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[Ironmask]

Buongiorno a tutti! Che ne pensate della dimissioni di papa? Che sta dicendo la stampa?

Mi dispiace ma parlo solo un po' l'italiano!

Everyone is concerned.... about the problems this will cause near the election days (around 15% of political forces are directly moved by the vatican, another 60% moves accordingly)
The guy is quite exausted by the scandals, the lust for power and money in the vatican city and the problem of the american conservatism, wich is getting a lot of support in Europe. Since he never asked to be elected Pope and the tiara was just forced on his head, he just waited for the less troublesome time to call out.

 

[Mpl90]

Did you guys hear that?

We can basically do whatever we want!

And if the Troll says this, it means it's true! TRENINO!!!

 

[Sickboy007]

The elections thread is live: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=47589362

Feel free to comment and give some inputs! And post some more Giannino.

 

[Viola of the Abyss]

I think it'd be constructive to write every italian post in english, too.

First of all, it would give the mods an easier time, monitoring the discussion (AFAIK, there is no italian speaking mod)
Second of all, it would be useful for anyone who wanted to get accustomed with the language itself.

Just my 2 cents, though.

Also subscribed.

Yes, I already said this in the OP. Also I wouldn't want non Italian GAF to feel alienated.

The elections thread is live: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=47589362

Feel free to comment and give some inputs! And post some more Giannino.

Excellent thread! Very informative.

And now to cross those fingers...

 

[Sickboy007]

I was ready for "the big snow" (meteo.it is really creative) but all we had here were 3 cm of snow...kinda underwhelming.

 

[Somax]

2 1/2 hours to get home from work yesterday, 1 1/2 to go to work today.
Fucking snow and fucking people who don't give a damn and go around without chains / winter tires.

 

[Exply]

edit: Siena born/Brindisi and Basilicata raised/Bologna and Calabria living-GAF here

Another one "lucano".
Where did you live?

 

[Macready1306]

Calabrese represent.

Come on man! At least add gnocchi to the foods in the OP. And some more on southern Italy! South Italy is best Italy. ~_~

Another Calabrese here from Australia! Never been to Italy though I plan to very soon. My wife is Sicilian so a trip to Italy will comprise of the usual sight seeing throughout Italy and neighboring countries, and relative visits in Sicily and Calabria.

 

[criesofthepast]

Yeah, I think it was the Euro Cup thread. I haven't been in my home village for quite some time now. It's a very small one but has about eight churches and a somewhat famous monastery. It's worth a visit when you're around. Where do you currently live?

Toronto, Canada.

Very big Italian community here.

2 1/2 hours to get home from work yesterday, 1 1/2 to go to work today.
Fucking snow and fucking people who don't give a damn and go around without chains / winter tires.

Driving in Italy actually scared the shit out of me. I drove once or twice and never again. I just let my cousins take the reigns. I don't know if this is common all over Italy but I often saw flowers on the side of the road marking a car accident death. Seeing how a lot of people drive there, it really isn't surprising to see those flower markings. You see them in Canada as well but I swear I saw like 20 of them in my last 3 week trip to Cosenza.

Another Calabrese here from Australia! Never been to Italy though I plan to very soon. My wife is Sicilian so a trip to Italy will comprise of the usual sight seeing throughout Italy and neighboring countries, and relative visits in Sicily and Calabria.

Staying with family is both a blessing and a curse for me. You gotta go visit everrrryy single relative and it really takes away the time to sight see. Also, my cousins are lazy as hell and without them driving me around it makes getting around fairly difficult.

 

[Somax]

Yeah, the flowers to mark fatal car accidents are common everywhere in Italy...
The situation on the road is quite variable, though.
In some tourist trips in southern Italy, I saw odd things happening on the road. like considering traffic lights a suggestion instead of a ruling.
Where I'm from, traffic is heavy but usually less chaotic.
Except when it snows, then it's a free for all, no fucks given anarchy.

 

[TheLucifer]

Yeah, the flowers to mark fatal car accidents are common everywhere in Italy...
The situation on the road is quite variable, though.
In some tourist trips in southern Italy, I saw odd things happening on the road. like considering traffic lights a suggestion instead of a ruling.
Where I'm from, traffic is heavy but usually less chaotic.
Except when it snows, then it's a free for all, no fucks given anarchy.

