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Italian property prices hold despite drop in sales

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:43:00 +0000

Slow and steady. That’s the snapshot of the Italian property market in 2009, according to the Agenzia del Territorio, Italy’s equivalent of the Land Registry.

The Agenzia has just published its annual report on the Italian market, which analyses data from 2009. Some 1.347m transactions took place in the country last year - a markedly lower number than at during the property boom.

Concerns over equity and a gap in buyers and sellers’ price expectations both conspired to depress sale volumes, which were down 11.3% over the previous year. In 2008, the annual drop had been of 13.7% over 2007.

However, the tide appeared to change at some point during the second half of 2009. While the first quarter of the year recorded a staggering 18.6% reduction in sales over the same period in 2008, by the last quarter, they were only down 4% over the previous year. The trend affected every property segment, but offices and residential performed better than commercial and industrial properties.

Likewise, some geographical areas held better than others. In the last quarter of 2009, Northern Italy saw a greater drop in residential sales than the South (-6.4% against -0.7%) and the Centre, which bucked the trend and saw a 1.4% increase. In particular, the market in Central Italy’s capital cities went up by 4.6%.

It is also interesting to note that mortgage-funded purchases performed better than average, reversing a previous trend. Last year, mortgage buys decreased by 10.8% against an 11.3% average for residential homes, whereas in 2008, the mortgage market drop had been a massive 27%, against a 15% average. The report researchers believe that the dramatic reduction in interest rates helped support mortgage-funded purchases last year.

What is of greatest interest to Italian property owners, however, is that housing values proved remarkably resilient. Despite the significant contraction in sales, prices only went down by 0.7% in the second half of 2009 over the same period in the previous year. And putting the numbers in a longer term perspective, values today are 28.7% higher than in 2004. Southern Italy was the steadiest location, recording stable prices in capital cities (-0.1%) and a small increase (0.4%) in smaller municipalities.

Words by Carla Passino
http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/property/italian-property-prices-hold-despite-drop-sales

Food & Drink, Travel

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:51:00 +0000

Location: Umbria | Topic: Food & Drink, Travel
Words by Germaine Stafford

Ten tasty ideas on how to get the best from Italy’s ‘Green Heart’.

1. Seek sophisticated sanctuary

If relaxing in the discreet luxury of a converted 12th Century monastery and taking part in truffle hunts, cooking lessons and visits to local food markets is your idea of fun, then Lilliana and John Tunstill’s beautiful guest house, La Preghiera, is definitely the answer to your prayers.

2. Whet your appetite
Christine Smallwood’s excellent book An Appetite for Umbria is an absolute must for any gourmet planning to visit the region. A winning combination of prose, food info and local recipes, this book will treat you to a true taste of Umbria.

3. Be a Bongustaio
After soaking up the beauty of Assisi’s Basilica di San Francesco, make your way to the Gambacorta family’s specialty food shop, Bottega del Bongustaio, and stock up on farro and lentils, pecorino and other local specialties. Or visit their website and have them sent to your door! Via San Gabriele, 17 (www.ilbongustaio.com)

4. Dish for Compliments
Lavishly decorated, colourful Deruta pottery has to be one of the most spectacular ways to show off your cooking and give your home an Italian touch. The Grazia family has an excellent collection and deliver all over the world.

5. Make a cake of yourself
Right in Perugia’s historic centre sits the beautiful Caffé Sandri with its fabulous vaulted ceiling – just the place to throw back a thimbleful of excellent espresso and allow yourself to be tempted by an irresistible array of homemade pastries. Corso Vannucci, 32

6. Get thee to Gubbio
Once you’ve wandered round this medieval marvel of a town, seek respite at La Fornace di Mastro Giorgio. When in season, enjoy a menu studded with Umbria’s exceptional truffles and a good bottle of red chosen from the ample wine list. Via Mastro Giorgio, 2 in Gubbio.

7. Go for gold
Umbria produces some exquisite olive oils and what better way to find them than to follow a Strada del’Olio? Stop off at local producers’, sample their offerings and treat yourself to some of Italy’s best loved ‘liquid gold’. (www.stradaoliodopumbria.it)

8. Lunch by a Lake
Head for Lago Trasimeno and enjoy a spot of windsurfing or go for a good swim. As you dry off, lie back and enjoy a picnic of prized prosciutto from Norcia, some pecorino with truffles and a cleverly-stashed bottle of Montefalco Sagrentino. (www.lagotrasimeno.net)

9. Have an Art Attack
Treat yourself to a fabulous painting holiday in Umbria with H&G Italy, and while you’re slaving over a hot canvas, Eddy and Sheila de Vries will be busy planning evening meals, wine tastings and trips to nearby food markets. No starving artists here methinks...

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/umbria/foodie-fun-umbria

UMBRIAN PROPERTY

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:45:00 +0000

Well some of you took advantage of the huge price reductions on selected properties that I was offering, but most of you didn’t believe me when I said that I had lived through two of these crises before, and it always comes out right in the end, and that the value of the Pound and the Dollar would continue to fall.

