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International retirement and later-life migrants in the Marche region, Italy: materialities of landscape, ‘home’, lifestyle and consumption

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2020

Russell King Open the ORCID record for Russell King [Opens in a new window] ,
Eralba Cela ,
Tineke Fokkema  and
Gabriele Morettini
Russell King*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Eralba Cela
Affiliation:
Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Tineke Fokkema
Affiliation:
Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Public Administration and Sociology, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Gabriele Morettini
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Within the general framework of ‘lifestyle migration’, the paper explores three materialities associated with the arrival and settlement of British, German and Dutch later-life migrants in the Italian region of Marche, a relatively new ‘frontier’ region for international retirement migration. The first is about the aesthetics of landscape and the scenic and emotional qualities of the physical and social environment. The second concerns ‘home’, where we examine house types, property location and home-making practices in terms of ‘authenticity’, material objects and the cultivation of land for productive purposes. The paper's third thematic focus is on consumption patterns. Most of the 69 participants interviewed for this study hanker after what they perceive as a simpler, more genuine way of life, in tune with the surrounding mixed-farming agricultural environment and distinct from other regions where tourism has taken hold. Many grow their own produce, including some who have small vineyards and olive groves. They enjoy shopping in local markets, eating out in inexpensive local hostelries, visiting museums and cultural festivals, and exploring the many pretty villages and historic towns of the region. The participants embody later-life migration as ‘active ageing’, but those who are older and/or frailer must consider, often reluctantly, the reality of a less-active and more isolated life in the Italian countryside.

Keywords

later-life migrationMarche regionlandscapelifestylehome-makingconsumptionactive ageing
Type
Special Issue Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 41 , Special Issue 6: New Frontiers in International Retirement Migration , June 2021 , pp. 1267 - 1288
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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