I’m part of several “Expats in Italy” Facebook groups that fill up daily with gleeful posts along the lines of “I’ve been dreaming of this for decades, finally I’m retiring and moving to Italy next year. Small town recommendations welcome!”

I click through to check out these people’s profiles, scouting for potential expat friends. Sixty-five seems to be the median age. After all, moving to the Italian countryside to live the good life in your twilight years is a dream held by many.