During the summer of 2020, as highlighted by geographers Aurélie Delage and Max Rousseau, media across many European countries widely reported the idea that the Covid-19 pandemic had triggered a massive urban exodus.
The concept of a rural renaissance had been circulating in anti-metropolitan discourse for some time, but the Covid-19 pandemic amplified its appeal. During lockdowns and health restrictions, media outlets such as the BBC, Reuters, and Bloomberg fuelled narratives that glorified the perceived tranquillity of rural life. These romanticised depictions sparked criticism, particularly in France, where the hashtag #guillotine2020 emerged to denounce the perceived privileges of celebrities enjoying lockdown in idyllic settings. Despite this backlash, the narrative of an urban exodus continued to gain traction.
A similar trend emerged in Italy, where public discourse often gave the impression that everyone not only had the opportunity to leave cities for a second home but also the desire and means to make such a move permanent.
