A small village in the Abruzzo region is going viral for celebrating its first child in THREE DECADES.
Here's a local report in Italian to set the scene:
The Guardian reports that Pagliara dei Marsi has more cats than people.
They weave through the narrow streets, wander in and out of homes, and stretch out on walls overlooking the mountains. Their purrs are a consistent hum in the quiet that has come with decades of population decline.
But this year, that's changed and the streets are full of celebration.
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.
Her christening in the church opposite her home was attended by the entire community - including the cats - and such is the novelty of having a baby in the village, she is now the main tourist attraction.
Seriously, people across Italy are showing up in the small village to marvel at a baby!
Definite "Children of Men" vibes...
‘People who didn't even know Pagliara dei Marsi existed have come, only because they had heard about Lara,' said her mother, Cinzia Trabucco. ‘At just nine months old, she's famous.'
Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe.
The country has had years of population decline, falling below 60 million people. Their 2024 birth rate hit a new record low (1.18 kids per woman).
For every 1,000 people, only six babies were born. Comparatively, 11 people died for every 1,000 alive.
The Guardian lists a few of the usual reasons:
Job insecurity and the huge wave of youth emigration to inadequate support for working mothers and, as in other countries, the rise in male infertility.
They didn't mention the biggest issue, however.
Abortion.
Abortion is free in Italy, covered entirely by the government. In 2022, the abortion rate was 5.49 per 1,000 women.
(It's not hard to do the math to see where the Italians went wrong.)
They'd almost double their birth rate by doing what Texas did: Outlawing the barbaric butchering of the unborn.
We can only pray that the celebration of Lara Bussi Trabucco will convince more Italian women that children are valuable and worth keeping!
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