L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 4 FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Beauty the soul of Italy's new renaissance S i riparte, off we go. Off we go, back to work, to the gym, to grab a coffee with friends, but with our smiles covered with these ubiqui- tous little rectangles of blue or white material, so impor- tant to ensure our safety and that of those around us. Some, as you would expect in a country with creativity in its genes, made up their own face masks — rigorou- sly following WHO directi- ves, of course — transfor- ming them into a trendy personal statement, a way to deflect the fear of a virus that remains alive and strong. Off we go, yes, but in a country that changed deeply and is still sca- r e d: I can see it in the streets, in the way we timidly avoid each other, almost feeling guilty while doing it, but knowing well we have really no other choice. In a way, though, a tad of healthy fear is not a bad thing: it means we'll keep respecting measures and won't slack off. Off we go, then, living our lives as normally as possible, even if the inabi- lity of hugging, touching, kissing one another is just another form of imprison- ment for a country that is notoriously affectionate and physical when it come to displaying love. We felt abandoned, during the lockdown, many felt lonely. Some dealt with isolation better but still missed their loved ones and the opportunity to see them. We were filled with worry and we couldn't even find comfort in each other the way we usually do. Yet, in this challenging times, we Italians — never mind where we lived — were comforted every day, every hour, every minute by something precious and maternal, something so profoundly "ours" we often don't even notice it anymo- re, as used as we are to it. Something that soothed our souls and gave respite to fear: Beauty, our coun- try's Beauty. During those lonely, often anxiety-ridden trips to the supermarket, we walked our town's streets and noticed, in their empti- ness, the elegant lines of their portici or the intricate yet tasteful details of their marble pavements. We passed our village's church and noticed with renewed owe the delicate perfection of its façade; some of us may have entered — maybe seeking spiritual comfort, maybe just out of curiosity or to find some long lost childhood memory — and discovered a delight of fre- scoes and chiaroscuros, of white marble statues and golden angels. In that silence and that beauty, our mind rested and forgot about the fears of the world outside. Beauty cures the soul from all its ailments. And nothing showed us how beautiful our country is as much as this tragic period we've just passed. I remember looking at pictu- res and videos of Rome, Florence, Naples during the lockdown: without peo- ple and without sounds, there they were, as majestic and beautiful as ever, a true ode to eternity, something that does not belong to Man but that cer- tainly belongs to Beauty and to God. The silence of Turin — the city I love the most in my country, becau- se it's the heart of the region where I was born — that sky above its baroque buildings, the way it just melted into an empty Piazza Vittorio brought me to tears, the way only seeing the face of the love of your life and Beauty can do. La Bellezza helped us, then, during these difficult months of isolation, but Architecture and sculpture, two ways to decline Italy's artistic beauty (Photo: Dreamstime) Continued to page 6

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