Life in Italy
Italy in the 1950's and 60's was very different to how it is today. The war left Italy in poverty and needing houses, jobs and a stable economy.
Italy had to modernise, and so it went through a stage known as the 'Italian economic miracle'. It is described as the prolonged period of economic growth in Italy and it happened between the end of the second World War and the late 1960's. This change transformed Italy from a poor, mainly rural country into a major industrial city.
A great demand for new energy, transport and a better lifestyle came around, and Italy adapted, creating thousands of miles of railways and highways to connect big urban areas to small rural towns. Housing became a problem, so many low-income apartments and social housings were built on the outskirts of many Italian cites. Over the years, this led to severe problems on city congestion, urban decay and street violence. Many Italians moved from Southern Italy to the industrial cities of north Italy as a result of fast economic expansion. Between 1955 and 1971, around 9 million people are estimated to have been involved in inter-regional migrations in Italy, uprooting entire communities and creating large metropolitan areas.
Italy had to modernise, and so it went through a stage known as the 'Italian economic miracle'. It is described as the prolonged period of economic growth in Italy and it happened between the end of the second World War and the late 1960's. This change transformed Italy from a poor, mainly rural country into a major industrial city.
A great demand for new energy, transport and a better lifestyle came around, and Italy adapted, creating thousands of miles of railways and highways to connect big urban areas to small rural towns. Housing became a problem, so many low-income apartments and social housings were built on the outskirts of many Italian cites. Over the years, this led to severe problems on city congestion, urban decay and street violence. Many Italians moved from Southern Italy to the industrial cities of north Italy as a result of fast economic expansion. Between 1955 and 1971, around 9 million people are estimated to have been involved in inter-regional migrations in Italy, uprooting entire communities and creating large metropolitan areas.