L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I f y o u h a v e b e e n t o I t a l y , y o u k n o w i t : there are some street names you're bound to find everywhere, from the largest of cities to the tiniest village. Just like you find a Market Square or Shop Street everywhere in England, the Belpaese is the place of Garibaldi Squares a n d V i t t o r i o E m a n u e l e I I Avenues ... G i u s e p p e G a r i b a l d i , the hero of Italian unifi- cation G i u s e p p e G a r i b a l d i (1807–1882) is one of Italy's "Fathers of the Fatherland" and, as many of you know, he had a central role in the unifi- cation of the country, in the historical period we know as Risorgimento. As a military general and national hero, he l e d t h e E x p e d i t i o n o f t h e Thousand, the Spedizione dei Mille, in 1860, which resulted in the conquest of Southern I t a l y a n d t h e c o n s e q u e n t proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, under the Savoia's rule. This is why almost every major Italian city, and most towns and villages, have a square or street dedicated to t h e H e r o o f t h e T w o W o r l d s : P i a z z a G a r i b a l d i in Naples is a pedestrian- friendly hub near the city's central station. In Rome, Via Garibaldi runs through the historic Gianicolo Hill, a site dedicated to his defense of t h e R o m a n R e p u b l i c i n 1849. Turin also has its own V i a G a r i b a l d i , a n e l e g a n t street lined with shops and cafés, just a stone's throw from Palazzo Reale. Milan h o n o r s h i m w i t h C o r s o Garibaldi, a lively street in t h e h e a r t o f t h e c i t y , a l s o k n o w n f o r i t s s h o p s a n d cafés. Vittorio Emanuele II: the first King of unified Italy Vittorio Emanuele II (1820–1878) was the first king of unified Italy. As the ruler of the Kingdom of Sar- dinia, he worked closely with l e a d e r s l i k e C a v o u r a n d Garibaldi to achieve unifica- tion: on March 17, 1861, he was declared King of Italy, becoming a symbol of the newly united country. Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the most common s t r e e t n a m e s i n I t a l y : in Rome, it connects the his- toric center to the Vatican, w h i l e i n T u r i n , V i t t o r i o Emanuele's hometown, it is a major thoroughfare running t h r o u g h t h e c i t y c e n t e r . In M i l a n , Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is a prominent shopping street, popular with both locals and tourists. Dante Alighieri: the father of the Italian lan- guage Dante Alighieri (1265– 1321) is considered the father of the Italian language: his m o n u m e n t a l w o r k , T h e Divine Comedy, written in the Tuscan volgare — that is to say, Italian — established a common literary language and influenced Italian cul- ture profoundly. Dante is celebrated for his contributions to both litera- ture and the philosophical and theological thought of his time across Italy: Piazza Dante in Naples is one of t h e c i t y ' s m a i n p u b l i c squares, and is adorned with a statue of the poet. In Flo- rence, Dante's birthplace, Via Dante Alighieri leads vis- itors through the heart of the historic district. Milan has i t s o w n V i a D a n t e , a p i c - turesque street connecting the city center to the Castello Sforzesco. C a m i l l o B e n s o d i Cavour: the architect of unified Italy C a m i l l o B e n s o d i Cavour (1810–1861) was a statesman and a key archi- tect of Italian unification. He was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and played a pivotal role in diplo- matically maneuvering Italy's unification, working along- side figures like Garibaldi and Vittorio Emanuele II. In Rome, we find a Piazza C a v o u r n e a r t h e V a t i c a n , w h i l e M i l a n h a s C o r s o Cavour. In Florence, Via Cavour runs through the his- toric city center, connecting Piazza San Marco with the iconic Duomo. Important historical events also have a promi- nent place in Italy's urban landscape. Streets named after pivotal moments in Ital- ian history are many and, just like those dedicated to n a t i o n a l h e r o e s , t h e y a r e common in cities and villages alike. Via XX Settembre Via XX Settembre com- memorates September 20, 1870, the date when Italian t r o o p s b r e a c h e d R o m e ' s walls at Porta Pia, ending papal control of the city and bringing Rome into the King- d o m o f I t a l y . T h i s s t r e e t n a m e i s f o u n d a c r o s s t h e whole country, with the most famous examples in Rome, where the event took place, and Genoa. Via IV Novembre This street name is com- mon throughout Italy, and marks the day World War I ended for Italy, on Novem- b e r 4 , 1 9 1 8 . V i a I V Novembre in Rome is near t h e h i s t o r i c A l t a r e d e l l a Patria (Altar of the Father- land), a monument to Italy's unification and military his- tory. E v e r y c i t y h a s i t s quirks! But if it's true that many street names in Italy com- memorate national figures and events, others reflect local history, geography, or even a city's character. Via Po in Turin, for instance, is dedicated to the city's most i m p o r t a n t r i v e r , t h e P o , which also happens to be the longest in the country. The s t r e e t r u n s f r o m P i a z z a Castello to Piazza Vittorio Veneto and, of course, the River Po. It is a wide, elegant street lined with arcades, a reflection of Turin's Baroque heritage and of its connec- tion to the royal House of Savoia. Via Monte Napoleone i s M i l a n ' s m o s t f a m o u s shopping street, located in the heart of the city's fashion d i s t r i c t . N a m e d a f t e r Napoleon Bonaparte's reign in Italy, it is now synony- mous with high-end luxury and Italian style. In Rome, we have Via d e l l a C o n c i l i a z i o n e , which connects St. Peter's Basilica to the rest of the city, symbolizing the reconcilia- tion between the Italian state and the Papacy, which took place in 1929 with the sign- ing of the Patti Lateranen- si. Via dei Fori Imperiali, o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , r u n s through the ruins of Rome's ancient forum, linking the C o l o s s e u m w i t h P i a z z a V e n e z i a . I t i s , n a t u r a l l y , n a m e d a f t e r t h e a m a z i n g a r c h a e o l o g i c a l t r e a s u r e s around it. GIULIA FRANCESCHINI Streets and piazze of Italy: where do they get their names? Street signs in Rome (Photo: Ekaterina Spiridonova/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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