Italy is a land of contrasts. North and South. Mountains and coasts. Saints and sinners. Butter and olive oil. But what happens when you try to map those contrasts out—literally?
That’s what Reddit user u/AndreaScandurra did with a creative map titled “8 Ways to Divide Italy”. It’s both humorous and enlightening, illustrating how regional identities, cultural peculiarities, and natural disasters affect how Italians view themselves and one another.
Let’s examine what these eight tiny maps actually depict and why they each reveal more about Italy, its people, and the myriad ways that geography and identity interact.
Natural Hazards: Shaking, Sinking, and Smoking
The first map splits Italy into zones of hydrological risk, seismic hazard, and volcanic activity. It’s not exaggerated: Italy sits on the boundary of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, making it one of Europe’s most geologically active regions.
Earthquakes frequently occur in the Apennine belt. Do you recall the earthquakes in Central Italy in 2016 or L’Aquila in 2009? Both served as lethal seismic risk reminders.
Europe’s most dangerous volcanoes, such as Mount Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius—the latter of which buried Pompeii in 79 CE—are found in the South.
Northern areas are particularly vulnerable to landslides and flooding, which are frequently made worse by urbanization and deforestation, particularly in the vicinity of the Alps and Po Valley.
Faith: From the Pope to the Blasphemous
Italy is home to Vatican City, but the level of religiosity varies greatly:
Southern Italy tends to be more religious, with strong Catholic traditions.
Northern Italy leans more secular. The Milan area even passed laws to curb religious symbols in public spaces in recent years.
The zone marked “Blasphemous”? That’s likely poking fun at places like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, historically anticlerical and politically left.
Religion has long played a role in Italy’s identity debates—just as much as politics and pasta.
Regional Tensions: The Endless North vs. South Debate
Italy’s North-South divide is more than cultural. It’s economic, political, and emotional. This map captures it with humor:
The North has long wanted autonomy. The Lega Nord (Northern League) even once called for full secession under the name “Padania.”
Southern regions, meanwhile, often feel neglected and stereotype the North as cold and greedy.
Rome is marked as a buffer zone, which is oddly accurate. It’s where these tensions collide.
And Sardinia? As usual, it’s doing its own thing.
This isn’t just satire. In real life, Italy remains one of the most economically divided countries in Europe.
Butter vs. Olive Oil: The True Culinary Border
Food is sacred in Italy. And if you want to start an argument, ask whether butter belongs in risotto.
Northern Italy (especially Lombardy and Trentino) uses butter, thanks to dairy-rich Alpine pastures.
The South swears by olive oil, with Puglia and Calabria producing some of Europe’s finest.
You can see this divide reflected in everything from pasta sauces to pastry recipes.
Existential Humor: Where Italy Exists (and Doesn’t)
This one’s a joke about how Italians sometimes speak of their country like it’s a concept rather than a place. Northerners might joke that Southern Italy “doesn’t exist” in terms of services, governance, or tax compliance—and vice versa.
It plays into stereotypes but also reflects frustrations over bureaucracy, corruption, and uneven development.
Water With Coffee: A Tiny Cultural Clue
This one’s oddly specific but surprisingly real. In Northern and Central Italy, you’re often offered a free cup of water with your espresso—a sign of hospitality.
In some places, particularly in parts of the South, this tradition doesn’t exist, or worse, you have to ask or pay for it.
And in places like Sardinia or isolated cafes, you might get no water at all.
It’s a small detail, but anyone who’s spent time in Italian cafés knows how passionate locals are about coffee rituals.
Who’s Rich, Who’s Poor, and Who’s Stingy
Italy’s economic geography is sharply uneven. The North has high GDP per capita, strong industrial bases, and lower unemployment.
The South lags behind in nearly every economic indicator. Youth unemployment in Calabria and Sicily is over 40% in some areas.
That “stingy” label on the northeast? Probably referencing Veneto and Lombardy’s reputation for frugality—whether earned or not.
Again, the joke lands because there’s truth behind it.
Mountains, Coasts, and Fog
The final map celebrates Italy’s natural beauty:
The Alps and Apennines dominate the interior, offering year-round skiing and hiking.
The coasts—especially along Liguria, Amalfi, and Sardinia—are global tourism magnets.
That fog in the Po Valley? Real. Northern cities like Milan and Turin are infamous for their winter smog and dense fog, partly due to topography and industrialization.
What makes these maps so entertaining isn’t just the stereotypes—it’s the grain of truth behind each one. It’s like a geography quiz wrapped in satire. And if you enjoyed this concept, you might love The Atlas of Prejudice by Yanko Tsvetkov(Amazon link), a hilarious book that maps out how countries stereotype each other.
