Have you ever wondered why we Italians talk so much with our hands? Many think it’s just a way to emphasize words, but the truth is much more fascinating.
In reality, our gestures arose out of a concrete necessity. In the Middle Ages, Italy was divided into many small states, each with its own dialect. Imagine a Neapolitan merchant doing business with a Milanese trader: they often couldn’t understand each other at all.
Gestures became their universal translator. A secret language made of hands, fingers, and movements that everyone understood, from North to South. It was a brilliant way to overcome language barriers and communicate without uttering a word.
Merchants, travelers, artisans: they all developed this nonverbal code to survive and prosper. More than just emphasis: it was pure practical necessity that transformed into an art.
Today we still gesticulate naturally, carrying on a tradition born centuries ago from the ingenuity of our ancestors. The next time you move your hands while speaking, remember that you are using an ancient and precious language, born of Italian intelligence in the face of difficulties.
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