Design Italian Tattoo

[caleb woodward]

There seems to be a large audience interested in tattoos written in
foreign languages. From Celtic to Egyptian, and Japanese to Native
American (tribal), the array or writing is almost limitless. In more
recent years, the Italian language has taken a step forward into the
world of tattoos. Originating in the bigger cities of New York,
Chicago, Boston, Miami, and San Francisco, the idea of Italian
inspired tattoos has swept the nation. From simpler tattoos such as
their National flag or several word sentences, to full back or full
sleeve covers, it seems that this is one trend definitely here to
stay!
The largest problem with breaking through the language barrier, is
making sure the tattoo reads correctly. One mix up in the lettering
and your work of art becomes a work of hilarity! Take pesca and pesce.
The word pesca means "peace", which is a word that many people like to
add to tattoos. However, the word pesce may look similar, but it means
"fish"! How about the word amare meaning "love", whereas the term
amaro means "bitter"! It seems that the most logical way to avoid such
catastrophic mistakes would be to do lots and lots of research. After
all, when you are "inked", it is something that needs to be deep,
meaningful, and special to you personally. It certainly should, since
it is meant to be a permanent fixture on your body!
Italy has an opulent history of one subject - LOVE (AMARE). You have
the romantic gondolas that float happy couples up and down the
waterways. You have the fantastic paintings upon the Sistine Chapel.
Moreover, what is better than that of the cuisine - from Margehrita
pizzas in Northern Italy, to the sauces that accompany pasta dishes in
Southern Italy? (A bit of cuisine history - red pasta sauces are
native to Southern Italy, and white pasta sauces are native to
Northern Italy!)
From the famous attitude attributed to rocky Balboa (the Italian
Stallion); to Sophia Loren's famously voluptuous physique, the
ambiance and sexiness of the Italian people can also be constructed
into Italian designed tattoos. Many of the Italian tattoos originated
in the world of gangs and penal facilities. If there were one way to
decipher the true loyalty of a gang member, a tattoo would certainly
do it! However, the bad-boy-gang-banger-tattoos eventually transcended
into the common public, only with a slight twist. No longer utilizing
the darker phrases that exemplified a gang member, the Italian
language in tattoos began to lean more toward the lovey-dovey side.
Now, words such as "Beauty" (bella), "Love" (amare), "Peace" (pesca),
and "Forever" (per sempre), have taken over, alluding to the Italian
life of passion and relaxation. The more recent tattoos designed in
Italian; tend to lean toward the "_____ Forever"-types. Whether it
says Live Forever (In Tensione Per Sempre), or is a single word under
a larger tattoo, it seems that the Italian language has not only
seeped into American culture, but literally into our skin as well!