There is a fine line that does not appear in any geographical map, nor in the cartography books or on the atlases that are given to high school students. And yet, this partition with blurred features and indefinite contours has been part of us, of our society and above all of our country since the day of its birth. He first accompanied the royal age, then the fascist dictatorship and now, for almost eighty years, he has been a distinctive feature of our republican history.
We are talking about the line that divides Italy in two, a dividing line that shatters a state from a social and personal point of view, even before from a spatial one. To the point of creating stereotypes that resist the wear and tear of time. On the one hand there are the Northern regionsrich and affluent, clean and tidy, projected towards the future; on the other, the Southdirty and maintained, retrograde and convoluted, still at the pole and unable to keep up with the times.
Ranking of the quality of life in Italy: the split between North and South is still strong
Again this year, the traditional ranking on the livability of Italian cities edited by the newspaper Italy Today it gives us a cross-section of our country system substantially in line with those of previous years. A painting that unfortunately fits into the tradition and confirms it territorial imbalance that has always characterized us. Looking back even twelve months, it was already evident how the metropolises of the North had monopolized the top of the rankings, relegating them to the slums the realities of the Center and especially those of the South (no southern or island cities appear in the top 32 positions).
In 2021 it had been Parma to sign the gold medal. The ducal city in the heart of Emilia Romagna is experiencing a phase of structural and architectural evolution the result of two apparently opposing thrusts: that of ecology strongly desired by the council of Federico Pizzarotti – who in his ten years of administration has multiplied the cycle paths and returned the center is inaccessible to polluting cars – and the expansive one impressed by city entrepreneurial fabricwhich during the electoral campaign last June carried on a media battle to expand the airport to cargo flights and increase the industrial sector in some strategic sectors such as food and wine and automotive.
Quality of life ranking: all the parameters for evaluating cities
In the 2022 ranking Parma has lost the Italian record for liveability and is slipped to seventh place. A leap backwards resulting from the combined action of several factors, which are those on which the evaluation expressed by is based Italy Today. Specifically, the parameters consulted to draw up the ranking are nine:
The city of ham and Maria Luigia is the only one of the top ten a back down from last year. The summit, however, remains firmly in the north and wins it Trento, which earns a place and returns to the top after having already occupied it on several other occasions. It is a real monopoly: the capital of the autonomous province of the same name is in fact first in eight of the nine areas on which the assessment is based.
Ranking of the quality of life, here are the metropolises at the top of the ranking: monopoly of the North
Behind him, two other cities complete the podium, one step up from 2021: let’s talk about Bolzano and Bologna, second and third respectively. Also in these cases the position occupied reflects the result achieved on average in all parameters (for the Emilian capital the only flaw concerns the environmental sustainabilityon which some critical issues persist).
Behind them also rises Florencefourth in the ranking, the first metropolis that does not strictly fall within the national territory of the so-called “productive regions“. Yet Tuscany is not only widely represented in the top 30, but also sees a significant leap forward by Sienawhich goes from twelfth place a year ago to sixth today, improving in all areas of investigation.
Ahead of her, stable in fifth position, there is Milan. The Lombard capital is experiencing an alternating phase, albeit with one very high average of evaluations: if on the one hand, his seems untouchable leadership in the labor sectors, wages and infrastructureon the other hand some are highlighted critical issues regarding smog and social policies. Aspects on which the mayor Beppe Sala is called to intervene.
Quality of life ranking: the most troubled Italian capitals are all in the South
If the top of the ranking is populated by the usual suspects that have occupied it since the first editions (this year we are at number 24), too the slums have the same faces in recent years and this is perhaps the strongest cause for concern, not only for local administrators, but also for the central government led by Giorgia Meloni.
In the last place it is confirmed Crotone, black jersey in seven of the nine parameters. Just ahead of her there are Syracuse (back by two places compared to 2021) e Caltanissetta (down four positions). Slight ascent for Naples, which is allocated to the fourth to last box after having occupied the penultimate last year. The Campania capital is the worst among cities with over 300,000 inhabitants.
Quality of life ranking: who goes up and who goes down among Italian cities
In conclusion, it is worth paying attention to realities that have climbed more steps within twelve months. Good Como, which gains even thirty positions (from 62nd to 32nd). Also good Urbino (thirtieth with a +26) e Rimini (37th with a +24).
Unfortunately there are also those who stand out in the negative and it is not a small city: the worst compared to 2021 is Turinwhich loses 35 positions and passes nineteenth to 54th (we remind you that the ranking is compiled with the help of the La Sapienza University of Rome, in collaboration with Cattolica Assicurazioni of the Generali Group).
The cities where you live best in Italy: new ranking unveiled