Exploring the Remote Italian Region Facing Depopulation

This article originally appeared on VICE Italy.

Basilicata is a region in southern Italy, nestled between Campania and Apulia, right above the tip of the boot. Despite its gorgeous landscapes and historical cities – including Matera, named European Capital of Culture in 2019 – the region is pretty much unknown to Italians and international tourists alike. According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, over half of the people who come to visit are from the neighbouring regions of Apulia, Campania and Lazio (the region where Rome is located).

That’s probably because Basilicata is pretty isolated – there’s no easily accessible airport around, and the railway connections are less than ideal. The region is also among the poorest in Italy, with only 50 percent of its working age population currently employed. That’s why a lot of young people from the area decide to move away to big cities in search of better opportunities.

Michele Battilomo, 33, is a photographer born and raised in a small village near Matera. For his latest project, De-Population (2017-ongoing), he decided to focus on his own region and its “off the map” status. I spoke with him about his origins, his native region and what motivates new generations to leave, stay or return.

VICE: You’ve grown up in Basilicata and clearly love your region. How would you describe it to someone who’s never been there?
Michele Battilomo: Basilicata is one of the least densely populated regions in Italy. Young people here grow up with some sort of Peter Pan syndrome, waiting to find their place in society. In comparison with Apulia, here you don’t see many people who’ve left come back to, say, renovate their grandad’s farm and make a B&B or a restaurant out of it.

They’ve tried many things here – land reforms, measures to boost employment, hiring subsidies, tax credits – nothing worked. Not even the Val d’Agri oil field managed to bring about even a bit of progress. In fact, a quarter [23.4 percent, to be exact] of Basilicata residents live in poverty.

Basilicata is a sort of promised land with idyllic countrysides, crystal clear seas, ancient ruins, vineyards and mountains, but there’s also a strong sense of social malaise here. The region’s pride and joy is the city of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only main city in Italy without a railway connection.

In your project, you tried to capture the region’s constant loss of its people, especially younger generations. How is that affecting those who stay?
The process seems unstoppable, it started decades ago and it has mainly affected the region’s interior. The dynamics are always the same: There are more people dying than being born, and the few young people left flee as soon as possible, either towards the cities or towards the coasts where it’s easier to find a job and think of the future.

I’ve also experienced a sense of emptiness and of not fitting in because there were no people my age around. That made me want to explore my region’s interior to try to really figure out what’s been happening to my land. Touring these small villages, I was struck by the sense of melancholy that permeates these magical places; a region suspended in time, waiting for a redemption that never came.

The most drastic consequence [of depopulation] is its destruction of the local socio-economic and cultural institutions due to lack of basic services. Schools are growing emptier so they’re often coupled up together in neighbouring villages or in bigger towns. The post offices and banks are closing, while entire hospital departments are transferred to Potenza and Matera, the two main cities. In this context, photography allows me to share how my reality is changing with people who can’t see it for themselves.

Why have you chosen to stay?
I live here for many reasons, which combined to make me stay and try to resist this process. I’m very attached to my land, to its strong contradictions, to the values and traditions that make it unique. With my photos, I’m trying to keep all these things – which may soon disappear – alive. 

What do older people think of the young generations who’ve moved away?
For us, migrating is normal: Our grandparents lived in Germany, our parents were working-class migrants in northern Italy, our generation migrates to study. Being on the periphery means being forgotten and marginalised.

What do you think can be done to protect Basilicata and its inhabitants from the consequences of depopulation?
I think that the key to changing things is boosting cultural activities at the [local] university and turn it into a place with a good reputation, both in terms of its educational and creative offerings. We’d need to improve Basilicata’s transport connections by making better use of the region’s already existing infrastructure and public transport. On top of that, we’d also need to make broadband wifi more easily accessible to everyone. Encouraging a new vision for the future is the only way to create a long-term path towards socio-economic revitalisation.

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