Some say that marriage is on the decline, but Italians over the age of 40 are bucking the trend.

According to the Italian institute for statistics, ISTAT, 29,818 men and 16,037 women between the ages of 40 and 75 married in the year 2000. This is a 45 per cent increase on the1990 figures, when 20, 544 men and 11,030 women in this age group married. Many of these are second marriages and it would seem that Italian men are more prepared to start again. Or maybe it is just that women who divorce in Italy usually have custody of their children and they may be a deterrent to possible suitors.