After 30 Years Without Births, This Village Hears a Baby’s Cry Again

For years, silence ruled this quaint village perched atop the slopes of Mount Girifalco in Italy. This village is called Pagliara dei Marsi- a tiny mountain village in Italy’s Abruzzo region that for years had no school bell, no stroller on its stone lanes, and no baby cries. Cats became the most visible residents, roaming freely through empty streets as the human population slowly faded.

Then, this spring, everything changed.

A baby girl was born.

Lara Bussi Trabucco is the first child born in Pagliara dei Marsi in nearly three decades. With her arrival, the village population has climbed to around 20 people. For a place used to loss and quiet, that single birth feels huge. The entire village turned up for Lara’s christening in the village’s small church. 

Today, Lara is more than a baby. She is hope with a name.

Her mother, Cinzia Trabucco, says visitors now come just to see the child. Many had never heard of Pagliara dei Marsi before. 

But behind the joy is a bigger story, and it is a worrying one.

Italy is facing a deep birth crisis. The country recorded its lowest number of births ever in 2024. Fewer young people are having children, and many are leaving small towns for work elsewhere. Jobs are unstable, childcare is limited, and raising a family often feels too expensive or too hard.

Abruzzo, where Pagliara dei Marsi is located, has been hit especially hard. Birth numbers there are falling faster than in most parts of the country. Villages are ageing. Schools are closing. Some towns are slowly disappearing.

The village has lost many elderly residents in recent years, with no younger generation to replace them. Lara’s birth has brought rare optimism giving the residents a hope that it will encourage others to return or stay.

Cinzia and her partner, Paolo Bussi received a one-time baby bonus and get monthly child support from the government. It helps, but it does not solve everything.

Finding childcare is hard. Balancing work and parenting is harder. And the future raises questions. There is no school in the village anymore. The nearest one is in another town, and even that may not survive if there are not enough children. These worries stretch beyond Pagliara dei Marsi.

In nearby towns, maternity wards are under threat because too few babies are being born to keep them funded. Doctors warn that closing these units puts pregnant women at risk, especially in winter when mountain roads become dangerous.

Health workers and local leaders say money alone will not fix the problem. Families need stable jobs, reliable childcare, safe hospitals, and real support for women who want both work and children.

Lara’s birth does not change Italy’s numbers overnight. One baby cannot reverse a national trend. But symbols matter.

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