L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano I t almost seems like a d i s t a n t m e m o r y . Plan a trip? No pro- blem. Is that person smiling or scowling? P r e t t y o b v i o u s t o m e . Enough toilet paper on the grocery shelves? What kind of crazy question is that? And now – it seems 'twas a utopian existence reduced to sweet memory. L i g h t h e a r t e d b a n t e r aside, Italy, perhaps more than any other country, has l i v e d t h e d a r k n e s s o f t h e current pandemic in ways we hope can still only be imagined. From great eco- n o m i c l o s s r e l a t e d t o tourism, tragic loss of life, a n d e x t e n d e d m o n t h s o f c o n f i n e m e n t , t h e p a i n i s real. And yet, optimism is alive and well. Parma is a perfect exam- ple of the Italian knack for seeing the wine glass half full. B a c k i n 2 0 1 8 – l o n g b e f o r e C O V I D r u l e d t h e w o r l d - - t h e I t a l i a n Culture Ministry scruti- nized a short list of ten cities with one thing in common: all were runners up seeking t h e t i t l e a n d r e w a r d s o f becoming the next Italian C a p i t a l o f C u l t u r e . E m u l a t i n g t h e E U ' s E u r o p e a n C u l t u r a l Capital initiative begun 35 years ago, Italy's version, in place since 2014, seeks the same endgame: a year-long focus on the cultural her- itage of a designated city in order to promote visibility – aka tourism. The one-mil- lion-euro prize is kind of nice, too. N o t u n l i k e a b e a u t y pageant where every contes- tant could be a winner, the panel of judges painstaking- ly had to choose which of t h e t e n f i n a l c o n t e s t a n t cities would receive the lau- r e l f o r 2 0 2 0 . P a r m a w a s crowned. The honors were s e c u r e d w i t h P a r m a ' s promises of programs and events reflecting "manage- ment of creativity in view of overall sustainability" that synced with the ideals laid out by the Italian Culture M i n i s t r y . In short, they would do it up right! T h e F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 8 a n n o u n c e m e n t a l l o w e d plenty of time for the city and surrounding communi- ties to prepare. Exhibitions, presentations, institutional events, concerts, parades, food festivals: everything was spruced up and ready for the beginning of 2020. A f t e r a s h o w - s t o p p i n g January inauguration, what promised to be a stellar year of record-breaking tourism came to a screeching halt. COVID-19 had cast its sinis- ter shadow across Italy. Each day in early 2020 brought unknowns as Italy and the world struggled to make sense of this modern- day plague. Parma reeled under the additional worry o f n o t b e i n g a b l e t o t a k e advantage of the hard-won honor of Italian Capital of Culture 2020, especial- ly since a great outlay of t i m e a n d e x p e n s e h a d a l r e a d y o c c u r r e d . W h a t seemed like a dream come true had deteriorated into a nightmare. Never a people to give up e a s i l y , c i t i z e n s a n d l o c a l government rallied – like t h e b e s t o f m o v i e p l o t s , t h e r e h a d t o b e a l a s t - minute twist to salvage dire c i r c u m s t a n c e s . P a r m a m a y o r F e d e r i c o P i z z a r o t t i f o r m a l l y beseeched the Italian gov- ernment for an extension, a second chance to show the world his city's wonders. The result: The Relaunch D e g r e e o f M a y 2 0 2 0 . P a r m a w o u l d b e g r a n t e d Capital of Culture status through 2021. Her citizens celebrated, their joy mir- rored by the collection of cities already in the running for 2021 Capital of Culture. In a show of solidarity, these c i t i e s a l l i e d t o p o s t p o n e their own applications in support of Parma's predica- ment. "When everything is or seems lost, you simply have to get down to work a n d s t a r t a g a i n f r o m t h e beginning…", Pizzarotti said in a public statement. "The c i t y a n d i t s p e o p l e h a v e worked hard to create a year of culture that lives up to the expectations of the country. Culture will continue to beat time and be a metronome of our growth." More than just p o e t i c p r o s e , P i z z a r o t t i ' s metaphorical usage of time in his statement highlights t h e 2 0 2 0 , a n d n o w 2 0 2 1 , theme: La Cultura Batte i l T e m p o – C u l t u r e Battles Time. In an almost clairvoyant twist, the theme Parma – 2020 Italian Capital of Culture: cancelled? PAULA REYNOLDS became more than an inter- p r e t i v e i d e a – i t b e c a m e reality. And now, with time granted, Parma and her rich culture optimistically move forward. Real-time events, exhibitions, concerts, tours, a n d t h e r e m a i n i n g c l o s e contact programs lined up for the year-long celebration are temporarily suspended. No one knows what tomor- row holds for Italy, much less a month or two from n o w , b u t o p t i m i s m r u n s h i g h . " W e h a d a g r e a t desire to demonstrate all of Parma's potential and we s t i l l h a v e i t , " M a y o r Pizzarotti reminds. In the meantime, cultural experi- ences in Parma are still pos- Continued to page 28 Parma was supposed to be Italy's capital of culture this year, but the pandemic didn't allow the vast majority of events planned to take place (Photo: Photosimo/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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