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Four-Fifths of the Population Now Live in Urban Areas

12 points by skx001

by mistrial9

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related story in the EU -- "Bambini del Bosco" is a media nickname for an Anglo-Australian family—Catherine Birmingham, Nathan Trevallion, and their three children—living off-grid in a rustic house in the woods of Palmoli, Chieti, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The family, who practice home-schooling and live without electricity, running water, or gas, became the center of a national controversy in November 2025. The Juvenile Court of L'Aquila ruled to remove the children from the family home, citing concerns for their well-being, and placed them in a protected facility in Vasto with their mother, while the father remained at the property. This decision sparked intense public and political debate, with figures like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticizing the judiciary's intervention as an overreach on parental rights and a violation of the family's chosen lifestyle. The case has raised significant questions about child protection, educational freedom, and the limits of state authority.
Catherine Birmingham and Nathan Trevallion are educated individuals, and there is no evidence to suggest they are illiterate or inbred.
Catherine Birmingham, 45, is a former equestrian or horse riding instructor from Australia. Nathan Trevallion, 51, is a British former chef and artisan woodworker (ebanista). Multiple sources confirm their professional backgrounds, indicating they are literate and possess vocational skills.
The couple chose to live off-grid in a rustic home in Palmoli, Abruzzo, without electricity or running water, and practice unschooling for their three children. While authorities raised concerns about the children's formal education and social isolation—leading to the children being placed in a protected facility in November 2025—the parents have defended their lifestyle and educational approach. They submitted a certificate of academic suitability for their eldest child to the court, asserting their commitment to the children's development