Italian Professor explains 6 differences between Northern and Southern Italy

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: I am receiving criticism from some Italian viewers regarding an alleged inaccuracy. First I want to say that I accept any kind of criticism, except those that attack my family with harsh insults. These individuals will be reported and blocked. Coming to the crux of the matter, I will respond to the main points: 1) I said that the Eggplant comes from the Americas because, as I always repeat, I am not a native speaker of English and I confused it with zucchini. 2) Some Northern Italians accused me of not having mentioned the fundamental role of Genoa and Venice in the Mediterranean. And they are right, in the sense that what they say is true, but they must consider, as I have already responded in individual comments, that this is a short, introductory video, designed for a mainly non-Italian audience who wants to know something more about the country . The specific in-depth analysis of each single city or region or typical cuisine was not the purpose of this video. Context is king and you did not get the context of the video at all. Finally, I want to say to those who accuse me of being a fake History professor, that they can go and see my Peer Reviewed articles, they can go and see my Phd certificate on the website of the University of Rome Tor Vergata and they can ask my students who comment on my videos. I leave all the links down her: www.rivisteweb.it/doi/10.30461/106602 www.altreitalie.it/pubblicazioni/rivista/n-64/saggi/risorgimento-transatlantico-gli-esuli-e-la-promozione-dell-unita-nazionale-italiana-negli-stati-unit/risorgimento-transatlantico-gli-esuli-e-la-promozione-dell-unita-nazionale-italiana-negli-stati-uniti.kl Get a life.

[@jhlfsc]

You are charitable for calling them "criticisms" when they really are just malicious insults. Hopefully from now on, you will not even need to dignify them with a response. Keep up the good work, we are all learning a lot from you.👍

[@ronpulcer2511]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 I have subscribed to your channel. I am planning on going back to Italia for a short Tuscany spotlight tour with local senior group, and hope to see some relatives again. After I watched your video I know you didn't mention Tuscany region, but I know you can't cover an entire country in one video. My grandfather used to say Michigan and Italy are peninsulas. Michigan is a Mitten and Italy is a Boot. Back then Italy had more than 5x the population of Michigan. Look forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@nicobsm111saintmichel7]

Grazie Profesoro, me piace molto i suoi video. p.s Know that critics are obessed to criticise, and silly geese who will always tell you that you forgot something 'unaware' a short video is just that. :)

[@fernandapasetti205]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 did I insult your family? I feel you are on shaky terrain. I will not right any comment to your future video actually I will ignore the all matter

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@ronpulcer2511 That is a good one! thank you so much!

[@robertopisano6582]

I am deeply grateful to have discovered this channel . . . well done and well-researched. Of course it comes as no surprise that many, in fact any, opinions, no matter how well-founded, will find no lack of contention from an Italian and Italian-American audience. But I love the way you engage in that delicate dance with scholarship and humility. All four of my grandparents came to the United States early in the 20th century and were proud of their origins - - - so much so that they, their children and grandchildren, didn't feel like "Italian-Americans" so much as Italian AND American. I, for one, never related much to what was undeniably a stereotypical Italian-American culture; it was one I seemingly observed from the outside. The writings of my self-educated paternal grandmother may do a better job at describing what I am trying to communicate; her memoir is published and available worldwide on Amazon, entitled "Michelina's Letter; Ellis Island Emigre". My guess is many of your subscribers may be able to relate to my own experience.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

this is an amazing comment that really makes me want to keep pushing despite I am already exhausted, with a full time job and two little kids. Please make me subscribe because I want this kind of audience. youtube.com/@HowtoItaly-2004?_confirmation=1

[@Italsat4861]

Special respect to Italy and Italians from another ancient country, Iran.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for your comment from Iran!!

[@Italsat4861]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 BTW, I forgot to mention in the previous comment that I love Italian language. I also personally study Italian, however, at on my own pace.

[@JohnGarofano-s5j]

Two great ancient cultures that helped make the world what it is today,

[@Italsat4861]

@@JohnGarofano-s5j Yes, you are right. However, the Western media tries to manipulate it by for instance, showing Iranians were not enough sophisticated in comparison to the western world's powers such as Romans and Greeks. . In fact, Iranian artifact, spears, swords and other stuff can be observed from Hermitage in Russia to Louvre in France and other European countries' museums such as England & the US.. In the movie 300, you can see that how Western media tries to depict Iranians with primitive combat costumes, basic tools to fight etc. In essence, these are a bunch of lies. Let's finalize it here. . Nevertheless, best wishes for Italians and Greeks from an old friend.

[@JohnGarofano-s5j]

@@Italsat4861 Dear old friend Hollywood rewrites history all the time,Your culture is older then the Greek or Italian culture,both influenced highly by the ancient Persians,we respect you ,Viva Iran

[@niccoarcadia4179]

I wish to retire in Southern Italy. A small mountain village with medieval age homes. I have wanted this for most of my adult life. Your vids are very informative. Thank You!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

There are many like that in Southern Italy! And houses are extremely cheap.

[@vickysalmon-x9p]

Great video! I count myself as lucky to have taught with Luca. Probably the most stimulating classroom companion!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@vickysalmon-x9p thank you Vicky! I miss our lessons so much!!

[@ronpulcer2511]

Professor Luca, I came to your channel through NYTN channel and your conversation with Danielle. I visited Italy once and after tour visited my mother's cousins in Tuscany. My grandparents and their children are from foothills of Appeninne Mountains, 30km north of Lucca. Their families trace back to Fanano which is at higher elevation. So mountainous like southern Italy, but definitely more of a rural feel. My late grandfather was an amazing gardener, even on urban lot in Michigan. When I rode train north from Rome, many backyards have productive gardens. I loved the variety of foods in Italy! Best of luck with your YT channel.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for sharing your incredible story!

