Figure 1.--This photograph was taken in Riese, a village near Milan, in the early 1950s. It shows a boy driving oxen with a load of hay. An Italian reader writes, "This is something I never saw as a boy. I grew up 10-15 years later in Milan. I didn't have to attend livestock. In summer I sometimes went barefoot in our backyard, but I was never allowed to go barefoot in the street. I saw something similar when we went to my uncle's home. They lived in the country near Florence. My cousin had farm chores and often was barefoot. When with him I sometimes took my shoes or sandals off though my mother didn't approve."

Italy until after World War II, was the poorest of the major European countries. The poverty was especially severe in southern Italy which well into the 20th century was almost feudal with large agricultural estates. Given the poverty, especially in southern Italy, many Italian boys had to leave school at an early age and work. Italy was not as heavily industrialized as many countries to the north. Thus boys were often involved in low paying agricultural labor. This often involved work on large estates. In many other instances children worked on small family farms. Our informtion on this agricultural work is limited at this time. The poverty in Italy was the major reason that large numbers of Italians emmigrated to Amrica in the late-19th and early-20th century. We note Italian boys involved in agricultural work well into the 20th century, even after World war II. Italian boys were also employed in mines, mills, and factories, but again our information is quite limited.

Italian Poverty

Italy until after World War II, was the poorest of the major European countries. The poverty was especially severe in southern Italy which well into the 20th century was almost feudal with large agricultural estates. Given the poverty, especially in southern Italy, many Italian boys had to leave school at an early age and work. Italy was not as heavily industrialized as many countries to the north. The poverty in Italy was the major reason that large numbers of Italians emmigrated to Amrica in the late-19th and early-20th century.

Agricultural Labor

Boys were often involved in low paying agricultural labor. This often involved work on large estates. In many other instances children worked on small family farms. Our informtion on this agricultural work is limited at this time. We note Italian boys involved in agricultural work well into the 20th century, even after World war II.

Factories

Mills

Mines

We do not have much information on Italian child labor in mines. An Italian reader has provided some information on the "carusi". Here we have some image showing boys working in Sicilian sulphur mines in late 19th century. These boys were called "carusi". In Sicilian dialect the word "caruso" (pl. "carusi") means boy. In 1876 an inquiry reports: "The carusi are boys 7-15 years old, that carry the sulphur from the tunnels. The boys work underground 8-10 hours everyday". The boys worked semi naked, sometime also naked. They were "rented" by the miners from the boys' parents. The miners gave to the parents some money and the carusi had to work in the mine for a fixed time, therefore they lived like slaves for the rental period.

Basket Boys/Piccioccus de Crobi

Most Italian cities because of poverty until after World war II had many street children. Some were called basket children. Some photographs show the street children of Cagliari, the bigger Sardinian town, in late 19th or early 20th century. In those times there were street children in many Italian towns. Perhaps the most famous were the Neapolitans, called "scugnizzi". In Cagliari they were called "piccioccus de crobi" (in Sardinian dialect "boys of basket") because these boys had always a basket. They went to the port or to the market and brought little merchandise for gain some money. However they were also little thieves.They wore old clothing and were barefoot. The first photo [Alinari photos] seems taken in late 19th century; the second one could be taken in early 20th century.

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Created: 1:24 AM 3/4/2005
Last updated: 7:55 PM 12/18/2007