Il viaggio comincia

In the opening chapter of The Italians, Luigi Barzini describes his countrymen as "pleased and perplexed" about the visitors who come to their country in late Spring, drawn by what he calls Italy's "fatal charm." The mass arrival, Barzini says, "appears as irresistible as a natural event, as ineluctable as the seasonal return of migratory birds...driven by instinct."

This summer, my instincts have led me to Italy, to the city of Florence where the Renaissance began, to the language, culture, and art of my grandfather's family.



I'll not be one of "the vast majority of tourists, the millions driven by some unknown urge." I'm going because I'm "in love with nature...with art, culture, art, archaeology, and music." I'm going to "disappear into the background," to learn the language, to "wear ordinary clothes...meet people and make friends," to experience what Italians call "il dolce far niente," the sweetness of doing nothing.