The Disappearing Nuns of Italy

The number of nuns in this staunchly Catholic country is reducing so rapidly there may be none left by 2050. At a cloistered convent, aging sisters worry who will care for them, let alone continue their unwavering mission.

Photos by Francesca Manolino

Sister Zenaide celebrated her 101st birthday last February. On a recent winter day in the convent she calls home, she sang repeatedly in a low voice:

“In the voice quivers a cry / whispering with its singing / a regret of thousand illusions.”