Davide Monteleone

4 days ago | nationalgeographic.com | Nadia Beard |Davide Monteleone

For most of the year, big crowds are unusual in the Swiss town of Glarus. At the base of a dramatic point in the Alps called the Glärnisch ridge, the hamlet is tranquil, largely undisturbed by the tourists who descend on the region’s picturesque areas. But every year there is one day—usually the first Sunday in May—where citizens of the canton gather en masse in the town square for a tradition that’s over 700 years old.

Apr 1, 2024 | buffalonews.com | Davide Monteleone

Stefano Baldo Baldo picking up his children, Gioele and Beniamino, from school in Bolzano, Italy, on March 8, 2024. He said his Catholic faith and affection for the chaos of big families motivated him and his wife to have children. (Davide Monteleone/The New York Times)

Apr 1, 2024 | buffalonews.com | Davide Monteleone

The Baldo family at home in Bolzano, Italy, on March 8, 2024. Some experts say the province’s attitude toward family benefits is rooted in the desire of a minority culture in a historically disputed area. (Davide Monteleone/The New York Times)

Apr 1, 2024 | buffalonews.com | Davide Monteleone

Stefano Baldo bathing his son, Ruben, before bedtime at their home in Bolzano, Italy, on March 8, 2024. The area around Bolzano has a thick network of family support provided by the government. That means a steady birthrate in a country facing a demographic plunge. (Davide Monteleone/The New York Times)

Apr 1, 2024 | buffalonews.com | Davide Monteleone

Stefano Baldo shopping at the local supermarket with his sons Ruben and Gioele in Bolzano, Italy, on March 8, 2024. Large families have increasingly become uncommon in Italy, which has one of the lowest birthrates in Europe. (Davide Monteleone/The New York Times)