ArticleSaluti da Venezia

Many wonders are quite conspicuous, while some others are located away from beaten tracks, and they have to be looked for and sought after. However, almost all such wonders are easy to recognize when they are in front of you - unlike very few special wonders that are never found in front of you because they are literally everywhere at the same time. One such wonder is language.

​English is a gender-neutral language as almost everything that doesn't breathe is referred to as "it". (Purists even believe that the same pronoun should be applied to animals but they would be wise never to mention that opinion in front of pet-owners - just like it's highly advisable never to tell a sailor that his ship is a mere "it"). As a result, our language remains quite objective, scientific and, one might even say, politically correct but the situation with many other major languages is strikingly different.  For example, our "city" turns into an Italian "citta" - a very similarly sounding word but one that belongs to the female gender, and that one fact completely changes the way those "citta"s perceive themselves and are viewed by the rest of the world. It defies explanation and borders on mysticism but very soon upon arrival at an Italian city, one begins to discern its distinct personal characteristics and behavioral patterns.​

The heroine of the last several entries, Venice, is a high-ranking aristocrat (countess or duchess) acutely aware of her birthright and all the privileges associated with it. She is haughty and very demanding when it comes to her social circle, and her communication with everybody is very proper. The aura of authority she gives off is so strong that, no matter how wealthy or successful those around her are, only precious few dare consider themselves as her equals…