[@robertopisano6582]

To simplify poetically . . . The industrial North and charming South combine to create a total that is greater than the sum of its parts. They need each other for completion as a culture.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I totally agree

[@val91201]

Like Aristotle said

[@Kikimikimone]

such an interesting topic! i visited italy multiple times (as a german), but visited the south of italy for the first time last year. i was surprised to realise how different it was compared to the north! and now i understand why :) thanks for the video

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for your comment!

[@edombre4637]

The dialect of Italians along the north west coast (province of Liguria) of Italy is part of the “Langue Doc” languages, which stretch from NW Italy through southern (Mediterranean) France into Catalonia in Spain. This group of people were once ethnically similar.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

You are absolutely right

[@joepavone3586]

Professor: I am a new subscriber. I hope you keep these videos coming. My father came to America through Ellis Island in 1924 from Capestrano, Abruzzo. My maternal grandparents were both from Tursi, Basilicata. What I noticed about my late father and his immigrant friends (Italian) is how reticent they were to talk about their early years in Italy. I believe it must have been that way because their life was so poor they wanted to escape poverty and come to America.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for subscribing and for sharing your family story!

[@vstefferrazzi9690]

I agree with Prof. Coniglio about many topics he covered in this video. As an Italian from Northern Italy, I can say his depiction of the differences between North and South are pretty accurate, even though they tend to blur somehow when it comes to big cities such as Milan and Turin (I'm from Turin) because of the decades long and non-stopping emigration from the South. For the record, I can call myself an example of this medley between Northern and Southern Italian culture, I was born and raised in Turin but I have both origins in my family (Piedmontese, Venetian and Apulian). I feel particularly close to my Southern Italian side cause I was brought up by my maternal grandparents, they were actually born in Greece but their families came from Apulia: my grandpa used to plant tomatoes and basil in the apartment building garden where they lived, he used to make panzerotti at home and I used to have pasta with sauce almost every day when I was there. We still have relatives down in Bari and I consider Apulia my favorite place when it comes to vacation. Apart from that, Turin is full of Southern Italians to the extent that you'll wonder where the traditional Turinese are by now (of course there are but I guess they've become a minority nowadays), you won't hear locals speaking Piedmontese so much when you walk down the street cause standard Italian is the language that people speak here nowadays. In short, big cities such as Turin and Milan have become multicultural in terms of Northern and Southern Italian population and this has obviously affected our identity.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Grazie per questo bellissimo commento!!

[@wildearthfarm4632]

Thank you for such a great lesson! I am a New Yorker looking forward to spending the winter in Sicily. Subscribed!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much!! I have plans to make videos from Sicily soon!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much!! I have plans to make videos from Sicily soon!

[@merriame9487]

Your channel is amazingggg every topic is beyond interesting. Thank you so much ❤

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for the compliment.

[@luxaeterna31]

Thank you so much for this informative video. I am from Italian & Greek heritage. I grew up in an essentially Southern Italian neighborhood in NYC. My Italian ancestry though goes back to the Piedmont region (Po Valley) of Italy but as a child and teen I was immersed in what would be considered an Italian-American culture of Belmont's "Little Italy." I remember my Aunt discrediting the "simplicity " of Southern Italian cooking while she was proudly offering us a dish of Polenta with mushrooms. My Mom remarked under her breath, the irony that it was historically many peasants that ate it. Subscribed and Liked.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for sharing this amazing family story!

[@petera618]

"Simplicity" also depends on the area and its history and ingredients. Our food is from the province of Palermo in Sicily. There are two types of cooking, "cucina povera", the food of the poor but always flavorful but there is also a more aristocratic way of cooking that was enjoyed by the wealthy that many Sicilians now prepare because of economic improvements. Sicily's wealth of its incredible produce, and local fish and seafood along with the influences from the many conquests, Arab, Greek, Spanish, French, and North African, not to mention the amazing pastries can be quite sophisticated.

[@vstefferrazzi9690]

What part of Piedmont was your family from? I'm curious to know cause you don't get many Northern Italian Americans in NY, it would be nice to learn some more about them. Grazie!

[@luxaeterna31]

@@vstefferrazzi9690 Hi..From what I gathered it was a town in the Emilia-Romagna region closer to the Po Valley. Grandmother maiden name Rossi; Grandfather Miodini. She was a natural redhead also!

[@vstefferrazzi9690]

@@luxaeterna31 Ok if that's the case, your family's roots are not really in Piedmont but in Emilia Romagna (which is a different region), most likely in the province of Parma - that's the place where most of the Miodini families are from. That's interesting by the way, I can say another Italian American who had the same origins from his paternal side was James Gandolfini (I guess I don't need to tell you who he was)!

[@angeloavanti2538]

This was really good. My Italian family is from both North and South. Now I know why my mother could cook in both cuisines so well. I hope I can keep that tradition too.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you much for sharing!

[@brunobandiera2062]

The food divergence is certainly evident, here in Canada, people think that all Italians eat is pizza and pasta. My grandparents on both sides emigrated from Northern Italy (Veneto, Lombardia, Piemonte) and, while we did eat pasta, it was not on the menu everyday. Spaghetti with tomato sauce on Fridays, or fish. Pasta showed up in soup, sometimes ravioli or tortellini, but usually it was some kind of meat like veal or pork, with vegetables, salad, or legumes.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

You are absolutely right. I want to make a video about Italian Canadians in the near future. Subscribe and do not miss it. youtube.com/@HowtoItaly-2004?_confirmation=1

[@pierocavolino1057]

Don't forget "risotto" with many combinations. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 of Italians came from Southern Italy, from there was born - especially by Hollywood film makers - the concept of "Pizza, pasta and Mafia". Yet, who get a chance to visit the country, typical stereotype idea is brushed off.

[@brunobandiera2062]

@@pierocavolino1057 Yes, I miss my Nonna's Ossobuco con Risotto Milanese. she also made a risotto with ground veal and chicken hearts, and ravioli, and lingua bollita, and.... I'm getting hungry...😋

[@lisaferraro4878]

I like listening/watching your videos Professor! Thank you

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much! Click the notification button so You will not miss any of my video

[@VJCT-929]

I find the subjects of your posts quite interesting. Personally, I am a descendent of Southern Italian immigrants, now more than 130+ years ago. My maternal grandmother lived with us. I'm actually named after her. She wouldn't speak English because when she tried when she was younger, people made fun of her. The result, she refused to speak English. However, she understood English perfectly. Growing up, she would speak her "Neapolitan" dialect, which I understood but couldn't speak except for some amusing insults. When I was in college, I decided to go to Italy to learn Italian. Since I already understood most Italian, it was really easy to learn. I studied in Perugia (a long time ago). Since that first time, I have probably been to Italy over 50 times. When I went to the University to find a place to stay, the woman there said that there was a great pensione. However, she added the owner never accepted Americans. She said that because of how I looked (jet black hair and "respectable"), Mrs. Campanelli might let me stay. When I arrived at the pensione, Mrs. Campanelli looked me up and down and said I could stay. As I learned, later she was a Socialist but always voted Communist out of respect for her dead husband. Despite her politics, she diligently took care of another student , Giovanni, who was openly a Fascist. It was all very interesting. This was the late 60s. Italy was quite poor then, unlike today where it is quite rich.. I could go on and on about my views of how radically Italy has changed over the decades, but I won't bore you. I have been a Wall Street international economist for more than 45 years. My specialty has been country risk analysis. One economic point I would argue, that as an expert of monetary unions around the world, for a monetary union to succeed requires a massive system of transfers from the winners (the North) to the losers (the South) resulting from the union. This is why for Italy to stay united, it required massive transfers from the North to the South. After unification, capital went from the South to the North. These kind of transfers are always required if the union is to be maintained. Canada, Australia and even the US have used transfers for a very long time. In Canada and Australia, there is a formal system in place depending on the differences in the wealth of the provinces and states over time. In the US, we have used a more informal approach. That's why most military bases were located in the South. Given income disparities, Northern states such as New York and New Jersey pay much more in taxes to the Federal government than they receive in federal payments. Another example, the federal government paid for much of the electrification of the South via the Tennessee Valley Authority. Federal systems always create massive transfers. If they don't the federation will eventually collapse. As I noted above, I will stop so as not to bore you.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I mean, this is such an amazing comment. Thank you so much for your knowledge and wisdom. Please subscribe to the channel because I want this kind of audience.

[@wkrapek]

Southern Italy had a higher proportion of its workforce in industrial sectors than the north in 1860. It also built the north’s trains, and Naples had a world class ship building industry. The South also had more gold and lower debt.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Yes, but unfortunately that was not enough, if you know what I mean

[@rivobravo]

The two major maritime republics were Genoa and Venice. North East of Italy under Roman empire was outpost where settlers were farmers and soldiers at the same time. Under the pressure of German and Slavic invasions, local settlers relocated in small islands. Venice, when lost its independence to Napoleon conquest on 1796 was one thousand years old. Venice lived and prospered with the sea, every year the Republic had a special celebration. In the Mediterranean Venice was a trading superpower till American continent was discovered. Venice provided Ships and procurement for the Crusades. The political system was unheard for those times, there were two rulers, aka dogi, they were required to be rich so the competence was not a problem and the position was pro bono. By large and far, North Italy has little in common with South Italy, equating would be a mischaracterization.

[@mattiamasella6022]

Actually there were promising Maritime republics in the south for example Amalfi and Gaeta , but they had struggle competing with the northern counterparts given the geographical location that allowed Genova and Venezia to be a much more appetible tradeports since they gave a fast connection to the rest of continental europe.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

First of all thank you for your detailed and educated comment. I think such a smart person can easily understand that what you said was impossible to mention in details inside a video made to be a basic understanding of Northern and Southern Italy for foreigners. Having said that, what do you mean:equating North and South?

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you for your comment!

[@acaviness7579]

I recently binged listened to a course on Italian history while doing a lot of cooking etc. A main difference in the history of N and S is that the South was a feudal society ruled by non natives for at least the last 1,000 years. No experiments in Republics; always foreign overlords.

[@mattiamasella6022]

you’re really on point with this , it explains the gap into development . As an Italian i learned to use this as a key concept to define certain differences between the two parts of Italy . Also it explain why the different types of mafias originated into the feudal south , often as local chief in charge of the lands or mercenaries in sold of the landlord

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I agree with both of you, but it is not that simple.

[@thebiblepriest4950]

I was walking down the street, maybe 40 years ago, and two men were faced off trying to have a conversation. Now I, with my Calabrian ancestry, knew one was from the south. But the Northerner was using standard Italian, which I learned later in life. I could understand both of them perfectly, but they most resolutely could not or would not understand each other.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

❤️

[@JorgeGarcia-lw7vc]

Really great video. A simplification, perhaps, but a great summary indeed! I would just instead classify those "dialects" as actual languages, even within the south, where Sicilian and Neapolitan are probably more different from each other than Portuguese is to Spanish. Politically and culturally, folks, even in Italy, often label these as dialects, but like you say, they are extremely different from each other, with Latin being their most common source, with splits, even in the South taking place very early on.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I totally agree with your statement. Thank you so much for you comment! Subscribe! youtube.com/@HowtoItaly-2004?_confirmation=1

[@tobirates916]

Thank you for a lovely introductory video on this topic. As you spoke, I wondered where is Rome situated in a dichotomy between north and south, since it’s geographically nearly in the center of the north /south axis? Is it more one than the other? Or a special case due its own history?

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you for your comment. The geographical and metaphorical position of Rome within Italy is a very complicated task. I will dedicated a video about that. Let’s say that in my opinion it is a bit more south than north.

