“What news on the Rialto?” How hilarious. This was a line that popped out of my head from Shakespeare’s, The Merchant of Venice, while visiting Venice and the Rialto bridge in 1954.
So much history and so much culture. And will Italy’s culture sustain itself as the nation’s population shrinks? And is there any nation in the world with such a rich culture as Italy?
How about the full length statue of David by Michelangelo in Florence. I stood in awe for at least 20 minute. Nothing in the world will compare with that experience.
Then there is the Roman Coliseum in Rome. Lots of great films reproducing the “bread and circus” performances in Italy’s past.
The reason for focusing on the history and culture of Italy is a concern amongst its current population about what will happen to Italy and its culture in say 50 or 60 years when half of the population will be African and Asian.
Populations in all of Europe are declining in the sense that their women on average are having less than 2.1 children. But the numbers are more extreme in Italy. Women in Italy are having on average 1.34 children. 
People everywhere are living longer, not just Italy. It’s modern medicine. The photograph of seniors on the street of a small Italian town is typical. Reminds me of rural Japan.
Net negative migration is another issue. Nations like the United Kingdom and Germany seem to be able to attract immigrants to keep their tax base intact. But not Italy. Not sure why. Not sure anyone can do anything about it.
It is a nation plagued by people leaving and living abroad. The city of Toronto, after WW2 was the beneficiary of massive Italian immigration and today it is the third largest Italian city in the world. They brought with them all kinds of skills that Canada needed.
My father opened a factory to make Officer’s uniforms in WW2, and employed nothing but Italian tailors from Southern Italy.
Italy can learn from our Canadian experience. Immigrants after a generation will identify with the local culture but they remain emotionally tied to their homeland and its culture. Canada as result of significant immigration over the years has become a multi-lingual and multi-cultural society.
I would suggest that Italy will become multi-cultural as well. Its creative, chaotic and exciting past will go into history. Nothing stays the same.
03-02 Italy
(blank) » John Bulloch » 26 Quirky Population » 03 Under Population »
A nation like Japan with a declining population. Not just more deaths than births but net negative immigration. Tough funding the pensions and health care of an aging society when you lack young taxpayers. The famous Italian culture is at risk.