Recommended towns to consider living in?

by Lisa C. Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:31 pm

We have been exploring southern Marche, Basilicata and possibly Abruzzo as places to retire to within the next few years. We have been to the province of Teramo several times but were not overly impressed with the area. We thought that Atri and Campli seemed like nice towns but that the area in general did not compare with the beauty of southern Marche, including the layouts of the towns.

We would like to live near or in a town that has some life, ie a restaurant, bar, year round, rather than a place that is basically for vacation home owners, whether Italian or stranieri. We both speak Italian and really want to become a part of the community. Decent healthcare is also a factor. We had lived near Pisa many years ago while my husband attend university and had quite a few Italian friends.

We are looking for an area where the winters are not too harsh, as we currently live in northern New England and get tons of snow and freezing weather. We do love the mountains and would like to be in view of them. A friend had suggested that we check out Sulmona and Penne and I was hoping that some of you might have feedback on these areas and hopefully some others as well. Thanks very much.

by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:42 pm

Penne is similar to Atri, but IMHO not quite as nice. Sulmona we've have not visited, but have passed by and know people from there. Nearby Pacentro was beautiful, but I suspect you are looking for something with a bit more life (from what we have been told Sulmona would certainly fit). Loreto Aprutino, near Penne is another to look at, but again that may be too small for you. I'm surprised you did not like the Teramo area as it's quite similar to South Marche, but then again it depends on what you are looking for, when you visit and for how long. Ask away for any others you come up with - have a look at Chieti perhaps (further South), many seem to be buying there and property is generally less costly...

by Lisa C. Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:03 pm

Thanks so much for responding, Steve. We will definitely have a look at Loreto Aprutino. I don't think it would be too small. We do want to have things like an alimentari and forno nearby but I assume they would have those types of services. We have seen a lot of pylons in the province of Teramo and quite a bit of industrial sprawl in certain locations as well as a lot of building going on that we were turned off to. If you don't mind my asking, what town do you live near and how do you find life in your village? How is the weather? We would like ideally not to have temperatures that hit freezing as we have had enough of that!

We will be coming over sometime during mid-October for 3 weeks, spending some time in Abruzzo, Le Marche and then Pisa, visiting friends.

by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:21 pm

Lisa C. wrote:Thanks so much for responding, Steve. We will definitely have a look at Loreto Aprutino. I don't think it would be too small. We do want to have things like an alimentari and forno nearby but I assume they would have those types of services. We have seen a lot of pylons in the province of Teramo and quite a bit of industrial sprawl in certain locations as well as a lot of building going on that we were turned off to. If you don't mind my asking, what town do you live near and how do you find life in your village? How is the weather? We would like ideally not to have temperatures that hit freezing as we have had enough of that!We will be coming over sometime during mid-October for 3 weeks, spending some time in Abruzzo, Le Marche and then Pisa, visiting friends.

No problem Lisa. We live not far from Atri, between there and the small towns of Bisenti and Montefino. From what you have said I'm sure Loreto would have just about enough for you, but Sulmona is likely a better bet. I'm sure you will be aware that you will need to commute now and then and although Loreto has good services, it is central Abruzzo i.e. not near the motorway. The airport is close enough, but if you need to use Rome, then you need motorway access. It's not too far, but in bad weather.... Talking of which, apart from the coast, and even there, you will get sub-zero temperatures. Not often, but it does happen, as does snow and lots of it at times. We live at around 400m and a few years back we were snowed in (12 foot in places) for 2-3 days. Saying that the weather will be no different from that of Marche, if not better as that is further North. Also it should be noted we have had 25c in January, but the days were/are short.
I well understand your point about the industrial aspect of Abruzzo, we found it the same and very different from say Tuscany, although we found places near Pisa also very industrial. Then again it's certainly not as manufactured as the latter and it does have places where you won't notice a pylon (but you do need them for electric... Smile

