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Lara Bussi Trabucco is only nine months old, but she’s already the most famous person in town.
After all, she is the first baby to be born in her hometown of Pagliara dei Marsi in 30 years — and her birth comes at a time when the small, rural Italian village is suffering from drastic depopulation.
But Lara, who was born in March, is a symbol of hope — and the town’s biggest tourist attraction.
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“People who didn’t even know Pagliara dei Marsi existed have come, only because they had heard about Lara,” the baby’s mother, Cinzia Trabucco, said in an interview with “The Guardian,” published Dec. 26.
“At just nine months old, she’s famous,” Cinzia added.
Pagliara dei Marsi, located on the slopes of Mount Girifalco in Italy’s Abruzzo region, is home to no more than two dozen residents, according to “The Guardian.”
In fact, more cats roam the streets of Pagliara dei Marsi than people these days.
“Pagliara dei Marsi has been suffering from drastic depopulation, exacerbated by the loss of many elderly people, without any generational turnover,” the village’s mayor, Giuseppina Perozzi, told the outlet.
Perozzi hopes Lara’s arrival inspires others to start a family in the ancient town.
Raising a child in a small Italian village isn’t easy
Upon Lara’s birth, Cinzia and her partner, Paolo Bussi, were given a €1,000 “baby bonus” as part of the Italian government’s pledge to tackle the country’s population decline.
The couple will also receive €370 per month to help cover the costs that come with parenthood.
But that’s not to say Lara’s arrival has been smooth for Cinzia and Bussi.
After all, Pagliara dei Marsi hasn’t had a teacher in several decades — and the closest primary school could be closed in the coming years due to the birthrate decline.
Not only that, but Italy’s childcare support system is dwindling at a time when families like Cinzia and Bussi’s need it the most.
And with the Italian birth rate reaching a “historic low” in 2024, many childcare facilities — including nurseries and schools — are unable to maintain funding.
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For now, Lara is the hope Pagliara dei Marsi needs at a crucial moment in Italy’s history.
