QUESTION OF WATER FOUND Francesco Fiumalbi
may seem trivial, but every now and then comes back. The question of the bell is there, often relegated to a corner, ready to emerge out of the first pretext. In this paper we will try to tackle the thorny speech on "patriotism" with particular attention to the territory of San Miniato. We will say at once that, surely, we can not deal with the issue so much is made complex and at times blurred.
In recent days, thanks the article published in the newspaper "Il Tirreno" on February 23, 2011, signed by James Pelfer , have revived old questions. In particular, at this time was to discuss a proposal made by participants in the refresher course for professionals and public officials on "The old and the new town and countryside: the objective quality" (click on the link will put you in connection with the presentation page). The course, held at the premises of the Fondazione Conservatorio Santa Chiara, organized by Assform in collaboration with the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and saw the participation professors from Italian universities and international, had the final stage of the development proposals for the old town of San Miniato. Among them, one that has been most discussed is the idea of \u200b\u200b"uniting" the old town of San Miniato to the core village of San Miniato Basso and forming a single larger city. The discussion among the inhabitants of San Miniato, San Miniato Basso also had a flap on the Facebook page of virtual Smartarc and has continued in the pages of "Il Tirreno" with comments and reflections of traders and associations of both towns. If ever proof were needed, This was yet another proof that the "pride" in San Miniato sauce has never ceased and, indeed, is enhanced at every opportunity for new arguments.
Sunset from San Miniato al Gello
Photo by Francesco Fiumalbi
As noted by Daniel Nannetti, in a comment on Facebook probably "We historically used to looking in a bad eye who is not in our house, our neighbor, because it was on and off our ally or our enemy ".
And so, in the vast territory of the municipality of San Miniato, over 100 sq km, there are potentially 28,000 parochialism, there are so many people. Fortunately I am a bit 'less, but still far from a small number. Just think of the number of villages beyond the capital, officially 19, plus an almost infinite number of locations. Let us not mention them because someone will complain and ask that your location is included in the list of localities.
Bell Bucciano
Photo by Francesco Fiumalbi
Without discussing issues of national policy or sensational Tuscan episodes (how can we forget the rivalry between Pisa and Livorno!), We propose a list of some do parochialism of the most popular within the territory of the municipality of San Miniato. We will not make a distinction between those most vocal and the most goliardic because there is no proper assessment scale. I state that I am a bit 'ignorant about it, so if the comments at the bottom of this post you want to correct me, make explanations, or suggest new topics, there would be very grateful.
Let's start with those riding with municipal boundaries.
history and the rivalry between San Miniato and Empoli, the first "free city", the latter almost always subject to Florence. And 'perhaps more felt by Empoli who have within their own traditions, the famous "Flight of the donkey" with a clear mockery of San Miniato, even if they claim the disputed authorship of the famous "artichoke." Staying on the eastern border, between the residents of Ponte a Elsa, among those who live along the left bank, in the territory of San Miniato, and those of the right bank in the territory of Empoli. Moving on, however, to the west side the residents of San Romano, despite their divided between San Miniato and Montopoli. How can we forget the pressures of the inhabitants of San Donato to annex to the City of Santa Croce, declaring "Santacrocesi Oltrarno" and also became promoters of a movement, without success, the institutions began in the '20s and ended in 60 of 900. Not to mention ancient claims to the territory of San Miniato on the left bank of the Arno, where today there is today St. Peter, part of the City of Fucecchio.
To note the liveliness in Ponte a key autonomist Egola first towards Cigoli to build the church in the second half of the 800, and then with San Miniato to become home to a separate municipality, complaining about lack of services and claiming credit for their economic role. This controversy is revived periodically, most recently on Facebook and on the columns of "Il Tirreno" last November 2010.
"We are not San Miniato"
Written appeared in Red Bridge to Piazza Guido Egola
Photo by Francesco Fiumalbi
Miscellaneous parochialism and varied are the many more minutes. One of the most heard is the one between San Miniato and San Miniato Basso. I say that San Miniato hill in another air we breathe, the taste of history and of the nobility and never choose to live in the valley. The inhabitants of the plain feel more like a forced name change from Pinocchio in San Miniato Basso, even though it happened back in 1924, as now understood the City Council of the urban center of the plane, then in strong expansion, projection of the modern historic "City of the Rock." And how can we forget the historic rivalry, all music, including wind bands of San Miniato and La Scala (although lately they have worked well in the recordings of the show "Green Line"), between the religious and all the funny and Roffey Island as merely a pretext between Balconevisi with "Fund fell" or "Fornacino. Still, the claim "tasty" as to the origin of the truffle of San Miniato, by inhabitants of Armor and Balconevisi.
There are also rivalries within individual towns, to the San Miniato "dilaisti" neighborhood "Shoo" than "diquadisti" of "Fuordiporta. But even among different Contrada Ponte a Egola and a time to San Miniato Basso. Who knows how many others exist, and parochialism that have not been mentioned simply because the writer is not aware of.
Well, any excuse would seem to create good new clutches, goliardic jokes and episodes of laughter, but also, in the most extreme cases, real applications and representations to the bodies.
The bell tower of a bridge Egola
Pictures Francesco Fiumalbi
But what does the term "patriotism"?
The Encyclopedic Dictionary Italian "Treccani" clears the definition of "patriotism" in just one line: " exaggerated and narrow attachment to the traditions and customs of their city" .
Noteworthy are the two adjectives that are used to formulate the definition and that in some way reveal a negative opinion. Exaggerated and narrow: that we could put into that goes beyond the just measure and pretextual . The bell tower, however, does not stop only at the mere assertion of the place of belonging, but develops mainly through the denigration of their neighbors.
territorial claims, judicial, cultural, economic, religious, sports. These are the themes that characterize the phenomenon, I dare say, socio-cultural parochialism. This is it: a series of events for the purpose rivendicatorio.
Bell Stibbio
Photo by Francesco Fiumalbi
The term, obviously, comes from the "bell", from the structure that stands above other buildings and for this, besides the religious connotation, plays a very symbolic and it is proposed as part of 'identification, synecdoche, with the town in which it is located. It should be noted that the bell tower, at least initially, is an exquisitely "urban" or joins a religious building that is located within the village, a hamlet of a town. Except in cases relatively recent, it is difficult to find a church steeple in the open countryside. From there, the bell does not identify only the town, with its institutions, its rules and traditions, but also and above all, people who live there in the shade, but have also contributed financially to its construction. Parochialism, because historically it was a phenomenon in the city, and was also supported by the wars that periodically investing centers more or less close. These feelings of revenge, were also demonstrations in literature. How Not to forget, for example close to us, the famous mock-heroic poem "The capture of San Miniato" dall'empolese Ippolito wrote with evident purpose of denigrating Blacks against San Miniato and excitement about the "His" Empoli. Be stressed, if ever it were needed, that this is a work of fiction, because the facts narrated have no historical relevance to the siege by the Florentines in 1369 that lasted for over six months. But we'll talk about in a special intervention.
Bell Balconevisi
Photo by Francesco Fiumalbi
Since the writer is not familiar with the individual and reality you who read, and maybe you are also involved in feelings such as those described, you are certainly more informed, please leave a comment! For those who do not know, just click on the bottom of the post that shows the number of written comments, will post again, but individually. At the bottom you will find space to write. You do not necessarily make recordings or log in, even select the profile "Anonymous" and maybe write their name at the bottom of the comment. Thanks.
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