Saying Ti Amo with Lucchetti dell’Amore!

So, I have been immersing myself in Italian cinema and fell in love with a movie called “Ho Voglia di Te” (I Want You) based on the novel of the same name. As you can probably guess by the title; it’s a love story…the kind that we seem to only dream about. But does that kind of love only have to exist in our dreams?

Love…whether short-lived or for eternity…is a very powerful thing. In true “life imitating art” fashion…il lucchetti dell’amore (the locks of love) made popular by the novel turned movie is a remarkable expression of the power of love.

The Ponte Milvio is one of the oldest bridges in Rome. If you go there today, you will most likely be amazed by the lampposts entangled with layers of chain-link holding hundreds of locks. It seems like a romantic idea. A couple in love…goes to the bridge….fastens a lock with their names written on it to a lamppost. Then, in an act of true love, they throw the key into the Tiber…forever. I’m a romantic at heart. I still believe that THAT kind love and romance exists and when I see images of the lampposts completely covered in these “love locks” its heartwarming.

Sure you can easily say that most of those locks were probably young love, lust, or just some guy trying to get in some girl’s pants…but I do believe that there are just as many locks that are symbolic of a couples true and lasting love for one another.

lucchetti d'amore

The idea has grown so big that the bridge itself was in danger. The lampposts couldn’t hold the weight of the sheer volume of locks. The police have had to cut the locks off the lampposts. But only a couple days later they would be completely covered again. In a world that can sometimes be so overpoweringly negative the idea of il lucchetti dell’amore is uplifting. And, although it was dreamed up by an author, it must have had some impact on its readers. They have now taken the pages out of the book and brought them to life.

lucchetti d'amore
Image from “Ho Voglio di Te”

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  1. LuLu

    July 17, 2008 at 2:42 pm

    Satine – If you do a search online for a bit torrent of the movies there are a bunch of different sites that you can download it from. It really sucks being a fan of Italian movies and not being able to get them here.

  2. Satine

    July 17, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    Hi Lulu,

    Just curious where you found Ho Voglio Di Te and Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo online? I’m loved them when I saw them last time I visited my boyfriend in Italy and would love to find a way to download them! Thanks!

  3. LuLu

    May 15, 2008 at 8:21 am

    Leanne – Thanks for the link back! 🙂 I am always so amazed by the photos of the bridge to see it in real life would be neat. Snap a picture when you go! 🙂

    Liz – Welcome to my blog!! Thanks for stopping in!! I had to download it from the internet unfortunately. I can’t find it here and even if I did the DVD code doesn’t work on North American DVD players (unless you have a universal one). I would watch “Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo” first though (if you haven’t already seen it).

  4. Liz

    May 14, 2008 at 7:17 pm

    Hi, I’m new to your blog. Did you find “Ho Voglia di Te” in Canada? I can’t find it here in the states and I so desperately want to see it!! Or did you find it on the net? Thanks!

  5. Leanne

    May 14, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    To be honest I am living in Rome for the second year now and have not seen the bridge and locks! (Shock horror) I saw on the news when they had to cut them due to the weight, but I have never been there. Thanks for the reminder – I will now make sure I go!

    Thanks for the link to my site too – I’ll link back 🙂

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