Some stereotypes, like Italy being " the country of great art tradition " are obviously meant to be positive. In effect, however, most stereotypes have a negative connotation simply because they implement and reinforce a false know-ledge or, at least, a partial knowledge of a phenomenon. Italy has always been exposed to a great number of gener-alizations and stereotypes mainly because it has always generated strong feelings about itself. A particular process has been the " generalization of the exception". A typical example of this process is the general belief that Italians are naturally predisposed to " il bel canto " and that they have a special musical feeling. While it is true that music and singing have played an important role in our culture to the extent that Italian musical terms have been accepted and included unaltered in the English language — a fact which is in itself unusual — it is definitely an arbitrary statement to assert that the majority of Italians have an innate ability for appreciating music or singing.
In more recent times we ob serve a similar attitude when it comes to Italian fashion designers. It is indeed correct to grant that Italy is in the avantgarde in this important field but only if, at the same time, we are aware of the ingressive worldwide role the country is playing in producing machinery, special types of steel, the building of warships, etc.; not to mention the Italian contribution to research especially in physics and astronomy.
Although the result may be less dramatic, we feel that objectivity demands that we portray a truthful image of the country. We must, therefore, focus on the good standard of the average industriai product, for instance steel or ships, rather than stress a few top "records" as in the fashion field. Since it would be impossible to discuss the multitude of stereotypes that have masked, in America as elsewhere, an accurate view of our country, we have de-cided to devote our attention to particular biases that have either " cultural dignity " — meaning that they were cre-ated by culturally important personalities — or have ori-ginated so far back in history that they are now deeply rooted in everybody's cultural background.
The first question that arises is: how do we dismiss or discuss stereotypes and furthermore what kind of informa-tion do we have to provide in order to correct stereotypes?
19	Village on the Island of S. Giulio d'Orta, Piedmont.
20	The hill village of Orte, Latium.
21	Ostuni, agricultural town in Apulia.
22	Pentadattilo, a mountain village in Calabria.