North vs. South — A Divided Nation

The Questione Meridionale (Southern Question) is Italy's most persistent problem. The North (Milan, Turin, Bologna) is industrialized, wealthy, and efficient. The South (Mezzogiorno — from Naples downwards) struggles with higher unemployment, lower incomes, and (improving) infrastructure. The per capita GDP in Lombardy is twice as high as in Calabria.

The prejudices are mutual: Northern Italians consider the South chaotic and backward, Southern Italians find the North cold and materialistic. The truth, as always, lies in the middle. For travelers, the difference is noticeable but enriching: the South is wilder, warmer (both humanly and climatically), more spontaneous, and cheaper. The North is more organized, elegant, and stylish.