Umbrian property prices are stable and now there is confirmation of my words in the shape of the recent Standard and Poor report on Umbria, which appeared in the Corriere, our local paper, published in Gubbio. “Umbria is A+, prospects are stable, various financial and healthcare requirements are in place and functioning well. Business reports a 4% rise, and for the next three years the prospects are good, thanks to strict financial controls. The world financial crisis has only “modestly” affected Umbria”. Quite a different story from our neighbours in Tuscany.

£ / €, and the Bank of England is still pursuing a policy of “quantative easing”, inflation by any other term, and of course the pound has again fallen when compared to the Euro, despite the Greek crisis, and the UK financial difficulties seem to be as grave as the Greek ones. Since February 2002 the Pound has fallen by 43% against the Euro, and UK property prices have crashed. Many shops and businesses, at least in London and the south east now accept Euro over the counter, and all high street banks have Euro accounts available. Doubtless that when there is parity between Pound/Euro, probably within the next year or so, the Pound will fade away. No one, I imagine, is going to cling onto Pounds whilst there is the possibility of changing into a more stable currency. Both political parties have plans to announce, after the forthcoming election, the alignment of the British currency with that of Europe.

$ / €, and the US bottom line bank base rate has been increased from 0.5% to 0.75%; again tremendous declines in property values, unprecedented unemployment and a fall, despite vast sums being pumped into the banks, in the value of the Dollar in your pocket. Since February 2002, just eight short years, there has been a fall of 56% in the Dollar/Euro rate.

And if you think that your money is going to get better, look at this:

http://www.thinkbigworksmall.com/mypage/archive/1/29027.

However property in the Upper Tiber Valley of Umbria in central Italy; in this clean, crime free, beautiful, traditional and hospitable area, two hours from Roma and Firenze, with a mediterranean climate; olives and grape vines; has been increasing in value during the past 35 years and is now more costly than nearby Tuscany, where properties used to be twice the price. So those with properties here are sitting pretty, and those wanting a safe and continuing haven for their investments are starting to look hard again. Grandma used to say “It is always better to buy the worst house in the best street, but never the best house in the worst street” In the first instance the other property values will drag you down, but in the second, they will lift you up. And I’ve really got some of the worst houses you could imagine! Have a look at 004 Casetta, or 889 Meotti, if you don't believe me, and both rotting away on a green hillside near Lake Trasimeno, and both increasing in value, in Euro, every year.

Can you afford not to get onto the first rung of the Umbrian property ladder?

Several of the properties on my list, www.propertiesumbria.com, are available for only 10% down and 10% every six months for the next 5 years, if you still want to keep most of your hard earned cash in Pounds and Dollars..

But for those of you still not prepared to make the leap into Umbrian bricks and mortar then perhaps the property skill competition which is currently being organised may be of interest. The prize is a town house in the countryside, near Montone, “one of the ten most beautiful hilltop towns in Italy”, to be handed over fully restored, furnished and equipped with linen, cutlery, kitchen equipment etc etc, solar panelled, triple glazed, with a “green” gas-powered motor car, large garden, garden furniture, with adjacent swimming pool, to a total value of € 358.000. Only 3580 tickets are to be sold at € 100.00, to avoid any taxation difficulties regarding profit, and the draw to take place 12 months time after the first ticket is sold. Final details now being processed.

You could just be the lucky one, and at the current rate of decline of the Pound and the Dollar, 6 – 7% a year, the exchange rate on € 358.000 will have lost you far more than the € 100.00 cost of a ticket. In fact the loss could well be about € 23,000 plus bank transfer charges. But if you wish to make serious savings on international money transfers you could contact Syed Ali of the Foremost Currency Group, who has a banner advert on our site www.propertiesumbria.com.

So now, it really is time to - %$£* -, or get off the pot.

Currently US money has fallen to $1.00 to € 0.73 or, the other way round € 1.00 = $1.36, and as for those of you with pounds £1.00 now equals € 1.1, or

€ 1.00 = £ 0.90................................and falling.

“Sterling has had its worst day against the Euro in nearly a year, hitting a 3 month low but has since come back up to nearly where it began this morning. This is mainly due to worries that the UK could end up in the same mess as Greece and over concerns that the Bank of England could announce more Quantitative Easing on Thursday”. Foremost Currency Group 1 - 3 – 10

Look forward to meeting you in Umbria, and don’t forget to bring your remaining money with you, possibly in a brown paper bag.

Best wishes, from moderately sunny Umbria, occasional showers, flowers starting to bloom and birds beginning to arrive..........how about you?

John Tunstill

Valerio Scanu wins the Sanremo Festival 2010 with "Per Tutte le Volte Che"

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:17:00 +0000

Per tutte le volte che is a song with a notable vocal difficulty but also with a single instantaneity..