Snow attracts idiots, it's a proven scientific fact. Everybody must drive when it snows, even if it's like their first time behind the wheel, because fuck logic.

I expected to snow a lot more here, but luckily it stopped yesterday evening (there were around 4-5cm of snow). Roads are still a mess, a lot of those are still covered in ice.

 

[gabbre]

Spotify è finalmente disponibile in Italia!
Spotify is finally available in Italy!

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Italiano!

 

[eso76]

Here in Turin it has just stopped snowing, it can be quite beautiful in the evening with the white all around.

Pics.

Also, OP forgot to include this:

(man, this year's logo is especially unimaginative)

the infamous sanremo festival. The opposite of music.
It being broadcasted worldwide really gives a rather distorted idea of italian music abroad, imo.


Semi-related, i remember hearing the fabulous David Bowie say he likes Lucio Battisti quite a lot.

 

[Sickboy007]

You can diss on Sanremo all you want, but you know you'll watch (parts of) it anyway. Fun fact:last year they called me to be part of the public jury.

 

[Frustrated_me]

Just chiming in here, was in Rome & Florence last summer for a week - what a country you guys have. The shopping was glorious, the cafe's were parallel of Paris and the ambiance was straight up cool.

Absolutely going back to Rome, it's on my 'to revisit' list alongside Ibiza.

 

[Mpl90]

Pics.

Also, OP forgot to include this:

(man, this year's logo is especially unimaginative)

the infamous sanremo festival. The opposite of music.
It being broadcasted worldwide really gives a rather distorted idea of italian music abroad, imo.


Semi-related, i remember hearing the fabulous David Bowie say he likes Lucio Battisti quite a lot.

This time I think it'll be good. Elio, Gazzè, Chiara...there are actually good reasons for following it.
Plus, Gialappa's commentary for Thursday, Friday and the Finale on Saturday on R101.

 

[Celine]

You can diss on Sanremo all you want, but you know you'll watch (parts of) it anyway.

Not me.
My mom for sure though

 

[TheLucifer]

You can diss on Sanremo all you want, but you know you'll watch (parts of) it anyway. Fun fact:last year they called me to be part of the public jury.

Will keep an eye out for butterflies.

Spoiler

No, not really, but everyone will talk about something Sanremo-related, so even if I couldn't care more, I'll be updated every day.

 

[Troll]

How would I move to Italy? Is it expensive?

 

[Azzurri]

Pics.

Also, OP forgot to include this:

(man, this year's logo is especially unimaginative)

the infamous sanremo festival. The opposite of music.
It being broadcasted worldwide really gives a rather distorted idea of italian music abroad, imo.


Semi-related, i remember hearing the fabulous David Bowie say he likes Lucio Battisti quite a lot.

My dad watches SANREMO on RAI via Dish Network.

 

[Ironmask]

Another one "lucano".
Where did you live?

San Paolo Albanese, near San Costantino and Cersosimo. It's were my father was born and my dad's parents lived. I've spent all my childhood summers there and it was awesome: 30 kids of my age, you could do pretty much everything you wanted to do even at night and wild nature everywhere to explore... ...then in the teens years: girls!

and you are you from the small cities or the big ones?

 

[criesofthepast]

How would I move to Italy? Is it expensive?

How? I dunno. Have any Italian relatives? With an Italian born mom I qualified by jure sanguinis (blood right) for citizenship.

Expensive? Greatly depends where you want to live in the country. Might be wrong, but I think the further south you go, the cheaper it gets. Last year my cousins neighbor sold a nice one bedroom apartment for 50,000 euros. It was on the market for almost a year as well and they had to lower their asking price. Housing market may not be so hot there? My nonna told me this so not sure how accurate it is. All I know is I can't even buy a dumpster for 50,000 euros in Canada. Was in the spezzano della sila area.

 

[Ironmask]

How? I dunno. Have any Italian relatives? With an Italian born mom I qualified by jure sanguinis (blood right) for citizenship.

Expensive? Greatly depends where you want to live in the country. Might be wrong, but I think the further south you go, the cheaper it gets. Last year my cousins neighbor sold a nice one bedroom apartment for 50,000 euros. It was on the market for almost a year as well and they had to lower their asking price. Housing market may not be so hot there? My nonna told me this so not sure how accurate it is. All I know is I can't even buy a dumpster for 50,000 euros in Canada. Was in the spezzano della sila area.

