Who are you? What do you do? What do you bring? A florin!

Abstract

This essay elaborates upon some ethnographic notes taken during informal participant observation by a freelance cultural anthropologist living in Turin (capital of Piedmont, one of the regions most affected by COVID-19) during the pandemic in Italy. The essay explores many issues faced by Italian residents during the lockdown, including inequality and grassroots initiatives, isolation conditions in a variety of contexts (home, prisons, retirement homes), stereotypes of Italians from abroad, the misunderstanding of personal distancing guidelines and the concept of family and community.used to face the fear.

Keywords

• Italy, lockdown, reclusion, dissidence, irony, mutual aid