"Each time i sing it, i think at the words thus whispered, by moment timidly sang, and on other time with a feeling of rage which comes to express a discomfort and then explodes in the refrain with this melody which falls, raises you and cut your breath. It's like looking at a small world with its details and its characteristics of every day, the troubles, fights, bad moments in the verses... And then the refrain which , on the other hand, brings you above the mounts and the clouds in a happy coasting flight...»

http://www.valerioscanu.com/

Trevi, Umbria - A week without TV

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:26:00 +0000

The Italians - watch on average 28 hours of TV per person per week as compared to 28 hours of weekly viewing by the average Italian. In Italian homes there is nearly always a television in the kitchen as well as in other rooms and it is usually left on during mealtimes.

When a school in Trevi [Umbria] asked two classes to participate in a project in which not only the children but also their parents would spend one week without watching the television at all, then, the families foresaw a difficult seven days. However, 41 children between the ages of 8 and 11 and their families agreed to try, denying themselves the use of video and computer games as well, reports La Repubblica.

The project, called “Oltre lo Schermo” [“Beyond the Screen”] was the idea of Umbrian journalist and mother Giovanna Grieco, who only allows her own son to watch TV for a short time each day. He spends the rest of his free time reading stories and playing games with his family. Ms Grieco suggested games and activities that the children could do in the afternoons at school or at home instead of watching TV.

The emphasis was on interacting with the people around them.
In all, 28 children got through the “week without TV” and they kept diaries of their difficulties and discoveries of other ways to spend their time, such as helping their mothers with the cooking, reading in the school library or enjoying playing games with their parents.

“We enjoyed turning the TV off every time Dad switched it on”, reported eight-year-old twins.
It seems that the older children found the sacrifice harder than the younger ones. The school is happy with the outcome and may extend the project to include other classes in the future.

"What’s Fashion About?”

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:05:00 +0000

"What’s Fashion About?” is the title of the 77th Pitti Uomo [Pitti for Men] Fashion Show which is taking place at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence until 15th January. This is the event that opens the international fashion fair season every year and exhibitors from all segments of the fashion industry participate, including textile manufacturers, garment makers, textile machinery and technology manufacturers, embroidery companies, makers of trimmings and accessories and even laundries. In all 730 exhibitors and 905 brands are participating.

The organisers say that, because of the recession, all fashion houses have been rethinking their strategies and Pitti have reflected this by breaking with tradition in the design of this year’s exhibition space. Spanish designer and architect Patricia Urquiola has revolutionised the design of the main pavilion and, on the lower floor, she has created a “fashion district”. Here the exhibitors’ stands are smaller than in previous years so that there is more space between them to encourage people to stop and talk. “Give up a little of your space so that there is room for all” is the message.

Exhibitors hope that the autumn-winter 2010 – 11 collections will mark a turning point for the industry as it comes out of recession but everything depends on the army of international buyers – 22,000 of them attended the last winter fair - who can make or break a brand. The upturn in the industry’s fortunes is expected to begin with the export market which decreased by 19.6% last year. The fashion companies particularly hope to be able to export their goods to the USA.

Yesterday Lars Nilsson showed elegant outdoor wear for men along with brightly patterned scarves. The waistcoat is definitely back in his suits and evening jackets featured a Bogey cut. Japanese designer Jun Takashaki showed in Italy for the first time in the setting of the Boboli Gardens in the evening. Corleani are showing at the Pitti for the first time. Pitti_W Woman Precollections are showing simultaneously at the Dogana. These are collection previews taking place in an exhibition space designed by Oliviero Baldini.

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/firenze/whats-fashion-about

Darwin Day - Perugia 2009

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:34:00 +0000

To commemorate the centenary of Darwin's Evolution of the Species theory, the Associazione Nazionale Insegnanti di Scienze Naturali, the Centro di Ateneo per i Musei Scientifici have scheduled a long series of events throughout Umbria for Darwin Day from February through to December.

Email: segreteria@perugiasciencefestival.it

Forget Van Gogh's ear - it's Galileo's molar

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:19:00 +0000

A private art collector who recently purchased a seventeenth-century box containing unidentified “artefacts” must have had a gruesome surprise when he opened it, for it contained a human tooth, a thumb and a middle finger, later authenticated as having belonged to none other than Galileo Galilei [1564 – 1642] who was condemned by the Vatican for claiming that the Earth moved around the Sun.

The collector contacted the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence and the Museum’s director, Paolo Galluzzi, pieced together the story:
when Galileo died, those close to him feared that the Church would refuse him burial in consecrated ground because of his “heresies” so his body was taken to a small room beneath the bell tower of Santa Croce.

In 1737, 95 years after the astronomer’s death, his body was removed from its “temporary” grave and placed in a monumental tomb in the Basilica itself. It was during this process that Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, chief physician of the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova Gualtieri, removed the tooth, two fingers and the thumb from the right hand and the fifth lumbar vertebra. He wrote that he found it difficult not to yield to the temptation to remove the skull too, for it “had housed such extraordinary genius”.