[@nni9310]

there are also significant differences between east and west Italy.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

there are! You are right

[@nicobsm111saintmichel7]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 Profesoro, you ought not to indulge those bores, who need to state the flagrant obvious imo. :)

[@nicobsm111saintmichel7]

No, you don't say? Who would ever thought that it is common theme throughout the world...

[@edombre4637]

Such as?

[@LeeMoraglio]

Perhaps I am wrong, but as I've learned more about northern Italy vs. southern Italy, it seems to me that the further north you go, the more the people and the food start to resemble Germany. (Northern Italians would probably give me the evil eye for saying that). Germans are perceived as hard-working, industrious, organized, and not particularly warm. I once flew to Rome with a layover in Frankfurt, and I was struck by how the German airport was much more organized than the one in Rome. Southern Italy, on the other hand, is known for the warmth of the people, but it also seems to be much more chaotic at times. The cities in the north are also generally cleaner than the ones in the south. Also, the further north you travel in Italy, the more that meat becomes a central part of the diet. Is that the influence of Germany, where meat is a central part of the diet? I don't know. The City of Turin is known for its exceptional chocolate. Is it a coincidence that it sits pretty close to the border of Switzerland which is famous for its chocolate? Probably not. These are just a few examples of how northern Italy might have been influenced by its neighbors to the north, and the further you get from them (by traveling south), the more you see a different side of Italian culture that is more laid back. Sicily is also a very interesting region because it has been conquered by so many different cultures that the people and the food reflect this historical and cultural diversity. Grazie for this lesson!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

First of all, thanks for your this very insightful comment. The geographical proximity between Northern Italy and the Celtic/Germanic area of Europe created most of the effects that you noticed. However, I have to say the Rome Leonardo Da Vinci Airport won 7 times in a Row “best big airport in Europe” and it is 10 times better any german airport I have visited, including Berlin, which is shit.

[@jhlfsc]

I'm sure the percieved cleanliness differentials between north and south stem from charachter flaws and have nothing to do with enormous municipal funding disparities.

[@marcoac-sx6lq]

I wouldn't call it an influence. Northern Italy itself is in the continental part of Europe. This appearance may be just a feature of that region. Rome itself is a mess of a city, but regarding the airport I don't understand what you mean by disorganization. There are many spots of the airport that are truly beautiful, areas to work with the pc, places to relax. It's one of the few airports where you can board with more than 100 ml liquids, thanks to the scanner technology. Note that it's very big and your experience may be due to your boarding area and time. The German stereotype on the other hand is not quite true. The trains are among the worst in Europe, the burocracy is old and huge, and people don't work so many hours if you check the statistics.

[@francescofilippi2824]

Despite that, the South of Italy was already partially industrialized before unification but the government from Turin decided to dismantle major industries which had even thousands of workers to favor the North. And this is still going on today. Now there is devolution which does not favor the South

[@jhlfsc]

@@marcoac-sx6lq Well compared to the US work hours, Germany looks like it's unemployeed lol

[@kevjackson3501]

Thank you. Very interesting.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much

[@CosimoCicero]

Bellissimo, bravo Prof!!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Immenso

[@alessandrom7181]

There were also Etruscans in North Italy and Po valley and they left quite a big of an impact. Etruscans were an authoctonous people despite they spoke a non indoeuropean languge by latest genetic studies.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

This is absolutely true

[@palofrasca1775]

What type of impact?

[@edombre4637]

Were the Etruscans not originally from Persia?

[@stefano_etrusco]

@@edombre4637Nope. DNA analysis shows they were indigenous to Italy. Their language was somewhat related to the Rhaetic language of their neighbors in the Alps. It was probably a remnant of pre-Indo-European languages, like Basque but completely different.

[@gregcontreras2213]

Very informative. So excellent

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

thank you so much. Subscribe!

[@gmalcolms]

There are websites where you can look up the frequency of Italian surnames throughout the country. (These were based on probably phone books from a couple of decades ago.) For many surnames that are Sicilian in origin (which is my primary interest since I specialize in Sicilian genealogy), you will see a common pattern whereby the name is concentrated in Sicily and also in Northern Italy, in particular, Lombardia and Piemonte, because of the imigration from south to north in the 20th c.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I am obsessed with surnames, I always look at these sites and you are absolutely right. My surname is Sicilian\Calabrian and you can find a lot of us in Rome, Milan and Turin.

[@gmalcolms]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 There's a lot of Coniglio families in Agrigento province, for example, in Cammarata or Ribera. I have a friend who is a Coniglio with parents from Serradifalco in Caltanissetta. From which town is your paternal family originally?

[@NickFILM17]

Very interesting video. Although it seems that southern italy is more cultural aligned with Greece and Cyprus, compared to northern Italy.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

In certain ways, it it

[@nathankrasney]

Very interesting, thanks !

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much! Do not forget to subscribe!

[@andre0000000007]

interessantissimo ! grazie Luca !

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Grazie a te! Ricorda di iscriverti al canale

[@wkrapek]

I am a Sicilian, whose family has been in America for four generations, and I find it interesting that when you talk about us southerners, you always mention North Africa and the Middle East. Implying that we are aliens and foreigners and not European. But the DNA research is in and now know - to my amusement- that we are the Minoans. The Bible calls us the Philistines. Sicily and southern Italy, Crete, the Dodecanese Islands, and islands up the West Coast of Turkey. That is where you will find us; which means we are our own, unacknowledged, ethnic group. We also built the ancient city of Miletus. So we had the first philosophers and the first historians and wrote the first Greek law code and had the first Greek lawgiver. In other words: everything interesting about Western civilization came from us. :-) And since we’re Minoans, that obviously means we built the first civilization in Europe. And since in southern Italy, if we weren’t speaking Greek we were speaking an Italic language in the Iron Age, that means Italic languages came ultimately from Crete. And that includes Latin.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I am sorry, also on NYTN (my friend's Danielle Romero channel) I see a lot of people of southern Italian descent commenting like: "how dare you saying that we are connected with Asia and Africa. DNA says we are more europeans than the Danish". Now, first i do not care about dna. My point is cultural, not biological. But even if it was true that southerners (I also have southern Italian blood) are more "African" or 'Asian" than European, what is the problem???? As you mentioned, the greatest civilizations that shaped the Western World all came from South East, not North.

