If the trend. And then there's the dimension that cannot be put on a spreadsheet. A generation ago, when Caterina De Santis was raising her family, the laughter and chatter of children on balconies of the eight apartments across her courtyard kept her company. After she retired from her ice cream parlor in 1985, De Santis turned to the daily company of the other retirees to keep her spirits from sagging. For me it's sad that there's so few children.
Kids are happiness.
Thirty years ago, the elderly were less alone. Not that life is so bad for most elderly Italians, De Santis said. The free, city-run center stays open until everyone goes home for dinner. It has a dentist's office where care is free. There is a barber for the men, a podiatrist who stops by, ceramics lessons, and a billiard room.