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Officials in Camaiore, Tuscany, say a seaside break will provide health benefits for poor residents
Amid growing concerns over Italy's economic slowdown and the rising number of needy Italians, a Tuscan town has decided to offer free days on the beach to low-income locals.
Instead of dishing out food stamps or extra child benefits, the town council of Camaiore near Lucca is offering two weeks' free rental of umbrellas at nearby beach clubs to residents earning less than €8,500 a year.
"We are targeting the elderly and mothers with kids who could do with a bit of a break at the seaside," said Andrea Giannecchini, the town's assessor for social politics.
Giannecchini argued that a day on the beach represented a genuine medical benefit for the poor and the jobless. "This is not just a free holiday," he said. "Our doctors are always preaching the benefits of the seaside and we see this as free healthcare for kids with allergies and old people with aching bones."
The initiative reflects the firm Italian belief that children grow sickly if not exposed to the iodine in sea air. By contrast, the fear of catching colds or suffering muscular problems due to air conditioning prompts many Italians to wear scarves in offices.
Camaiore, in the foothills of the Apuan Alps, lies five miles from the coast, where 146 spots have been reserved at beach clubs. "The clubs rent the sand from us, and have agreed to offer the spots at no cost," said Giannecchini.
Like most of Italy's coastline, the beach is largely taken over by the clubs, which cover the sand with lines of umbrellas, leaving little free space. One club is offering a week's rental of a plot of sand, an umbrella, two deckchairs and a sun lounger this summer for €200.
"The prices are increasing every year, so free umbrellas for the poor are becoming ever more important," said Giannecchini.
