[Historiopode]

A warning: this traditional, over-the-top gesturing is particularly common in certain cities and segments of population. (The kind of colourful things that short tourism&culture articles like to talk about.) Elsewhere? Not so much. If you were so careless as to extend this stereotype to —say— the modern urban youth or the well-educated expat, you would likely be mocked as a clueless American tourist, and asked about how many guns you keep at home. :)

For perspective: I was born in northern Italy. Very few people within my social circles ever used any of the traditional gestures; when they did, they deliberately exaggerated the movements for comical effect, or put on a southern accent. Indeed, I have only recently discovered that gesturing is considered to be such a prominent, common feature of Italian culture... by reading English articles about it.

[toyg]

Well, those "segments" include most of the (disgraceful) Italian élite, so uhm. Just watch a political debate: you'll never find one without the making-a-point "vertical-OK" or the please-dont-talk-idiocy "join-hands-in-prayer", be it from Northern or Southern politicians, journalists, pundits, scholars or whatnot.

TBH, one of the effects of living abroad for more than a decade has been, for me, the loss of that smug Northern superiority complex. With all due respect to Giorgio Gaber, any pretence of Northern non-Italian-ness died with the first Berlusconi government.

[obviouslygreen]

Ha, thanks. Guess this is me falling for anecdotes; how embarrassing. :)