GP2 | 1-2 | Il Duce

Benito spacca Giovanni Paolo

This excellent Guardian article, published on 1st January, reminded me of a recent experience close to home.

We had dropped into the local newsagent for a paper (l'Arena) and some bus tickets.

Whilst my wife spoke with the newsagent about the possible money to be saved by buying a book of 10 or a season ticket, I noticed the 2013 calendars on display. There was one each for:

One Direction

Rabbits (the cute but eatable variety)

Padre Pio

Pope Giovanni Paolo II (nothing for the current Pastore Tedesco)

Juventus (currently the leading team in Italy, so I guess that's normal but disappointing to not see one for Hellas Verona)

...and two for Il Duce: Mussolini

A 2012 Calendar, taken from the publisher's site mentioned in the Guardian article from New Year's Day

I don't want to make this blog political (whilst remembering my favourite Skunk Anansie tune…), but it seems strange to me - a newly-arrived outsider - that there's a demand for a choice of calendars featuring a disgraced dead fascist dictator. Perhaps Alexei Sayle has set up a money-making sideline faking new poses: draped across the bonnet of the new Fiat Cubo, staring down the lens knowing he's the second ugliest subject in the shot; seductively licking a liquorice, lemon and morello cherry gelato at Lake Garda, the flavours subtly arranged in the form of the German flag to signify concord with the legion of Bavarian holiday-homers, raised right hand caught in a salute as he beats away a wasp... OK, enough.

One of the calendars was half-hidden behind the cutesy, tasty rabbits; the other proudly flanking One Direction. Make of that what you will!

Of course, the nearer you get to Rome, the more common and open this apparent nonchalance and admiration seems to be. Here, I've noticed Italians make a habit of talking down their country when talking with me - they complain that Italy is 'behind the UK', not as 'advanced' or 'free'. I've also heard it said more than once that things were better in the 1930s. 'It was the last time the country made any progress' was the last opinion shared with me at a dinner party. Hmmm.

There's a sort of rose-tinted and inverted 'what have the Romans done for us?' attitude displayed by some: 'Sure Il Duce was a fascist and did some evil and unforgivable things, but he gave us a post office on every corner, the trains ran on time,...'. 

It's a cliché that still rings true. Either that or I still have a lot to learn.