Italy town has only two residents but they still wear face masks

Umbria: Giovanni Carilli, 82, and Giampiero Nobili, 74, are the only two residents of Nortosce, a remote small town in Italy located in Umbria.

Despite being in a remote town, the elderly pair still wear their face masks and social distance whenever they get together for an espresso or a walk.

“I’m dead scared of the virus,” Carilli told CNN Travel. “If I get sick, I’m on my own, who would look after me? I’m old, but I want to keep living here looking after my sheep, vines, beehives, and orchard. Hunting truffles and mushrooms. I enjoy my life.”

Giovanni Carilli and Giampiero Nobili are the only two residents in their small Italian town — but they’re still taking the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic seriously.

The elderly pair live in Nortosce, a town in Umbria that is difficult to get in and out of, which means Carilli, 82, and Nobili, 74, are often the only ones in the town. Despite the remoteness, they’re still adhering to Italy’s coronavirus guidelines.

They make sure they’re always standing at least 6 feet apart. When they get together for espresso, they sit on opposite ends of a 6-foot table. When they have to collect fresh water at a fountain, they wear their masks on the walk.

“I’m dead scared of the virus,” Carilli said. “If I get sick, I’m on my own, who would look after me? I’m old, but I want to keep living here looking after my sheep, vines, beehives, and orchard. Hunting truffles and mushrooms. I enjoy my life.”

“Wearing a mask and respecting social distancing is not just for health reasons,” he told the publication. “It’s not something ‘bad’ or ‘good’. If there are rules, you need to abide by them for your own sake and other people’s. It’s a matter of principle.”

In Italy, it’s required that all residents wear masks while in public places. Social distancing is also required.

They only go into town when they need medication or to see a doctor, but the pair said they don’t mind the remoteness of Nortosce — especially during a pandemic.

“We lead a very simple life: all we have to offer is fresh oxygen-rich air, peacefulness, silence, and healthy mountain water,” Carilli said. “That’s our salvation. Whenever I need to go to a big city I feel sick, I hate the noise.”