Writing Assignment #3-Rome marketplace: the borderlands

“I think of an author as somebody who goes into the marketplace and puts down his rug and says, 'I will tell you a story,' and then he passes the hat.” Robertson Davies

"Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the Emperor of Rome." Maximas (from GLADIATOR)


The market at Esquilino illustrates the multi-ethnic vibrant community in Rome. The area of Esquilino and Vittorio Emmanuele is an example of a "borderland" in that it is a mix of high economic and lower economic populations. The urban gentrification process and immigration movements have resulted in a dynamic and you can see this at the marketplace.

The documentary film “The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio” begins with this introduction:

The making of this film diary began shortly after September 11th when the Italian Prime Minister spoke of “inferior civilizations.” It was completed in 2006, a few months after a Minister appeared on TV with a shirt depicting an anti-Muslim cartoon, and the Senate president declared that we must defend ourselves from “half-breeds”.

While many on the Italian left chose to oppose the “war on terror” and the concomitant xenophobia by organizing rallies and demonstrations, Mario Tronco, a keyboard player for the group Avion Travel, was inspired to organize an orchestra made up of recent immigrants to the Esquilino neighborhood in Rome. As the film begins, we learn that Esquilino had begun to become more and more ethnically diverse, much to the chagrin of native Italians who regularly took to the streets to demand “Italy for the Italians”.

We will watch this documentary later in the quarter. In the meantime, think about the information above, and the ethnically diverse Esquilino and, specifically, marketplaces.

The Esquilino marketplace, and all marketplaces, both ancient and contemporary, are community centers. Consider both ancient and contemporary market places for your writing assignment #3. Write about the activities of the marketplaces. Write about the marketplace as a "borderland". What are borderlands? Why do they exist. Think about the theoretical readings you've done so far.

Also, consider the short stories you have read in Multicultural Literature in Italy along with the articles about assimilation and the migrant experience. What identity (ies) do you see in the market places? What is the Italian identity. How does Italy express its "identity" through marketplaces, in both ancient and contemporary times. What has been your experience in the market places?

As always, your writing should be image driven, descriptive, and tell the stories you see as you explore the marketplaces. Take risks in your writing, but always be respectful of the stories of the people you are writing about.

Due next Thursday.