Those who move to Italy or spend an extended period living there often notice quickly: family carries a different weight here than in Germany. This becomes evident in everyday life, in social structures, and even in the constitution. Marriage is explicitly protected under Italian law. But what does that actually mean in practice? And where do Italy and Germany still differ today? Article 29 of the Italian constitution states that the Republic recognizes the rights of the family as a "natural society founded on marriage."
At first glance, this sounds like a purely symbolic statement. In reality, however, this perspective continues to shape many social and legal aspects of the country. While Germany has grown increasingly individualistic over the decades, Italy has in many respects remained strongly family-oriented. Italy has certainly changed as well: the number of marriages is declining, people are marrying later, and modern ways of living have long become part of everyday life. As ANSA reports, citing ISTAT data, 173,272 marriages were registered in Italy in 2024, a decrease of 5.9 percent compared to 2023. Even so, marriage in Italy still tends to carry a different cultural and social weight than it does north of the Alps.
Family as the center of society
In Germany, the family is often regarded primarily as a private sphere. In Italy, by contrast, family remains in many places a central social foundation. Particularly outside major cities, family ties frequently play a considerably greater role. This is reflected in the fact that many Italians stay in their parental home longer than their German counterparts. Multigenerational households are far more common, grandparents often take on a significant share of childcare, and family decisions are frequently made collectively.
Especially in southern Italy, marriage is often viewed not merely as a personal choice but also as a cornerstone of family stability. In regions such as Campania, Calabria, and Sicilia , traditional family values still exert considerable influence on social life in many places. Cities like Milano, Bologna, and Torino, on the other hand, tend to feel noticeably more modern and liberal.
The influence of the Catholic tradition
Even though Italy is no longer a strictly conservative country, the influence of the Catholic tradition continues to be felt. For decades, divorce was an extraordinarily sensitive subject in Italy. It was not until 1970 that divorce was legalized at all, considerably later than in many other European countries.
Even after that, the path to divorce remained complicated for a long time. Couples were often required to live separately for several years before a final divorce could be granted. The rules have since been simplified, yet the underlying historical attitude remains perceptible to this day: marriage is traditionally regarded as something especially worthy of protection.
In Germany, social developments moved considerably faster toward individualization and equal recognition of different lifestyles. While marriage continues to play an important legal role there, it generally no longer carries the same symbolic significance in everyday society as it does in many parts of Italy.
What practical advantages marriage offers in Italy
The subject becomes particularly relevant for expatriates and binational couples. Marriage brings with it a number of concrete advantages in Italy. One important area is residency law. Those married to an Italian citizen benefit from significantly simplified options for residency and family reunification. Later residency rights or a potential path to citizenship are also made easier as a result.
In inheritance law, spouses in Italy enjoy comparatively strong protections. The surviving spouse holds statutory forced-share rights and also has special rights regarding the shared family home. Full disinheritance is only possible in very limited circumstances. Italian inheritance law is overall more family-oriented than that of many other European countries. In medical decisions and dealings with public authorities, spouses also frequently have clearly defined rights by default. Unmarried couples, by contrast, may sometimes need to provide additional powers of attorney or supporting documents.
Differences from the German system
A few differences from Germany stand out in particular. For example, Italy does not have a system equivalent to the German Ehegattensplitting (income-splitting for married couples). Tax advantages for married couples are therefore often less pronounced. Germany relies more heavily on tax-based models, while Italy tends to protect marriage through family law and cultural norms. The symbolic status of marriage is often higher there, while the direct financial benefits are in some respects more limited.
In compensation, family solidarity plays a greater role in many parts of Italy. Adult children receive financial support more frequently, families help one another more actively in daily life, and elderly relatives tend to remain more closely integrated into family life . Landlords, smaller municipalities, and traditional institutions also sometimes extend greater trust or a more matter-of-fact welcome to married couples. This is not an official legal advantage, but it can make a noticeable difference in everyday life.
Italy is becoming more modern, but the differences remain
Italy is, of course, continuously evolving. In major cities, many unmarried couples have long been the norm, modern family models have become mainstream, and society is more liberal than it was a few decades ago. Since 2016, registered civil unions for same-sex couples have also been available. A full opening of marriage as exists in Germany, however, has not yet been enacted.
Despite all the modernization, it remains clear that family and marriage hold a different kind of social footing in Italy. For many Germans who relocate to Italy permanently or are considering doing so, this difference often becomes truly apparent only through everyday experience, whether in personal interactions, family life, or dealings with bureaucracy. That is precisely why this is one of those things about Italy that may not show up in travel photos but can meaningfully shape life in the country over the long term.
Important: Marriage Plays a Major Role for Those Moving to Italy
By the way: For many expats marriage in Italy also plays an important role when it comes to residency and administrative matters. This is especially relevant for international couples, for instance when one partner is an EU citizen and the other comes from a non-EU country. If, for example, a German citizen is married to a Ukrainian partner and they move to Italy together, European freedom of movement law offers significant advantages.
The non-European spouse can thereby obtain the right of residence in Italy much more easily than individuals without a family connection to an EU citizen. In practice, an official marriage frequently simplifies administrative procedures, residency processes, and long-term life planning in Italy. This is a factor that plays an important role for many binational couples when moving to Italy.