By Margo Sorenson
Surely, Italian is the most romantic language in the world— and we know Italy is certainly the most romantic country. Because springtime is when our thoughts turn to love (here’s looking at you, St. Valentine), Italy is the perfect touchstone for celebrating Valentine’s Day. In Italy, people celebrate San Valentino, the patron saint of lovers, with La Festa Degli Innamorati, or La Festa di San Valentino. This spring, let’s celebrate the romantic ambiance of all Italian culture, which has had such a far-reaching influence on our civilization.
New York Times bestselling author of LA PASSIONE, Dianne Hales (knighted by the President of Italy) attributes the magnetic pull of Italy to la passione italiana, an innate force that stems from an insatiable hunger to discover and create—to love and live with every fiber of one’s being. Her book engagingly delves into the amazing Italian passion for living and for life that has endured throughout centuries.
We can find the romance and passion of Italy in art, architecture, design, literature, cuisine, opera—who can see La Bohème without tearing up at Mimi and Rodolfo, regardless of how many times we’ve seen them sing that last heart-rending duet? Then, there are the romantic Italian movie icons—Rossano (oh, be still, my heart) Brazzi, Marcello Mastroianni—swoon-worthy even decades later. Let’s not forget Shakespeare’s immortal play, Romeo and Juliet, set in Verona, which still resonates today with young lovers. Visitors to Verona flock to see Juliet’s balcony and the painted heart in the piazza every year, paying tribute to the power of love. True confession: as a little girl growing up in Italy, I loved to go to our Italian friends’ weddings—not to see the bride’s dress or for the romance—but for the confetti bombonieri—the Jordan almond wedding favors. 😉
So, Italians gift Baci, “kisses,” the little chocolates, to their loves, and wine them and dine them, after a ride on a Vespa. Imagine lifting a glass of Barolo—“Cin-cin”—and and finishing off a delicious meal of cacio e pepe with some Limoncello in a frosted glass—gazing at the drop-dead gorgeous views of Tuscany—Positano—Taormina—Lago di Como…now you understand.
A lovely and lilting way of declaring love in Italian, possibly even more meaningful than “Ti amo”—”I love you,” (in which the speaker is most important)—is “Mi ti manca al cuore”—”You are missing to my heart,” in which the beloved is most important. The Italian language is filled with emotionally-packed words and phrases to express heartfelt love and caring—gentile—ringrazie—gentilezza—abbracci…
So, this spring, speak a few romantic words of Italian—and celebrate Valentine’s Day and every day of spring with a deep appreciation of what the spirit of la bella Italia has created for all of us—a consistently-vibrant love of life well-lived through the centuries—a beating heart of civilization. Buona Festa di San Valentino!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author of over thirty traditionally-published books for young readers, Margo Sorenson spent the first seven years of her life in Spain and Italy, devouring books and Italian food and still speaks (or tries!) her childhood languages. Her most recent Adult/YA novel, SECRETS IN TRANSLATION (Fitzroy Books, October 2018), takes place in Positano, with plenty of romantic interludes—oh, that Vespa ride with Carlo! www.margosorenson.com