[@wkrapek]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 I wouldn’t care if we were to be honest. They’re all great people. But we’re just… NOT. And every awful slur against us is founded on that. The interesting thing is this explains why the Bible keeps calling us the philistines long after the Minoan Civilization collapsed. It’s because they’re referring to our ethnicity and not the language we were speaking. Which over there was Greek.

[@patrickalvino-g7v]

Dear Luca, that you for your work on this channel. While I understand it is difficult to be comprehensive on this type of format, it is very informative for Italian Americans like myself who have been taught so little about our history. I would love you to do a video about the effects of Italian reunification on southern Italy. I have read and heard that reunification had terrible effects on the south and it was regarded nearly as a colony of the north. I would love to year your thoughts about it. My grandparents and great-grandparents were all from Campania, Pulgia and Basilicata. Ancora, Grazie Mille!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thanl you so much for your comment! I care a lot about the Italianamerican community! Subscribe to the channel and I will get you covered!

[@filipporiva2555]

Southern Italy was also conquered by the Romans, and prospered under their rule. Furthermore, to say that Milan owes its development to its proximity to other countries... if it is true from a commercial point of view, one cannot reduce to detail something like the Renaissance, born and developed mainly in the large cities of Northern and Central Italy, or great intellectuals like Beccaria and their role in the Enlightenment and therefore in the Risorgimento.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Can you please tell me how to say all this things in 13 mins?

[@filipporiva2555]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 You can't, but proximity to other countries cannot be given as an explanation, not even for brevity, because it's wrong.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@filipporiva2555 i totally disagree

[@pietrocolombo1425]

Look, with all respect, I understand the necessity to simplify due to the video time, but saying things that are wrong historically? I'm talking specifically about your narration of the north: how can you deny the relationships with the Mediterranean Sea of regions like Liguria, Romagna, Veneto e Friuli-Venezia Giulia? So strong that you can find still now Venetian words in Greece and Turkey... How can you reduce, in a recap ofc, the history of north Italy as "colonized by Romans" and "industrial revolution"? To say "fragmentation in city states, nascita dei comuni e signorie, regional powers, and especially the main role of the center-north during the Renaissance (an argument that is always of interest especially to an anglophone public)... And you can say all of this in a quote; I mean is like states as the Venetian Republic, or Genoa also, were 0 influential in the European history, according to you. Also, about the languages, the substrate is important (that is not only Celtic in the north, and is not only Greek in the south) but is more relevant the evolution of the vulgar latin during the Middle Ages and the early modern period that evolved in the various languages of Italy. And at last, this narration of the north as Germanic is a specific ideological view that has reasons bc of the lombards (that we can keep in mind that they were influential also in the south), but is really a poor simplification, the influences of the north change a lot from north-west (occitan-proveçal-germanic) to north-east (germanic-slavic-balkan): a region like Veneto has influences from both the Eastern Roman Empire and Holy Roman Empire, just to give an example, but more important, the North and the South, with all their variety, they have specific characteristic... Maybe I'm a little too strict, but I think that with your competences you can do really cool videos that can inform non-italians about Italian history and cultures

[@acaviness7579]

Maybe you two could collaborate on some videos

[@pliny8308]

Absolutely correct. That isn't the only error. Very disheartening to hear a professor make so many mistakes.

[@SoniaGelli-y2o]

Basti pensare che gli avevi sono molto presenti a sud in Puglia, ma guarda caso ed è una domanda che mi sono fatta, a Prato in Toscana, quindi centro nord esiste un castello svevo

[@SoniaGelli-y2o]

Scusate scritto corretto SVEVI

[@SoniaGelli-y2o]

In una piazzetta della mia città in Toscana c’era un guastaldo risalente ai Longobardi (popolo germanico) pensi lei quanto ci può essere di simile tra la Toscana e la Germania

[@niccolobarra6382]

Bellissimo video prof💪💪💪💪 venga presto presto a trovarci😉

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Prestissimo!

[@charlesmartel5495]

I think it's important to mention that Northern Italy (Reichsitalien) belonged to first the Frankish/Carolingian and then the Holy Roman Empire through almost the entire middle ages.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Again, I respect your comment but i had 13 minutes and I could have mentioned so many things

[@charlesmartel5495]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 no criticism towards your video at all!!! The comment was only meant as an addendum to a great video 🙂

[@edombre4637]

@@HowtoItaly-2004relax, you are sooo defensive

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@edombre4637 I am sorry,not your case, but some people went to far.

[@superdivemaster]

Grazie per il rapporto eccellente ...

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Grazie a lei!

[@OlympiaLorenzoni]

Grandee profff

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Immensa!!!!!!!!!Verrò a trovarvi prestissimo. Difficile spiegarvi quanto mi mancate!

[@filippolocchi6454]

Prof faccia un video sull’immigrazione dall’Argentina all’Italia all’inizio del 900’, le sarò grato, torni all’highlands più spesso, e daje Roma

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Carissimo!!! È in programma questo video!!!sei il Numero1. A presto

[@luedog8385]

Very informative

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thanks a lot!

[@diegomariamonelli7755]

💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼ci manca prof❤

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

vengo prestissimo a trovarvi!