One of the fingers was kept in the Science Museum in Florence and the vertebra was conserved at the University of Padua, where Galileo had taught.
The other body parts, however, were kept in a blown-glass vase inside a wooden container and this was passed down the generations of a noble family. Eventually, no one in the family knew what was in the container and they sold it. All trace of it was lost by 1905. Then suddenly it turned up at auction.

The rediscovered relics will be displayed in the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence when it reopens next year as the Museo Galileo.

http://www.italymag.co.uk/

Wine of the Month: Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Ten years old and still going strong. First made in 1997 and released in 1999, Le Serre Nuove is a complex aromatic red by the acclaimed Tenuta dell’Ornellaia winery in Tuscany.

One of the Tenuta’s three wines, it came 12 years after the flagship Ornellaia and, like its big brother, it quickly garnered international praise.

Le Serre Nuove is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, mainly made with grapes from younger vineyards. Technically, it is a second vin, a byproduct of Ornellaia, because it is produced with base wines that don’t make the cut during the flagship wine’s extremely rigorous selection process.

But second vin doesn’t mean it is a second rate wine. Its combination of intense aroma, structure, balance, but also freshness, softness and approachability captured critics’ interest from the very early days.

Each of the base wines is fermented and aged separately, first in stainless steel vats, then in barrels. After 12 months, the blending takes place. Once blended, the wine is aged in barrels for three months, and in bottle for six more. The end result has been described as “gorgeous”, “mellifluous”, “very rich”, and “elegant”, and, over the years, was awarded a minimum of 88 points (for the 1997 vintage) and a maximum of 92 (for the 2004 vintage) by wine bible The Wine Spectator.

Now the tenth anniversary vintage, which dates from 2007, promises to be among Le Serre Nuove’s very best. The weather was perfect in September two years ago, with hot sunny days and cool nights, ensuring the grapes ripened to perfection.

"Having ideal conditions in September enabled a perfect, slow, steady ripening of the grapes," says Leonardo Raspini, general director and agronomist of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia. "In this way, the grapes mature with a good concentration of aromas and polyphenols and without any hint of overripening.”
The resulting wine has “a complex bouquet, with intense red berry fruit, sweet spice and balsamic mint and eucalyptus accents," according to Axel Heinz, winemaker of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia. “Ample and silky on the palate, it displays an elegant, deft tannic structure, fresh sweet fruit, and intense minty accents.”

The 2007 vintage of Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is available now.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Why are young people [and some of their mothers] flocking to the small Tuscan town of Volterra?

Ah, romance is far from dead in the twenty-first century and these particular pilgrims have set out for the “shrine” where Stephanie Meyer, the author of “Twilight” and “New Moon”, set a particularly important scene between her heroine Bella and Edward, the vampire she loves.

Volterra is also where the elite vampire coven, the Volturi, reside in the books and films of the “Twilight Saga”.

The film version of ”New Moon”, starring Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattinson as Edward, is due to be released on November 20th in the USA and Italy and on November 27th in the UK. Despite a vigorous online campaign for filming in Volterra the Italian scenes were actually shot in nearby Montepulciano but that has not stopped the townsfolk of Volterra from making the most of the tourism opportunity which has come their way: you can book Vampire Tours, New Moon weekends and a tour called “Hot on the trail of Bella and Edward”. You can buy “New Moon” mugs, calendars and even soaps.

Should you be in the town and suffer from “New Moon fatigue”, you can always explore the walled city itself, with its Roman Theatre, palaces, Museo Etrusco Guarnacci and twelfth century Duomo. And should you need a complete change of scene, you can escape to the medieval hill town of San Gimignano.
“New Moon” is not Volterra’s only claim to literary fame as the Italian novel “Chimaira” by Valerio Massimo Manfredi is set there and the town is mentioned in Dudley Pope’s “Captain Nicholas Ramage” series. In real life the French author Stendhal had a disastrous encounter with his unrequited love there.

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/volterra/vampire-trips-volterra

Chestnuts: a rare treat, and versatile too

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Hanging by a thread off laden branches, chestnuts sparkle like dark jewels.
They look like huge, fat raindrops, and gleam with a perfect deep brown gloss against the golden spines of the half-open burrs that hold them.
Deep inside—wrapped securely in the shiny peel's firm cocoon, sheltered by what remains of the prickly burrs—the straw-yellow core is ripening, getting ready to yield its sweet, nutty flavour to the voracious embrace of a roasting pan.

Soon starch will turn into sugar and the chestnuts will start falling with muffled thuds on the mossy undergrowth that carpets woods from Piedmont to Umbria.

Europe's oldest living chestnut tree, which stands in Sicily, is reputed to be more than 3,000 years old.
It is so big that legend wants it to have given shelter to a medieval queen, Joan of Aragon, and her escort of 100 knights on a stormy evening. If the story is true, it was already there when the Romans, who were great fans of the plant, started planting chestnut trees along the length and breadth of the Mediterranean basin.
The sweet nuts were so popular that even the empire's greatest poets sung of them in their work—in the Eclogues, Virgil recalled a dainty dish of chestnuts cooked in milk and eaten with cheese, while Martial raved about the roast ones he had in Naples.

