Originally Posted by daniel_t

Erratum: None of the Italian universities have ever made it to the top 100 globally.

Rankings are rankings. Take them with a pinch of salt.


(2023)

Originally Posted by daniel_t

Yes, I've heard there are no-go areas in Naples - gun crimes and violence are rife.

There are international schools in Rome and Milan. The British ones follow the national curriculum of England and Wales.

Originally Posted by daniel_t

I guess it depends on what you do for a living. Generally speaking, there should be more opportunities in Rome compared to other cities.

Rome can be chaotic for people - including me - who grew up in better countries with law and order.

I've never been south of Rome though, so I'm afraid I can't tell you much about it but I'm sure others here can help!

Originally Posted by C.2s

Hmmm, yeah Mah88, I think that you have sort of got things right. But that's only based on what other people have said to me about those places...
​​​​
​​​It's going to be difficult to find anyone who really has a sufficient knowledge of all 4 cities in order to rank them against each other.

Instead of people giving you their subjective views about which city they prefer it might be better to turn things around and ask you why those cities? After all , all of them are relatively poor, chaotic etc etc when compared to say Turin or Florence (or places in other European countries!).

Originally Posted by philat98

From a list of the best towns to live in Italy Naples comes out as almost the worst.
Genova 49
Rome 53
Bari 80
Naples 104
https://www.money.it/citta-italiane-...ita-della-vita

Originally Posted by daniel_t

Yes, I've heard there are no-go areas in Naples - gun crimes and violence are rife.

If you're raising kids in Italy, the state education system here is regarded as more robust than the independent schools. This is the exact opposite of the UK. Having said that, according to an OCED report in 2019, the problem-solving skills and academic achievements among 18-year-old Italian school leavers were still lagging behind their peers in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. I can't remember the exact figures but it was something equivalent to 14 or 15 years old in these northern European countries.

There are international schools in Rome and Milan. The British ones follow the national curriculum of England and Wales.

None of the Italian universities have ever made it to the top 50 globally. The quality of many lecturers and professors in Italy leaves something to be desired. You scratch my back and I scratch yours - you get the idea of how those t*ats got their job.

Originally Posted by philat98

I think the person who created the list was American. There must be some good universities in countries where English isn't the first language. If Cambridge, Harvard or MIT are at the top of the list students are going to pay a fortune to study there. The list is essentially advertising.

Originally Posted by mah88

Update: I may have an opportunity to work in either Bari or Palermo. Which city would you lot say has better healthcare standards, please?

Originally Posted by tpw21

No idea about healthcare but I would love to live in Palermo, it’s a great city.

Originally Posted by mah88

What's great about it? (Never been).

Originally Posted by philat98

Watch this.
https://youtu.be/Izu2Ny6kwxI?si=VtwMlwgDPkdXhUS5

Originally Posted by C.2s

Hmmm... I'd advise you to visit both before you decide. Anyway in my opinion Palermo is all that's worst about Italian cities turned up to the max. Even more so than Naples. Palermo is extremely chaotic and there are huge problems with rubbish that is dumped along the roadsides for kilometers and kilometers, even right outside the various heritage sites. Personally I would hate to live in Palermo, but then I don't really like cities in general because I find them dirty, crowded, noisy and stressful ... but I guess some people like that? If you are one of those people then maybe it's right for you

Originally Posted by mah88

...what concerns me the most is having access to good healthcare facilities and treatment because I have a chronic illness. I'd be worried that the same quality and same options that are available in mainland Italy, aren't available in Sicily.

It's frustrating that there has to be a sacrifice - if you want good weather in the winter and arguably better food, you go South, but if you want things to run smoother and have better job prospects, you have to go North.

Originally Posted by mah88

Taking both into consideration, it seems like a great place to visit, but it's another thing to live there - as can often be the case when translating a holiday destination into a home. Maybe I could put up with the chaos, but as previously mentioned, what concerns me the most is having access to good healthcare facilities and treatment because I have a chronic illness. I'd be worried that the same quality and same options that are available in mainland Italy, aren't available in Sicily.

It's frustrating that there has to be a sacrifice - if you want good weather in the winter and arguably better food, you go South, but if you want things to run smoother and have better job prospects, you have to go North.