For centuries, social life in rural Tuscany has centered around the veglia, an evening gathering of family and friends at the hearth. Folklore by the Fireside is a thorough and insightful study of this custom—from the tales, riddles, lullabies, and folk prayers performed as the small children are put to bed to the courtship songs and dances later in the evening to the anti-veglia male gossip, card games, and protest songs originating in the tavern. Alessandro Falassi skillfully correlates the veglia to the rites of passage and family values of an agrarian society. Although the impact of mass media and other factors has tended to weaken the tradition, even today Tuscan children are taught to behave and adolescents are guided along the conventional path to adulthood, courtship, and marriage through veglia folklore. This is the first work to deal systematically with Tuscan folklore from a semiotic and structural viewpoint and to examine the veglia as a means of handing down traditional values. It is important not only for its careful, detailed description but also for its rigorous methodology and theoretical richness.

Folklore by the Fireside: Text and Context of the Tuscan Veglia

History

Falassi, Alessandro

Europe

University of Texas Press

For centuries, social life in rural Tuscany has centered around the veglia, an evening gathering of family and friends at the hearth. Folklore by the Fireside is a thorough and insightful study of this custom—from the tales, riddles, lullabies, and folk prayers performed as the small children are put to bed to the courtship songs and dances later in the evening to the anti-veglia male gossip, card games, and protest songs originating in the tavern. Alessandro Falassi skillfully correlates the veglia to the rites of passage and family values of an agrarian society. Although the impact of mass media and other factors has tended to weaken the tradition, even today Tuscan children are taught to behave and adolescents are guided along the conventional path to adulthood, courtship, and marriage through veglia folklore. This is the first work to deal systematically with Tuscan folklore from a semiotic and structural viewpoint and to examine the veglia as a means of handing down traditional values. It is important not only for its careful, detailed description but also for its rigorous methodology and theoretical richness.

Italy

Travel

FLOWER, Raymond

Marshall Cavendish

A detailed study of the palio in Siena, the horse race that is run twice a year in the city.

LA Terra in Piazza: An Interpretation of the Palio of Siena

Politics & Social Sciences

Dundes, Alan

Social Sciences

Univ. Of California Pr.

An interpretation of the Palio of Siena. This study is "nothing less than an expression of the soul of the city, endlessly rich in symbolism, metaphor, and life..."

La Terra in Piazza: An Interpretation of the Palio of Siena (Interpretation of the Palio in Siena)

University of California Press

Information and background for travelers and expatriates includes a brief history and description of the country, along with facts about the food, language, culture, and pastimes to help the "shocked" function in society, business, and residence.

Culture Shock! Italy: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides)

Marshall Cavendish Intl

Folklore By the Fireside: Text and Context of the Tuscan Veglia

Scolar Press]

Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, the ever-popular "Culture Shock!" series belongs in your backpack or briefcase. Get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to survive and thrive wherever you go. "Culture Shock!" country guides are easy-to-read, accurate, and entertaining crash courses in local customs and etiquette. "Culture Shock!" practical guides offer the inside information you need whether you're a student, a parent, a globetrotter, or a working traveler. "Culture Shock!" at your Door guides equip you for daily life in some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. And "Culture Shock!" Success Secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the real-life insights and cultural know-how that can make the difference between business success and failure.
Each "Culture Shock!" title is written by someone who's lived and worked in the country, and each book is packed with practical, accurate, and enjoyable information to help you find your way and feel at home.

Culture Shock! Italy: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)

Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company

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Books by Falassi, Alessandro