plus, a Florentine street rave and gangster movie soundtracks
Dear readers – it’s been a while. I hope you’re all doing well! I’m back, refreshed and well-rested after a pretty epic trip around the Spanish region of Andalusia where I finally got to visit a few medieval Islamic-Christian sites I’ve been wanting to see for years: the Royal Alcázar of Seville, the Alhambra, the Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba to name just three. It was a brilliant experience and I really enjoyed immersing myself in such a rich historical legacy. I planned the trip to escape from Italy for a bit. In the end Italy followed me along the way. About 50% of my fellow tourists seemed to be Italians, and as such my journey was punctuated by exhilarated exclamations of “guarda che bello,” “spectacolare” and so on. I was frequently forced to rely on some heavily Italian-inflected Spanish to navigate the language divide, often to comedic effect. I’ve learnt, for example, that ‘puentos’ is not the word for ‘bridge’. Neither is there such a thing as a ‘tavolos por dos.’ Italy loomed large in more profound ways too: in the renaissance-baroque architecture, in the culinary symmetries, in the plaza culture, the Catholic parades. In Granada I learnt about Italians who fought and died on both sides in the Spanish Civil War, about guerrilla fighters and black shirt militants. I was surprised to find the fasces – the ancient Roman symbol so beloved by fascists – emblazoned on myriad buildings. The trip was, in other words, a stimulating reminder of how interconnected Euro-Mediterranean history is, and how enduring transnational bonds remain. Because, of course, Italy, like all nations, is not confined to a single geographical territory; it extends outwards into the world as an imagined and increasingly global(ised) community. So thank you Al-Andalus. Spero di poter tornare presto.
But back to reality: the main news in Italy right now concerns the European elections. EU elections are not, in most places, an especially popular event. Italy is no exception here (though historically, in relative terms, the scale of participation here has actually been higher than many other countries). For Meloni, Schlein, Conte and the other party leaders this is a chance to recover lost energy, to redefine domestic programmes and assert a new agenda. According to the polls the centro destra is set to triumph. Fratelli d’Italia remain the frontrunners, followed by the PD, Five Star Movement and all the rest. A closer look, however, reveals that Giorgia Meloni is starting to lose momentum. Over the past few weeks, the PM’s lead has begun to shrink from 10% to 6-7%, in large part due to her hardening stance on abortion and media censorship. In a desperate effort to keep the show on the road, the PM recently asked her fans to write her own name GIORGIA on their ballots to show support; this despite the fact that a) Meloni herself will not take a seat as an MEP if her party wins and b) defacing a ballot in this manner would, in fact, constitute an invalid vote. The elections take place from 6-9 June so I’ll be reporting more on this post factum. In the meantime check out this Euronews piece to make sense of the current trends and predictions.
Last week - enroute to the airport - I came across a strange looking poster at the bus stop inviting passers-by to join something called a ‘Wish Parade.’ Hypnotized by the squiggly 90s skater fonts, an ‘alien flying saucer’ image, and some peculiar poetry, I looked online to see what exactly this event was. It turned to be a ‘protest party’ organised by a network of anti-fascist associations who wanted to protest Meloni’s 2023 legislation which bans spontaneous gatherings of over 50 people without prior authorization. On 27 April, then, several thousand people gathered in the historic centre of Florence to take part in a street rave, dancing along a pre-defined route from the late afternoon until the early hours of the next morning. I was not there, but based on the Instagram comms it was quite an occasion: colourful, peaceful and, yes, rather bonkers. FYI no arrests were made, nobody was hurt and the litter was minimal. Yes, the music was awful and yes local residents complained about the loud volume (a serious issue in my view; more serious than some of the parade organizers seem to be suggesting). Nevertheless, as a one off, and in the context of the current oppressive laws and threats to public space, it was fun to see some DIY culture and free expression out in the streets. So congratulations to the Florentine associations for organizing, and props, as well, to the municipality for allowing the event to go ahead free from violent intimidation. Next time? Count me in.
Arts and culture: cinematic scores
Everyone seems to be talking about Luca Guadagnino’s new film Challengers which, as you probably know by now, was released to international audiences last week to much hype and (generally) favourable reviews. This is another English language offering from the Italian Director; another youth-focused film centring on love, desire, sexuality and… in this instance… tennis! Perhaps inevitably, audiences are focusing on the erotic dimension of the film, and the apparent chemistry between the leading trio Zendaya, Tashi Duncan and Josh O'Connor. Whether or not the result has the artistic value of the magisterial Call Me By Your Name remains to be seen, but I’ll be reserving my judgement until later in the week when I’ll be watching it at the Florence Odeon. If you’re interested in hot takes, or you’ve seen the film and are interested in reviews, or simply don’t care about spoilers, I’d recommend this favourable opinion from the Little White Lies crew and an – erm – far less favourable read from Mike McCahill in the Guardian… you have been warned.
The sun’s properly shining now and what better way to celebrate than with a new session from the YouTube channel ‘My Analogue Journal’ which has just published a mix by the Campanian DJ Dario Bassolino dedicated to the music and soundtracks of old Neapolitan gangster movies. The below set is a 50-minute journey through deep cuts from a bunch of films you’ve almost certainly never heard of but which preserve a really enjoyable 70s 80s late night retro TV throwback classic vibe from the kind of stuff you’d be likely to find on MediaSet or La7 after midnight. Think funk, jazz and disco with big layered textures of xylophone, synthesised strings and smooth multitracked backing vocals. Or, as the DJ himself puts it: “these are solid grooves and celestial orchestrations.” Crank this loud to start your weekend aperitivo the right way.
Recipe of the week: Zucchini and zucchini flower soup
The Spanish do like their meat. Don’t get me wrong, I do too. Sometimes at least. There’s a time and a place for jamon iberico. Chorizo, yes, 100%. What’s less appealing, to me at least, are all the greasy, sloppy bits of beef slabbed over floppy chips. The deep fried cutlets and dodgy stews and so on. Travelling, dining in cheap tapas bars, I’ve eaten way too much of this kind of stuff of late. Time, then, for a bit of a cleanse! This week I’ll be prepping up a simple zucchini and zucchini flower soup; a dish which tends to make its way into my rotation at this time of year. My favourite recipe for this by far is by Emiko Davies, and it couldn’t be simpler: you basically puree a few garden herbs together with the eponymous vegetable which takes centre stage. Davies adds parsley, oregano, basil and mint, but don’t worry if you can’t get hold of them all and – of course – feel free to experiment with the proportions to meet your own tastes. I enjoy this soup as a light broth, and I sometimes even eat it cold during the summer months. But do add a potato to the mix if you fancy a heartier or more substantial puree. Here’s the link.
I’m Jamie Mackay, a UK-born, Italy-based writer, working at the interfaces of journalism, criticism, poetry, fiction, philosophy, travelogue and cultural-history. I set up ‘The Week in Italy’ to make a space to share a regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds, to explore politics, current affairs, books, arts and food. If you’re a regular reader, and you enjoy these updates, I hope you’ll consider becoming a supporter for EUR 5.00 per month. I like to think of it as a weekly catch-up chat over an espresso. Alternatively, if you’d like to send a one-off something, you can do so via PayPal using this link. Grazie!