Thank you for your warmth that crosses oceans and borders

What we are experiencing is a surreal moment, sometimes a nightmare. A strange period, in which the natural order of things has been subverted. A time when what was normal, taken for granted it isn’t anymore. In which what was lawful is now illegal, what was allowed is now prohibited, what was usual is now discouraged, what was ordinary is now extraordinary. The simplest and most banal things we did every day, like going out shopping, having an aperitif with friends, having a coffee at the bar, watching a football game, walking in company, now we can’t do it anymore. Let’s hope not for long. A period in which to say ‘thank you’ is perhaps too little!

But it is also the period in which we are more excited than ever to hear the Anthem of Mameli. In which tears slide down from our eyes seeing the Italian flag flying over our skies or the arrows that paint the sky with the tricolor. The moment when, perhaps, we all feel a little more Italian, all a little more patriotic. The moment when we all feel more brothers, all more children of the same community. All more “waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden”. But it is also the period in which we feel most fragile, defenseless. And do you know who gives us the strength to react and move on? You! Yes, all of you, with your comments and your words of affection.

Grazie, gracias and thank you!

Every day we read hundreds of comments and messages full of encouraging and rewarding words. Some simply writes a “Forza Italia!”, others “courage!”. Some people pray for us, others urge us not to give up. Someone optimistically assures us that we’ll get through this. And someone pushes us to do our best to win this war. There are also those who take the opportunity to express all their love for Italy. Messages that come from Italians who emigrated abroad or from Italian descendants who have probably never visited the land of their ancestors. Comments from Peru and Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. From Venezuela and Uruguay. From France, England, Switzerland and Canada. Grazie, gracias and thank you. It is this support that cheers us up. It is this warmth that crosses oceans and boundaries to warm us, to give us the strength to live this forced quarantine.

Rivers of words also come to us from those who have no ties to Italy but love it regardless. Because, you know, anyone who visits one of our cities can only be delighted by it. Whether it’s Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, Palermo or Naples. Anyone who experiences the warmth and affection of Italians can only be enchanted by it. Those who study our prose and our poetry, our art and our architecture only on books can not help but fall in love with it. Those who taste our pasta or our pizza, our ice cream and our desserts cannot help but remain dependent on it. So thanks to you all who support Italy, always. To you who love it as if it were your home. To you in whose veins Italian blood flows. Thanks for your affection and for your support. We will make it, also thanks to you!

Brotherhood, empathy and solidarity

When this is over, when we return to our lives made of small ordinary things we will still remember your words and your warmth will remain forever in our hearts. And we hope that when the Coronavirus will be only a bad memory, the positive values it has brought to the fore, solidarity, brotherhood and, above all, empathy, will remain as headlights to guide our journey forever.

#italyintheheart