Spezzano della Sila is in Calabria (one of the poorest regions of Italy with big BIG problems), they have problems to sell since the locals inherits their houses from their grandparents and nobody from outside wants to live there... ...it's not even by the sea to catch some tourism!

I have a big villa in the mountains of Lucania, my parents spent a lot of money to restorate and decorate it but it's not even worth the money spent

Big cities like Naples, Bari even if they're in the south, are pricey as the biggest cities of the north

 

[Viola of the Abyss]

Toronto, Canada.

Very big Italian community here.

Driving in Italy actually scared the shit out of me. I drove once or twice and never again. I just let my cousins take the reigns. I don't know if this is common all over Italy but I often saw flowers on the side of the road marking a car accident death. Seeing how a lot of people drive there, it really isn't surprising to see those flower markings. You see them in Canada as well but I swear I saw like 20 of them in my last 3 week trip to Cosenza.

Staying with family is both a blessing and a curse for me. You gotta go visit everrrryy single relative and it really takes away the time to sight see. Also, my cousins are lazy as hell and without them driving me around it makes getting around fairly difficult.

I'd love to live in Toronto for a few years!
Driving in Italy is hell, I can confirm. I have so many near death experiences that I could tell...

You can diss on Sanremo all you want, but you know you'll watch (parts of) it anyway. Fun fact:last year they called me to be part of the public jury.

Oh no I won't!!

How would I move to Italy? Is it expensive?

I find it to be very expensive, especially in or near the big towns.
But that's greatly dependent on the fact that Italian salaries are extremely low compared to the rest of US and Canada for example.

 

[Celine]

"modern" Opera born in Italy at the end of the 16th century in Florence.

The first masterpiece in Opera , that is still performed to this day, came a few years later with Monterverdi's Orfeo Favola in musica based on the greek myth of Orphee.

Vi ricorda ò boschi ombrosi (Orfeo Favola in musica - Monteverdi - 1608)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU681o8BlZs

Soon Opera (which means 'work' in italian) popularity spread to the whole peninsula (Venice, Milan, Rome, Naples...) and new theatres were built to stage this new kind of entertainment.
Since it was a profitable business many of the best italian musician for the next centuries focused on this form of music (for example Vivaldi composed more than 20 Operas).

Come in vano il mare irato (Catone in Utica - Vivaldi - 1737)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0j4Y8cjAQA

Italy at that time was seen as the cradle of Opera so many italian composers were called to work for foreign countries like Austria, Russia or France (Lully for example was an italian born in Tuscania).

Opera in its first century was mostly based on myths or legends with a serious tone ( called Opera Seria) however at the end of the 17th century in the Naples area (Stradella, Alessandro Scarlatti) began to flourish a new genre based on comedy: Opera comica.
At first the genre was relegated as a light intermezzo in between an Opera seria parts but soon it became so popular to gain existence in itself.
This genre was centered around every day events in a funny way, it was also was cheaper to produce compared to Opera Seria thus it became very popular everywhere.
Giants like Mozart or Rossini are very in debt with Scuola napoletana (neapolitan school).

Pergolesi Opera comica La serva padrona was once so popular to be the cause to a famous french controversy known as querelles des bouffons

Stizzoso mio stizzoso (La serva Padrona - Pergolesi - 1733)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUa3AN-_hM0

As I said Rossini is one of the better known Opera composer, he gained huge notoriety early in his career, especially for Opera comica (however half of his production was Opera Seria), but soon he retired to enjoy life.
His last Opera, Guglielmo Tell, anticipated what would have been known as Grand Opera.

Cruda sorte! Amor tiranno (L'italiana in Algeri - Rossini - 1813)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5EWXBJutSQ

Overture (Barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini - 1816)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z549Oi7HpY4

Questo è un nodo avviluppato (Cenerentola - Rossini - 1817)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB14yuKef1s
It is said that Rossini took just 3 weeks to compose this masterpiece.

Overture (La gazza ladra - Rossini - 1817)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDBzi1aHbKY

Overture (Guglielmo Tell - Rossini - 1829)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUAAZaIFzhA


Rest will come with the next post, if it is of any interest...

