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‘I’m part of this crazy history’: Finding inspiration in the middle of Italy’s second wave

What's it like to live through one of Italy's strangest years? Cartoonist Adam Rugnetta, now weathering his second lockdown in Milan, shares his observations.

Published: 24 November 2020 12:50 CET
'I'm part of this crazy history': Finding inspiration in the middle of Italy's second wave
What have you been doing to get through Italy's second Covid wave? Image: Adam Rugnetta

Everyone in Italy has felt the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

For Adam Rugnetta, an American teacher living in Milan, they've shaped his life for much of the past year.

As an author and illustrator, one of the ways he found to process the situation was to draw – at least the first time round.

“I was able to weather the first lockdown because I was writing my book, Beyond Choice. So while I was saddened for the suffering, inside my home everything was going well,” he tells The Local.

“This lockdown, however, things seemed darker. The American election, the second wave, the Covid burnout was getting me down.” 

Milan lies in one of Italy's 'red zones': high-risk regions under maximum restrictions, with only essential travel permitted, most shops and restaurants closed and schooling moved online.

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Seeing infection rates and death tolls climb again, then returning to lockdown after months of relative freedom, has been tough.

“I was starting to sink, so I decided to inspire myself,” Rugnetta says.

With individual exercise one of the few outdoor activities still permitted, he has been using his runs around Milan to break the monotony and observe the city. On one recent outing, he was struck by an argument near the Navigli, the famous canals lined with bars and restaurants that are currently forbidden from serving customers.

“I was sitting there listening to chill-out music from a takeout place while guys were preparing to murder each other. The irony of the moment and the fact that I could see it clearly made me think it was time to start cartooning again,” he says.

“Luckily, it worked. Running and cartooning brightened my days. This project, along with some better news, are making me really feel the light at the end of the tunnel.”

See the illustrated version of the story: 



Originally from Buffalo, New York, Adam Rugnetta is a teacher and author living in Milan. You can find more of his work on his website, on Twitter and on Instagram. His graphic novel, Beyond Choice, is available to buy online.

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Member comments

  1. No matter how tough it is now, please pick up a history book and read what life was like in Italy between September 1943 – April 1945 for perspective.

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MILAN

Milan approves new rules cracking down on noisy nightlife

Milan city council on Monday confirmed new rules aimed at limiting noise from nightlife in the city, with restrictions on the sale of alcohol - but no ban on late-night gelato, as was initially reported.

Published: 13 May 2024 16:14 CEST
Milan approves new rules cracking down on noisy nightlife

New legislation aimed at stopping noise from Milan’s nightlife from keeping residents awake will come into force in 12 of the city’s central districts from Monday, May 20th, remaining in place until November 4th.

READ ALSO: Milan announces plan to ban cars from city centre in 2024

Milan’s city council published an ordinance on Monday containing details of the much-debated temporary limit on the opening hours of outdoor terraces, takeaways and other food and drinks businesses, which it said would improve the lives of local residents without hitting business owners in the pocket.

According to the local edition of Corriere della Sera, the new rules limit:

  • Opening hours of bar and restaurant terraces, which must close no later than 1am and reopen no earlier than 6am. The limit is extended to 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.
  • Sales of takeaway alcoholic drinks from bars, shops and other businesses, which are prohibited between midnight and 6am.
  • Sales of food and drinks by street vendors between 8pm and 6pm.

The rules will apply in the areas of Nolo, Lazzaretto, Melzo, Isola, Sarpi, Cesariano, Arco della Pace, Corso Como/Gae Aulenti, Garibaldi, Brera, Ticinese, Darsena and Navigli, according to local media reports.

While initial reports ridiculed the measure as an “ice-cream ban”, councillors later clarified that “ice cream is not the target” and that the rules would focus on the sale of “drinks, especially alcoholic ones.”

OPINION: Why Milan is a much better city to live in than Rome

This was the latest set of temporary restrictions brought in by Milan’s city council, and follows the introduction of similar rules last October on weekends in the busy areas of via Melzo, via Lazzaretto and piazza Oberdan.

Previously introduced limits were criticised as ineffective by residents’ associations, who said noise levels would remain above safe limits, as well as business owners, who pointed out that many bars in central areas of the city already had an agreement in place to close outdoor terraces no later than 2am.

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