). It is a poor region, but not without people with great wealth, property is cheap, roads and facilities poor and that's why property is cheap... Sorry, but we don't actually live in a village, we live in a rural area, nearest village/town with bar, ferramenta (important DIY type place) and shop/small supermarket is around 2k distant. All of these are open all year around, as is/are the restaurants near by. It's well worth posting on this forum, if you have not already done so, to get more input Abruzzo forum . Let me know if you want more info or if I missed anything.

by Lisa C. Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:06 pm

Thanks again, Steve,

The areas that we seem to be drawn to range between 350 - 700 metres in southern Marche and about 700 metres in the Basilicata. Overall do you think the winter is pleasant there especially in winter? We have snow starting about November through April or so and get some sub-zero weather, Fahrenheit, in winter. When we get windy days, it can be quite frigid. We too, live in the country now and would ideally prefer to be outside of a town but not isolated or too far. One of my husband's main qualifications is that we have a garden and hopefully a mountain view.

We stayed at this agriturismo a few years ago and the surrounding area was very pretty although the town wasn't much:

Agriturismo Villa Fiore, Torano Nuovo

I will also post on the other forum you recommended. Thanks!

by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:24 pm

Lisa 700M is high and snow would be often and almost for the duration of the period you quote. Fahrenheit I stopped using for a while Smile

A difficult question on the weather front as we come from a cold area of England, so find the weather here superb in winter. I would say most of the days you will see sunshine in the months you quote, but some weeks or more you may see none. Not sure why, but when it's cold here, say 23F, it feels like 14F used to back in the UK... Which I reckon is down to the cold coming off those mountains you like (so do we). Think you need to just look at Italy over all, where it is placed and the further South you go the warmer, but yes places in Marche and Abruzzo (as well as others here I guess) do have their own microclimates. Good luck on your search and ask away if needed.

by casa del campanile Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:00 pm

Lisa C. wrote:We have been exploring southern Marche, Basilicata and possibly Abruzzo as places to retire to within the next few years. We have been to the province of Teramo several times but were not overly impressed with the area. We thought that Atri and Campli seemed like nice towns but that the area in general did not compare with the beauty of southern Marche, including the layouts of the towns.We would like to live near or in a town that has some life, ie a restaurant, bar, year round, rather than a place that is basically for vacation home owners, whether Italian or stranieri. We both speak Italian and really want to become a part of the community. Decent healthcare is also a factor. We had lived near Pisa many years ago while my husband attend university and had quite a few Italian friends.We are looking for an area where the winters are not too harsh, as we currently live in northern New England and get tons of snow and freezing weather. We do love the mountains and would like to be in view of them. A friend had suggested that we check out Sulmona and Penne and I was hoping that some of you might have feedback on these areas and hopefully some others as well. Thanks very much.

by casa del campanile Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:02 pm

You might have a look at Fivizzano and environs in Lunigiana. It is 30-40 minutes from the autostrada at Aulla on a well maintained "highway.' About 1.5 hour drive from Pisa airport. It is a fortress city, historical, good medical facilities including a hospital, etc., a train depot in another village a few miles away, bus service, a number of restaurants, bars, including Elvetica which hosts the English book library, Oxfam English library and store, active Expat community, An ideal location for someone who wants to be out of the tourist traffic, yet not too far from "civilization." Had we been able to find a suitable property when we were looking, we would have bought in Fivizzano. They also have an extensive market in the square every Tuesday, I think. It is just below the mountain range that has a fairly good ski resort. Not sure of winter snowfall, if any, or temps. Maybe someone from there might weigh in on that subject.
Good luck,
Fred

by Lisa C. Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:52 pm

casa del campanile wrote:You might have a look at Fivizzano and environs in Lunigiana. It is 30-40 minutes from the autostrada at Aulla on a well maintained "highway.' About 1.5 hour drive from Pisa airport. It is a fortress city, historical, good medical facilities including a hospital, etc., a train depot in another village a few miles away, bus service, a number of restaurants, bars, including Elvetica which hosts the English book library, Oxfam English library and store, active Expat community, An ideal location for someone who wants to be out of the tourist traffic, yet not too far from "civilization." Had we been able to find a suitable property when we were looking, we would have bought in Fivizzano. They also have an extensive market in the square every Tuesday, I think. It is just below the mountain range that has a fairly good ski resort. Not sure of winter snowfall, if any, or temps. Maybe someone from there might weigh in on that subject.Good luck,Fred

