Italian towns offer warning for rural America

Small towns and villages across Italy are dying, at risk of becoming "abbandonato."

"Abbandonato." The subtle marking on a makeshift map gave me a bit of hope a few years ago when I walked out of Sansepolcro, up to Montecasale, then down the edges of the Apennine Mountains on pilgrimage to Assisi, the home of the "hippie" monk, Saint Francis.

The poorly marked path along logging roads led me through mountains with no places to stay, no cafes for refreshment and the only traffic the occasional cluster of dirt bikers bumping along the rocky roads. "Abbandonato" offered a sliver of hope.

Greg Johnson, Columnist

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/greg-johnson/2018/03/29/opinion-italian-towns-offer-warning-rural-america/470003002/