Umarells observing re-paving at the corners of Palazzo Re Enzo and Via Rizzoli, Bologna, in 2016
Umarell (Italian spelling of the BologneseEmilian word umarèl, Emilian pronunciation:[umaˈrɛːl]; plural umarî) are men of retirement age who spend their time watching construction sites, especially roadworks – stereotypically with hands clasped behind their back and offering unwanted advice to the workers.[1] Its literal meaning is "little man" (also umaréin).[2] The term is employed as lighthearted mockery or self-deprecation.
The modern term was popularised in 2005 by local writer Danilo Masotti[3][4] through three books and an associated blog.[5][6] In 2021, the word was included in the Zingarelli dictionary.[7][8][9][10][11]
In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to umarells to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended.[12] The town of San Lazzaro di Savena, 6 km (3+1⁄2mi) to the South-East of Bologna, awarded the "Umarell of the year" prize to a local resident, Franco Bonini.[13][14]
In 2016, the local cultural association called Succede solo a Bologna ("It only happens in Bologna") released the『Umarèl card』as a fundraiser for continued restoration of the San Petronio church.[15][16] Separately, a mobile app called Umarells was released that tracked the location of ongoing roadworks and construction sites.[17][18] The fast food restaurant chain Burger King also "hired" several umarells as part of a social media marketing campaign promoting its increased presence in the country.[19]
In July 2017, the Bologna city council's "consultative commission for the naming of street" approved the naming of a public square to the East of the city centre in the Cirenaica district Piazzetta degli Umarells in recognition of the local fame of the concept and the name – noting with conscious irony that the square was under construction at the time.[20][21][22][23]
In April 2018, the public square was inaugurated by city councillor Matteo Lepore, the district president Simone Borsari, the "lord of the umarells" Franco Bonini, the stand-up comedian Maurizio Pagliari (Dulio Pizzocchi), and the writer Danilo Masotti.[24] A year later the street-sign for the square was stolen.[25]
In April 2020, the comic magazine Topolino dedicated an episode to the umarell Gerindo Persichetti.[26] In December 2020 in Pescara, the real estate developer Sarra installed windows to allow Umarells to observe three construction sites.[27][28] Since 2019, an annual calendar has been sold in Bologna newsstands. In 2021, a board gameLa Giornata dell’Umarell (An Umarell's Day) was released.[29]
A construction site in Bologna with umarell observation holes for adults, children, and dogs.
Masotti, Danilo (2010). Umarells 2.0. Sono tanti, vivono in mezzo a noi, ci osservano... e noi osserviamo loro [Umarells 2.0. They are many, they live amongst us, they observe us... and we observe them] (in Italian). Bologna: Pendragon Press. ISBN978-8883428579.
Masotti, Danilo (2016). Oltre il cantiere: fenomenologia degli Umarells [Beyond the Construction Site: the Phenomenology of the Umarells] (in Italian). Bologna: Pendragon Press. ISBN9788865988077.
Masotti, Danilo (2021). Umarells per sempre:Forever [Umarells forever] (in Italian). Bologna: Pendragon Press. ISBN978-88-3364-322-9.
Media related to People watching roadworks at Wikimedia Commons
