About the book: 2012 / Italy is the antipode of any harsh reality, even if the harsh reality has descended on Italy itself. This is a country where two thousand years ago a single national idea – a sweet, beautiful life – unconditionally won. The ancient noble Romans drank wine, reclined on couches, and philosophized with hetaerae about the structure of the Universe, ordinary people ate bread and circuses in the squares. Governments, times and customs changed. And only this idea did not change. I just found new forms of embodiment. But what is it really like there? What are the two different Italys - north and south? How much does life cost in the Apennines? How can a Russian become an Italian? How does Italian society work? And what is it like - love in Italian?