In some areas, such as the Tuscan Apennine, chestnuts were the main staple since Roman times and throughout the Middle Ages - chiefly because of their nourishing qualities, though their reputation as aphrodisiacs can't have hurt.

Also from TuscanyIUmbria comes castagnaccio, a thin, textured, nutty cake made with chestnut flour peppered with pine nuts and rosemary.
Even richer is Monte Bianco, a rum-drizzled mountain of chestnut puree and cocoa, covered by a snow-white blanket of whipped cream.

And of course there are chestnut-filled tortelli, chestnut flour fritters,and the velvety marmellata di marroni—a chestnut puree blended with syrup and cooked until it becomes a deliciously sweet cream.

The best places to savour the nuts, both in traditional and innovative recipes, are the areas of production.
Virtually every hill or mountain wood in Italy will have a chestnut grove - they cover some 15% of Italy's wooded surface—but the most acclaimed nuts come from Tuscany and Umbria, Piedmont and Campania.

HOLIDAY VILLA PRICES REDUCED IN UMBRIA

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:33:00 +0000

Recent reports show that the cost of holiday villas, houses and apartments have reached a twelve year low and even here in Umbria property companies have taken note, cutting their prices to match the competition worldwide. As property investors have become savvier of late and after years of prices increases they are low looking for the ultimate in bargains.

With rumours abounding that the Market is about to change and despite the last years price fall they should be back on the way up. This is where the true speculator can make their money. Do you hold the prices low for another month; will villa purchases fall again next month? It’s a game of cat and mouse. At the moment the smart money is still on a price fall but would you want to gamble on that and end up paying more for that little piece of paradise you have been tracking over the internet.

Properties Umbria feel the market has finally steadied and have held their prices with a third discount off until the end of October. By then the money men should have resolved things and the economy will be back on the rise again. Don’t wait to long to put in your offer, you could be paying more next month.

UMBRIA, ITALY - HEALTH

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:20:00 +0000

My wife and I are both English and have been living in Umbria, Central Italy for almost 30 years. During that time various friends, clients and relatives have suffered from broken, shoulders, legs and ankles, have had heart attacks and nervous breakdowns, have torn their hands, cut their fingers and had things in their eyes, have suffered from perforated ulcers and internal haemorrhaging, but apart from that, have been pretty healthy! The local Italian, or Umbrian health service is outstanding.

So, our area of the Upper Tiber Valley is served by three excellent hospitals, Perugia, Umbertide and Citta’ di Castello. No-one, as far as I know has ever received a bill for more than €30 – 40 despite the cost of their treatment, ambulance transfers and after care. Excellent Umbrian Health care.

My visits to all these hospitals has found them to be clean, well equipped and caring. No-one waiting, or dying, in the casualty or emergency reception. No-one parked to live, or die, on trollys in corridors, no-one ever turned away because they hadn’t paid their medical insurance, and no-one being turned away uncured. unhelped or uncared for.

I can't rate the local health services more highly.

We run a country house, hotel, B&B, guest house called La Preghiera, rent a villa for holidays and vacations called Moscatelli, and build and restore ancient farmhouses, country houses or real estate and, depending on where our guests, friends and clients have come from, our local health service seems to be, like our home and properties, four star.

John Tunstill, Umbria, Italy.

HOUSE PRICE REDUCTION in UMBRIA ITALY

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:04:00 +0000

Several excellent country properties in Umbria's Upper Tiber Valley have had their prices slashed because the usual customers have lost real value in their pounds and dollars, and also lost heavily on the stock market, which has affected many pensioners plans.

These beautiful houses will be discounted until a property, or real estate, sale takes place, which will provide the turnover required to continue to employ the highly experienced craftsmen that continue to work on these sought-after buildings. All are situated between Umbertide, Montone, Cortona and Citta' di Castello in the Green Heart of Italy, Umbria's Upper Tiber Valley.

Umbria Jazz 09 - July 10 - 19

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:56:00 +0000

A great event !

The summer jazz Festival is back in Umbria with its old formula, meaning artistic quality that matches big numbers.
Umbria Jazz 09: 36 years of history 7 editions at Arena Santa Giuliana as main stage10 days of concerts (10 – 19 July )9 stages including the ones at the Arena,the theatres, squares and restaurants220 events, free for the most part550 performers66 Grammy Awards on the main stage at the ArenaThe eclectic line-up of Umbria Jazz Festival tells the spectators at what extent music can be different and the reasons why,if we talk about good music, it all deserves attention. Popular songwriters will be performing in Perugia ( Paolo Conte, Burt Bacharach, James Taylor) along with some extreme vanguards ( Cecil Taylor and George Lewis presenting the AACM project)and the sophisticated accredited pop authors (Steely Dan and Simply Red);the orthodox jazz with McCoy Tyner and Bill Frisell, the Roy Haynes Trio, Ahmad Jamal) ;
the ever-green standards (three tributes to Nat King Cole: George Benson with a big string orchestra, the crooner Allan Harris, Freddy Cole, the great singer’s brother) and the Black music (BB King, Solomon Burke, Maceo Parker, John Scofield with the New Orleans project).