[@ManuelaIannuzzi]

This is an amazing video

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much

[@eriktopolsky8531]

In the past when trade was done on the sea South was ritcher than north. As trasmedditeranean trade decreased after fall of Rome , south became poorer and north more developed

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Not that simple but, yes, it is true

[@MrItaliansound]

gia 2:08 ho capito che questo video esprime concetti inesatti e molto stereotipati. Cito:" siccome il Nord Italia non ha accesso al mare, gli Italiani del nord avevano contatti con altri popoli, per la maggior parte tramite i passi di alpini, principalmente con popoli dell'Europa Centrale, come tedeschi e austriaci)....". Ma studiare un po' di storia e geografia?! Il mare c'è anche al nord, Venezia e Genova commerciarono in tutto il Mediterraneo e ti assicuro che ebbero più contatti con popoli mediterranei di quanti ne ebbe l'Abruzzo da dove vieni tu. 11:37 dici che la melanzana è stata importata dall' America dopo la scoperta del nuovo mondo. Invece, la melanzana fu introdotta dai Saraceni in Sicilia nel IX secolo. 12:20 ma veramente pensi che al nord si mangi più polenta che pasta? E che usiamo più burro che olio? Forse qualche secolo fa era così. Lo sai che il mercato del pesce più grosso ed importante d'Italia e il secondo d'Europa si trova a Milano. Mi stupisco di tutte queste inesattezze grossolane, specialmente se dette da un Professore, insegni questo ai tuoi studenti?

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Ho detto più volte che anche nel Nord Italia c'è il mare. Questo è un video pensato per un pubblico generalmente straniero a cui dare le basi di queste differenze. Non è pensato per un pubblico italiano. Non è possibile mettersi a spiegare Genova, Venezia e Trieste in 13 minuti a chi non ha una conoscenza base della Geografia italiana. Fatti una vita. Un abbraccio.

[@jhlfsc]

There is nothing "inaccurate" about pointing out gastrological variations based on geography. If your personal diet does not match the accurate descriptions of the region, I can not imagine why someone would take it as an insult??

[@petera618]

La melanzana non e' stata importata dall' America. Forse l'hanno portata i Saraceni ma d'origini viene dall'India.

[@FrancescoRossi-q4s]

Dal "profondo Nord", grazie.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

grazie a te

[@rickjahndom]

I am not going to comment on whatever I feel is not 100% accurate. I know how very difficult it is to introduce a large and complex topic in short form. There will always be people to nitpick and say you were wrong or left things out. its a huge challenge to condense such a complex subject into a short video. I look forward to more videos. I was wondering, especially with the current Gov and (as I understood it) their change in stance regarding tax revenue division between north and south. is it a concern that the north wants their tax revenue to primarily stay in the north? are there incentives for business, especially big businesses to open and operate in Southern Italy? We will visit soon, with the idea of spending part of the year in Italy. Just doing internet searches, we like both North and South but there seems to be less "to do" in the South. is this a concern for Italy's younger generation? nothing to do and no opportunity? thanks for the video

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much for your comment. You understood the essence of the video. Yes, as you said, the Government is about to approve a law which changes the way tax revenues are distributed throughout the different regions of the Country. Southern Italy is amazingly beutyful. Professionally, yes, there is less to do.

[@pliny8308]

I have yet to be convinced that the Germanic invasions resulted in anything other than elite replacement, given the low, single digit percentages of yDna I1 and U-106(the major Germanic lineages found in the Langobard samples so far) even in the Veneto, their point of entry into Italy and where the highest percentage of their castles is found, and the virtual absence everywhere else in the north, but that's a discussion for another time. I would also quibble with the characterization of northern Italy as "flat". Yes, the Po Valley is flat. However, Northern Italy includes both the Alps and the Apennines. Any topographical map would show that northern Italy is far from "flat", although it is indeed flatter than Southern Italy.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Please read the main comment.

[@pliny8308]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 Sorry, I don't understand your point, but don't bother to respond. This is turning a bit nasty.

[@br8kadawn]

Is the polenza like cous cous? That's what it reminds me of looking at it. ✌️❤️🙏

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

No, the consistency is different

[@lannalisa2925]

Polenta Is made with corn flower

[@tonycasarrubia1394]

I always thought that the real Italian people came from Rome and going south. Even the name Italy came from the south.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

They are not "real" italians. Every Italian is real. If you see it from the Italian american perspective, I understand what you mean.

[@lzucca66]

13:32 excellent video thank you so much. Can you add the “super thanks $” button to your videos??

[@lzucca66]

…also as the son of parents from Venice and Alessandria, I appreciate this video and the one in migrations to America and Brazil.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much. What do you mean? I am a beginner of youtube!

[@lzucca66]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 if you look at the Italiano Immersivo videos, you’ll see a “$ thanks” button where the 👍👎🏻 buttons are. That’s where we can donate to you personally as a thank you for doing such great videos. I would include a screenshot here but KZbin won’t let me.

[@purplestarowl89]

💗💗💗💞💓💖💖💖🥘🥘🥘😢😭😭💖💖💖💖

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

❤️

[@MatteoAraimo]

Professore lei è brevissimo mi dispiace non poter più fare lezione con lei, purtroppo non ci siamo potuti salutare visto che il giorno degli esami era assente . Spero che sua figlia stia bene ❤❤❤❤

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Grazie caro. Un abbraccio fortissimo.

[@enricacantori2984]

E cosa insegnerebbe?

[@MatteoAraimo]

@@enricacantori2984 storia e geografia

[@urpreposterous682]

Subscribed! I absolutely love your channel! Now, it makes so much sense why my maternal Sicilian family has some Northern Italian recipes with a Sicilian twist. It turns out that some of our family members married Northern Italians, and we also had Northern Italian neighbors. I wonder if that's part of the reason our elders spoke more English than their native languages. I only remember my grandparents (both born in Sicily) speaking Sicilian to each other, along with some older neighbors. Looking back at my childhood and the neighborhood I grew up in, everything is starting to come together. I also now understand why my DNA test shows Eastern European ancestry from my father's side. His mother must have had some of that in her bloodline. Unfortunately, I don't know much about my paternal side because my grandmother passed away when I was a baby, and the family grew distant. We only saw extended relatives when we visited them or when they came to see my grandfather. On the other hand, my maternal grandparents lived long lives, so we were a much more cohesive, close-knit family.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you for sharing this amazing family story!!

