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A Glimpse into the Urban and Rural Life in Italy

There is a strong divide between urban and rural life in Italy. One notable distinction made is this; the Bourgeoisie (the white collar middle class), the petit urban bourgeoisie, and the petit rural bourgeoisie (the urban working class and the rural working class). In medieval Italy, a majority of the population worked and lived in the rural areas of the country. In sharp contrast, 70% of the population today, lives in urban Italy.

Medieval Italy urban life was well governed with facilities such as food supply, public services, town finance, and local building projects. The Italian Urban lifestyle was supported by free thinkers and artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Botticelli who lived in Rome. After the Renaissance, it was the French revolution and Napoleonic wars that revolutionized the system of political thought in Italy.

Today, urban Italy functions as a Republic and has all the features of any modern, industrialized nation. The Italian urban lifestyle has always had tourism and entertainment as a key element. The early emperors of Rome organized events for the amusement of the urban crowd such as gladiatorial combat and chariot races. Today, the urban scenario throbs with entertainment options, such as bars, discos, restaurants, pizzerias, and cinema halls. The Italian people are generally very social and amiable, and family bonds have been strong from the start.

Italian rural lifestyle has changed a lot. Initially when the majority of the Italians lived in these areas, they worked on agricultural lands under landlords who were based in urban Rome. However, due to a growing economy and the increasing attraction for urban life, the rural population gradually drifted to the cities. Today, the rural real estate market is once again flourishing. The beautiful countryside offers properties such as farmhouses, townhouses, and apartments. The culinary delights and the scenic landscape are some of the attractions that draw tourists and city-dwellers to the outskirts.

Urban and rural life in Italy has developed with time. While urban Italy has progressed to become a vital industrial power of Europe, the rural regions have retained their quaint and surreal charm.


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