It is worth mentioning the two encounters between the USA and Italy with Wynton Marsalis –Francesco Cafiso and the never seen before duo Chick Corea – Stefano Bollani. Charles Mingus music will be celebrated with the Mingus Dynasty and Quintorigo. Italian Jazz will be well represented, as usual with, among the others Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Gianluca Petrella, Enrico Pieranunzi, Renato Sellani, Danilo Rea, Roberto Gatto and Gabriele Mirabassi, plus the curious “intrusion” of Gino Paoli who shares a good feeling with the jazz music.
http://www.umbriajazz.com/

Experienced team of builders available

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Upper Tiber Valley, Mercatale, Sansepulcro, Citta' di Castello, Trestina, Montone, Umbertide etc.

Experienced team of builders available for reconstructions, redevelopments, alterations and additions, internal and external work, garden construction, drainage, swimming pools, car ports and garages.

10 years of working in the area on old, established and traditional buildings.

Portfolio of "then" and "now" photos.

Clear simple, concise and precise estimates and quotations available for all types of work.

References available since 1999.

Good relationship with local carpenters, electricians, plumbers and surveyors.

email info@lifeinumbria.com

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Words by Michelle Fabio

One of the most beloved Italian saints is St. Rita of Cascia, a native of Umbria who died in Cascia in 1456. Santa Rita is widely celebrated not only in the Green Heart of Italy but also throughout the country on her feast day, 22 May, with Mass, processions, and other festivities. St. Rita has a most interesting tale for a saint as she was married and had children.

Although St. Rita had always wanted to be a nun, she obeyed her elderly parents’ wishes to marry a harsh, immoral man when she was just 12 years old. She was a loyal wife and mother of twin sons for 18 years, but family life went sour when her husband was murdered and her sons sought revenge.

St. Rita tried to persuade them to change their minds, but when she realized nothing could stop them, she prayed they would be taken from Earth so they couldn’t commit murder themselves; they died of natural causes a year later. Alone in the world, St. Rita sought admission to the Augustinian convent in Cascia, but was refused because she was a widow. Eventually she was admitted, though--her entrance itself a miracle as she claimed to have been transported inside by her own patron saints, John the Baptist, Augustine, and Nicholas of Tolentino.

St. Rita is often portrayed holding roses and/or figs and sometimes with an injury to her head because when she had asked to suffer as Jesus had, a thorn from the Crown of Thorns on a figure of the crucifixion fell on her forehead and cut her. She is the patron saint of hopeless causes, abused women, and parenthood.

W Santa Rita!
http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/cascia/celebrating-st-rita-cascia

Festival Umbria Jazz - 2009

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:23:00 +0000

The wonderful frame of Umbria is the location of many special events in July 2009.

Festival Umbria Jazz, one of the most important appointments in Europe, will take place in Perugia from 10th to 19th July 2009, with no stop shows of different kind of music.The event, very famous all around the world from its first edition in 1973, includes artists such as Simply Red, Donna Summer, Gino Paoli and Paolo Conte.

Perugia is the marvellous city in Umbria full of monuments and things to do.

A luxury guest house in Umbria, La Preghiera, originally a 12th Century monastery, is an historic house which has been restored to an elegant country house estate offering bed and breakfast accommodation near Perugia is glad to offer 15% discount for a stay of three night or more in selected rooms

For availability email: info@lapreghiera.com, www.lapreghiera.com

May's Programme of Events

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:40:00 +0000

May truly sees the start of the festa season, with the Umbrian town of Gubbio staging two of the big events of the year. Both the Festa dei Ceri (the candle race) and Palio della Balestra (crossbow competition) are unmisable occassions in the Upper Tiber Valley calendar.

Until 7th Citta di Castello, Piazza Vitelli, Exhibition covering a range of furniture, arts and crafts
1st - 3rd Citerna “Citerna Fotografia” exhibition of photos by Vasco Ascolini
1st – 3rd Pistrino 19th annual “festa dei fiori” agricultural and flower show.
4th – 13th Cdi C Stadio Bernicchi holds the “Trofeo Cartoedit” junior football tournament.
6th – 8th Cdi C Cathedral, 11th E. Zangarelli musical competition for school children.
7th – 9th Assisi Medieval festival in period costume, archery, processions, flag waving and jousting.
10th S. Giustino Antiques market.
10th Lisciano Niccone “Lo Scambivendolo, agricultural, biological and antiques market.
14th – 17th Cdi C Zoccolanti, the popular religious festival for St Pasquale.
15th Gubbio Festa dei Ceri, the ancient race through the streets of Gubbio
17th Cdi C Piazza Metteotti, Antiques market.
17th Montone 6th Umbertide Endurance motorbike race.
24th Gubbio Replica of the Ceri race in miniture
24th – 2nd Cerbara 24th annual Countryside Cherry festival.
24th Monte S. M Tiberina Ascension Day, featuring a historical procession.
30th -2nd Cdi C Piazza Matteotti, Moto in an open air concert.
30th – 31st Cdi C Communal Pool, 22nd International Swimming competition.
31st Umbertide,Scula Media Mavarelli, 44th annual “Fotografia Umbria” exhibition of photographic equipment.
31st Gubbio The famous medieval Crossbow competition.
31st Cdi C Stadio Comunale, “Matty & Co” football tournament.

