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LIVING IN ITALY

Charming or boring – What do Italians think of life in the old town?

Most towns in Italy have a pretty 'centro storico', or old town centre, full of charm and history. But there are plenty of reasons why Italians don't want to live there, says Silvia Marchetti.

Charming or boring - What do Italians think of life in the old town?
A cheap home in the charming surroundings of an Italian centro storico would tempt many foreigners - but few Italians. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI / AFP)

Italy’s rural villages lure foreigners with their fascinating historic centres and bucolic vibe, but they’re not always as idyllic as they may seem at first glance.

Living in such villages, many of which are depopulated and in isolated places, built around a more or less intact ancient district, has pros and cons. They come with caveats.

The plus points are of course the old architecture and picturesque buildings full of history, surroundings with great countryside or mountain views, fewer crowds, authentic food and traditions, and welcoming neighbours. There is that ‘microcosm’ ambiance that makes you feel at home in a small place.

But one must go beyond the romantic, aesthetic appeal of old districts and look at how practical it is to actually live there.

Last weekend I visited a small village in the province of Rieti called Percile and nearly broke my leg climbing up and down the layers of huge stone steps, which were the actual alleys, wondering how residents could do it every single time they left their homes. It’s like a killer open-air gym.

READ ALSO: How to spot Italy’s ‘fake authentic’ tourist villages

While some foreigners might view such daily feats as part of their sogno all’italiana (‘Italian dream’), Italians are not as keen on reliving the bygone days.

Historic centres are all structured in the same way: a bunch of houses cropped at the feet of a castle, church or fortress, with narrow, winding cobbled alleys where ankles get easily sprained, and ragged stone steps connecting the various levels. 

The semi-deserted old town centre of Rignano Flaminio. Photo: Silvia Marchetti

Cars are banned, finding a parking place nearby is hell, especially in summer, and the pavements get slippery when it rains. And in small villages where most locals have long left, or return just for weekends, shops, bars, restaurants and pharmacies tend to be located in newer areas or in nearby towns.

In the past locals fled from these places due to harsh living conditions, searching for a brighter future elsewhere. They left behind empty houses, so today many historic centres are partly abandoned and inhabited by adventurous foreigners looking for a quiet retreat. 

Italians tend not to buy houses in old neighbourhoods unless they have nostalgia for their roots and want to reconnect with their ancestors, or eye an investment like a B&B. They’d rather buy country houses with a garden, plot of land, and if affordable, a small pool.

READ ALSO: Why Italians aren’t snatching up their country’s one-euro homes

My Italian friends have never even considered buying an old dwelling in the historic centre of a rural village; they find it uncomfortable. And so do I, unless I’m sure to have everything I need at hand and at a short walking distance.

“I’m Sicilian, but I’d never purchase a cheap or one-euro home in Sicily’s ancient neighbourhoods, no matter how fascinating these are. I would not know where to park the car and just the thought of carrying heavy grocery bags and bottled water up staircases scares me, old homes don’t come with elevators”, says Rosi Gangiulo, a pensioner from Palermo.

Crumbling houses in Percile. Photo: Silvia Marchetti

There are also a few prejudices involved too. Unless it’s a unique, stunning town like Civita di Bagnoreggio in Lazio suspended above a deep chasm, or Renaissance-era jewel Pienza in Tuscany, living in the old part is seen as (and often is) the place for poorer families, while owning an attic in the newer area where all the pubs and shops are is ‘cool’.

In the medieval historic centre of Rignano Flaminio north of Rome, few locals remain, hens run freely amid grass-covered ruins, and entire families of immigrants live cramped in tiny one-room apartments. 

Former Italian residents have moved to the countryside or to the modern outskirts, certainly less charming but easier to live in.

Some seemingly picture-perfect historical centres are best admired at a distance, rather than experienced from the inside. Last time I visited Torrita Tiberina in the Tiber Valley it struck me how most homes in the medieval district were shut, abandoned or decaying, with nobody around. 

