Karl Ristikivi reisikiri "Itaalia capriccio"
Karl Ristikivi's Travelogue Itaalia capriccio

Summary/Abstract: The Estonian writer Karl Ristikivi (1912–1977) is famous for his historical novels. In several of them the scene is laid near the Mediterranean. For example Mõrsjalinik ("The Bridal Veil", 1965) tells about Caterina Benincasa, who lived in the 14th-century Siena and was later declared a saint. Õilsad südamed ehk Kaks sõpra Firenzes ("Noble Hearts, or Two Friends in Florence", 1970) describes the 15th-century Florence under Savonarola's rule. Rooma päevik ("A Roman Diary", 1976) portrays Rome in the 18th century. This article is a survey of his travelogue Itaalia capriccio ("Italian Capriccio", 1958). The methodological basis for the article is imagology (or image studies), dealing with research of national stereotypes and their manifestation in literature. Imagologists distinguish between auto-images and hetero-images, i.e. the attitude towards one's own culture and the attitude towards the other, while one's auto-image (self-image) affects one's perception of other cultures. For example the representation of Germany by a Russian or by an Estonian author may as well differ because of the nationality of the authors. K. Ristikivi was an Estonian who lived in Sweden. He describes Italy as a northerner. There are oppositions like North vs. South, cold vs. hot (both in terms of climate and temperament), Protestant vs. Roman Catholic, etc. Describing Italy in a versatile way K. Ristikivi disproves many stereotypes about the country.

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