The differences in infrastructure, housing, poverty and quality of life are evident when traveling across the Italian peninsula. For both Italians and foreigners, it seems that northern Italy is economically better off than southern Italy. This is not just a superficial phenomenon: data has repeatedly shown that regional inequality is a real and present phenomenon in the country. The poverty rate for all macroregions in the North is only 4.4%, while it is 20.6% in the South. The median income per capita is also very different depending on the region: in the South, the median income per capita is around 5,000 euros per month, but in the North, it is around 8,000 euros per month. The disparity is undeniable and is a hotly debated topic in Italy, known locally as the “Questione Meridionale” (Southern Question). But where does the problem come from? The disparity undoubtedly stems from regional polarity and lack of historical unity, but also finds its roots in the geographical particularities of the country from which the North has benefited. Furthermore, the unequivocal influence of the mafia in the South will also be assessed to ultimately reveal the foundations of the problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The distinct division between the North and the South is undoubtedly linked to the regional divergence and cultural uniqueness of the Italy. When the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century AD, the Italian peninsula and islands were subject to a series of invasions and political unity was lost. This loss of unity led to a succession of small states, principalities and kingdoms, which fought against themselves and were subject to the ambitions of foreign powers. This rivalry between these small states, along with tensions between the popes and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, made Italy a state of insular, conflicting, and largely distinct cultures. And even after the Risorgimento, a 19th-century ideological movement for Italian unification that resulted in the creation of the Unified Kingdom of Italy in 1861, largely distinct and palpable barriers remained between regions. Indeed, problems arose after the unifications with conflicts in the south in retaliation for the imbalance of power in the northern state of Piedmont. Most supporters of the Risorgimento wanted strong provinces, but they got instead an unevenly strong central state. The inevitable long-term results have been a serious weakness in national unity and a politicized system based on mutually hostile regional violence. Political commentator Marco Serino asserts that “Italian identity does not exist and it never has existed.” This regional polarity has been considered by researchers to be one of the main reasons for the North-South divide. Additionally, critics argued that the language and imagery used to describe the South and the general sense of superiority left a lasting impression on the nation's divided mentality, with the South being portrayed as underdeveloped compared to the rest of the nation, its population being considered “barbaric” by the conquerors of the North during the Risorgimento period. Alessandro Manzoni, a Milanese writer, also helped create the image of a savage South, where “murder is just a gesture in the South,” he wrote. The individual and collective histories of pre-Italian lands and states are integral to understanding the regional divide that exists today. There is still a weak sense of national belonging or unity.…