Entry 3 – Southern Question

We did not even touch Italian airspace when I had my first exposure to the southern question on this trip to Italy. We had a fortunate opportunity to have a very talkative and outgoing flight attendant on our way from Newark to Italy. Besides claiming to be friends with Justin Bieber in front of some of the girls he also proclaimed his extreme dislike for the south when he found out we were heading for Sicily. He passionately explained that the north is superior in every way possible. According to this flight attendant Southern Italy is dirty, lazy and they never complete what they start. While talking he seemed to have the look on his face why would anyone even think about traveling to Sicily especially when they are stopping in Rome, one of the greatest cities in the world. Obviously this flight attendant was a native northerner. This divide between the north and south was also confirmed by our hotel's overnight desk manager Francesco. What only can be described as playful madness, Francesco, a native of Messina, used his actions much better than his words to describe his point of view on the southern question. When asked what he thought about the north he portrayed that the north was too serious and did not know how to enjoy life like the Sicilians did.

The north and south of Italy have always been a hot topic of conservation throughout history. The questione meridionale, as it is called in Italy, creates a division of differences that is often discussed. Gabriella Gribaudi examines this issue in her article Images of the South. In this article Gribaudi talks about the experiences of the south throughout history. For all of history the south has had a problem with identity. The north has always looked at the south as the “other”, and when something is looked at in that way, it automatically places the “other” in a position of inferiority and creates a hierarchy of power. Another problem in the north south debate was that the north was the place for all of the great historical events in history. The north credits Ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and creation of the language to its rich history. The south can only credit rule by various invaders. The two sides are not even comparable. One side credits the greatest moments not only in Italian history but quite possibly some of the greatest moments in all of history while the other side shows a submission to higher powers. When just these two points are looked at, it is impossible to say that both sides are equal.

Maybe it is because I am an outsider looking in but I really don't see that much difference between the north and the south. I was brought up in an Italian-American household with heavy roots tied to Calabria and this issue of the north vs the south never really surfaced. Part of the reason could be that most of my family left Calabria for a better life including one uncle that went to Torino. I have one aunt that still lives in Calabria while the rest immigrated to America. I would gather that since my family has experienced both the north and the south, we have found a redeeming quality in both and have nothing bad to say about either region. What can be taken from this last example is that the attitude and thought process can be changed when an individual has a meaningful relationship with both sides. The stereotypes are thrown out and value is seen on both sides.

Reference: Gribaudi, Gabriella. “Images of the South.” In Italian Cultural Studies: An Introduction, edited by David Forgacs and Robert Lumley, 72-87. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.