Thanks very much for the suggestion, Fred. We did check out Fivizzano about 4 years ago and thought it seemed like a nice town but we weren't that crazy about the Lunigiana in general. One of the things we are actually hoping to avoid is a large Expat community although we realize in some of the areas we are looking at that it may be rather difficult to do. Perhaps we will take another look at it when we are in Pisa. All ideas are welcome. Italy will be our permanent home so we want to do our best to ensure that we are happy wherever we do choose to live.

by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:43 pm

Lisa C. wrote:
casa del campanile wrote:..... One of the things we are actually hoping to avoid is a large Expat community although we realize in some of the areas we are looking at that it may be rather difficult to do. ..... Italy will be our permanent home so we want to do our best to ensure that we are happy wherever we do choose to live.

.... then I think you do want to avoid Penne! We loved Fivizzano, but must admit it was our first rural venture in Italy and we failed to look around because we enjoyed it so much, lovely town.
I think you are doing the right thing looking around and planning ahead. Perhaps "where" to be could come later, if you have not already thought about it I would suggest you look at renting. Something else that struck me from your post on an accountant, I was thinking it might be better they were nearby where you end up. But it was my reason for thinking this - internet is critical to us and many we know, so you might just want to pop it on your list - high up! Smile

by Lisa C. Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:57 pm

Thanks very much Steve. I knew Penne had some stranieri, but didn't realize there was a large number of them. As far as the accountant goes, I am looking to contact one now with some retirement planning questions I have. It won't be as much of an issue once I have the questions answered. We do need internet, though. Very Happy

by stevegwmonkseaton Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:07 pm

This might be of use to Lisa and others Sulmona LINK

by Lisa C. Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:29 pm

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:This might be of use to Lisa and others Sulmona LINK

Thanks Steve!

by Rainbow Maiden Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:26 am

I have recently returned from the Chieti region and love it. We stayed near Casoli which is a very lively hilltop town just 20 mins from the coast. I would quite happily live there.

by stevegwmonkseaton Tue Aug 12, 2014 5:54 pm

Come on this must be YW, it's a dump and the worst part of Abruzzo you could go to, bit like Blackpool with more English... tongue

by Rainbow Maiden Thu Aug 14, 2014 6:50 pm

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:Come on this must be YW, it's a dump and the worst part of Abruzzo you could go to, bit like Blackpool with more English...

Sorry you have lost me completely. I really enjoyed Casoli and feel it is rather unkind to compare it to Blackpool. It appears to be a lively town and the poster wanted to know about different areas.

by Lisa C. Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:17 pm

I really appreciate your recommendation Rainbow. You are right I am asking Forum members for suggestions and appreciate any tidbits that anyone would like to share with my on the best places to live in Abruzzo.

by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:26 pm

Rainbow Maiden wrote:
stevegwmonkseaton wrote:Come on this must be YW, it's a dump and the worst part of Abruzzo you could go to, bit like Blackpool with more English...
Sorry you have lost me completely. I really enjoyed Casoli and feel it is rather unkind to compare it to Blackpool. It appears to be a lively town and the poster wanted to know about different areas.

... I thought you were an old friend winding me up! Embarassed

by sebastiano Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:24 am

Lisa C. wrote:We have been exploring southern Marche, Basilicata and possibly Abruzzo as places to retire to within the next few years. We have been to the province of Teramo several times but were not overly impressed with the area. We thought that Atri and Campli seemed like nice towns but that the area in general did not compare with the beauty of southern Marche, including the layouts of the towns.We would like to live near or in a town that has some life, ie a restaurant, bar, year round, rather than a place that is basically for vacation home owners, whether Italian or stranieri. We both speak Italian and really want to become a part of the community. Decent healthcare is also a factor. We had lived near Pisa many years ago while my husband attend university and had quite a few Italian friends.We are looking for an area where the winters are not too harsh, as we currently live in northern New England and get tons of snow and freezing weather. We do love the mountains and would like to be in view of them. A friend had suggested that we check out Sulmona and Penne and I was hoping that some of you might have feedback on these areas and hopefully some others as well. Thanks very much.

