Po river valley (Italy)

The Po River Valley contains half the population of Italy and is the centre of the textiles industries and steel mills. The rivers furnish electricity. Milan is the chief city, and industrial and finance centre, and we are shown a number of street scenes. Then we move into a typical farming community, the centre of which is a church over a thousand years old. The bells of this church summon the people to work in the morning, toll the lunch hour at noon and indicate the end of the workday in the late afternoon. This film shows glimpses of the community and the many shops that cater for the needs of the inhabitants and the trades that are handed down from father to son for generations, the women washing clothes on the riverbanks, and the men sitting over their coffee in the cafe. The church bell tolls for the last time during the day at sunset when the streets are gradually deserted.