1. Ten sentences on Italy and Italians
Krasnoyarsk, September 2016

2. 50 students from Northern Arctic Federal University, Arkhangelsk (Russia)
“Write ten sentences about Italy and the Italians”
Let’s see the Italy (and the Italians) they have described…

3. The “beautiful country with special emphasis on culture”: sunny, full of colours, romantic and shaped as a boot

4. Sea, sun, beaches, volcanoes, mountains, hills (and stormy climate in the West)

5. Clean streets or rubbish?

6. “Italian architecture has absorbed the whole history”, and Italy has “the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites”

8. “Long ago Italy had been split into many small kingdoms and city states”… but “All the roads lead to Rome”

9. Important Italians in the history

10. Old University, famous Cosa Nostra and Pope

11. Writers and poets, painters and sculptors

12. Inventors and scientists

13. “Many Shakespeare plays were set in Italy, including Othello and the Merchant of Venice”

14. Movies, actors, film directors

15. “Italy is the motherland of European music” “Italy is the singing country”

17. “Italian underwear for women is the best”: fashion

18. Luxury cars

19. Football

21. Funny time

22. “Italy has famous corrida games, and that’s awful”

23. “Super Mario game was created in Italy”, Mario is the most popular Italian name in the world

24. Italy is “one of the most populated countries in Europe”, life expectancy and unemploinment are high, tourism is well developed

25. There are not stray animals and orphanages

26. “Italia is a dreaming country
“Italia is a dreaming country. In Italia people live without any problem, they just live and swim in the sea”, “Italians see the world in bright, romantic colours”, “They can enjoy life”

28. Life is expensive and rules are not respected

29. Delicious food

31. “Italians except the pizza and pasta do not eat anything else”

32. “Italian language is simple to learn for the Russians, as Russian and Italian have similar grammar and pronunciation rules”

33. Wonderful, kind, hospitable, friendly, easy going, sociable, expressive, cordial, optimistic, good humored Italians

34. Handsome, fashionable and beautiful

35. Emotional, temperamental and jealous

36. Lazy and superstitious “Italians are so slow. And it’s normal for them
Lazy and superstitious “Italians are so slow. And it’s normal for them. Their motto is “piano piano””

37. “They do not scream and do not swear – they talk” “Italians speak very loudly”

38. “The family is very important for Italians”, “in the first place respect and reverence for the family”

39. An ordinary day in Italy

40. “All Italians have dark hair, dark skin and mustache like Super Mario”

41. Italy is a “mono-ethnic country”

42. SOME COMMENTS Italy as a living paradise
Simplified vision, influenced by: informations and notions studied at school, movies, music and popular culture, internet, newspapers and television
Some mistakes and confusions with other countries (especially Spain)
Power of Italian brands: car, football, fashion, history & art, tourism, food, Berlusconi/Mussolini
Similar results in most of the 50 essays
These results reflect the common, fixed image of Italy and Italian people (not only in Russia, also in other coutries)

43. PhD, Department of Education
Federico Zannoni
PhD, Department of Education