For over three decades Gore Vidal spent six months a year in Italy, living between Rome and the magnificent southern town of Ravello, on the Amalfi coast. He was proud that Federico Fellini had given him a role in his movie Roma, where he played himself. And he was proud as a peacock when the city of Ravello made him an honorary citizen. The eminent guerrilla fighter who used words like a bazooka loved everything Italian—including the Italians. "Left to themselves, the Italians work out a fine balance between anarchy and order. When times are bad—or good—the balance shifts this way or that. But the nice balance, sooner or later, is restored. Fundamentally, Italians hate both anarchy and order. This is very human." A first-hand portrait by a reporter who happened to meet him often.
