Italian town welcomes first baby in 28 years

Your average newborn will be nowhere near as popular as baby Pablo, whose fan club is 84 strong — and growing. Pablo has the distinction of being the first baby born in Ostano, Italy in nearly 30 years.

The population of the remote Italian town—currently at 85, including baby Pablo — has been creeping toward zero for decades. A century ago, Ostano was thriving, with a flourishing economy and more than 1,000 residents. But new generations are leaving for places with more financial opportunity and this flight of young people has left remaining residents scrambling to keep their towns alive.

Ostano isn’t the only Italian town facing this problem. Another area, Gangi, decided to sell about 20 homes for less than $2 to buyers who agree to stay and renovate the buildings.

“There is an absence of politics to help small communities — we are a long way from Rome,” Ostano mayor Giacomo Lombardo told The Local. By the 1980s, there was a real chance Ostano could die out completely. At its lowest point, Ostano’s population totaled five residents. Only 17 babies were born there between 1976 and 1987, and none have arrived since — until Pablo.

— Source: www.mentalfloss.com