The Italian Body: A Look Beyond Stereotype and Into the Living Identity of Italian People

The lecture provides understanding of the usual temperament and worldview of those who are born and raised in Italy. Going beyond the factitious image of the "Bel Paese", it offers an insight into historical and socio-cultural factors which contribute to make Italians what they are-for better or for worse.  Dr. Peroni traverses an imaginary body and lingers upon some parts full of symbolic value and evocative of various themes. For instance, talking about "hands" he presents topics such as gesticulation, praying/need for protection; "feet" is about emigration, cars, soccer; "belly" refers to hunger/ food; and so on.  This approach allows to combine well-substantiated reasoning with enjoyable anecdotes. Moreover, it introduces to moral and civic traits which play a significant role in the persistence of the political-economic stasis that Italy has known for almost ten years.