Andrews Robert - Fodors 2016 Italy

Steeped in history and tradition, and bearing a lustrous patina of antiquity, Italy luxuriates in the illusion that change comes slowlyor maybe not at allin the bel paese . Despite the ravages of war and urban renewal, Italians have skillfully retained so much of the past that it seems the historical centers of many Italian cities would be easily recognizable to residents of 350 years ago. The present and the past merge seamlessly. Tiny cars and whining scooters in Italian cities and towns maneuver without missing a beat through narrow cobblestone streets designed for horses and carriages.

The pervasiveness of the past also makes us forget that Italy, not by breaking with tradition but rather by continuing it, has been in the forefront of producing major monuments of contemporary style. By creating everything from skyscrapers to sports cars, raincoats to coffeepots, todays Italian designers and architects have infused beauty into the everyday lives of people around the world. In so doing, they have proved themselves to be true sons and daughters of the Renaissance, heirs to Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci, who combined beauty and functionality to create marvelous works of art.

Despite Italys ties to the past, modern and Italian design have become almost synonymous. Perhaps because Italy (or more exactly, Milan) has become the epicenter of the fashion and design world, Italians seem to be more obsessed with fashion and the new than other Europeans are. While youll easily be able to buy your choice of a classic suit or dress for business wear, for casual wear youll have to look hard for a sweater or shirt thats not in the very latest seasons color or cut. And be forewarned: theres zero tolerance for even slightly worn or frayed clothing.

Visitors also tend to forget that Italy is one of Western Europes newest countries, having been unified only in 1861. Before that, Italy was divided into myriad states, some at times independent and glorious, but, since the Renaissance, mainly under the domination of Spain, France, Austria, or part of the Papal States. To this day, most Italians identify more strongly with their region or city than with the Italian nation, and local cultural and even linguistic differences are still valued. The variety and contrast between Italian regions, an inheritance from its centuries-long division, while making Italy a fascinating place to visit, has hindered its development as a modern nation-state. Many Italians thought new man Silvio Berlusconi would usher in reform. Others thought progress would come from submitting to an ever-stronger guiding hand from the European Union. Then Berlusconi embarrassed himself out of power, just as the 2008 financial crisis left Italys economy reeling. For the first time, the government was without recourse to an expedient devaluation of its currency to support exports, because the euro was the common currency and exchange rates were out of Italian hands. By insisting on austerity at all costs, even the EU has lost favor with most Italians. As of this writing, Italys prime minister is still the relatively new-kid-on-the-block and former mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi. A canny political operator, Renzi is finding he has little room for maneuver in electoral or economic reform. Italians are not holding their breath, forecasts for 2016 are gloomy, and the national mood remains pessimistic.

Italians long enjoyed a reputation for being friendly and hospitable to those down on their luck, but lately this has changed. Although Italy has received more migrants than it has exported since the 1970s, this trend has grown to alarming proportions over the last two decades. This increased immigration has had no effect either on crime or the unemployment rate. Nevertheless, xenophobes and opportunists fanned the flames of fear and promoted policies that brought Italy under the scrutiny of European human rights monitors. Italian friendliness and hospitality, however, havent entirely disappeared; even those who complain about immigrants will then contribute generously to charities assisting them, and incidents of violence against immigrants remain less frequent in Italy than in neighboring countries, where recently governments have also been bolting their doors, as the financial situation in Europe remains precarious.

Rome is still the spiritual home of the worlds 1.1 billion Catholics, but, as in other European countries, church attendance in Italy has been eroding since the 1950s, and today fewer than one in five Italians attend church regularly. The April 2013 papal election of the Argentinean cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who took the name of Francis, appears to have burnished the image of the church, even in the eyes of many non-Catholics. Meanwhile, the Conference of Bishops still wields considerable political influence and is not expected to alter its conservative stance on birth control, same-sex relationships, and a greater participation of women in the Church any time soon.

And although the Italian Constitution (1948) proclaims that Italy is a secular state, a crucifix still adorns all courts and schoolrooms, and if youre unlucky enough to land in jail, a statue of the Madonna is likely to greet you as you enter. The Italian courts have ruled crucifixes can stay where they are, reasoning that they are merely innocuous symbols of Italys cultural heritage, and not symbols of religious allegiance.

Romans are still patiently awaiting the completion of the new Metro C subway line (started in 2007), which will cut through the city center with stops at Piazza Venezia and link with both the A and the B lines at Ottaviano for St. Peters and the Colosseum, respectively. Expected to considerably ease on-surface traffic congestion, the new line progresses slowly, because every time a shaft is sunk in Roman ground, some important archaeological site comes to light and all work halts while it is investigated. The planned station at Piazza Torre Argentina, in fact, had to be canceled due to the wealth of material uncovered. In November 2014, the surface rail part out to Monte Compatri and a few underground stations to the still relatively peripheral Parco di Centocelle were opened. The section through central Rome, with connection to the other lines is still a ways off, however.