Cantiamo insieme...

This past week has been tough on my Italian family and friends as the country has been put under a dramatic total lockdown. Italy's Prime Minister announced Monday that coronavirus lockdown measures were being extended to the entire country, with travel to be restricted to reasons of health and emergencies.

The motto is that people should stay at home. The hashtag #iostoacasa and #chefaiacasa are trending on social media. 60 million Italians responded with resignation and stoicism to an unprecedented nationwide quarantine.

Remember, Italians invented la dolce vita. This means big families, long lunches, hugs, kisses and close contact. Piazzas buzzing with people enjoying a coffee at the bar and market vendors shouting out the best price for their fresh produce. Not to mention the millions of tourists who hit "La bella Italia" every year. Venice's Piazza San Marco - the country's most populated tourist attraction - is eerily empty these days, same goes for Rome's Colosseum.

It is difficult for them to change their ancestral behaviours within a day. The epidemic heavily affects daily life: there is a before and after.

Stories of true solidarity are starting to go viral. A sound flashmob is the latest action... so, if you can play an instrument or you can sing, or if you just love listening to music... get ready. Warm up those instruments of yours and hang a flag out on your balcony to join the movement; for today at 6pm the Nation will be chanting its resilience from their windows!

Italy showing its solidarity

(Photocredit: unknown)