The end of Forza Nuova?
The end of Forza Nuova?
Plus, strikes, novelty postcards and porcini soup
On Saturday night the ‘no green pass’ movement organised a particularly aggressive demonstration in Rome. The leaders, all members of the neo-fascist organisation Forza Nuova, were apparently inspired by the 6 January American Capitol insurrection and they were planning to occupy the Italian parliament. Protesters attacked journalists with rocks, ransacked the CGIL trade union headquarters and raided a hospital emergency room, assaulting first-aid staff. Thankfully, they failed in their overall mission. I’d be reluctant to give them airspace at all here if the fallout were not so significant. Georgia Meloni has been forced to make a statement clarifying that there is “no space” in FdI “for nostalgia for fascism”. Matteo Salvini, meanwhile, has tellingly gone the other way and is insisting that “the problem is not fascism” and that he is “worried about the country”. Most of the other parties are calling for application of the Scelba Law of 1952, prohibiting “efforts to re-establish fascism”, as a means of formally disbanding Forza Nuova. This law has been deployed three times since WWII, in 1973, 1976, and 2000 to tackle resurgent squadrismo. Pacifist demonstrations will take place across the country this weekend, to call for its implementation once again.
Of course, the no green pass movement is broader than the hardcore of neo-fascists that were demonstrating in Rome last weekend. As of tomorrow - the first day the pass will be mandatory in the workplace - employees in the port of Trieste are going on strike against a system that, they claim, forces them to pay to make a living. That’s - er - one way of putting it. Despite Italy’s now high level of Covid vaccination, only 40% of those working in the sector have actually been jabbed. Given the green pass can only be otherwise gained through regular (admittedly expensive) testing they are now threatening a “total block” unless they are allocated free daily saliva tests. Long story short? The strike is on. Trieste is one of Europe’s main logistical hubs, and the impact could be felt across the continent. While Italy’s local-scale supply chains will protect the food supply to some extent, there will probably be shortages. These could even be severe given that truck drivers (1/3 of whom are not vaccinated), are also joining the strike. The chance of compromise in the short term is near impossible, and the government shows little sign of budging. Meanwhile, as one might predict, hyperbolic historical comparisons are approaching new levels of absurdism. “Minuteman” below is just the tip of the iceberg I’m afraid:
On a lighter note for all who - like me - have a certain affection for Trieste: residents there have been busy sharing a Guardian listicle this week which ranks the city somewhat arbitrarily as one of the six most walkable in Europe. The author, a certain Chris Moss, notes the “splendid seafront” and literary cafes, as well as the strada napoleonica and carsa cliff walks as being particularly stand-out. Having thoroughly enjoyed my summer there I get where he is coming from. I was, however, surprised to see no mention of the Bora, the freezing 100+ mph wind which can come from nowhere across the Istrian peninsula and which has been known to topple over train carriages (?!) Indeed this wind is so infamous that there was once a whole sub-genre of satirical postcards celebrating its capricious capacity to ruin one’s best-planned afternoon promenade. Yes, Trieste is a beautiful city with picturesque backstreets. But I can’t help thinking one of the images below might have a made a better accompaniment to Moss’s piece…
Arts and culture: lesser known figures
Make a note if you’ll be in or around Milan over the next few months: The Maurizio Nobile Fine Art Gallery has just opened a new space on the first floor of the Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi. This is great news. The Nobile collection, based in Bologna, is comprised of paintings, drawings and sculptures from some of the finest, but under-appreciated, Italian artists of the 14th to 20th Century. The gallery’s curating skill, and eye for acquisitions, has won it acclaim in London, New York and Paris (where they’ve also opened a branch). Milan’s inaugural exhibition is called La Grande Bellezza: Seven Centuries of Italian art and it includes work by Francesco Hayez, the great Romantic painter, as well as lesser known figures such as Giovanni Boldini, Felice Casorati, and Arnaldo Pomodoro. More info is available on their website. You can catch it until 18 December.
OK time for a confession: Domenico Starnone is one of those authors I’ve never quite found the time for. I have no particular excuse. I’ve heard good, indeed great things from English and Italian reading friends alike. The fact that Tim Parks referred to him, free of his trademark venom, as “one of Italy's most accomplished novelists” should probably have been enough to pique my interest. But no, even that didn’t do it. There are a couple of (banal) explanations as to why. First, I think I just got irritated amidst the wild speculation that Starnone was, in fact, “the real Elena Ferrante” when of course this is patently false. Then there are the covers and blurbs which seem to me so utterly uninspiring. Trust - his new novel, which is out next month - hardly breaks the trend in that regard. The hideous polychrome green jacket is accompanied by a text which reads like a summary of a melodramatic telenovella; crammed with so many superlatives it’s suffocating. This is probably unfair of me, so I’m still flagging the book here as I’m sure many of you will want to pre-order. It’s out with Europa Editions on 9 November. As for Starnone’s work itself, to re-iterate: I’m in no position to judge. So if you’re a fan, and have any tips on where to start, please get in touch and let me know!
Recipe of the week: zuppa di funghi e castagne
Porcini and chestnut soup. Could there be anything more October-ish? This - again - is a dish that comes in a million variations. There are watery, brothy versions, blended velutate with potato; some have cream, some require farro or other grains, or even a little pancetta. I’ll be honest, I have no preference. Any and all of them seem like an ideal, hearty, warming dish to boost the spirits as the evening temperatures plummet. This week, propelled by such a craving, I cooked up something improvised, based vaguely on an outline by Laurie Colwin, but with more broth. I can happily confirm it provided a healthy, flavourful inauguration of proper autumn cooking. And it couldn’t be easier. Whack it on the hob for an hour or so, and just forget about it. Optional decadent extra? Drench the whole thing in truffle oil. Because when was that ever a bad idea?
That’s it for this week - as ever I do hope you enjoyed this instalment. If you haven’t already, please do follow the ‘Week in Italy’ Facebook page, or my twitter, for a few extra links and easy-access to the substack archive. If this email was forwarded to you, or you’re accessing on the web and would like to receive further updates, you can subscribe using this link below. Thanks!
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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