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Italy is one of the five major European counties in term of population, nearly 60 million (2022). The Italian population almost doubled in the 20th century. The population growth has been uneven. This has resulted from large scale internal migration from the largely rural South to the cities of the indutrialized North. Italy's North and South developed differently for a range of of cultural, geographic, and political reasons. This led to an end of feudalism in the north and its continuation in the south, including Sicily. The country was only unified (1861), before that it was dominated by different policies, including Germans (Austrians) in the North, Piedmont, the Papal States, and Two Sicilies in the south. The post-World War II Italian Economic Miracle (1950s–1960s) has significantly leveled those differences. In part because of the poverty in the South, there was significant emigration, most spectacularly to America in the late-19th and early-20th century. This emigration has since the 1980s shifted to net immigration, mostly from Africa, especially North Africa. Population density is high, even by European standards. The two major cities are Rome and Naples. Italian cities have features that show their historic roots. While Rome's famed walls today are largely gone, Italy's famed piazzas are continue to be an important part of modern Italian urban life. The most densely populated region is the Po River Valley in the north where nearly half the population lives. Other areas have relatively sparse populations, including the plateaus of Basilicata, the Alps and Apennines highlands, and the island of Sardinia. In the ancient world, Rome was one of the most urbanized societies. With the fall of Rome, Italy became a de-urbanized society. With the the late middle ages and Renaissance we begin to see the growth of cities again. Unification and industrialization began in the mid-19th century and we see a massive trend of urbanization, especially in northern Italy. [Malanima] We have not yet pursued the topic of homes, but after working with images for some time now we have concluded that images showing the grounds, outside of the home, and inside of the home can provide us more valuable information. This can provide information such as demographic and social class factors and how they related to fashion. Many images archived on are studio portraits with no information about the home environment. But in the 20th century we have large numbers of snapshots.
Italy is one of the five major European counties in term of population, nearly 60 million (2022). The Italian population almost doubled in the 20th century.
Italy's population growth has been uneven. This has resulted from large scale internal migration from the largely rural South to the cities of the indutrialized North. Italy's North and South developed differently for a range of of cultural, geographic, and political reasons. This led to an end of feudalism in the north and its continuation in the south, including Sicily. The country was only unified (1861), before that it was dominated by different policies, including Germans (Austrians) in the North, Piedmont, the Papal States, and Two Sicilies in the south. The post-World War II Italian Economic Miracle.
(1950s–60s) has significantly leveled those differences.
In part because of the endemic poverty in the South, there was significant emigration, most spectacularly to America in the late-19th and early-20th century. Italians became one of the major American immigrant groups. They mostly settled in the growing American cities of the northeast. Lesser numbers emigrated to Latin Anerica (Argentina abd Brazil). Italy in the 19th century was one of the poorest countries in Europe. While the industrial revolution began to change northern Italy, economic conditions were still almost feudal in southern Italy and Sicily. The difference between northern and southern Italy was that northern Italy had been goverened by the Austrians (and the French for a brief era during the French Revolution). Southern Italy was ruled by the Spanisgh Hapsburgs. Poor agragrian practices and the land and climate also affected crop yields in southern Italy. Italian emmigration began in the north. Many of these early immigrants went to neighbiring European countries and to South America, especially Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Later emigration began in even greater numbers from the south. Italians in the second half of the 19th century began a mass exodus to countries with more promising economic opportunites. Southern Italy was almost entirely an agricultural economy, but crop yields were low and few peasants owned land. The primary destination was the United States. Many early Italian emmigrants returned to Italy from America with money and boased of their success, which generated even more emigration. The Italian Government also promoted emmigration, seeing it as a way of improving economic conditions.Emigration was only one response to the economic conditions and over population. The other was colonization. This emigration has since the 1980s shifted to net immigration, mostly from Africa, especially North Africa.
Itlian population density is high, even by European standards. Te most densely populated region is the Po River Valley in the north where nearly half the population lives. Other areas have relatively sparse populations, including the plateaus of Basilicata, the Alps and Apennines highlands, and the island of Sardinia.
