So begins the ever-strange ode to the inhabitants of Genova made by the master of the Italian tongue himself, Dante Alighieri. In a way, that simple sentence defines in every sense how the rest of Italy views the people I’m proud to call my own.

Indeed, we Genovese are a strange people compared to what’s considered the Italian norm. When the average person thinks of Italy, it’s quite romantic: “ciao bella” and vespas and endless plates of pasta and Mediterranean warmth.