5 minute read
Place d'Italie...
by Franca Bochicchio
It’s official: the best ideas come in the shower. When the warm water washes away the residual sleep and ideas emerge like diamonds in a sieve, and you observe them sharp and shining where you used to see only sand.
“Good morning Nico! Sorry for calling now, but... Place d’Italie!!!!!! I discovered that there’s this square in Paris named this way because it’s the closest point in Paris to Italy!”
I say all in one breath at 6:45 on a warm morning in mid-May, with my hair dripping onto the floor. “Yes, Place d’Italie! I know it!” my partner in adventures responds... “Bingo Nico!!! We have a name!” ... “Oh yes! We do, Franca!” We hang up, and from the very next moment, all the pieces of the puzzle start automatically falling into place in our heads, as it happens every time we manage to give a name to an idea that initially exists shapeless in our episodic brainstorming, but eventually comes to fruition. It doesn’t matter where it begins and where it ends: what matters is that we have the center, we have the pivot, we have the hook.
And so, Place d’Italie was born, a name that encapsulates a world that we’ve been holding together with bare hands for months (actually years...), and when we have the chance, we try to explode, pulling in just as many enthusiasts from our industry, those who always answer the call, regardless, simply because we found each other.
Oscar Wilde said that while the English and Americans are two peoples divided by the same language, in the case of Italy and France, it could be said that they are two countries divided by their common flaws. I came across this quote in an article that discussed the relationship between Italy and France as a dichotomy that unfolds along a path forged by centuries of history, events, competition, and intense comparisons, developed on two levels:
the first being that of public relations, which is based on the most divisive and critical points that consistently drive the two countries apart, and the second level in which a “virtuous jealousy” unites them in mutual respect, admiration, and celebration. A beautiful testament to this latter aspect is the success of the latest edition of the Festival du Livre de Paris, which last April presented Italy as the guest of honor, devoting immense space and a densely packed schedule of events with the unequivocal title ‘Italian Passions’.
The “Place,” the square, as a meeting place, because we’re aware that even in the digital age of Zoom and social media, the reality of presence unites us when gazes and live smiles intersect, sealed by a firm handshake or perhaps a hug.
The Place as a place of exchange, because the diversity of opinions is the greatest treasure we have to grow as individuals before anything else.
The Place, as an open and naturally inclusive space where what we say and do is out in the open. We are still picking up the threads to weave a beautiful picture that will welcome those who, while strolling among the Silmo stands this year, decide to pay a visit to Place d’Italie. We thank from now all those who have chosen to lend us a hand by offering their availability to animate meetings and events. We will have young people who, with great enthusiasm, guided by the perception of travel as an experience of encounter and sharing in the style of the Grand Tour popular in the eighteenth century, will gravitate to the square for intergenerational meetings and discussions on multiple levels and areas, in line with the generational theme emphasized by Silmo for the 2023 edition. We will have professionals who will share their experience and know-how with us. We will have discussions among colleagues and professionals on various topics of common interest. We will have corners of glamour and useful advices.
We are confident that we will manage to surprise you and, in turn, be surprised ourselves, because the authenticity and spontaneity of the initiative are easily understood by those who move adeptly in this “second level.” It may be more challenging for those who have forsaken the Italian practice of ideas for the logic of numbers, but we gladly leave them to the first level (the rest is silence... as my beloved Shakespeare wisely said).
Franca Bochicchio - Optician & Glasstylist - DIECIDECIMI Milano - blogger glasstylist.com - founder of Radio Ottica
