And then those Freudian layers of memory insidiously began to weave a parallel story. Rome after all had found ways to turn the tide upside down, embodying an integral, holistic approach to life that is the essence of unrivalled Italian soft power; an harmonious mix encompassing excellence of art, landscape, history, culture, elegance, food -- a culture of "how to live" elaborated to minute perfection.
Flights of fantasy are mixed with a drive for quality. Respect for history -- and those ruins -- implies cultivating the great creators of the past. The conservation of tradition goes hand in hand with an eye to adapting every manifestation of Beauty to post-modern, practical requirements.
The eyes roving in ecstasy of rows and rows of Chinese pilgrims discovering Rome tell us a lovely New Silk Road parable. Post-modern Marco Polos in reverse, they see Rome and Italy as a possible version of the Chinese Dream; a living museum representing an exciting synthesis between conservation of history and modernization, a living, breathing exercise on how to build a post-industrial society that respects myriad aspects of an ancient mode of life. The politics suck, of course, but no civilization is perfect.
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