Education
Galileo, Dante, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Pico della Mirandola... The list of the great minds of Italian origin who have made the history of Western thought is impressive. Admittedly, the myth is now a little cracked, and the universities are no longer points of reference for the upper echelons of society. But Tuscany, the breeding ground of humanism and the Renaissance, has a heavy past to assume in the field of education and teaching.
School, which is of course compulsory, is divided into four periods of study: scuola materna (from 3 to 5 years), scuola elementare (from 6 to 11 years), scuola media (up to 14 years), then scuola secondaria before university. It is interesting to note that children with disabilities go to the same schools as the others.
Family and birth rate
Tuscany and the island of Elba reflect national trends: a birth rate of 9 ‰ for a higher mortality rate (10.4 ‰). Worse, the fertility rate has fallen to a record low of 1.4 children per woman (one of the lowest in the EU), insufficient to renew each generation, and the ageing of the population is only getting worse. It is predicted that Italy's population will fall by more than 4 million within 30 years! Many factors can explain this phenomenon and will only aggravate it: urbanisation and rural exodus, the decline in the Church's discourse to which young people are increasingly indifferent.
Even if the family, which for a long time was the foundation of Italian society, is gradually tending to lose its influence, it retains a fundamental value for the Tuscans, who are so strongly attached to tradition and blood. Of course, the family circle is not, as in Sicily, the backbone of being and community, or the assurance of security, of a roof over one's head, but it is a permanent focus of attention. The importance given to the family stems in particular from the rural past, from the clan spirit peculiar to the Tuscan people, at a time when the survival of everyone depended on the cohesion and cooperation of the large family group. Family businesses still exist, particularly in the food and wine sectors, and it is easy to observe at major traditional events how the notions of blood ties, roots and communities take on an almost sacred and ineffable dimension.
Elbois character
Tuscany is far from the passionate, frivolous and free character of the Neapolitan! They are often serious, discreet, thrifty, concerned about their outward appearance and social success. Of course, all this is only an overall impression. The Elbois prove to be very generous towards foreigners, anxious to help them discover this piece of land long overshadowed by its intimidating Tuscan neighbour. They are open-minded, so you will have no difficulty in starting a discussion or obtaining information.
Here is an interesting passage because it reveals the Elbois character, described in the manuscripts emanating from the Napoleonic campaign. F.H. Arnaud, in his Précis historique de la Campagne of 1814
, writes: "The Elbois are naturally gentle, hospitable and attached to the place where they were born. The frugal life they lead contributes to making them healthy and robust. They love hunting, are good sailors, and enjoy strenuous exercise. If their territory is threatened by invasion, they are all seen as soldiers. Their love of work and bravery are qualities that set them apart. »Place of the woman
La donna... Ah women and Italians, it's not a legend! Petrarch sang Laure, Dante praised Beatrice, the filmmakers Fellini and Antonioni, their respective muses. The feminists and the sexual revolution of the 1970s did not ruin the myth but, on the contrary, freed women from the reductive role of mamma that often still prevails in the South, and the decorative role, no less reductive, in which their "liberation" first confined them. Boys and girls follow the same education and have the same professional expectations. Divorce has been permitted since 1970 (and confirmed following the 1974 referendum), new contraceptive methods have appeared, and abortion has been decriminalized. Women are finding new functions in society and, as we have seen, the birth rate (1.4 children per woman) is one of the lowest in Europe.Homosexuality
Italy, the last major Western European country that did not grant any status to same-sex couples, legalized such a union in 2016. In this deeply Catholic country, which is attached to traditional family values, reactions to a couple holding hands in the street can vary from one city to another... On the island of Elba, there are a few "gay friendly" establishments, i.e. open to all, especially gays and lesbians, as well as a beach well known to the LGBT community, the spiaggia di Acquarilli, between Lacona and Capoliveri.
An island that's somewhat forgotten?
Tourism, mass tourism in some places, developed greatly in the 1970s. Systematically centred on the sun, sea and sand, it does, however, interact with local traditions and customs. On the island of Elba, the result shows some negative socio-cultural consequences. Handicrafts, cultural practices and especially local gastronomy have sometimes been adapted to suit the tastes of visitors. Don't be surprised if you are offered a menu in English or German at the restaurant, which does not offer any typical dishes, but spaghetti à la carbonara or tiramisu... Don't worry, there are some very good tables on the island, and we are here to guide you there!
