The desert to come
Plus, mafia construction and Medici portraits
It’s been a week of extreme weather events across Italy, as it has been across much of the world. The Czech tornado and the storms in Germany and Belgium have obviously provoked the worst damage in Europe so far this summer. Yet there have been serious floods across northern Italy too, particularly in Lombardy. Meanwhile, in the centre and south, wildfires have been blazing amidst fears of droughts. In Oristano, in Sardinia, these roghi have destroyed 50,000 acres of forest over the past few days, and 1500 people have been evacuated from their homes. While the national situation is not quite at the level of summer 2017, when ten fires were reported on average each day, this is nevertheless a grim reminder that much of Italy will likely be transformed into a desert within decades. A 2019 study by ETH Zurich predicts that, at the current rate of warming, Turin, one of the cooler Italian cities, may be as hot as Texas by 2050. Of course these are questions that far exceed journalistic short-termism. Such projections though, and the view out our windows, mean the changing climate will certainly have more of an impact on all our lives in the years to come.
If you’ve had the pleasure of walking around any Italian cities over the past few weeks you’ll almost certainly have noticed an unusual proliferation of bright purple-pink stalls, flanked by volunteers asking for signatures. Don’t worry, these aren’t the usual anti-vaxers or 5G conspiracy theory types. The initiative is all part of a nationwide effort to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide (something the church has long opposed based on arguments about the ‘sanctity of life’). President Mattarella has already agreed to approve a public referendum on the issue before next autumn, and, whatever side you’re on, this surely seems a fair process. All ‘direct democratic’ initiatives in Italy require 500,000 signatures to get going; hence the campaigns. Personally, I support a change in law so I signed the other day. Even if you disagree, though, this is surely something that needs robust debate, public discussion, and, at the very least, a more coherent policy. For more info I recommend Il manifesto’s overview which details the practical, political and legal issues that will impact on any future referendum.
This week the Guardian published what - for me - is their best long Italy-related essay of the year. The story, titled “Buried in concrete: how the mafia made a killing from the destruction of Italy’s south”, co-authored by Lorenzo Tondo and Roberto Saviano, does just what it promises on the tin. Namely, it provides a detailed, nuanced and sensitive analysis of how illegal construction has caused havoc across the mezzogiorno from the 1950s to the present day. If you’ve ever travelled around Palermo or Naples or Cosenza you will surely have noted the gauche, concrete buildings that dominate the suburbs (and not only). These are, very often, straightforward displays of power and wealth. As the authors point out, though, construction is also “a highly profitable business for the [mafia] clans, which, thanks to corruption in the public works sector and construction firms directly or indirectly linked to organised crime, have amassed millions over the years.” The greatest scandal of all is probably the semi-legal trade in “unfortified concrete” (a sub-par product made with excessive quantities of sand and water) which ends up being used to build schools, hospitals and bridges. Obviously, these structures are not fit to purpose, and, as Tondo and Saviano demonstrate in detail here, it’s the local population that is forced to suffer the consequences.
Arts and culture: Renaissance portraits at the Met
This one’s for NYC and America-based readers (though not only). The Met is currently running an exhibition dedicated to portraits of and related to the Florentine Medici family. Running until 11 October the show gathers 90 items, all on loan from Italy, which include “paintings, sculptural busts, medals, carved gemstones, drawings, etchings, manuscripts, and armour” and which together tell the story of the dynasty’s dramatic rise and decline between 1512-1570. This is right up my street; and while it’s a shame not to be able to visit in person I enjoyed Peter Schjeldahl’s review in The New Yorker which offers some fresh, insightful reflections on the relationship between Renaissance art and the wider history. You can read his rather long analysis here, or just scroll down to enjoy some wonderful portraits by Raphael, Branzino, Cellini and others.
It’s been a couple of weeks now since The Invention of Sicily hit bookshops so I thought I’d do a quick roundup of the reviews so far. I’ve already linked to the Publishers Weekly, Economist and On Magazine coverage in previous posts. Well this week some even more detailed responses were published: James Appleton neatly unpicked the book’s cultural dimension for Italy Magazine; Alex Sakalis foregrounded some of the more niche research for OpenDemocracy, and The New Yorker emphasised the frame narrative on migration in a small but punchy review. The most nuanced response so far, though, has been Marina Warner’s essay in this week’s Times Literary Supplement, ‘Mosaic and Melting Pot’. Not only does she uncover layers of the book of which I myself was only half-cognisant, she also introduces new, brilliant examples that support the larger narrative. I couldn’t recommend it more if you enjoyed or are still enjoying the book. There’s also a short segment about her review, and Sicily in general, on the TLS podcast called ‘Miraculous Mundane’ [from 29 minutes in] which is well-worth a listen.
Recipe of the week; couscous salad with mackerel, aubergine and confit tomatoes
Definitely one of my favourite summer dinners. Light, healthy and unusual. I found this recipe years ago now on the website ‘Siciliani creativi in cucina’ which is run by Ada Parisi, a journalist and cook based in Rome. This dish, like many of hers, starts from a traditional basis - the couscous salads from around Trapani - but with some added modern flair. In this instance that basically means there’s some avocado in there, and a whole mix of fresh herbs which give it a real depth and complexity. This is recognisably Sicilian take on globalised food culture, and it tastes delicious. You can read the recipe in Italian here, or else in English (though the latter may take a little decoding). Just use either of these as a guide for the flavours and you won’t go far wrong.
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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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