 

[Viola of the Abyss]

"modern" Opera born in Italy at the end of the 16th century in Florence.

...

Overture (Barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini - 1816)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5EWXBJutSQ

Questo è un nodo avviluppato (Cenerentola - Rossini - 1817)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB14yuKef1s
It is said that Rossini took just 3 weeks to compose this masterpiece.

Overture (La gazza ladra - Rossini - 1817)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDBzi1aHbKY

Overture (Guglielmo Tell - Rossini - 1829)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUAAZaIFzhA


Rest will come with the next post, if it is of any interest...

What you are doing is amazing and very interesting, please continue.

I've never been a big fan of opera as I know it (even if I do acknowledge that Rossini is a god), but I want to know more.

PS I think you inverted the Barbiere di Siviglia and Italiana in Algeri links

 

[eso76]

You can diss on Sanremo all you want, but you know you'll watch (parts of) it anyway. Fun fact:last year they called me to be part of the public jury.

Oh yeah, not going to deny that.
I actually always anticipate the day...only to find i can never bring myself to watch it past the second or third song. Or fourth, how would i know ? you generally can't tell them apart

Last year I actually had a great time watching it and commenting / mocking live with my friends on twitter, though.
Crozza just left the stage. Wow, he went on for like 1 hour it seems.
Marta sui tubi, now. I like these guys. Maybe it really is a good year for sanremo.

 

[eso76]

Our french cousins are copying this thread and listing wine.

messieurs, pls.

(nah, ok, but italian wine deserves to be in OP)

 

[Ironmask]

Our french cousins are copying this thread and listing wine.

messieurs, pls.

(nah, ok, but italian wine deserves to be in OP)

The link between Italy and France is really big, a lot of our knowledge is based on their culture, while a lot of their culture is based on our immigrants.

(sorry germany, you just took our pizzamen and factory workers)

 

[eso76]

The link between Italy and France is really big, a lot of our knowledge is based on their culture, while a lot of their culture is based on our immigrants.

(sorry germany, you just took our pizzamen and factory workers)

yeah, France took something else

 

[BaronLundi]

yeah, France took something else

France stole a lot of stuff, but Monna Lisa is not one of them. For a good example you should have gone with another painting. Can't be missed, it's the really big one just across the same hall

 

[eso76]

France stole a lot of stuff, but Monna Lisa is not one of them. For a good example you should have gone with another painting. Can't be missed, it's the really big one just across the same hall

I never said they 'stole' it !
Yeah, I know how it went, it was just a joke, a veeeeeeery old one at that

 

[BaronLundi]

I never said they 'stole' it !
Yeah, I know how it went, it was just a joke, a veeeeeeery old one at that

Took it as such

But I worked for the louvre so debunking this kind of stuff is like a reflex...

 

[Mpl90]

"La Canzone Mononota" from Elio won everything. It's just too amazing. Seriously.

 

[UrbanRats]

"La Canzone Mononota" from Elio won everything. It's just too amazing. Seriously.

Nice, schizophrenic as always.
Still love La vendetta del Fantasma Formaggino and Pipppero more.

 

[Troll]

Opera was created in Italy, so was the Piano.

 

[Somax]

"La Canzone Mononota" from Elio won everything. It's just too amazing. Seriously.

That's exactly the truth.

 

[eso76]

"La Canzone Mononota" from Elio won everything. It's just too amazing. Seriously.

mononote song, or song of one note
strange as it may sound, one of the most impressive musical arrangements of the festival
these guys are among the most talented musicians in italy right now, that's why i kind of wish they did something 'serious' for once.
They certainly did when they performed as the 'modern jazz quintet' but you know what i mean.
Would have been a true shock if they did at sanremo

I like how their songs have several layers of comicality, some are pretty obvious but there's an incredible subtlety in the way they mock some music genres.
Plus of course the countless citations and easter eggs in their songs, such an incredible music culture.

They can sound like Led Zeppelin (around 1'30")

Heavy Samba

or like Yes (the second half)

Il Congresso delle parti molli

or like anything else, they did cover every music genre, from opera, to heavy / death metal, rock'n'roll, progressive rock, ethnic and a thousand others.

