why does southern Italy and Northern Italy not like eachother?

Question

what caused there to be so much tension and hate???

Answer 1

Italy wasn't a unified country until the late 1800s. For centuries the different regions of Italy were their own countries and kingdoms. They developed very different cultures and societies. To this day, in Italy itself, people do not consider themselves Italians, but rather Romans, Neapolitans, Sicilians, etc. They were all thrown together during the unification of Italy, but that doesn't mean it was a good fit. It's kind of like teenagers that become step-sisters when their parents get married. They may be part of one family, in name, but that doesn't mean they have a lot in common and can get along with each other easily.

Italy's move towards a socialist welfare state has not helped matters. Northern Italy is very industrial and fairly wealthy. Southern Italy remains poor and undeveloped. There is much resentment in Northern Italy that their tax dollars keep getting poured into the southern part of the country, year after year, without the south developing its economy or anything changing much.

There is actually a small separatist movement in Northern Italy that has occasionally become violent. I think they were more active in the 1990s and have calmed down somewhat.

Answer 2

Actually, there's not such a great tension or hate, just now; what said above is right when talking about the way Italy became a unified nation and the economic and cultural differences; the main reason for tension was starting from the fifties people from the poorer south begun to move northern in order to find employment; so it was the same issues you can find when foreigner immigrate to another Country looking for work and a better life; in Italy was the same, the only difference it was a sort of "internal immigration".

90% of racism, hate that still exist nowadays is form those very same people who are acting the same way about people immigrating from outside Italy, but is anyway almost disappeared, at least the way it was supposed to be. Of course few lamenting people are way louder than quiet vast majority, as usual.

Answer 3

I will make this brief for now...

Italy has an term called mezzagiorno, it is the line that divides the north and the south. The 2 regions were culturaly, geographically, and historicaly separated in time. Southern Italy was poor and neglected, northern italy was the hub of the renaissance, art and culture and later industry. Southern italy shared a similar heritage with the southern mediterranean culture where northern italy shared a heritage more similar to the northern europeans. Northern Italians view of southern italians compared to views held by Northeasterners view of southerners in the USA.

Answer 4

Politics and financial differences,probably...
Northerns consider southerns little educated and southerns consider northerns high and mighty!It really is a pity that there's this conflict between them cause Italy is a great country with wonderful people who should be more united...

Answer 5

The people in the north consider themselves better and look down on the southerners, the people in the south consider the northerners a bunch of aggrogant condescending snobs.

Answer 6

racism towards darker italians.

Answer 7

Melanin envy. That's what it's all about.