What’s in a name? The Italian scramble for status

Due to confusing social etiquette, addressing a person you don’t know has always been a bit tricky in Italy. After many years in England I find the way we Italians brand ourselves professionally and personally, faintly ridiculous.

Like all European countries Italy’s feudal history meant that aristocratic titles helped to identify and maintain social status. In Italy nobility took a plunge at the end of WWII when the Italian royal family fled into exile and Italy became a republic. In spite of this, the state continued the role of bestowing titles such as Knight or ‘Cavaliere’, and Commander or ‘Comendatore’, for honourable achievements of entrepreneurs, scientists and bankers.

The Italian middle class were finally able to claim titles, and status, for themselves, and at the beginning of the 21st century, the need to be distinguished from the working class is still so strong that everybody is tacking a prefix on to their name.

Italy’s incumbent Prime Minister, for example, was knighted ‘Cavalliere del Lavoro’ for his achievements as entrepreneur and today he is known simply as ‘Il Cavaliere’- The Knight.

Anyone with five years of university level education can call themselves ‘Dottore’, which comes from the Latin ‘dotto’ - to be erudite. Now ‘doctor’ is generously given to anybody that goes to work with suit and tie, independent of how erudite they are.

Now instead of Mr or Ms, prefixes such as Dottore (doctor), Avvocato (lawyer), Ingegnere (engineer) and Ragioniere (accountant) appear in telephone directories and letters, and on business cards. At work and at the local bar equally, people are greeted by their professional title rather than their name.

Waiters or parking attendants, in the hope of a good tip, address you as Dottore, Ingegniere or Commendatore. Your status is generally inferred by the way you dress or the car you drive. If you dress casually, or have a Fiat, the form of address changes from the polite ‘Lei’ to the informal ‘tu’ - which depending on the circumstances can be friendly, or just downright disrespectful.

I may be old-fashioned but to keep myself from making those uncomfortable social gaffs I stick to the very democratic Signore or Signora.