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Moving to Tuscany

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Vicino
sebastiano
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stv2100
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Post by stv2100 Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:20 pm

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum so I would like to introduce myself. 

My name is Romano and I'm of Italian/Scottish descent. I've been visiting Italy for a long time and have always had the idea of moving there one day. At 45 years old, that day has finally come. I have just applied for voluntary severance from my job as a manufacturing engineer with Rolls Royce and, hopefully, it will be accepted.

I plan to rent my home here and move to my family home in Gioviano (Borgo a Mozzano) as soon as possible. I'm planning to secure work (I hope) within a year and will be using my upper floor as a holiday let.

It would be nice to be a part of a larger community of ex-pats who have moved to the region and I was wondering if forum members ever meet up for coffee or events.

Is there anyone in or around the Lucca area?

See you all soon.

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:50 pm

Warm welcome and thanks for a lovely introduction...  Smile  Smile  I would also like to wish you and your family all the very best for the future...

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Post by stv2100 Thu Feb 13, 2014 12:32 am

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:Warm welcome and thanks for a lovely introduction...  Smile  Smile  I would also like to wish you and your family all the very best for the future...



Thanks for the welcome Steve. 


I'm getting quite excited at the prospect of moving now. I have relatives in Gioviano, my Uncle and my cousins, so the transition should be easier for us than if we were moving without knowing anyone, but it would be nice to meet up with the forum community. 


My social life should be ok due to my cousins having their own band (Retropalco) They perform in various cities every weekend throughout Toscana, so it will keep me busy following them. My cousin Moreno has a girlfriend from Abruzzo who also has her own band, lo Zio e la Zia, perhaps you have heard of them.

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Post by sebastiano Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:10 am

Hi Romano,good to read your post and wish you sincerely good luck to you and your family on your move.
You certainly have some "pros" on your side italian/british descent, a family,relatives in the area,and the right age (it would be harder later on).The only aspects which could be/are always difficult  are , firstly taxation aspects, for example ,you will as a resident have to enter the italian tax system (only one door..." IN") They will tax you on any property and or income you may have in the UK or elsewhere and if you didn't declare it they would find out as they " share" info with HMRC.
The other thing is work, there are places in the country where you could very probably with your CV obtain work even in the same sector in which you have been working...but they (the places) are not in Tuscany..more likely to be in the north of the country.And the employment situation in Italy can be described at best as "dire". Holiday rentals for the flat etc could certainly provide an income supplement but would not provide an income.
On the positive side, again ,you will find a greater comunity spirit ,generally, if you have young children,early schooling is quite positive, better than often in the UK,upper schooling is more of an issue.
We don't live in the north of Tuscany we're over the other side of the mountains..in the Marche which  on many scores, has a similar cultural matrix with Tuscany.Anyway,good luck and keep us informed.If you need any info please feel free to mail us
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Post by Vicino Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:50 am

Hi stv2100(Romano).........What a very good intro, and superb comment from sebastiano making you aware of some VERY  significant factors to consider, DO NOT underestimate the challenges of the points he has made.

Having said that, life wherever one lives nowadays is full of challenges and you seem to have a lot of things going for you.

Good luck in your move and keep in touch with us all here, this forum should become a very valuable resource for the future for you.

V  sunny


Last edited by Vicino on Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:05 am; edited 1 time in total
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Post by Flip Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:43 am

Hi Romano and welcome. We live not far from you just outside Bagni Di Lucca, so feel free to PM me with anything you wish to know. I know of Gioviano, isn't that where they shot some of the scenes for 'Miracle of Santa Anna' about the black US soldiers?
There is not much work in the area though as many of the paper factories and wood yards have closed due to the recession, but there is always room for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, by the way did you work at RR in Bristol or Derby? Anyway best of luck.
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:29 am

stv2100 wrote:
stevegwmonkseaton wrote:Warm welcome and thanks for a lovely introduction...  Smile  Smile  I would also like to wish you and your family all the very best for the future...

Thanks for the welcome Steve. ....


....... My cousin Moreno has a girlfriend from Abruzzo who also has her own band, lo Zio e la Zia, perhaps you have heard of them.

Afraid not, but we will now look out for them...  Smile  Smile

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Post by ghiro Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:36 am

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:Warm welcome and thanks for a lovely introduction...  Smile  Smile  I would also like to wish you and your family all the very best for the future...
Me too stv2100!  Smile  Smile  Smile
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Post by stv2100 Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:43 pm

Flip wrote:Hi Romano and welcome. We live not far from you just outside Bagni Di Lucca, so feel free to PM me with anything you wish to know. I know of Gioviano, isn't that where they shot some of the scenes for 'Miracle of Santa Anna' about the black US soldiers?There is not much work in the area though as many of the paper factories and wood yards have closed due to the recession, but there is always room for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, by the way did you work at RR in Bristol or Derby? Anyway best of luck.


Yes, the beginning of the movie was shot in Piano (lower) di Gioviano in the Serchio river. It must have been a strange sight for all the older people who remember real Nazis running around the area. I believe the house we have in Gioviano was once used as a fascist headquarter for the area. I remember my Nonna telling me stories of her father getting castor oil poured down his throat in that very house for speaking out against Mussolini.

I've had a look at jobs in the area, and there are quite a few in and around Lucca that I could apply for. I have a very broad skill set (engineering, design, industrial engineering, lean manufacturing etc) which can be adapted to suit many roles and industries.

To be honest, I would happily pack the shelves in Conad and get minimum wage, as long as it buys food and pays the basic bills. I'm quite happy just to be in Italy and rarely crave for luxuries beyond my means these days (maybe the wisdom of old age creeping in).

I have enough funds to last us for a couple of years before I have to admit defeat and return to Scotland.

I also have a 3d printer and a vinyl cutter/plotter which I can use for making items to sell on ebay (done this in Scotland so hopefully shouldn't be much different in Italy)

I work at Rolls Royce in Glasgow, but I have visited many of the other sites around the world, including Derby & Bristol.

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Post by Perlasca Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:24 pm

Hi Romano and welcome

With your Glaswegian connection (my OH is rom Langbank) and your nonna's memories you might be interested in this:
http://camp59survivors.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/sidney-seymour-smith-a-mystery-solved/

Good luck with the move - at least the weather will be better!

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Post by ghiro Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:22 pm

What a sad, but interesting, story Perlasca.  Thank you. 

It's heartwarming that the local Italians still remember with flowers the sites where British boys were executed by the Fascists.  There are 2 such memorials in northern Tuscany where 4 SAS soldiers were killed in 1943 ( http://www.brianlettauthor.com/SAS_in_Tuscany.htm ) which I have visited.

Sorry stv2100 to go off thread. Sad


Last edited by ghiro on Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:24 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Make link work!)
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Post by Torrione Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:56 am

Hi Romano and welcome


If you have a 3D printer and you haven't come across them before, have a look at the MakeTank site. To quote:  "They are a multi-vendor marketplace where people who combine design and artisanship with digital fabrication and open hardware techniques can list and sell their work." This includes 3D printing - they are based in Florence.
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Post by stv2100 Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:33 am

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. There are a few online resources that allow you to upload and sell 3d printed products but it's good to have one on my doorstep.

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