A few of years ago the population of Italy reached its all-time peak of 60 million. Since then, it has declined by almost 2 million. Demographic projections have estimated that it will drop to 45 million by the middle of the century. Although newcomers using legal means of immigration have offset this trend to some extent, it has not been enough to make up for the loss of native Italians. Our village is less than 1200 residents, a quarter of what it was in the 1950s.
Several factors have contributed to this. First, as with most advanced urbanized countries, birth rates dropped with increased education and health measures. Preventive and curative medicines eliminated serious afflictions that caused parents to have six children because they knew only a few would survive. But now, the birth rate has plummeted to below “replacement level.” Babies are increasingly rare, and especially families with more than two.
Add to that, the oldest population cohort — born largely during the 1930’s — is rapidly dying off. Although many more people are living to 100 years and even more, most people in their 90’s are now reaching the end of life. Every month in our village, there are notices of individuals passing away. We look down into the cemetery in the valley below and observe the frequent processions of hearses trailed by a crowd of mourners.
Recent earthquakes devastated a number of towns in the interior of the country and caused some families to relocate to safer ground. Those tragic seismic events also diminished the demand for houses by foreigners, regardless of the romantic reputation of small Italian hilltowns.
The result is that we have been witnessing the slow disappearance of a culture with thousand-year old traditions of small villages perched on hilltops, with high stone walls, narrow cobblestone lanes, quaint tile-roofed buildings, and verdant home gardens.
However, in our village of Santa Vittoria in Matenano, we are now experiencing a minor miracle. The town is being revived by its women. The old tradition of male-dominated businesses is giving away to new energy supplied by bright, eager, and ambitious women in their 30s to their 80’s.
Years ago, Ivana assumed the operation of one of the three quirky, small food markets when her husband acquired debilitating illnesses of old age. Although in her 80’s, she is still spry and alert and always ready to assist a customer. One time, she brought eggs fresh from a farm to our door, knowing that we enjoyed them.
Francesca Funari and her brother Federico have taken over management of the well-known Farfense restaurant. She has been arranging crossover events with concerts and exhibitions by visual artists. Their mom, Daniela, continues to expertly ply her culinary craft in the kitchen.
Nearby, Lia Spalazzi, bought another one of the food markets, freshened it up with a new decor, and hired bright helpful women to run the counter with meats, cheeses, and produce. Her husband assists on Sundays. Lia’s tiny market, known as an alimentari, offers everything that a large supermarket does, but with more limited choices in brands. It’s packed into a space barely larger than two parking stalls.
The third market, a branch of a well-known chain, is managed by Argentina. I was concerned when she had to leave the store due to a needed operation and its recovery. She recently returned, revived and looking younger by years. She continues to add her dignified personality to the place. Her son Max helps enormously, as do several affable female employees. I love chatting with these women who so competently operate the formidable meat slicing machine, producing prosciutto so thin you can almost see through it.
Nadia, the mayor’s wife, operates a sizable and well-stocked clothing store for both men and women. It’s located across the street from the central bar where she sometimes greets customers from a table outside while she has morning coffee. Her cat, which sadly lost its tail, guards the door during Nadia’s absences. One of our cats seems to like to hang out there too, for some reason. My theory is that the cat, being Italian, prefers the proximity to social activities.
Vittoria de Santis runs the flower and gift shop. Having acquired a degree in arts, she makes her arrangements into beautiful compositions. in the front of the shop is a tiny, ever-changing urban garden with colorful seasonal flowers. One time, while I sketched the outside of her store, she was inside, sketching me sketching her. She is open for the many reasons for people to buy flowers here – for an aunt on her birthday, for a funeral, for the numerous religious holidays. It’s hard for me to imagine this place without Vittoria’s idiosyncratic personal style.
Anna Rossi runs the local cartolibreria, a retail business that has no direct translation to business retailers in English-speaking countries. It’s a combination newstand, bookstore, stationary store, arts supply store, office supply store, and gift store. Oh, and she also carries a sizable stock of children’s toys.
Christina took over the local hardware store – called a ferramenta – from her mother in law, who had the place for many years. The shop is “old school” with hardware and housewares filling narrow shelves from floor to ceiling. Garden supplies are available from a storeroom across the street. About the size of a mid-size delivery truck, the place carries a huge range of items from tiny screws and glassware to hoses and heavy bags of pellets for heating stoves. The family’s children play outside on the walkway when they are not in school, while local women hold animated conversations in a clutch of chairs.
Samuela Massi took over the trattoria that her father ran for many years. Mom does the cooking and they hire local young people as servers. The place is well known for its home style, regionally-based dishes, with fresh ingredients at very reasonable prices. The place caters to single men in the evenings who can be seen dining alone and watching a big screen television mounted on the back wall. As with most other restaurants in Italy, it hosts a large group of family or friends at a long table on any given evening.
Patrizia runs the local bakery with its outside tables located inside a corral of flowering baskets. It’s often a hub of people conversing, sitting in the sun or shade, or hailing the drivers of passersby. It has a commanding presence on the town piazza and a view of its signature clock tower.
Bruna holds down Bar Centrale, serving espresso and hot chocolate in the winter and espresso, aperitivo, and gelato in the summer. The bar is THE place for early imbibing, sharing gossip, and holding heated arguments.
My wife has joined this group of astute, assertive, business-savvy women in opening her own shop. After years of preparation, she leased a small space and opened late last year. She already has a loyal set of customers that keep coming back to buy more of her hand-made herbal-based skin care products – chemical free and made in Italy with plants sourced from around the world.
All these ambitious women are perhaps carrying on the traditions of a guild. This town was founded a thousand years ago, at the height of the Middle Ages, when older forms of trade were being supplanted by personal artistry and commerce– laying the foundation for the eventual Renaissance. It crosses small-scale, entrepreneurial energy with modern technology and marketing. The combined energy and innovation are keeping this small town robust.
Whatever it is, I am delighted to enjoy the fruits of it.
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