January 13, 2012, was no ordinary day. That morning, Standard & Poor’s downgraded Italy’s credit rating by two points, and the Milan stock index registered the weakest performance in Europe for the umpteenth time….
The huge white ship that capsized due to errors committed by its captain did enormous damage to the beautiful island of Giglio, and seemed like the perfect metaphor for Italy….
For that reason, it’s a comfort now to see the fantastic salvage operation as a new metaphor. For a country that can achieve what seems impossible when it really wants to….
It is no doubt more difficult to straighten out economic performance than to set a ship upright…but sometimes all it takes is a push to steer the right course.
Source: Corriere della Sera, September 18
Yes, the Costa Concordia “event” covers both extremes of the Italian stereotype.
On one hand the cowardly yet romantic Captain Francesco Schettino, intent on impressing an impressionable lady.
On the other, we see perhaps one of the most creative, courageous and grand displays of engineering prowess. Leonardo de Vinci would be proud.