Rossano Pazzagli: Italy's Depopulated Villages Need Schools, Healthcare and Transport to Revive
In an article for Artribune, Rossano Pazzagli asserts that poor decisions have led to the depopulation of Italy's small towns. He highlights that decline often paves the way for renewal, referencing early modern migrations in central-southern Italy. Pazzagli stresses the importance of reinstating services that were cut for economic reasons, introducing Vito Teti's concept of "restanza" to illustrate towns that resist amid identity struggles. He critiques the neglect of borghi due to industrialization and advocates for a harmonious relationship between urban and rural environments. Pazzagli calls for prioritizing agriculture, backing cooperatives, and maintaining essential services, viewing investment in these small towns as both a cultural and political imperative.
Key facts
- Rossano Pazzagli authored the Artribune article on Italy's depopulating small towns
- The piece invokes Vito Teti's concept of "restanza" to describe remaining inhabitants
- Pazzagli identifies school, healthcare and transport as the essential services that must be guaranteed
- He criticizes "piccoloborghismo" rhetoric and homogenized tourist-village development, including some PNRR-funded projects
- The article cites farmers, herders, remote workers, artists and food and wine operators as agents of revival
- Pazzagli argues higher per-capita service costs in small towns are an investment in equality, not waste
- The text references early modern migrations that repopulated central-southern Italian towns
- The article was published on Artribune in October 2026
Entities
Artists
- Rossano Pazzagli
- Vito Teti
- Gabriella Clare Marino
Institutions
- Artribune
- Unsplash
Locations
- Italy
- Cortona
- Trentino
- Sicily