- From the heart of Naples, Italian lawyer Emanuele Morra analyzes the legal status of Italy and recommends visiting that European nation.
Text: Miguel Angel Cruz, editorial director of LWYR.
Images: Courtesy of Emanuele Morra and LWYR Archive.
Emanuele Morra is a Neapolitan lawyer who currently works professionally in Civil and Administrative Law, as well as some Tax Law advisories. From that position analyzes the legal status of Italy.
«In the last time he has focused on the ‘biological testament’ and, on the other hand, on the possibility of intercepting telephone conversations for the benefit of the country’s security. That is, how to reconcile the autonomy of personal will and individual freedom with the security of the nation and possible misuse of it», he explains.
– When was born your interest in law and when did you decide to study law?
– My interest for law began very early, when I was a young boy (13 years old) when I started to draft contracts with my father, in order to buy toys or something else. When I was in secondary school I decided I would become a judge (a judgmental one, not inquiring).
– You studied at the University Federico II of Naples. How were your years as a student?
– I attended at university studies in one of most ancient university of law of Italy, Federico II (the name of sacred roman emperor that founded it in Naples); this university is also famous because of forming many smart and clever jurists. Perhaps it was due (and still now it is) to the origin of the city (a greek colony of Magna Greece), and the long tradition of byzantine dominations , also after the fall of western roman empire. This university at my times was very busy because of its fame, so, many boys and girls come to attend from every part of Italy (especially southern).
After degree, I attended for a while as assistant of administrative right professor, but he died quite young, so I stopped my universitary career. After degree , moreover, it happened that my uncle (my mom’s brother), who was a civil lawyer, asked to me to work with him, so my desire of being a judge weakened, also facing with the real way of judgment, and I preferred to assist people, instead of judge them.
– You born in Naples. Can you describe your city?
– I was born in Naples, from an old family, which surname is attested in the city since 900 (X^ century) a. c. . My city is built as greek colony of Magna Grecia. During the roman empire its suburb on the sea were the place where rich romans and emperors lasted their holidays and joyful moments (otium). Some of them even transferred the capital from Rome, here like emperor Tiberio, who ruled from the island of Capri. The city grow up in centuries, also for its strategic position in mediterranean sea, and became the capital of the widest of the kingdom in which Italy were once divided, after suffering for different dominations (Spain, France and Austria). The tracks of dominations are still now visible in many words of our dialect. After reunification of Italy (1860) at the hand of the northern kingdom of Piemonte (called sardinian kingdom), the city suffered of a long decadence, and only recently, at the beginning of XX century , the situation had begun to improve. Moreover, also with many difficulties due to poor infrastructure (that now , thanks to govern, we are eliminating), and of criminal organizations, the city is slowly rising up.
– What differentiates the Neapolitans from the rest of the Italians?
– Neapolitans are usually very hearty, solar and hospitable, there is no racism in my city, and also lower class are very tolerant, also sexually (we have the long tradition of “femminelli”), we were very ironic , also if we are despised from northern Italians, that consider us as idlers, so many Neapolitans don’t love them: as example, in the last soccer game of champions league, where the Italian soccer team Juventus (based in Torino) faced the soccer team Real Madrid, every Neapolitan, also in respect of our past and ancient vice -kingdom, cheered on Real Madrid.
– Do you know Chile? What do you know about our country?
– I know Chile quite a lot; when I was a boy, my teacher of secondary school asked us to take a reportage, reading the italian newspapers immediately after the “golpe” that overturned the Allende government, and I followed, for the three years that lasted the school, the story of Chile, with my classmates. Here in Italy, after golpe, there was a popular band, called “Inti Illimani” , that diffused the andine music all over Italy and Europe. I know also Chile by its writers (Isabella Allende). But I never visit it, neither know much about it, after that period.
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Personal bio
Name: Emanuele Morra.
Education: Law Degree.
Home: Napoli.
Job: Lawyer.
Two cities in Italy: Viterbo and Firenze.
Sports: Once fencing, now gym.
Your favorite vacation: Sea, at coast of Amalfi.
An important lawyer from Italy: Guido Alpa.
Italian food. Which one? Every, especially Neapolitan: Sartù, pizza, pasta al forno, ragù, spezzatino coi piselli.
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