Seeking to buy a farmhouse in Umbria (3)

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:37:00 +0000

In answer to your questions:

Budget - € 600,000 for a habitable property
Useage - living full time
Land - large enough for self sufficiency, vegetables/ olives/ grapes/ fruit etc.
Outbuildings - to be turned into holiday accommodation for guests, not to run a B&B.
Distance to village – within 10km

............thanks for this and the list of "possibles"

A check list for the properties you have listed matched against your requirements above

	Budget / Price	Restoration Budget	Land Required	Outbuildings	High Position
	550 000	0	1000 sqmt?
1204 Due Campane,	550 000			yes	yes
008 Villa Colle,	450 000			yes	yes
019 Lugelle,	275 000			no	no
020 Lugande,	375 000			yes	no
029 Casa Giulia,	450 000			yes	yes
556b Ruffignano	600 000			no	yes
890 Cipressi,	600 000			yes	yes

Properties in a ruined condition in this area of Italy cost in the region of € 750 / 1000 per square meter. Rebuilding costs are some € 1000 sqmt. So with rebuilding and or restoration most of these properties are out of budget, and the others are situated in a low position.

An average family house, see 012 Moscatelli, is some 175 sqmt, holiday accommodation for a family of four needs to be some 80 sqmt.
Land for self sufficiency, obviously depending on crops, would be some 1000 sqmt

You will quickly see that on a budget of € 550,000 you have to work backwards and more or less divide this sum by 2000 which is the probable cost of a rebuilt building, taking into account fees, taxes, etc etc., so we come down to some 275sqmt of affordable building.
So, from your list:
1204 has 590 sqmt, so probably too large,
008, has 1000 sqmt "
019, has 240 sqmt, ideal, but low position
020, has 300 sqmt, a bit larger, but with an annex for guests, also a low position
029, 1220 sqmt, and a ruin
556b, part of a complex to be rebuilt, but no land for cultivation
890, 600 sqmt, highish with views, with sufficient land, with four structures which could be rebuilt over time. But as the cost exceeds your budget and as there is no provision for restoration costs, also out of the possibilities.

So we now need to look for something in your budget serving most of your requirements:
Reconsider the position of 019 Lugelle, as size, land and condition are adequate
002 Terra Nuova Marte, lowish
Part of 004 Casetta, good position
103 Ruscello, low, but with a stream
379 Petriolo, which can be enlarged by 100 sqmt, high with a spring
502 Rovina, low, with a stream
Part of 889 Meotti, excellent high position
936 Palazetto Nuovo, total expenditure within budget, with exceptional views, 2km from Montone, and bearing in mind that the additional cost of guest space of some 80 sqmt for occasional use would far exceed the cost of renting an adjacent property for the times when guests are in the area.
1044 Rosa Spina, ugly, habitable, all services connected, outbuildings, views and land. Superficial cosmetics on the main structure would transform the property.
1130 Santa Lucia, not sufficient land but adjacent farmers would probably be willing to rent a field or two.
1142 Casa Rocca is also a distinct possibility as the price, position, land and condition seem to match your requirements

Plenty to think about

Look forward to meeting up with you to discuss the possibilities further.

Seeking to buy a farmhouse in Umbria (2)

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Properties with a high position, in reasonable/good condition with outbuildings also include:

Maybe 028 Lorca, 890 Cipressi, 1081 Calcinaro, all on www.propertiesumbria.com and 1044 Rosa Spina, details attached.

See you next month.

Seeking to buy a farmhouse in Umbria

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I am seeking to buy a farmhouse in Umbria suitable for restoration and would be interested to see if you have anything suitable.

.................the majority of our properties are to be seen on the site www.propertiesumbria.com.

The property would be situated in a high position, would have outbuildings, access to water/well and a fair amount of land and should be mainly habitable Some restoration could be undertaken.

.............all the properties have a water source. How much land do you require, what size of house or what is your budget?

We will be in Italy soon and would be interested in viewing some properties, would it be possible to set up an appointment to do so?

...........yes, of course. Let me know if you find anything on our site, perhaps 026 Tenuta could be a start. Let me have an idea of the size you require and your budget.

Best wishes

John Tunstill

Events over Easter in Umbria

noreply@blogger.com (John Tunstill) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Yes Spring is finally in the air, the days are getting longer and warmer and the first hints of green are appearing. This is reflected in the range of activities that continue to grow as the heat of Summer arrives. This month we have a wide range of entertainment to appeal to all tastes, plays, sporting events and fairs, especially with Easter around the corner.

