Italy has come to a grinding halt. Its economy had already slowed down well before the great crisis; its growth was fatigued and many problems of its society and its economy worsened and eventually went unresolved. A new wave of data and studies allows us to better understand this halt and the probable causes that are at the root of the problem. In its history, Italy has shown many interesting differences with respect to the other European countries. It is a different model for capitalism; possesses a different type of social and economic organization that is not necessarily worse than any of the other countries: quite simply it has its own pros and cons. However, the grinding halt of the Italian economy in the new century illustrates one thing quite clearly: that this model of capitalism and society is having more and more difficulty ensuring the well-being of all Italians in the pre-sent and in the future. The system cannot be changed in a radical manner, as some superficial champions of Anglo-Saxon liberalism would suggest; but certainly small changes are not sufficient either. Italy needs to undergo a "special maintenance" procedure.