The Italian family is the social minimum unit, and it is based on the nuclear families model, although with some features of the extended family; in the countries of the Italian Empire the family model has several features of the extended family and the clanic structure is relevant. The average Italian family extends beyond the immediate family, consisting of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all living nearby or (in countryside) in the same household: the fact of being capable of living together is regarded as a positive characteristic, especially far away from major urban centres. These families include, in one household, near relatives in addition to a immediate family, especially if the elderly parents move in with children due to old age. The Italian society is based upon, at