Italian town enlists volunteer pensioners to monitor public works

In the south of Europe, many men of retirement age have one favourite pastime: patiently watching construction sites with their hands on their backs, often commenting on the quality of the works.

Now, the Italian town of Villasanta has decided to capitalise on their interest — and their expertise.

The town of some 14,000 near Monza in the northeastern region of Lombardy has enlisted eight "umarell" — an affectionate term for the men in the Emilian dialect, meaning "little guy" — to observe and report on all public works in their community.

The initiative, launched by Mayor Lorenzo Galli, aims to address the town's need for additional oversight in various areas, including construction sites, the state of its streets and sidewalks, and maintenance of green spaces.

The eight men were selected following a public call. To be chosen as an official town umarell in Villasanta, the prospective candidates had to demonstrate they are retired, hold a university degree and have experience in technical fields.

Now they have all been registered as civic volunteers, which also grants them insurance coverage. Their first task, according to the Villasanta Municipality, will be "to carry out surveys that will be useful in the coming months for the study of the new urban traffic plan," local media reported.

The town also plans to hire further reinforcements, and the call remains open.

Despite some light-hearted mockery, most Italians see umarell with fondness.

In 2017, the city of Bologna named one of its squares "Piazetta degli Umarells" in their honour, while a calendar featuring photos of umarell in action is a popular souvenir in the northern Italian city.

More recently, real estate developers have started placing see-through glass panels on their construction site fences to allow the men to pursue their hobby.

In January, a digital manufacturing laboratory in Milan designed and produced a "desktop umarell," a small statue which can observe you while working, jokingly claiming having one could "increase your productivity by 10%".

The phenomenon is slowly becoming internationally recognised as well. In 2024, the Language Council of Sweden included "umarell" in its list of newly adopted words.