L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano W ith samp i e t r i n i , there are n o h a l f - m e a - sures: either you love them or you hate them. And if you have been to Rome, you defi- nitely know why. They are beautiful to look at, and so incredibly characteristic of our beloved capital, but god forbid you have to walk on them on a rainy day: the risk o f s l i p p i n g a n d b r e a k i n g your neck is real! Sampietrini, also known as "sanpietrini" or "sel- cio," are cobblestones made from leucite rock extracted from the Selci quarry, locat- ed in the Colli Albani hills n e a r R o m e . S t r a n g e l y enough, we have no histori- cal or archaeological proof t h a t t h e a n c i e n t R o m a n s e m p l o y e d l e u c i t e r o c k i n t h e i r b u i l d i n g s o r r o a d s , however, the material has been known for its compact- ness and durability for cen- turies: that's why it's not so bizarre to see them paving so many streets in our capital. They come in different sizes: the larger stones measure 1 2 x 1 2 x 1 8 c m , w h i l e t h e smaller ones are only 6x6 cm and are quite rare: one of the only places you can see this smaller version of sampietri- ni is Piazza Navona, one of Rome's most iconic land- marks. Our sampietrini owe their favor and spread throughout t h e c i t y t o P o p e S i x t u s V, who ruled over Rome and Christianity between 1585 and 1590. He played a signif- icant role in Rome's urban planning, and it was under his pontificate that sampi- etrini became the preferred paving material in the capi- tal, thanks to their durability and their resistance to wear and tear from horse-drawn carriages. Their popularity led to an increase in produc- t i o n , a n d t h e y w e r e u s e d throughout the city. As you may have guessed, the name originated from the fact our little solid cubes were initial- ly used to repave Piazza San Pietro in its entirety. C u r i o u s l y e n o u g h , y o u can spell sampietrino also in a different way, "sanpietri- no" with an "n:" while it isn't c o r r e c t f r o m t h e p o i n t o f view of our language's mor- phology (we always put an "m" before the "p"!), it is just as common, and it is widely accepted by linguists, too. A n d w h i l e t h e r e i s n o doubt that sampietrini are b e a u t i f u l , t h e y h a v e a l s o s p a r k e d c o n t r o v e r s i e s . I t wasn't unusual, in the cen- turies past, to use them as w e a p o n s d u r i n g p o p u l a r uprisings. Even today, not everyone is charmed by their h i s t o r i c a l a n d r o m a n t i c allure, because their uneven surface can be treacherous for pedestrians, especially those wearing high heels, and cyclists and motorcy- c l i s t s a s w e l l . M o r e o v e r , maintaining and repairing the sampietrini is costly, and some people advocate for their replacement with more modern, low-maintenance materials. D e s p i t e t h e d e b a t e s , the sampietrini's cultural and historical value has per- sisted, and they remain an essential element of Rome's charm. Sampietrini can still be found in many parts of the city, and they are a clear testament to its rich cultural heritage. However, the per- c e n t a g e o f R o m e ' s u r b a n r o a d n e t w o r k p a v e d i n sampietrini pavement is rel- atively low, accounting for only about 2% of the total. M i n d t h o u g h : t h i s s t i l l amounts to roughly 100 km of roads that require appro- priate and optimized man- agement through a Pave - ment Management System (PMS). L o v e t h e m o r h a t e them, sampietrini continue to be a beloved symbol of La Città Eterna. They are a bit like its hardcore heart and soul, to the point that, even w i t h t h e r i s e o f m o d e r n a s p h a l t t e c h n o l o g y , t h e i r romantic and cultural value p e r s i s t e d , a d d i n g t o t h e already endless historical charm of the city. In fact… some even thought to make some money off them, by s e l l i n g t h e m t o t o u r i s t s along the street — which of course it's illegal. However, a q u i c k l o o k a t t h e F A I (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) page dedicated to sampietri- ni informs us that, in the end, the joke is on buyers: apparently, most of today's stones are no longer quar- ried in the Colli Albani, but come from China. T oday's word, sot- t o s o p r a ( s o h t - toh-soh-pra) has n e v e r b e e n s o popular! Sottosopra translates with "upside down" and it is the way Italians call the terri- fying alternative universe of an incredibly popular Netflix series set in the 1980s — I am sure I need to say no more! Indeed, sottosopra is an a d v e r b t h a t t r a n s l a t e s a s "upside down" or even "inside out". Its etymology can be traced back to the union of t w o o t h e r c o m m o n adverbs, sotto and sopra, and it appeared in writing for the first time in the 14th century. The word can be used literally to describe a physical object that has been flipped over or turned upside down, but it is a l s o u s e d f i g u r a t i v e l y t o depict situations or circum- s t a n c e s t h a t a r e t u r n e d a r o u n d o r c o m p l e t e l y changed from their original state. For instance, we can say Hai appeso quel quadro sottosopra! ("You hang that painting upside down!") but also, more figuratively: Ho mangiato troppo e ora ho lo stomaco sottosopra ("I had too much food and now my stomach hurts"). In Italian literature, sot- tosopra has been used in var- i o u s w a y s , i n c l u d i n g a s a metaphor for a person's state of mind, a societal upheaval, or a political revolution. For example, in Dante's "Divine Comedy," the poet describes Hell as a place where every- thing is turned upside down, including the sinners who are punished for their wrongdo- ing. Indeed, we often describe Dante's Inferno as having the shape of, quite literally, un cono sottosopra, "an upside- down cone." In modern Italian, "sot- tosopra" is a commonly used term that is often used to describe chaotic or disordered situations, like ho cercato le m i e c h i a v i o v u n q u e . H o messo la casa sottosopra ma non le ho trovate! (I've looked for my keys everywhere. I turned the house upside down but I couldn't find them"). Ho fatto cena con degli amici e ora la mia cucina è tutta sottosopra I had dinner with some friends and my kitchen now is a mess Stai guardando la foto sot- tosopra, girala! You're looking at the pic- ture upside down! Turn it the right way! Ho messo tutti i cassetti sottosopra per trovare il pas- saporto I've turned all the drawers upside down to find my pass- port LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Sottosopra, the word for the "upside down" Italian curiosities: Rome's love-hate relationship with sampietrini Rome's famous sampietrini: beautiful, but not so easy to walk on, especially if you wear heels! (Photo: Fabio Pagani/Dreamstime) Photo: Hongqi Zhang (aka Michael Zhang)/Dreamstime

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