[@enricacantori2984]

Leggo che questo video è pensato per un "pubblico" straniero: bene, raccontiamogli errori ed inesattezze, che facciamo divulgazione! P.s. in questa confusione che ruolo vogliamo dare al Centro?

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@enricacantori2984 ma allora che dici, parliamo anche di San Marino? O di Livigno? Magari tutto il 10 minuti. Io sono dell’Italia centrale e ne parlerò. Ma a momento debito.

[@strikedn]

In 13 minuti?

[@enricacantori2984]

​@@HowtoItaly-2004Beh, paragonare San Marino col Papa, non so...

[@nicolettastrada5976]

Se non avessi studiato un pochino di storia…..

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Brava, continua a studiarla.

[@fiorefiorellino3857]

mi scusi professore ritengo che se per far entrare sei punti di differenze tra nord e sud in 13 minuti è stato costretto ad omettere delle informazioni importanti (che le sono state evidenziate da altri utenti) deviando cosi l' intera percezione della penisola italiana su una non del tutto corretta era meglio che si limitasse a descrivere meno punti. In questo modo ha dato un immagine quanto meno alterata della realtà. Ps. sono del centro.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Non credo assolutamente di aver dato una percezione sbagliata della Penisola. E sono anche io del Centro.

[@xmaniac99]

Yes indeed it is not as if the south of Italy gave birth to a semiconductorsi industry or anything like that …

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

What do you want to say?

[@xmaniac99]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 sicily literally gave birth to one of the pillars of european semiconductor industry (Stm) and by saying the south is agricultural this contribution is ignored.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@xmaniac99 i know this story very well. There are also a lot of startups in Sicily, but you understand that this is not the time. It is impossibile to mention so many details.

[@xmaniac99]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 I understand, but it would have been nice to mention one of our industrial crown jewels. THanks for taking the time to respond with patience, appreciate it.

[@montegrifo]

Trying to explain by oversimplification creates confusion, or worse prejudices. Like: is this professore from the south?😅

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I am from Rome

[@aris1956]

A volte ci sono cognomi in Italia davvero curiosi. Comunque ti è andata bene, perché se il cognome fosse stato un altro tipo di “animale” (tipo un altro animale domestico), sarebbe andata un po’ diversa la cosa. 😉

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Tipo?

[@jamesMartinelli-x2t]

'South' and 'southern' have different vowels.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you

[@hpvspeedmachine4183]

Fossi in te farei video indossando una t shirt verde militare.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

non l'ho capita

[@hpvspeedmachine4183]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 per fare le previsioni meteo della settimana prima

[@gens1sumus]

Molto interessante la divulgazione per stranieri però la pronuncia inglese è insufficiente , sarebbe da migliorare , a volte sembra più una lettura in italiano del testo inglese .

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Faccio del mio meglio

[@grifter25]

Analisi che si contraddice spesso. Le citta marinare di Venezia, Genova e Pisa hanno avuto il loro successo grazie ai rapporti commerciali e culturali con il medio oriente ed il Nord Africa. Il Nord Italia poi è mica solo la pianura padana. Oltre alle citate Alpi, l'Appennino c'è anche in Lombardia, in Liguria e nell'Emilia Romagna. Il Maggiorasca è 1800 metri e il Lesima, in provincia di Pavia più di 1700. Le zone collinari di Piemonte, Veneto, Lombardia, Emilia e Friuli sono famose per i loro vini. La superficie del Nord Italia, senza includere la Toscana, è 120.260 Kmq, mentre la pianura padana è 47.820 kmq, quindi meno del 40%, non l'80% indicato.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Guarda, come ho già detto: ho menzionato varie volte il fatto che anche il Nord ha il mar mediterraneo etc. Non è un video fatto per Italiani. Non è questo il momento e il luogo per menzionare Genova e Venezia. Le persone intelligenti sono quelle che capiscono, in primis, il contesto delle cose. Ciao caro.

[@grifter25]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 Ho l'impressione però che semplifichi troppo. Molte delle differenze che elenchi, ad esempio nell'alimentazione, erano vere fino a 50 anni fa. La polenta al nord la si mangia ormai solamente in occasioni speciali, non più tutti i giorni, e l'olio è dominante sul burro in moltissime ricette. I dialetti poi, nelle città più grandi del nord, sono ormai estinti. Sembra che tu stia raccontando l'Italia di un secolo fa.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@grifter25 NON HAI visto tutto il video. Ho menzionato due volte a fine video che oramai in Italia si trova cibo di ogni tipo dappertutto.

[@marcoantoniomarino7338]

Video che mette in evidenza pregiudizi….

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

ma quando mai...

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

Il nord del paese è molto diverso dal sud.

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

E il sud aveva l'Impero Romano d'Oriente dopo il 565 d.C. o giù di lì.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Si, certamente. Ma ci sono anche degli aspetti in comune.

[@Thomas-fu8vp]

Pro. Rabbit

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@Thomas-fu8vp 🤣

[@ikmarchini]

My question- why almost all Southern immigrants to the USA, they are 85%, politically conservative and Republican. Son of PR-BL.

[@jhlfsc]

My question to you would be....where have you ever seen any data to back that claim up?? Italian Americans are notourious for being split within the community between left and right wing politics. We are specifically ignored by US politicians simply because we are not considered a reliable "voting block" like other minorities are so it is futile for them to put resources into courting us as a monolithic group of voters.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

This is not easy to answer. What do you think?

