Most of us watched the famous Spanish drama series "la casa de papel" or "Money Heist". It is about a mastermind and his army of thieves stealing money from big banks creating an undeniable feeling of suspense and thrill. However, this article is not about the content or the characters. It is about the history of "Bella Ciao", the song that has been an integral part of the show since the first season.
"Bella Ciao" is an Italian protest folk song. It was originally sung by the Mondina women, the paddy field workers in Po Valley of Italy in the late 19th century and the early 20th century to protest against the harsh working conditions.
The Mondina women were those who worked at Monda (Weeding). Every year, the paddy fields remained heavily flooded from the end of April to the beginning of June and the women had to work with their bare feet in water up to the knees and their back bent for many hours. These atrocious working conditions along with low wages led to dissatisfaction among many and this resulted in rebellions and riots. Besides "Bella Ciao", the mondina women included similar songs like "Se otto ore vi sembran poche" and "Sciur padrun da li beli braghi bianchi".
Later, "Bella Ciao" was revived by the Italian partisans between 1943 and 1945 with modified lyrics during their revolt against the fascist Mussolini.
In 2015, the song was banned in some municipalities of Northern Italy. But, this song is still in use in different versions around the whole world.
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