Where an iceman lays his head down

OLOGNA, Italy – Otzi the Iceman makes his home in the small Province of Bolzano-Bozen, high in the Dolomites mountain range. With more than 6,000 years under his rotting leather belt, he was recognized as the oldest known Italian citizen when he was excavated from a glacier in 1991. He is Europe’s oldest and best preserved natural human mummy.\nOtzi, who also goes by the names Similaun Man or Frozen Fritz, has seen a lot in his time. He was around when the Romans ruled most of the known world and he was chilling (quite literally) while his descendents were painting, writing, sculpting and inventing through the height of the Renaissance. More recently, however, Otzi saw the fall of the Italian government, which hasn’t seen stability since fascism during World War II. He has also had to sadly stand by as his nation’s monuments crumbled from too much tourist traffic and not enough conservation. A general depression has swept over his country, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.\nIn December, the New York Times reported on a recent study that found “Italians, despite their claim to have mastered the art of living, say they are the least happy people in Western Europe.” The article was written before power was wrested from Prime Minister Romano Prodi last week. It also barely makes mention of the current crisis in Naples – trash is piling up in the streets because the landfills are full, and the army has been called in to control the Mafia and the angry mobs.\nNeedless to say, the Italians have fallen far from the times of the Roman Empire and Renaissance. Their country is a mess, and they seem to be doing little to bring themselves out of their depression. \nAfter my recent trip to Bolzano-Bozen to see the famed iceman, I saw that it was no small wonder that he now resides in the pristine little town. The city is the capital of an autonomous region, and though located in Italy and subject to some federal laws, it is largely self-governed. It is an exception to the Italian depression and a model for what the country could look like if the Italians could just get their act together.\nThe streets were the cleanest I have seen since my arrival. I felt as if I had entered another country. There was little traffic, and the whole town seemed quiet and peaceful. All of the churches and local castles were in marvelous condition, and Otzi himself was kept in an iced vault with no less than four security cameras pointed in his direction. The town even had a lovely fresh foods market, shopping district and recreation complex. \nIt was frustrating for me to walk around this little town because it became apparent that the Italians are indeed capable of pulling themselves out of their funk. If the people of Bolzano can do it, why can’t the rest of Italy? It may be a question that even old Otzi can’t answer.