The World Briefly

November 03, 2023

Full-Nest Syndrome

Italy

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An Italian court ordered the eviction of two men in their 40s, who were living with their mother for years and had refused to abandon the comforts of the family home, the Guardian reported.

The case centered on a 75-year-old woman in the northern city of Pavia, who had grown tired of taking care of her two sons – 40 and 42 years old – even though both of them have jobs.

The mother had tried to convince her grown children to find a more autonomous living arrangement. She also complained that her sons did not contribute to the household expenses or chores, prompting her to go to court.

The judge, Simona Caterbi, ruled in favor of the mother and ordered the sons to leave the house by Dec. 18. In her judgment, Caterbi clarified that while it was initially acceptable for the men to continue residing at home due to the “obligation of the parent to provide maintenance,” this arrangement was no longer reasonable considering that they were now in their 40s.

The case underscores the phenomenon of Italian adults continuing to live at home with their parents, whether the elders want them to or not.

The tradition of multigenerational living under one roof persists in Italy, but the prolonged stay of young adults at home has increased in recent years due to challenging economic conditions.

Last year, nearly 70 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 still lived with their parents. A 2019 study found that of the young adults living at home, around 36 percent were students, more than 38 percent had jobs and nearly 24 percent were searching for one.

Some politicians and critics have called these individuals “bamboccioni” (big babies), saying that some adults are living with their parents for the convenience of a free room and board.

At the same time, there have been cases of adult children taking their parents to court for failing to provide financial support.

In a 2020 case, Italy’s supreme court dismissed the case of a 35-year-old part-time musician, who claimed his $21,000 income was insufficient for self-sufficiency and requested financial assistance from his parents.

The court’s decision said that young adults don’t have an inherent entitlement to parental financial support.

This story originally appeared in the November 03, 2023 newsletter, Bracing for the Storm.