I happened to bump into a young Neapolitan man who asked me whether I knew what time the bus to Rome was. He told me he had been living there for four months, focusing on writing a book.

“The silence is great but it’s just too quiet. I don’t have a car and each time I had to buy something I needed to get out of the historic centre. It also became unbearable having no next-door neighbour to chat with.

To be sure old villages are the right fit, one has to look beyond the charm and really evaluate whether they’re liveable as well as beautiful.

Member comments

  1. I find myself having to disagree with Ms. Marchetti more and more. It seems all her writings and evaluations/recommendations are based on a view from and of southern Italy. Apparently she is not fond generally of middle Italy and northward. This post on living in centro storico is an example. Other than a slight reference to Pienza, everything not “recommended” is based on the south. I assure all readers that in Umbria and Tuscany, just to name 2 regions, there is an abundance of centro that are charming, livable and inhabited by many life time locals and more. Though swamped with tourists, go to Cortona, Montipulciano, Gubbio, Arezzo to name a few. You will see. I myself live in Anghiari and it could not be more lively. Yes, all these places have surrounding habitats (suburbs!) but the centro are alive and well.
    Please include more observations that are not southern centric…and which give uninitiated readers a very wrong impression. Thanks

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MOVING TO ITALY

Moving to Italy: A guide to house-buying and can you get a mortgage as a foreigner?

Moving to Italy, a country infamous for its red tape, can seem like a daunting task. Our new newsletter is here to answer your questions - this time we're looking at what's involved in buying an Italian home and mortgage-hunting as a foreigner.

Moving to Italy: A guide to house-buying and can you get a mortgage as a foreigner?

Here at The Local we’re an international team living in Italy – which means we’ve either grown up navigating Italian bureaucracy or been through the simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking process of moving countries.

Our new newsletter is aimed at people who are in the process of moving, have recently moved and are still grappling with the paperwork or perhaps are just thinking about it – and we’ll share a regular selection of practical tips. Our team is also available to answer questions from subscribers to The Local.

A beginner’s guide to buying a house in Italy

With its old houses often going for a song, Italy attracts numerous foreign buyers looking for an affordable second or retirement home. But for people completely new to the process, what does buying an Italian home actually entail?

Mario Mazzeschi, managing partner of the law firm Mazzeschi Consultancy, says there are four major stages to buying a house in Italy, from signing a contract with an agency – who typically take two percent to five percent of the asking price – to completing the purchase.

In between, you’ll be expected to sign proposta irrevocabile d’acquisto (binding proposal) and pay a deposit, followed a compromesso (preliminary contract), and eventually a final contract.

You’ll want to protect yourself from hidden traps by hiring a surveyor, who could save you a hefty chunk of change. “We had such a case once where the buyer shaved €5,000 off the asking price because his surveyor found something,” says Mazzeschi.

In all this, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are different rules for residents and non-residents of Italy, which may influence your thoughts about whether it’s worth pursuing Italian residency.

Non-residents, for example, can only buy if their country has a reciprocal arrangement in place with Italy – excluding residents of Canada and some Swiss cantons – while Italian residents benefit from lower taxes and cadastral costs.

Can you get a mortgage in Italy as a foreigner?

If you’re considering buying a home in Italy as a foreigner but don’t have the funds to purchase one outright, there’s good news: it’s generally possible for foreigners to take out a mortgage in Italy.

Persuading an Italian bank to lend to you as a foreigner, however, is likely to be less straightforward and more time-consuming than it is for Italian citizens.

Non-residents in particular are likely to require the services of a specialist mortgage broker who can help you access information about rates.

Italian banks are also known to be strict lenders and tend to require a larger deposit (regardless of whether or not the buyer is Italian) than international buyers may be expecting.

“In general, expect your down payment to be higher than it would be in the US or UK,” say lawyers from legal consultancy Italy Law Firms on their blog.

You can find out more about buying a home in Italy by browsing The Local’s Italian property section.

Questions

The Local’s Reader Questions section covers questions our members have asked us and is a treasure trove of useful info on all kinds of practical matters. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, head here to leave us your questions.

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