Gianni Cicali and “Made in Italy”
Photo courtesy of Villa Le Balze Blog
Cicali and his audience embark on a journey from Italy to the United States to USD
Joe Duffy / Contributor / The USD Vista
The Humanities Center was abuzz with voices of students and other visitors in the moments before Professor Gianni Cicali, Ph.D., stepped to the front of the room and began his lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The seats filled up quickly and many students sat on the floor as they waited for the event to begin.
Cicali visited USD to give a lecture entitled “Art and Migrations: From Italian Actors to ‘Made in Italy.’” The talk aimed to explore the cultural and artistic history of Italy in order to contextualize the emergence of the “Made in Italy” concept and the branding of Italian goods as unique and luxurious.
Cicali currently serves as an associate professor in the Italian Department at Georgetown University. He is the author of two books and specializes in the history of Italian theater, specifically during the Renaissance, Baroque, and 18th-century periods.
He began the lecture in 13th-century Italy, analyzing the figures and cityscape depicted in Cimabue’s “Volta dei quattro Evangelisti,” or “Vault of the four Evangelists.” From there, he moved through the centuries, presenting the audience with examples of art and literature ranging from the Renaissance-era courtesy and etiquette book “Il Cortegiano” to the peculiar 18th-century paintings of Thomas Patch.
Over the course of the hour, Cicali touched on a wide range of unexpected topics and managed to draw a number of connections between American and Italian culture—for instance, the neoclassical influence found in the Supreme Court building, a structure emblematic of American liberty, ideals, and justice. Similar to Roman temples constructed during antiquity, the Court building has a broad staircase leading to a portico of massive Corinthian columns.
The lecture added layers to the foreign perception of Italy as a hub for fine art and culture, or the global mecca of luxury cars and designer fashion lines. Cicali expanded on how the idea of Italy spread across the world via emigration and popular culture.
Sophomore Isabella Ianora was in attendance and mentioned how Cicali‘s lecture built upon her studies.
“I’ve been studying the Italian language since freshman year,” Ianora said. “I don’t think this lecture altered the way I viewed the Italian culture and art, but I did really enjoy how his lecture reinforced some of the things I have learned. Italy’s vibrant culture was spread through art, theater, music, and even architecture.”
Cicali paid particular attention to the role of Italian actors and singers, who traveled abroad extensively and carried ideas of Italian art and culture across international boundaries.
After the lecture, Cicali took questions from the audience. He was upbeat and energetic, often making the audience laugh as his eyes darted from one person to the next. One woman in the front row asked Cicali when and how Italian cuisine became popularized internationally.
“Well, I could eat pizza for every meal,” he joked, before thoughtfully explaining that Italian cuisine has only been considered a more refined food in modern times, and became popular in the United States around the 19th century, during a period of mass Italian migration.
Even after audience members had apparently run out of questions, he urged them for more, eager to both spark and satisfy the room’s curiosity.
By the end of the night, Cicali had articulated the figures, movements, and events that, over many centuries, facilitated the creation of the “Made in Italy” concept. A fitting motto for this night with Cicali might have been the age-old adage: Rome wasn’t built in a day.