In Pagliara dei Marsi, an ancient rural village on the slopes of Mount Girifalco in Italy’s Abruzzo region, cats vastly outnumber people. Lara Bussi Trabucco is the first baby to have been born in Pagliara dei Marsi in almost 30 years, bringing the village’s population to roughly 20. View image in fullscreen Pagliara dei Marsi, a village in the vertiginous west of Abruzzo, is undergoing drastic depopulation. The last time Pagliara dei Marsi had a teacher – whose home doubled-up as the school – was decades ago. Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianOrnella La Civita, a city councillor with the centre-left Democratic party, said financial incentives to encourage births were welcome.

Source: The Guardian December 26, 2025 20:51 UTC