Boy's Town of Italy

Boy’s Town was not exactly what I expected, but it was a very cool place and I was glad to be able to experience it. We were guided through the town by a few faculty there and two boys living there. The place wasn’t very active. Many of the kids were away because school had recently let out. The boys there range from 8-18 years of age. One thing I loved about the place is that they are free to come and go as they please, but so many of them consider the place their home that they don’t want to leave. The few boys we saw seemed extremely friendly and close to each other; they weren’t afraid to goof around or give each other hugs. Many of them attend school within the city of Rome and not actually on the grounds of Boy’s Town. Once the boys are 18, they are aided in the process of finding work, but the faculty touring us said it is very difficult sometimes to be successful in finding a job.

The boys there pretty much run the town themselves. They have meetings a few times a week to discuss things that happen in the town and decisions that need to be made. They elect a new mayor every two months so that almost everyone gets a turn. Adults are allowed to be present at these meetings, but are not allowed to speak at them. We were taken through where the boys make their own wine, and in the cellars they have pictures from when the boys used to actually squish their grapes with their feet. They took us through their ceramics studio which was very impressive. Many of the boys there are extremely skills in the trades they are taught in. We also saw their basketball courts and soccer field. The boys there love their soccer, and compete against other schools and have numerous championships. Their trophy room is filled with trophies from soccer and other numerous events.