Italian emigration had a profound economic, social, and demographic impact on the country. The phenomenon deprived many areas, particularly those in the South and the mountainous regions of the North, of a significant portion of their young, enterprising working-age population. This exodus slowed agricultural and industrial modernization and widened the gap between dynamic regions and depressed ones. Rural areas became depopulated, leaving behind a population predominantly composed of women, the elderly, and children, exacerbating the social fragility of local communities. This human impoverishment not only reduced the country’s productive capacity but also fueled a vicious cycle of emigration and economic decline. Regions that lost their human capital experienced delays in infrastructural and cultural development, further marginalizing entire geographic areas.

Annotated bibliography:
Bevilacqua, Piero, et al. Storia dell’emigrazione italiana. Vol. 2: Arrivi. Donzelli Editore, 2002.
Zamagni, Vera. Storia economica d’Italia: 1861-2011. Il Mulino, 2013.

A flexible and personal journey

It doesn’t matter where you start or which stage you choose to explore first, each point will tell you an important part of “La nostra storia altrove”. You can explore our cultural roots or focus on the social and economic impact of the phenomenon. The important thing is to reach the end, piecing together a great historical puzzle that tells us who we are and where we come from.