Photo by Umbriart

5th April Palm Sunday

5th “Trofeo Alta Valle del Tevere” cycling competition around Citta di Castello and its surrounding countryside. www.unioneciclistica.it

8th April – Cantori di Assisi – From 9pm in the Basilica of St Clara the Assisi Choir will be holding their Easter recital.

10th April – Procession by the citizens of Montone in medieval costume.

10th April - Good Friday procession – Statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary will be paraded through the streets of the old centre of Citta di Castello. 8pm.

10th April – The procession of Christ in Gubbio, a tradition which dates back to the 13th Century will start at 7pm and be led by the Brothers of the Church of St Croce della Foce, accompanied by two choirs; the procession makes its way through the torch-lit streets.

Until 11th April - Umbertide - April Exhibition of the Great War in the Upper Tiber Valley, in the Fabbrica Moderna, Piazza Marx

12th April – Pietralunga holds its traditional egg festival “Tocciata” in the main piazza from 11am.

12th April - Piazza Garibaldi, Assisi, Giant Easter Egg exhibition, showing the talents of the local school children.

18th – 26th April – Settimana Della Cultura/ Seven Days of Culture – Perugia. A week of events, guided tours, activities and exhibitions throughout Perugia. Celebrating its cultural heritage and encouraging the public to participate in discovering their own talents. For more information: www.beniculturali.it

19th April – Antiques Market – Citta di Castello

25th April – Descending the Tiber 2009, now celebrates the 30th anniversary of this event where canoeists row from Citta di Castello to Rome. www.discesadeltevere.org

25th April – Flag Waving and Bell Ringing Festival – Gubbio, Piazza Grande, 11.30am

26th April – Walk in the Woods – an organised ramble through the lovely Montone countryside to the Castle Carpini. Starts at 12.30 in the Piazza Fortebraccio, Montone.

Italians to snub ST Valentine's day

infoitpr@gmail.com (Yuliya Zagumennikova) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:02:00 +0000

More than half of Italians expecting a gift from their lovers on Valentine's Day this weekend are in for a disappointment, the Coldiretti farmers' group said Thursday.
Some 52% of people in a poll by the union said they had no intention of digging into their pockets for a romantic present this year - an increase of 7% on Valentine rubbishers in 2008.

The economic crisis will also take its toll on lovers planning to shell out this year, with more people opting for cheaper gifts like flowers (25%) and clothes (11%), Coldiretti said.Around 9% of Italians said they would buy chocolates or sweets - a 5% drop on 2008 figures, while just 3% were planning to buy jewellery - down 6% on last year.
But the group said florists expected to sell 20 million flowers this year, including 14 million roses, at a cost of 75 million euros.Another farmers' group, CIA, said around 50% of under-18s would not buy presents this year, but 35% of these would say 'I love you' by SMS or email.

The president of consumer rights group Codacons, Carlo Rienzi, meanwhile started an official campaign to ''cancel St Valentine's from the calendar as a form of protest, not against those in love, but against a pointless recurrence of unrestrained consumerism''.''Let's be honest, St Valentine's Day gets on everyone's nerves - both for singles, who feel alone and a bit sad, and for those in couples, who feel obliged to give something because of social convention,'' Rienzi said on his website, www.carlorienzi.it.''

People who are really in love should not feel pressured by this symbol of consumerism but should celebrate their love every day,'' he added.Consumer rights association Adoc confirmed that lovers will also be saving their pennies on Valentine's meals, with 65% deciding to stay home and cook rather than go to a restaurant.
Among the most popular dishes people planned to prepare on Saturday were polenta with creamed cheese, 'trofie' pasta with flowers and pesto and buffalo mozzarella with tomato mousse, followed up by chili-pepper-flavoured chocolate, strawberries or spumante.Not everyone was shying away from grand romantic gestures, however.

A Genoa bus driver has forked out 400 euros for advertising space on three city buses, one of which he drives, and which now bear the message ''Federica, I live for you only'' as a Valentine's present to his wife.''It was simply a way of showing my love and affection for my wife. We've been married for 12 years and I love her to distraction,'' the doting driver said.

Consumer moans are also unlikely to stop lovers from turning out in droves at St Valentine's birthplace at Terni in Umbria. Each year couples swear undying passion in the cathedral that houses the saint's head.Couples also flock each year to the small Sardinian town of Sadali near Nuoro to ask the saint to look kindly on them and bless engagements.

The ritual has been going on for centuries in the town's 15th-century church, only the second in Italy to be devoted to St Valentine.In local dialect the saint is affectionately known as Su Coiadori (''he who betrothes'') and many of the couples expect their pilgrimage to bless their marriage (''coias'' in dialect).As well as saintly enterprises, Italy boasts other romantic rites for St Valentine's Day.The small southern town of Vico del Gargano, for instance, has a 300-year-old tradition of garlanding a lovers' lane.

http://www.italymag.co.uk
Published on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 08:56 Life & Style