CAse abandoned, shutters of the lowered stores, and only a few old men around that, one wonders, who knows how it does to buy bread and milk. This image of the mountain villages is realistic but partly contradicted by the latest data: the depopulation that threatened its existence He is braking, in spite of common perception. Based on Montagne Italia 2025 Report of the Mountain Community Unionin the last five years (2019-2023) The balance between the movements of the input population and out of the mountain has returned to being positive: with 100 thousand new inhabitants. One hundred thousand people who have – simplifying – left the city for cows, traffic for the peaks, the office for the stable. It also affects the clear majority of the Italian population compared to the foreign one, which instead had “saved” the mountain in the previous five years (64 thousand against 36 thousand).
I want to go to live in the mountains: the villages saved from the “neopopolation”
Merit of the new investments, especially linked to the PNRR, the improvement of services such as kindergartens, transport and the enlargement of the ultra -late band, which improve the quality of life in the mountain territories. Also thanks to one Individual push to a different quality of life, less chaotic.
Residents of the Piacenza mountain, With approximately 65 more every thousand inhabitants in Alta Valnure and 59 for Valtrebbia and Valluretta. But also in the mountain areas of Canavese, in Piedmont: Valchiusella boasts an average of 53.88 more inhabitants every thousand, the Mombarone area 38.24 and ORCO and Soana Valleys with +32.62 per thousand. In Sardinia, where there is a negative migratory balance of 4.8 per 1,000, many countries instead grow in relation to those who enter and those who come out.
From Melle to Drena, the mountain municipalities symbol of the neopopolation
Among the municipalities Mellewhich only a few years ago seemed to be destined for depopulation. As he says an article de The poston the other hand, within a few years they have instead Transfer 60 people, all under 40 years of age. Men and women who have opened various activities between hostels, breweries and a widespread hotel (below), and have created one Very lively community that made the country reborn. Thus, if in 2019 the village had just 286 residents, now they are 295. Little what? But it is the first turnaround after a drop that began between the 60s and 70s, When a large part of the 2 thousand inhabitants moved to go to work in the downstream factories. Especially to the Michelin (that of the tires) of Cuneo.
Another example is Drain Where, As the Corriere del Trentino In 2024 nobody died while four children were born (3 males and 1 female). Conjuncture that allows the village to boast a year of positive demographic balance (after a 2022 with 3 born and 4 deaths and a 2023 with 6 born and 9 deaths). In addition to Drena – always in 2024 – they arrived twenty new citizens and, even if they started seventeen, The town broke through the 600 inhabitants’ wall. The population is almost double compared to that of forty years ago.
There are many and beautiful stories of people who have left the plain to move to altitude, sometimes not even in the countries but practically in nothing. Like that of Elena and Nicolagraduated in philosophy she and in environmental engineering he, who in Sbarbori, a hamlet of Santa Maria del Taro (PR), manage A small farm with B&Bwhere it is grown, gets up, collects and transforms itself by self -consumption and to sell or exchange some surplus. They also gave birth to the Alta Val Taro mountain wool association, to recover the otherwise discarded veins.
100 thousand euros to those who buy a house and other initiatives against depopulation
The road map for reverse the course and avoid the death of many mountain countries It seems clear, even if not simple: to retain the inhabitants, attracting new altitudes, e relaunch the entire territory.
Among the central ingredients, the rediscovery of the mountain not only as a tourist destination, but as an ecosystem of opportunity both for life and for work. In this direction, for example, the project “Living and working in the Apennines – The Apennines is my home”, Aimed at everyone but in particular to High specialization profiles. Also interesting “To live in the future – challenges and opportunities for the vanoi against mountain depopulation“, Who aim to implement Projects like Coliving.
Another project to counter the depopulation and attract new residents is the new measure proposed by the autonomous province of Trento: cOutstanding on non -repayable up to 100 thousand euros for those who buy and renovate a property in one of the 33 municipalities that have recorded a strong demographic drop in the last ten years. For example? In Val di Non, in Bresimo or Livo (-11% in the last ten years), in Valfloriana in Val di Fiemme.
The role of tourism, widespread and decreased
Support to those who try to keep the mountain alive comes from Promotion of important associations, cOme the most beautiful villages in Italy. Or the mapping for years started with the orange flags of the Touring Club or with the prize for the village of the villages (which is headed by the Rai Uno transmission of the same name). Just as they help the initiatives of the most authentic Italian villages and that of community cooperatives: the goal is to network.
But they also help Festivals and events To live in and live the peaks. And the new types of hotels: widespread hotels, bike hotels and Condohotels, Hotels that include long rentals. It aims at widespread tourism (not only the famous destinations), decreased (not only at Christmas and August) and differentiated (there is the path but there is also the restaurant and the wine shop).
Matthias Rier’s son, who has just brought the cows to the mountain pasture, helps to prepare the stables on May 3, 2025 on the Alpe di Siusi. We are in Castelrotto, among the richest municipalities, thanks to tourism, based on the study of the sociometric company “The wealth of tourist municipalities 2025”. (Photo by Simone Padovani/Getty Images)
The mountain law and public funding
Finally, public funding. Much hope for the future has accompanied the parliamentary process of the bill for the recognition and promotion of the mountain areas, The so -called “mountain law”, which had been expected for thirty years and which was approved in the Senate in September. Something good has arrived, like the allocation of 200 million euros per year from 2025 to 2027 For health, education, interventions for agriculture, digital services, mobility, tourism and contrast of depopulation in mountain areas.
Even those who live and administer the mountain are not satisfied. Both as regards theawarding of resources (in part it is distributed to the regions, partly remains in the state) and for the lack of a reorganization of local authorities at altitude, after the closure of the mountain communities.
Then there is the theme of infrastructure, from roads to internet connection, essential to entice to open a company. Not a detail, considering that, at national level, in the small mountain towns the pensioners land but above all under 40 with children.
And there is also the school theme. If the bill introduces Derogations on the minimum pupils per class in mountain schools and incentives for teachers who accept assignments at high altitude, a system is needed: for example, nursery schools. Otherwise a family in the mountains does not move.