WoFat your question is really GOOD and VERY interesting: "What do people there to earn a living"?
By: Dear WoFat, your question is soooo right and interesting, that I decided to make a video: Your question: "What do people there to earn a living? It doesn't seem to be a tourist hot spot or nudist beach and doesn't seem to be many car dealerships there".
Honestly, since I frequented this area of Italy, over 25 years ago, I asked myself, and finally, I came to the answer. For a moment I want to be serious, that is, to use philosophy to get to the truth. Ok, let's get started. Firstly my personal considerations, then I will answer from an economic point of view.
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My considerations:
I believe that it can be useful to reverse the roles, that is, not to ask them how they do it, but to ask ourselves how and why we live in our own way. I live in a city large enough for the average Italy (Bologna, 500K inhabitants), and I think that most of those who frequent this website, live in cities with at least more than... 600 inhabitants. Therefore, I said, we must ask ourselves if our lifestyle and spending is right for us, but it does not have to be right for them. Let's be honest, in beautiful villages like these (there are dozens of them in this area), even if I had a lot of money, how and where could I spend it? You see, WoFat, smalltowns like these, are a guarantee for those who want to save, they protect themselves, because here you can spend only on really important things. In the city, are all our expenses really necessary? They could ask us this, indeed, sometimes they have asked me, and ... I didn't know what to answer.
In fact, as you write in your very beautiful question, you talk about tourism, beaches, car dealers ... how many of these things are really necessary or vital for the human being? Frequenting these places, I often "cry", but with joy. I "cry" because I see that life still exists, simple, direct and.. Cheap.Inexpensive in every sense, not just cheap. And if they like that, why make them change their minds? It's so nice to know the ideas of others!
I am 51 years old, and traveling was wonderful, but when I was young: you left by train or car (plane was very expensive), with one-two friends, and you went at most 1,000 km away, in Europe doing 1,000 km also means crossing 4-5 different nations. now travel, what does it mean? Tickets, reservations, suitcases, sweat, fatigue, expenses, wi-fi connections, photos, social media, dinners, problems, cultural barriers, and sometimes even danger. Is all this really necessary?
Going to the beach is also beautiful, but what effort is it? Look for parking, sunscreen, must have a perfect model body/physique, creams, swimming, hot, etc. but, if you look on the map, the province of Enna (where I am), is 40-50 km from the sea, and so they can go to the sea whenever they want...
And then, in these villages, you buy a car or scooter to use them for decades, as you can see in my other videos. To use them. And they use them because the streets are steep or to go to the supermarket far away. Instead we in the city, do we use the car, or are we used by it? Do you know how nice it is to walk around the village and stop to talk to someone, help an old man? In the city, we all lock ourselves inside the car, with air conditioning and music. We don't even see where we're going. And how is the motto? The journey of the destination is more important!
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Economic points of view:
In a country of 1-2,000 people, the economy works predominantly like this:
- Few chances to spend;
- Few shops;
- Subsidies.
On the few possibilities to spend, I have already told you before, and now I would like to stop a little to talk about the low number of shops. Let's make this reasoning: how many bakers do you need in a small country? 3-4. Well, there will be no other ones, not because there must be no competition, but because really there is no need for others bakers. And therefore, the whole village will provide itself from them. And when the baker, will need a plumber, he will turn to one of the 3-4 plumbers in the country. And when the plumber needs to drink coffee, he will go to one of the 3-4 bars in the smalltown. It is a closed-loop economic model, but safe, which protects everyone.
In addition, and this is an Italian thing, many villages or small geographical areas, are specialized in something particular, and often, a unique and unrepeatable thing. Here in a very near village, there are famous horse breeders, and this thing was derived from the Arabic occupation. To better understand, let's take another Italian area, Chianti, as an example.
Let's be careful, Chianti is NOT the wholeTuscany, Chianti is a geographical area WITHIN Tuscany. what is Chianti famous for? For wine! And where else is Chianti wine produced? Nowhere else, OF COURSE. And therefore, they, can ask for the price they want. Dear WoFat, you are an Architect (congratulations), and if you came to study here the houses built on the rock, how many architects could say then that they know perfectly how to do it, but you have seen it from life? You would be one of the few who would know how to build houses on the rocks. It is the exclusivity that characterizes Italy. It is our only salvation for the future.
As for the subsidies, it should be noted that in addition to those of the central state, there are also those of the Sicily region, as it is a region with a special statute. Then, there is also the basic income, for those who do not have work. And finally, the other day I was in a country of 200 people, because most of them emigrated to the United States . Off the air, I asked the citizen: but how do these houses remain closed, without anyone? And he replied that many of the houses are still owned by Italians who now live in America, and therefore, they come to Italy every now and then, and keep them.
I am always available for any questions, greetings from Italy!!!