Hi everyone!
I am currently working on research regarding the daily life of Italians who live in small towns or cities (population less than 25,000). I am centering the research around Giovinazzo in Puglia because I have been there. I have been to other major Italian cities but I was wondering if anyone could expand my idea of what it is like to live in a small Italian city in terms of everyday life and how it compares to living in the major Italian cities. As a native, your experiences will have been different than mine as a tourist. Thank you for your help! (responses are also welcome in Italian)

kramden88 - what sort of info would help you with your research? My wife and I live in a small town with my mother-in-law (3,600 "ish" permanent residents, rising to 3 or 4 times that amount in summer). Between the three of us, we have also lived in Florence,Turin, Napoli and London.

Many of the members here will have experience of one or the other (the Cities or smaller towns), some of both - if you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. Good luck with the research!

Thank you for your response Markymark!
Having lived in both small and large cities, I would be very interested in hearing what the most striking differences are. For instance, do you find it more likely for a small town to be very empty after lunch than a large town? When you're around town now, do people know you by name and vice-versa? To what degree would you say that small cities are 'slower' than large cities? How does the nightlife compare (i.e. do people engage in different activities)? Are feasts celebrated any differently? Is there a difference in the way people shop (i.e. open air markets vs. supermarkets)?
Any information you could give me would be great. I really appreciate your help!

kramden88 - where we live, yes, the "town" centre is very empty after lunch (at least weekdays in winter). Certainly people know my mother-in-law by name, and my wife and I by association (the strange Englishman and the returned lost sheep no doubt! - we've only been living here 4 months, although holidaying twice a year for many years).

Ours, I should point out, is a seaside town, and many of the shops are either closed, or stick strictly to the regular hours, which they would not in the peak season. The market is the same - it only comes here in the summer months, but we do go to the market in Rosignano (open every Monday) ocassionaly, some two miles from here. Mostly we use the Co-op (again in Rosignano) or the smaller Conad supermarket in the centre.

Nightlife is quiet in the winter - just a few bars, no nightclubs to speak of. In the evening, in common with many other places, whole families do their "promenade" along the seafront, usually nicely dressed - many more at the weekends (especially if the weather is good) , and packed during August.

I haven't been here long enough for the Feast days (one coming up very soon, and a "Fish" Feast day in June, which I refuse to miss!).

I guess the atmosphere is a lot more rushed in Rome / Florence / Milan, with more nightlife, but I'm sure you'll get replies from our "city dwellers" who'll advise you on that!

That sounds wonderful. Your description makes me even more inclined to pick up and move to a small town in Italy. Giovinazzo, like your town, is a seaside city (on the south Adriatic coast). One of the most striking things that I recall now that you mentioned it was the way people dress, especially the older citizens. Many would wear dresses or suits to take their evening stroll. It's great to spend time in what I consider 'old-fashioned Italy'. Just as a loosely related thought, what do you drink at night? When I've been I would usually get gelato or espresso but I understand it's equally (or more?) common for people to have un aperitivo.
You mentioned that you would holiday there before you moved permanently. Would you be able to make any observations as to the way the natives treated tourists in small vs. large cities? Also, do you use a car in general to get around your current town? And could you make any observations on traffic?
I can't thank you enough for responding to my questions!

Hi kramden88 - the people here still dress up to go out - the women more so than the men nowadays it seems - trainers are quite usual - even for the older men. If we go out at night, we don't always stop at bars, but if we do, it's usually an espresso (and occassionaly a brandy as well) for me, and a capuccino for my wife. Most of the other people about seem to do the same, with many having gelato as well. As with many places in Italy, children are often out quite late with their parents, so (thank goodness) alcohol consumption seems quite limited.

The treatment of tourists seems to vary - where we live, they don't take much notice, as even if the residents don't know us, they are used to seeing foreign cars and people passing through during the summer. A couple of days ago we went for a drive in the hills (Santa Luce and Pastina), and the reaction was quite different - people waved and smiled, and were generally very outwardly friendly. (I should add that we are still driving a rather distinctive red, UK plated car, so it is fairly obvious that at least one of us is not Italian).

Traffic? What traffic? Coming from London it's a joy! Any more than three cars at the traffic lights is considered a jam here, whereas in London a 6 mile (9km) journey took anything between 20 minutes and an hour dependendant upon what time of day you travelled. We avoid using the car apart from heavy shopping trips and pleasure - most things around here are accessible on foot, so we try to walk, and will cycle when it's a bit warmer.

thank you very much markymark for your insightful responses. they've been a great springboard for my research. i just thought of one more question, if you don't mind. would you say that dialect is more prevalent in small towns than in big cities? and is there anything else you could say about dialect? (no is an acceptable answer if you can't think of anything)

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kramden - sorry, I can't really help on that one. Where I am there's no dialect to speak of, and my limited knowledge is only of the local area. Some of the others on the site may be able help though.

Best of luck with your studies.

Hi guys
Interesting comments. I live in a small residential village about 10miles outside Cagliari (pop 158,000) but I feel like I live in a small city. I took come from London and have been living in Sardinia for 4 years.

OK, onto the main subject. Sardinia has a separate language, and within that language there are numerous regional dialects. These dialects can be so different that neighbouring villagers don't understand each other. Although Italian is the main language, many people, especially in the villages, prefer to speak their local dialect. When I visit my wife's family the conversation starts in Italian, but once it becomes more animated (as all conversations do) the language changes, and poor old me who finds it hard enough in Italian is left in ignorance.

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I have a house in Bolsena ( 5000 inhabitants in the winter ) and I am used to go to Deruta ( about 5000 as well ) 4 times a year. I also just came back from Florida where I was in Astor ( a small town) a few days like almost every year.
My impression: In Florida unless you really like walks there is not much else to do. In Bolsena in the afternoon there is lots of life for a small town and lots of Activities ( Feste al castello per esempio ) - Feast at the castle - You can go to the local theater for a performance for 5 Euro - Or go to Viterbo to hear free classical music concerts - I went to see a light-opera performance to a Roman theater in Ferento ...Every evening during the summer ( when I stay ) there was plenty of activity to choose. In Astor Florida if you read you can choose a good book or watch TV ....and forget a walk around town to have a fresh made Gelato because there is no town center and there is no Gelato ! You have to stay home and get an ice-cream from the refrigerator.