Naples – a lesson in Italian?
Friday, 20th March 2009
“Guaglion’” “Managg’” “Stu scem’” Naples not only feels different to any city you’ve ever been to, it also sounds different.
Some people think it isn’t the best place to study Italian. The majority of Italians can’t understand the conversations that true Neapolitans have in the street, across balconies and between their speeding Vespas. The recently released film “Gomorrah”, set in and around the suburbs of Naples, even has subtitles for Italians unfamiliar with the dialect as it is so different to the Italian spoken in the rest of the country. But this is a city where you can practice your Italian at every turn. Often said to be the friendliest people you will ever meet, Napolitani love to talk. People will talk to you on the train and on the bus, over pizza and over coffee. In fact, when you’re walking through the streets with scooters and cars speeding past, it seems like the only time they ever slow down is to talk or to eat, which is another thing they know how to do in Naples. Baba, sfogliatella and of course, the pizza, some of the best food in the country is from this city.
You either love it or you hate it. Naples only brings out extremes of emotions. Mention that you are thinking about going there to some Italians and they might try to persuade you not to go at all. They will definitely tell you not to go in the Quartieri Spagnoli or “the shame of Italy” as one of my friends called it. The Quartieri Spagnoli is made up of tiny streets that were built to house the Spanish army in the 16th century and is now home to the “bassi”, minute one room apartments that open directly onto the street and are often home to entire families. It is also a well-known hide-out for some head families of the Napolitan mafia.
However, if you are brave enough to go to, there is so much to see and do that you will never be bored. You can wander through the streets of Spaccanapoli, the historic centre, grabbing some delicious food from one of the street vendors to keep you going. Or head below Naples to the Sotterraneo, a labyrinth of damp, dark tunnels underneath Naples, which were lived in as recently as the Second World War. Just outside of Naples you can choose from the Campi Flegrei, Pompeii, Capri, Ischia. The list just goes on and on.
Forget about the camorrah. Forget that this is, traditionally, one of the most corrupt cities in the world. Go for the food, go for the language and enjoy a truly dynamic and entertaining city. You’ll love it too.
Tags: naples, course, language, italy, italian, food
Posted by Neil Stawarz 2009-03 under Experience Cultures,
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