Buona festa della Repubblica
Plus, a Neapolitan odyssey and the new album by Ghali
The 12 June is just a couple of weeks away now, so I thought this would be an opportune moment to provide a quick lowdown of what’s at stake that day, and why it could prove decisive for the future of Italian politics. Firstly, this is a date in which 978 comuni will vote in local elections; including in a few major cities like Genova, l’Aquila and Palermo. These are all vital contests; and all are up for grabs with results hard to predict. They, together with the smaller villages, will give the best indication yet of where the electorate is heading now that the pandemic is abating. Equally important, on the same day, is a referendum on justice issues. Three of the proposals pertain to highly technical matters surrounding the appointment of and democratic accountability of magistrates. Info, for those curious about the specifics, is available here. Most significant though - and I’ve raised this before - is the vote to cancel the Severino law, which currently states that individuals who have been convicted for crimes related to terrorism, mafia or fiscal fraud are ineligible to run for public office. The left-wing PD are, unsurprisingly, in favour of keeping this law; the right, and Matteo Salvini in particular would like to see it abolished. Based on opinion polls it looks like turnout will be low, and the result will not, therefore, be binding. Nevertheless, given the genuine risk to rule of law, I have to say I find it rather alarming to see so little public discussion and such ominous silence on the campaign trail…
Last week a terrible - and rather bizarre - environmental disaster unfolded on the island of Stromboli. The island, for those who don’t know, is home to one of the world’s most active volcanos; an ominous sooty mound that spews lava into the air on a regular, almost daily basis. Generally, these are small eruptions that don’t affect the local community. On 25 May however, a man-made fire wreaked total havoc. The exact causes are unknown but the blaze began when a Rai TV crew were present filming an action sequence for a forthcoming episode of the drama series Protezione Civile. Based on the initial investigation it seems that a fire from the set, established intentionally, got out of control and spread quickly among the dry vegetation. The result was catastrophic. According to local authorities 80 people had to be evacuated, and the blaze took an entire day to extinguish. The Procura of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto will now begin a process of establishing who is responsible, but the damage is already done. Initial estimates suggest almost 50% of the plant life on the island has been destroyed in what papers have described, with only a little hyperbole, as “unprecedented destruction.”
Marius Kociejowski, the Canadian poet, has a new book out about Southern Italy - and it sounds wonderful. The Serpent Coiled in Naples is a personal journey through the history, mythology and art of “a baffling city” where, according to the author, “the boundary that separates death from life is porous in the extreme.” Based on the reviews, such as this in the Economist, Kociejowski probes the limits of the travelogue here in an almost Jung-like manner, exploring Naples less through its street life and narrow alleyways than through its key symbols: the metaphysical landscapes of Vesuvius and the Phlegrean Fields, it’s imposing baroque palazzi and esoteric artistic cryptograms. So much writing about this city falls short, succumbing to cliche, exoticism and condescending stereotypes. It’s heartening, then, to see an English language book challenging these assumptions so confidently in the blurb alone. Order a copy from Haust publishing here.
Arts and culture: Wallah!
Ghali, the rapper, has just released his third full length album ‘Sensazione Ultra’ and I have to say it’s another strong contender for my record of the year. After a decade working in the underground the artist first made headlines back in 2017 with the release of ‘Cara Italia’, a personal exploration of his life experience as a Milanese child of Tunisian parents, and the role people with similar backgrounds can play in shaping a better Italy. That song has over 133 million views on YouTube making it one of the most listened-to on the Italian internet. ‘Sensazione Ultra’ continues the mediation on race, culture and class, though it does so in a more confident, consolidated manner. Sonically, the album relies less on auto-tune and trap beats, instead flirting with rock, synth-pop and 2-step influences. Lyrically too, this is new ground. Several of the songs are sung in Arabic – usually melded with English and French – and the politics seem more self-assured, less concerned with reacting against the banalities of ethic nationalism than sharing an optimistic vision of the future. As Ghali bluntly puts it on one standout track: “You’re all dreaming of America, but I’m dreaming of Italy, the new Italy.” Listen on Spotify here.
This week saw yet another terrible loss for the Florentine - and global - community. On Monday evening Manfredi della Gherardesca, the Tuscan-born London-based designer, art-dealer and cultural patron, died in the family’s residence in Castagneto Carducci. This is news that I know strikes a personal note for several readers of this newsletter; while I didn’t know Manfredi myself I’ve heard many accounts of his love of beauty, his cosmopolitan worldview and deep knowledge of art history; Caravaggio in particular. One of Manfredi’s life goals was to restore international prestige both to his (noble) family and to Italy’s historic patrimony. That legacy - cut short - lives on in his work with organisations as diverse as the National Trust, the Royal Acadamy of Art and the New Yorker, to name just a few. If you’re interested in learning more about Manfredi’s life, this piece in House & Garden magazine, about the restoration of the Castagneto Carducci castle, provides a good insight into both his curatorial ethos and broader cultural sensibility. He will be missed by many.
Recipe of the week: green beans with yellow pepper, chili and tomatoes
Thirty years since its publication Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking remains one of the foundational, indeed canonical, texts on Mediterranean cooking for English speakers. This dish, a simple stew of French beans with sweet peppers, slow cooked with tomato and chili, is difficult to place within any particular regional tradition; but to me, at least, it recalls those vegetarian lunch plates that are so popular in Liguria and the Riviera. It’s a recipe you can easily leave bubbling away on the hob for an hour before scrambling around for some bread, and large amounts of olive oil, to make a full meal. I like to add some cheese - some pan-fried tomino - to eek things out a little (though if you can’t get tomino, haloumi would make a fine, if untraditional, substitute.) I’d recommend this dish as an easy contorno for a summer BBQ, to accompany grilled meat or fish, though it would also work as the centrepiece of a larger buffet of vegetable dishes. Here’s the recipe.
About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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