A special part of Italy, and a basic rule of life

Re: “Off the tourist track in Italy, little is lost in translation,” March 30.

Jack Knox’s review of the Friuli region of Italy was special to me. Special because my parents were born and raised there before emigrating to the Kootenay city of Trail to start a new life.

Jack nailed it when he described the people of Friuli and their culture of today. Warm and friendly, steeped in tradition. But their history was not so idyllic and helps explain why my parents left Italy years ago.

Benito Mussolini and the Fascist Party were in power between 1922 and 1943, imposing strict control over life in the region that was struggling with poverty. Not happy with a limited future, my father decided to head off to Canada.

Before leaving, though, he met a young woman, and, after a one-month courtship, Primo and Apollonia were married in 1935. They quickly departed on their long journey to Trail, where my father was happy to secure work as a labourer in the lead and zinc smelter.

Meanwhile, Italy’s economic recovery from the Second World War was gradual, but it laid the foundation for Italy’s emergence as one of the leading economies in Europe. Today, the people of Friuli, like Italians throughout Italy, are proud of their local language and culture.

As individuals, however, they often disagree over many things, such as which political party should lead the country or why Ferrari is not leading Formula 1 racing. But there is a basic rule that all Italians support as a sign of a civilized society: No cappuccino after lunch.

Jerry Mussio Central Saanich