Nostalgia Quote by Italo Calvino
““In Maurilia, the traveler is invited to visit the city and, at the same time, to examine some old postcards that show it as it used to be: the same identical square with a hen in the place of the bus station, a bandstand in the place of the overpass, two young ladies with white parasols in the place of the munitions factory. If the traveler does not wish to disappoint the inhabitants, he must praise the postcard city and prefer it to the present one, though he must be careful to contain his regret at the changes within definite limits: admitting that the magnificence and prosperity of the metropolis Maurilia, when compared to the old, provincial Maurilia, cannot compensate for a certain lost grace, which, however, can be appreciated only now in the old postcards, whereas before, when that provincial Maurilia was before one’s eyes, one saw absolutely nothing graceful and would see it even less today, if Maurilia had remained unchanged; and in any case the metropolis has the added attraction that, through what it has become, one can look back with nostalgia at what it was.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The City of the Sun” (fictional travelogue), 1978
The traveler must praise the nostalgic idealized past while accepting present change, balancing admiration for history with present reality.
In simple terms: Appreciate both past charm and present progress, but limit nostalgia.
Key Takeaway
Find value in history without letting it hinder present growth.
Themes
nostalgia
urban change
memory
identity
balance
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- tourism
- city planning
- personal reflection on change
Key Concepts
urbanism
temporal perception
cultural continuity
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of the past do you cherish?
- How can you honor history while embracing modern life?
A Different Perspective
Nostalgia can idealize the past, obscuring present possibilities.