[@viaggi3945]

I am not Italian, but an American that lives in Italy part of the year. As an observer of American society, the reason majority of immigration was from south of Italy is obvious. The poverty is much more in the south and they came to US for the opportunity to Better themselves.north of Italy is more industrious and less reason to immigrate.

[@jhlfsc]

@@viaggi3945 The other thing besides poverty that is often overlooked is the fact that many people chose to emmigrate to escape the viscious and stifling control of local mafias with no functioning government to protect them. Unfortunatey in some cases they were still followed and the Black Hand still exploited entire Italian neighborhoods in the US too.

[@scottfoster3548]

YEP the north is rich and industrious WE from the south are poor. BUT C`mon Mama Capra`s food is WAY, WAY WAY better. Game over WE (southern Italians, the true Italians) win AS they say Don't you see back in Ol Napoli that's amore.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I got the point

[@scottfoster3548]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 SEEMS I must ask for YOUR forgiveness. BUT I was not making a point RATHER stating a fact. IN fact, we take Judicial Notice of the fact as common knowledge easily and accurately verifiable. Sorry for the confusion.

[@hugobertiepickles3372]

Professor di cosa?? Where did you get your degree? Your video is bad click bait. Did you forget the Adriatic Sea? Or the Etruscan civilisation or the Serenissima or Medici vs pope, or the fact that until recently - Italy became a republic in 1946!! Before that it was the kingdom of Italy - savoia’s. The idea of United Italy came in the 19th century! Honestly, you do an injustice to Italians - history culture etc. you’d be better off reading Wikipedia to us. Perhaps the only accuracy in your vlog is that south likes to relax and take it easy whereas the north is hardworking, taxpayers. You should highlight tangentopoli, corruption, mafia, kidnapping etc facts well known to the world. If you want to talk about “modern Italy” Can’t believe, I as a foreigner, know more about Italy than an Italian professor! What has the world come to?? Get an education!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

If you want uou can give an education on how to mention all the things that you wrote in a 13 minutes video for beginners. Ciao caro. Fatti una vita.

[@hugobertiepickles3372]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 grazie! Prima d’tutto, non lo farai é troppo complesso per essere simplificato in, come lei dice, in pocchi minuti. Due: non mi pretendo d’essere un professore, sono troppo umilie. Ma come hai sottolinato nel vs video, a nord sono piu educati. Infatti la piu vecchia università in Italia sta a Bologna/padova. Unfortunately, the south is still drunk believing they are Romans without the intelligence of the SPQR. Bella vita eh?

[@JorgeGarcia-lw7vc]

Dude, you're on point, but his stated goal and disclaimer was explicitly that he was not going to cover everything. He left out the reunification of Italy, the Norman and Arab presence in Italy, didn't cover Sardinia or Tyrol, fock, so much shet, but he still nailed it overall, so stop acting so buttt hurt cuz your pet region or family wasn't mentioned. Seriously, you know what, I just suscribed to spite the haters like you. Fukk you, and have a nice day.

[@fernandapasetti205]

This video s ridiculous! It says the south f Italy is hilly ad the north is flat….please is we start with this kind of geography we are lost Do something else you make Italian to be ashamed of such ingnorance ….😊

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I think you should rewatch the video and listen at what I said. Probably you have problems understanding English.

[@fernandapasetti205]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 for your information I am an American/Italian citizen but I was born and grew in Brescia Italy north and that is not “ flat” is called Prealpi. That means before the Alps that to common knowledge are the mountains system highest inn Europe ! You should right rational information and not get offended when someone just like me could not help to point out the silliness of the all vide Good luck

[@lucacasagrande3944]

La vera differenza tra nord e sud Italia è il tipo di approccio alle cose una frutto di influenze europee nordiche l’altra frutto di quelle nord Africane mediterranee.

[@fosterbuster2840]

A parte il periodo Saraceno in Sicilia ,Il nord Africa non ha avuto nessuna influenza sull’Italia meridionale,

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

E' quello che ho detto. Grazie infinite per il commento in ogni caso.

[@lucacasagrande3944]

beh amico mio, le influenze mediterraneo nord africane le trova eccome nella Architettura delle abitazioni, sonorità musicali, balli, cibo, forse non le vede, non parlavo di tempi e di dominazioni ma di influenze culturali che sono notevoli tra Bolzano e Pantelleria…

[@lucacasagrande3944]

Mi scuso ma dopo aver sentito quanto sono splendide le montagne che compongono la quasi totalità del Sud e che il nord si riduce alla vasta pianura padana l’80% se non sbaglio del territorio ho smesso di guardare, perché la pianura padana è per almeno 1/3 in Italia centrale e le Alpi le prealpi non sono in Austria…per cui mi scuso.

[@extremathule982]

@@lucacasagrande3944 Voi siete fissati con il nordafrica. L'unica influenza "nordafricana" (per così dire) si è verificata con la conquista militare della Sicilia da parte dei mussulmani, che durò un paio di secoli, peraltro senza mai riuscire a conquistare completamente l'intera isola. Dopodichè il mussulmani furono fisicamente e letteralmente cancellati dall'isola.

[@RutilioNamaziano1]

Un mare di sciatte banalità.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Allora mandami una mail e spiegami tu come farlo

[@domenicozagari2443]

Southern Italy has been robbed of its industry and taken to the north, before the piedmontese invasion the two Sicily was the richest part of Italy.

[@hpvspeedmachine4183]

Sì certo, la Germania ha perso due guerre mondiali, voi invece siete messi male per colpa di Garibaldi 🤣

[@domenicozagari2443]

@@hpvspeedmachine4183 Certo, potevamo restare in pace senza i massoni piemontesi.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

It is much more complicated than that

[@lucazeppegno8256]

Eggplant didn't come from the american continent ;)

[@acaviness7579]

Food historians have traced eggplants to their origins in either India or China.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I meant Zucchine. It was a problem with my knowledge of english.