"The land where beauty is worshipped and obligatory."
The
worship of beauty has been at the heart of Italian culture since the days of
the Roman Empire. Of course, over the centuries, the standards of beauty have
changed however so have the gender roles of women. Italian women are known for
their remarkable beauty, for being the epitome of fashion but also for being
spoiled and vain. Italy’s obsession with ‘La Bella Figura’, the concept of
making a good impression underpins every aspect of Italian life and therefore
dictates the way women live their lives. For example, ever since the plump
Italian ideal was replaced with a desire for thin, toned bodies; traditional
meals, such as pasta, have been replaced with boiled vegetables and
salads.
Gender roles and the status of women are heavily affected by ‘La Bella Figura’. Gloria Nardini, a writer who lectures on contemporary Italian culture at Palazzo Rucellai said, "The bella figura is the public performance, and it is deeply ingrained in Italians." Because of this, women are extremely diligent when it comes to their role in society, to go against what is expected of them would defy ‘La Bella Figura’ and promote the ‘Brutta Figura’ (Dishonoring the family, bringing public shame etc). They therefore promote traditional beauty ideals. As stated before, Italian women are known for being vain. To be vain, one must be confident; Italian women are extremely confident- it is because they follow these beauty ideals that they are able to see themselves this way. Status of women in Italian culture has changed over the past few decades- as with many of western cultures- women are becoming increasingly liberated from their house-bound lives. Negative population growth statistics can prove this, however many women still opt for domestic duties. The socially constructed differences between men and women, or gender, is not as distinctive in Italian culture when it comes to notions of beauty. Fashion is universal, pink is a desirable colour for men to wear and the notion of 'la bella figura' is gender-neutral- both men and women are out to impress. In conclusion, as Tracy Wilkinson wrote in Italy's Beautiful Obsession, beauty “governs behavior, language, customs; it directs the etiquette of business dealings and the machinations of politics.” (367w) |
GalleryA gallery of photos showing how beauty standards have changed.
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100 Years of Italian BeautyAn intriguing video illustrating Italian beauty standards over the past hundred years.
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Travel: ItalyAsk an Italian where in the world they would most like to live, and the odds are that they will say “right here”. Indeed, most people – not just Italians – have raved about Italy since tourism began, and to be honest the country really does have it all
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