 

[=GabrielKnight=]

Ci sono anch'io!! Da Cava de' Tirreni, a un passo da Salerno, Campania

(Here's me too! From Cava de' Tirreni, near Salerno, Campania )

 

[Sickboy007]

Jobim non ha avuto le palle. Fucking genius lol

Gualazzi ain't too bad either, I heard him play live with his band in a little venue last year and technically he's really up to stuff. Though this two songs aren't anything spectacular.

 

[Exply]

San Paolo Albanese, near San Costantino and Cersosimo. It's were my father was born and my dad's parents lived. I've spent all my childhood summers there and it was awesome: 30 kids of my age, you could do pretty much everything you wanted to do even at night and wild nature everywhere to explore... ...then in the teens years: girls!

and you are you from the small cities or the big ones?

Yeah, that was freaking awesome... ç_____ç
Anyway, I came from a small town, it has more or less 6k people living there, but it also has a lot of schools, a hospital and a tribunal; so it's quite busy during the week.
In september I had to leave my town to go to study in a city near Milan, though.

 

[Viola of the Abyss]

So, it looks like the great 2013 cold is over and temperatures are going to be on the rise starting next week.
I personally don't mind cold weather and greatly prefer it to the horrible summer, but this was too much.

Being forced to do overtime until almost midnight with the heating turned off (because everyone is supposed to leave at 18:00) didn't help much....


EDIT: Maybe I spoke too early... A new "ondata di gelo" is expected for this week-end. Ah, whatever...

 

[Somax]

So, it looks like the great 2013 cold is over and temperatures are going to be on the rise starting next week.
I personally don't mind cold weather and greatly prefer it to the horrible summer, but this was too much.

Being forced to do overtime until almost midnight with the heating turned off (because everyone is supposed to leave at 18:00) didn't help much....


EDIT: Maybe I spoke too early... A new "ondata di gelo" is expected for this week-end. Ah, whatever...

Looks like it's going to snow again in the North this weekend, and this fucking sucks... I'm going to visit some friends in Trentino with my girlfriend in those days , and I hate driving in the snow...

 

[Exply]

Today in Pavia it's so fucking foggy.
I can't see the nearest building (about 20 meters).

Fottuta pianura padana.

 

[Troll]

Today in Pavia it's so fucking foggy.
I can't see the nearest building (about 20 meters).

Fottuta pianura padana.

Sounds like parts of California.

When I lived in San Francisco there was some pretty great Italian food. I forget the names of the places, real holes in the wall. I miss it. :9

Anyways, if any of the lurkers wanted to learn Italian, where on the net could they? Everyone knows about Rosetta Stone but why spend that much money if there's something good online for chap/free?

My Italian isn't great, but it's not bad either... however I do get mixed up a lot on masculine/feminine pronouns (essi, esse, essa, esso) and define articles. Just about memorizing them. Oh, and my vocabulary is pretty rusty. This thread has inspired me, I haven't had any reason to use Italian for years.

 

[neos]

Today in Pavia it's so fucking foggy.
I can't see the nearest building (about 20 meters).

Fottuta pianura padana.

Padua here, and it's a beautiful sunny day.
You don't mess with the pianura padana!

I just discovered today that Sanremo ended two days ago, i don't know if i have to feel proud about myself or not.

 

[Frank the Great]

My Italian isn't great, but it's not bad either... however I do get mixed up a lot on masculine/feminine pronouns (essi, esse, essa, esso) and define articles. Just about memorizing them. Oh, and my vocabulary is pretty rusty. This thread has inspired me, I haven't had any reason to use Italian for years.

I don't know any Italian but I have Italian heritage and this thread has also inspired me to attempt to learn the language. I just started using duolingo.com, it seems pretty good.

 

[T.O.P]

I just discovered today that Sanremo ended two days ago, i don't know if i have to feel proud about myself or not.

i actually watched Sanremo for the first time this year lol

Luciana Littizzetto was freakin hilarious

 

[Troll]

I don't know any Italian but I have Italian heritage and this thread has also inspired me to attempt to learn the language. I just started using duolingo.com, it seems pretty good.

Well, if you need any help with anything let us know. We can point you in the right direction of understanding the little things of what is the beautiful Italian language.