I have just come into possesion a very old farmhouse, which I am calling Casa Vera, in rememberance of my mother It's situated in the hilly Alte Langhe in North West Italy although I'm living near Genoa on the Ligurian Riviera at the moment. I would like to share my experience with anyone who is interested in Italy, in old houses and family traditions
I hate aggressiveness, superficiality and ostentatiousness. I prefer to be working rather than sitting around chatting or watching tv. I'm basically a home person and like being with my family and my friends are very important to me too. I also love being alone with time to organize my thoughts, to read a book or listen to music. I also like painting, writing poetry and doing crochet work but certain things are difficult to get your mind to if you know that you are going to be getting a lot of interruptions. I appreciate good taste but also originality. I like colourful ethnic things too and I'm not above being a bit kitchy. I admire intelligent but simple sensitive people without pretensions and love animals (especially horses, dogs cats and birds) and hills, trees and flowers. I like domestic things working at home and on the land doing the basic things one needs to do to live from day to day. To be near the earth, near to nature, living the seasons and getting satisfaction from seeing things get done.
I think they are asking about 13,000 Euro for this. Two up and two down. A bit of space for a garden and to park the car and some land on the other side of the road which goes down to the 'river'. Not bad for a couple of retired people. Needs restoring though. That's my house further up the hill.
posted by Jules @ 4:40 PM
3 Comments:
Jules,
My husband and I are very interested in moving to Italy. We are looking for a modest house..just the two of us. Need a place to park a small car, which we'll buy once we get there, a small garden, and a little spot to build a place for a table and chairs under an arbor for sitting around eating and talking and having fun with friends who we'll meet and who will visit. This home looks like it needs MAJOR renovation. Can you tell me what kind of restoration it needs, and what the costs inherent in this process might be? And there local workers who might help at a reasonable retiree affordable price? Thank you.
I think we have much in common. I live in Prescott AZ, about 5000 above sea level in the mountains. It is a mid sized town, but is growing rapidly. We bought our home almost 5 years ago and have been lucky as the price has gone up double since then. We have put lots of work into it. We now have rock and stone garden beds built up hosting lavendar, saliva, buddleia, 3 climbing roses, 7 bush roses, 3 lilacs, and fruit trees --apricot, pear, apple and persimmon. We have 2 Japanese Willows and a Globe Willow, 2 aspen and many nature pine trees around us. We also have put in a shade bed under the north side of the deck with ferns, hostas, vinca and some other flowering annuals. In all, it's a very beautiful spot. With a patio downstairs under the deck for when the temperatures are high, and a walled in patio in the backyard with a pergola (which I'm trying to train with wisteria), a fountain, a bbq, and plenty of chairs and tables for friends to gather. Our home is 2 stories...a master suite on the bottom has 600 sq.ft. bedroom and bathroom with shower and tub, and a 600 sq ft garage/shop. Upstairs are 2 bedrooms and a bath, kitchen dining, and living area--all open to each other.
But while our home is lovely, and we've worked hard on painting and renovation, we now want a smaller place, less work, more laughter and getting together with friends, more gardening.We are learning Italian, as we feel a very kindred spirit with the country. And we would like to live near the ocean, but not on it, becuase, as you have indicted, that would cost too much.
I love the wood ceilings in your home. And your decoupage boxes and stunning. I make beaded jewelry, I enjoy reading, making gift cards, I love roses and olive trees, and picnics on a blanket under the trees, with cool drinks and sun-warmed tomatoes sliced with basil and olive oil and delicious olives. We love music--all kinds. From Swedish polkas (my husband is Swedish), to The Eagles (American rock and roll), Luciana Pavarotti (especially Turnadot), Linda Ronstandt and Canciones de me Padres, The Gypsy Kings, BB King, Andrea Bocelli Amor (especially doing It's Impossible..Somos Novios in Spanish), and even some of the new music such as Hootie adn the Blow Fish and Devil Makes Three (an inde band out of Santa Cruz CA, along with Rachmoninov, Eddie Daniels Trio, Grieg, Pachabel's Canon, and too many more to list.
Reading--Under the Tuscan Sun & Bella Tuscany moved me to seek out Italy. It began our quest. Faith House, Enter The Rainmaker, all of the Harry Potter books are fun, My Wine Is Bitter, The DaVinci Code and prequel Angels and Demons, Charlie Wilson's War...many others both fiction and non-fiction.
I love the United States, my country of birth, but I do not like the political leanings of late. I feel we are losing what is great--our personal freedoms. Too much money is made to too few people, leaving a terrible drought of hope to those not rich and famous. Add in the fear tactics of the government, and you have many people quite willing to give up their freedoms, guaranteed by our Constitutions, because they think by doing so it will make them safer. Huh! Well, that's my 1 letter wrap up of the political scence in America.
Questions. Are you from America, or were you born and raised in Italy? How long have you lived at your beautiful farm house? Are you single, or married? Do you have children? Are they near? Or other family near?
It sounds like the kind of work hard on the land/sit back and enjoy with friends and family we are trying to achieve. Less is more. We have too many "things" and not enough peace sometimes. We are looking for a slower pace, with more contentment adn peace.
What is the health care system like in Italy? If we were to move there, what could we expect as far as costs and actual care? My husband is a heart patient with diabetes, and while not unhealthy, he does need intermittent care and hospitalization to put in stents and unclog arteries in his heart. Is this available and how is paid for?
Thank you for listening and hopefully sharing your life with us. I believe you may be able to guide us in our new quest, and to that I would be very appreciative.
My blog is at xanga.com/nanagooseberry if you would like to look. It is not so fancy as yours, as I just started, and I need to learn how to make nice columns, backgrounds, put in photos, etc. But soon!
First of all I should say that Italy is not an easy country to live in because it is so badly administered and with the Euro prices have doubled and there is hardly any work for young people.
This house would be suitable for a couple in retirement because these little villages are fairly isolated. It needs major renovationand is without electricity and running water. It has only four rooms but the roof and beams look good. The walls are thick and solid.Needs new doors and windows etc. The steps are outside. There is a space to park a car and make a place to sit outside and I think it has more land along the road but it slopes and is covered with hedgerows. The house is near a main road with little traffic and there is a bus stop outside the house but few buses pass. There is a fair bit of land on the other side of the road which goes down to the river which is dry for most of the year. A good place for growing hazelnut trees! I think it would need about 40,000 Euro to make it nice. We have a couple of Albanese boys who are helping us.
Your place in Arizona sounds a real dream. You couldn't possibly give it up to come here! Unless you came down for certain months of the year and did some letting. Not that you could let out this house in the winter because of the snow. It takes about 1.15 min to get to the coast because there are a lot of curves.
It's not easy writing in this little square. If you write to my e.mail address I'll answer more fully. There are other houses in the area but probably not quite as cheap. giulia_anna@yahoo.it
Funny! Yesterday I was able to get on your blog but not today. Do hope you'll drop me a line. I do feel we have a lot in common and I have loads to tell you-:)
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