La passeggiata in piazza
The evening walk
Tommaso Rinaldi
Transcript
In Italy there is an ancient ritual called the passeggiata.
Every evening before dinner people go out to walk in the centre.
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When I lived in a small town, the square would fill up at that hour.
The old men talked politics on the benches.
The young people laughed near the fountain.
The mothers pushed strollers and chatted among themselves.
It was an important social moment more than an athletic one.
People dressed nicely, even just to take a stroll.
Today this ritual survives mostly in villages and small towns.
In big cities we all rush and don't have time to stop anymore.
Yet walking without a destination is good for the mind and the heart.
Perhaps we should rediscover this simple and very Italian habit.