La Dolce Vita - What Does That Actually Mean? - This Is Italy - Dit Is Italië

Dolce vita is often mentioned in the same breath as Italy. But what does la dolce vita actually? Literally, La dolce vita means 'the sweet life'. Dolce is Italian for 'sweet' and vita means 'life'.

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figurative meaning

But this statement is almost always concerned with the figurative meaning of la dolce vita. And that is: the good life. The good life, full of fun and indulgence. Get the most out of your life. We also say here: you only live once.

When we speak of la dolce vita we often talk about the good life you find in Italy.

Italians understand the good life, among other things:

• Good food and drink
• Get together with family and friends
• Have good health
• Feeling good in your own skin
• Beautiful for the day (fare la bella figura)
• Surrounding you with beautiful things

Dolce vita therefore stands for: enjoying life, leading a Burgundian existence. It seems that in the Netherlands this works best in the southern part of the country. It probably has to do with culture.

Dolce vita in the low countries?

The Netherlands has always been a somewhat Calvinist country for the most part. "Just act normal, then you're acting crazy enough." It is not in Protestant culture to enjoy life. But it is part of the Catholic, Latin culture.

Many Dutch and Belgians (Germans too, by the way) go especially to the south of Europe for a bit sweet life. After all, an injection of sweet life does everyone good. This is evident from the fact that Italians oldest of all Europeans, despite a moderately functioning economy en overheid.

The sweet life sung

Italian discostar Ryan Paris (a pseudonym of Fabio Roscioli) already sang about 'the sweet life' in 1983. Not in Italy, by the way, but in Paris. Dolce vita was a big hit in the summer of this year in both the Netherlands and Flanders.

Where does the expression come from la dolce vita come from?

But the expression is much older. Dolce vita appeared in the (Dutch) language after the success of the film Dolce vita by Federico Fellini from 1960 with Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimée.

Marcello is a columnist who describes the 'sweet life' of the higher society in Rome. In search of juicy gossip and scandal, he plunges every night into the bustle of Via Veneto, where playboys, movie stars and whores try to make life in the nightclubs and brothels of life. But in the nights dipped by sex and drink lurks – of course – a deep tragedy and great sadness.

In the Netherlands and Flanders this film was released under the title The good life. Most famous is the scene in which lead actress Anita Ekberg hops through the Trevi Fountain.

The scene with Anita Ekberg et Marcello Mastroianni at the Trevi fountain:

Except the expression la dolce vita This film spawned another new word: paparazzi. Named after the character Paparazzo. Paparazzi are press photographers out for big bucks for photos of celebrities in compromising situations. They chase their victims with telephoto lenses, sometimes literally to death (as with Lady Diana in 1997). The word paparazzo is originally Italian for buzzing insect.

Now a cliché

Before 1960, the expression la dolce vita already common in Italy, but only after the release of the film was la dolce vita a well-known concept in other countries as well. So well-known that the expression has become a cliché. You can hardly read an introduction to an article about Italy without talking to la dolce vita being knocked over.

That doesn't mean that Dolce vita has become a true film classic. And that everyone now and then something sweet life needs in his life.

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