Since the mid-twentieth century the family has witnessed in Italy at first a process of “nuclearization” and then a series of metamorphoses mainly linked to the declining centrality of marriage. Some scholars see these changes as proof of convergence towards North-European values, while others believe that significant differences still exist if we consider the morally binding force of kinship ties. This article offers anthropological perspectives on these issues, paying special attention to the role “fictive kinship” might play to face the combined effects of economic crises, demographic ageing and the retreat of the welfare state.