What comes to mind when someone asks you what symbolises Italy?
I would probably say olive oil, an olive tree, wine, coffee, sunshine, the sea, a Vespa… After a moment’s thought I would likely add cars and fashion.
Would anyone mention a chair? Probably not. Yet, if you think about it more carefully, the chair is a symbol. Everyone here has a favourite. They take it outside the house to socialise with family and neighbours, then in the evening carry it to the sea for sunset. Those chairs have witnessed their share of joy and sadness.
I personally find the sight of older people sitting in their chairs and spending time together genuinely moving.
The more worn-out chairs are not simply thrown away either. They can still perform the useful role of silent guard beside the pavement, making sure no one parks across the entrance to the property.
For me it is one of Italy’s loveliest symbols: highly visible, yet far from obvious. I only wonder whether the custom will disappear with the generation that grew up without mobile phones. What will it look like in a few decades? Grandparents sitting in their chairs while attending to the social media of the future? Or will no one take a chair outside at all, while people no longer even know their neighbours?
Love the chairs.
