Why do many people think that Italy is a poor country, or nearly so? It isn’t at all. Italians are among the Europeans with the highest homeownership rates and some of the highest levels of private savings. They possess major manufacturing, fashion, and luxury industries, as well as a very strong tourism network, including elite tourism. The country has great resilience; in fact, during the Covid lockdowns, when everyone expected social unrest, Italians instead held up very well under the pressure. A recent article stated that Italian household wealth is higher than that of Germans. Of course, there are significant social inequalities, as in all countries with large urban areas, but it is hard to understand why—unlike other European countries—there is often a perception of a destitute nation, when on average it is anything but. In fact, when Italy went through a crisis, many economic observers said it could never end up like Greece because it was 'too rich to fail.