Sanidad y ayuntamientos en la Italia liberal

The Italian State local rule law was promulgated in 1865. This law attributed to the municipalities the responsibility of the health and hygienic conditions of the communities administrated. The local government had to support the necessary expenses . The main principle behind the the above law was financial self-sufficiency. The municipalities had to finance themselves with their resources and there was not supposed to be any help from the Central administration. The largest number of the municipalities of the Kingdom and particularly those from the southern regions had insufficient infrastructures and their hygienic conditions were extremely difficult. Their spending capacity was very limited and they had very few possibilities to access to credit. At the eve of the First World War the health conditions of the municipalities were slightly improved, but in the southern municipalities they were still very difficult. The principle of financial self sufficiency and the difficulties to access to credit had made more difficult the advancement of health and hygiene, particularly in the poorest regions