About 70 percent of Italy's modern popultion is urban (2020). Italian urbabization is facinating because it has occured on baasuis of an ancuent and medieval urban structure. The urban structure has two primary foundations. The ancient structure was based on Rome in the south and Etruscan in the center abnd north. The Renaissance structure was largely centered in the north. [Malusardi and Muscarà] Rome was the ancient world's most urbanized society. With the fall of Rome, Italy became a de-urbanized society. With the the late middle ages and Renaissance we begin to see the growth of cities again. Unification and industrialization began in the mid-19th century and we see a massive trend of urbanization, especially in northern Italy. [Malanima] Italy has some of the most famed cities of the world. The three largest cities are Rome, Milan, and Naples. Rome is an incredible city, the center of a great ancient empire. There are treaures ranging from ancient amd medeval times. Milan was ancient Medhelan Mediolanum (city in the middle of the lands) is Milan is the fashion capital of the world with important influences on design, economics, opera, and the media. Naples is one of Europe's greatest ports. Turin is a major industrial city on the Po River. Venice was a great power of the medieval era. It is a unique city built over the water in the middle of a lagoon, basically to avoid barbarian raids after the fall of rome. It is surely Italy's most beautiful and romantic cities. Also important were the maritime city states which besides Venice included: Genoa, Pisa, Verona, Rimini, and Ravena. Floremce is famed for its artistic treasures with Italy's most important Renaissance architectural and artistic centers. Italian cities have features that show their historic roots. While Rome's famed walls today are largely gone, Italy's famed piazzas are continue to be an important part of modern Italian urban life.
We are not sure about ancient or medieval times, but in the modern era, Italy has a perennially high birth rate. Italians as a result were notable for large families. High infant mortality rates and the need for labor were factors. The reason for that is that agricultural societies tend to have high birth rates and Italy into the 20th century had an important agricultural sector. Only Italy was unusual for having a major agricultural sector, but was not self-sufficient in food production. Italy had to import food, especially grains needed for bread and pasta. This was a factor in the substantial emigration that began in the mid-19th century to America and other countries. The United States was a largely Protestant country, but its founding principle of religious freedom began drawing Catholic immigrants. The first was the Irish because of the Potato Famine (1840s), but the mist important were the Italians (1870s). Americans were impressed with the size of immigrant Italian families, most of whom had rural origins. Another factor was that Italy was a Catholic country and the Church promoted large families. Mussolini's Fascists also promoted large families, primarily with because of the desire to build larger armies. The NAZIs in Germany were birth rates were falling also promoted large families. There were patriotic awards and cash payments for having babies. Neither had much success, but the Italian birth rate was higher than in Germany. Birth rates began to decline after World War II as more Italians moved into the cities. Once off the farm, as in other countries and employed in industry and other urban occupations. As demographer Peter Zeihan constantly says, in the city, children go from free labor to expensive sometimes bothersome luxuries. Italy has, however, gone further in the other direction than most other countries, one of the lowest birth rate's in Europe, a continent filled with countries that has low birth rates. Like much of Europe, the Italian population is greying and greying at a rapid pace. In fact, the birth rates or so low that observers are beginning to wonder about the future existence of Italy. It is not clear why birth rates in Italy has fallen so far below other countries.
We have not yet pursued the topic of homes, but after working with images for some time now we have concluded that images showing the grounds, outside of the home, and inside of the home can provide us more valuable information. This can provide information such as demographic and social class factors and how they related to fashion. Many images archived on are studio portraits with no information about the home environment. But in the 20th century we have large numbers of snapshots.
Malusardi, Federico and Calogero Muscarà. "Italian urbanization: Between scattered settlement and counterurbanization Ekistics> Vol. 53, No. 320/321 (1986), pp. 307-10.
Malanima, Palolo. "Urbanisation and the Italian economy during the last millennium," European Review of Economic History Vol. 9, Issue 1 (April 2005), pp. 97–122,
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