Issue XXII - Italic Institute of America

Dejected hero Robert Bagglo:Italy's fate decided by a kick.taken internally. Fifty-six percent of thepatients showed improvement ora slowingdown of the disease.Maybe Hollywood got one right thistime - a real Italian story.ROMAN FRANCEThe French have a multi-ethnic origin.The original Gauls were a Celticpeople, the Franks were Germanic, and!.he Romans, of course. were Italic. Andit was the Romans who fi.J"St introducedthe cultivation of the grape into conqueredGaul. So, it is with deep reverencethat the Durand farnil y of ProvenceModern French vintner and a formerresident of Provence.in southern France is restoring the ancientRoman estate that was recently discoveredbeneath their property.Herve' Durand, looking eerily akinto the bearded Roman Emperor AntoninusPius who sprang from Italic settlersin Provence, is devoting time and money~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiixxrr.;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiii1 iiiiiii99 iiiiiiiWorld Notesto recreating the wines of ancient Provence.Even the authentic vessels, amphoras(pointed bottom jugs with twohandles), that held Roman wines arebeing manufactured on the Durand estate.Gu.ided by Latin agricultural texts,Monsieur Dwand is following Romanrecipes to blend and flavor his wines.The end products bear labels that proclaimthe wine was made by "Lucius Columella,Wine Maker of the First Centuryafter Christ, and Herve' Durand,wine maker-archeologist."ltalic civilization is surely the gift thatkeeps on giving!HOWARD BEACHHOOLIGANRemember Howard Beach? The bignews story of 1986 made Italian-Americansthe focal point of white racist hateand inspired filmmaker Spike Lee tomake Do The Right Thing, which pittedblacks against Italian-Americans.The reality of Howard Beach is thatthe ringleader of the multi-ethnic mobthat chased a black man to his death on abusy highway was an English ladnamed Jon Lester. Now 24-years old and remorseful in hisprison cell, Lester blamed his associationwith the "wrongcrowd" when he came from theScepted Isle.Blymiel Ain't we the daintyone.PASQUA'SFAUX PASCharles Pasqua, the feistyFrench Interior Minister with theItalian name, fears foreigners.While bamstonning through France inwhat most observers agree is a dry runfor the presidency of the Fifth Republic,the burly ex-liquor salesman bemoanedthe lack of Gallic indoctrination. Fulminatingin a thick Provencal accent, the4 ----------==iiiiiiiiiiiiii===- 7Latin France sometimes hasan Identity crisis. BeholdFrance's favorite Gaul.southern Frenchman castigated recentimmigrants for not learning about "ourancestors the Gauls." Though suchcultural balderdash is nothing new in aland known for legislating xenophobia,it speaks volumes about the insecurity ofa nation. And it highlights Pasqua's ignoranceof history. Rather than promulgatinga comforting but overly romanticizedpast, Pasqua should read JuliusCaesar's The Conquest of Gaul. Hemight then come to understand his ownItalic roots and how Rome transformed arag-tag band of tribes into a civilizedLatin nation.ALMOST ONEThe last issue of The ftalic Way wasfocused on sports in anlicipalion of theSoccer World Cup. After such a terrificbuild-up cllr'0r icling Italian victories inevery sports endeavor, our staff grimacedat Italy's shocking loss to ireland.Butltalycamethrough. Led by unorthodoxcoach Arrigo Sacchi, who rotatedhis players' positions in search of just theright formula, the Italians knocked offevery opponent after the Irish debacledespite shortages of players and chronicinjuries.Their star, Roberto Baggio, savedthe team from infamy against Nigeriaand then against Spain. His skill andluck ran out in the final match withBrazil. The Italians played Brazil to anovenime standstill. The contest endedwith penalty kicks, one of which Baggiomissed. The rest is history. ****======-The Italic Way-.-..: