Why is Italy a good place to visit but not to live?

I’m Italian and lived there for 20 years before moving to another country. I often thought that Italy wasn't a good place for me to live in. However, I don't wanna say that this is always true and valid. Just like any countries in the world, there are pros and cons of living in a place and some people love to do so and others leave as soon as they can.

Italy definitely is a breathtaking country to visit. It’s hard to find a place with such a richness of history, art, science, architecture and landscapes condensed in one country. Wherever you go in Italy, you will never get disappointed. We have mountains, lakes, beaches that resembles the Maldives (google Salento, Italy, this is where I come from), buildings that were made over 2000 years ago and are still standing. Art pieces that are still recognisable worldwide and minds that created our modern age. Plus, a cuisine loved and appreciated everywhere you go.

It sounds weird to list so many wonderful stuff about Italy, feeling proud of it but then living somewhere else. In Italy it can be hard for young people to find work or work that actually pays them well. You often have to move to Northern Italy to get a chance of finding work in your field.

Prices in cities like Rome and Milan are very high so buying a house or starting a family can be challenging. The presence of the church is still big so, depending on what views you have, Italy might still feel conservative and closed minded. A lot of people want to get rid of LGBT rights, abortion rights and so on and that's just unbelievable. At least this applies to me. I know this happens in other places but it feels closer to me because Italy is my home.

However, there are people who live in Italy and love it. Many foreigners move there because life feels slower, more relaxed, cheaper and you are close to so many other countries. And in some town you can buy a house for 1 euro! You can find small towns in the mountains that will totally remove the daily city stress from you.

So, in the end, it depends on the kind of person you are and what you are looking for. Italy also has free healthcare so almost everything you need (from a doctor visit to a new arm or kidney) is covered by the healthcare system. University is free if you can't afford it or you just have pay a tax of maximum 2000euros per year (based on how much you or your family earn). These are not common in many other countries.