Although the reality of this for us,thanks to the government is still a little way off i have started pressuring my wife to enter my mindset to make decisions about what we will do and where we want to be in the future (ie. post retirement)on the basis that our current property in the southern marche will be too big for us (when we finally close our agriturismo) with too much land to maintain.So we discussed where we might want to be in the future.We both instantly agreed that we would not return to northern italy where we both spent most of our adult lives.We both agreed that we did not want to go to the south of italy "for a lot of reasons" despite a mild climate with few or no heating costs.Then almost to my surprise my wife said (she's sicilian) that she preferred to "stay in this area"(prov.Fermo/Ascoli Piceno) i tend to agree.The bottom line is that in a few years we will look for a cottage max 2 bedrooms /small garden ,enough for vegetable growing/outside any village/town .-not in a town at an altitude max 200-300 metres slm.between here area Amandola and the coast.Categoric NOT at the coast.Hence a milder climate than here (we're at 600mt.) relatively easy access to coast/highway etc.WISP ONE now provides an excellent hi speed internet wi-fi service in the area quite cheaply.Over the years we've been able to experiment the excellent health service available in the Marche" on our own skin"and the regional university hospital in Ancona is a real star of excellence not many know that it was the first hospital in the world after university college london (where they invented the cat scanner)to have one.Anyway summing up all the parameters we think we've found the right area so for our last bit of life we think it's not going to be complicated to find the right smaller house ..actually we are not prepared to look at lots of houses as we are not looking for the holy grail..thats it.

by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:01 am

Sounds like a great recommendation to me. Best of luck when you do come to finding what sounds like a well deserved and thought out retirement. Smile

by Lisa C. Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:31 pm

sebastiano wrote:
Lisa C. wrote:We have been exploring southern Marche, Basilicata and possibly Abruzzo as places to retire to within the next few years. We have been to the province of Teramo several times but were not overly impressed with the area. We thought that Atri and Campli seemed like nice towns but that the area in general did not compare with the beauty of southern Marche, including the layouts of the towns.We would like to live near or in a town that has some life, ie a restaurant, bar, year round, rather than a place that is basically for vacation home owners, whether Italian or stranieri. We both speak Italian and really want to become a part of the community. Decent healthcare is also a factor. We had lived near Pisa many years ago while my husband attend university and had quite a few Italian friends.We are looking for an area where the winters are not too harsh, as we currently live in northern New England and get tons of snow and freezing weather. We do love the mountains and would like to be in view of them. A friend had suggested that we check out Sulmona and Penne and I was hoping that some of you might have feedback on these areas and hopefully some others as well. Thanks very much.
Although the reality of this for us,thanks to the government is still a little way off i have started pressuring my wife to enter my mindset to make decisions about what we will do and where we want to be in the future (ie. post retirement)on the basis that our current property in the southern marche will be too big for us (when we finally close our agriturismo) with too much land to maintain.So we discussed where we might want to be in the future.We both instantly agreed that we would not return to northern italy where we both spent most of our adult lives.We both agreed that we did not want to go to the south of italy "for a lot of reasons" despite a mild climate with few or no heating costs.Then almost to my surprise my wife said (she's sicilian) that she preferred to "stay in this area"(prov.Fermo/Ascoli Piceno) i tend to agree.The bottom line is that in a few years we will look for a cottage max 2 bedrooms /small garden ,enough for vegetable growing/outside any village/town .-not in a town at an altitude max 200-300 metres slm.between here area Amandola and the coast.Categoric NOT at the coast.Hence a milder climate than here (we're at 600mt.) relatively easy access to coast/highway etc.WISP ONE now provides an excellent hi speed internet wi-fi service in the area quite cheaply.Over the years we've been able to experiment the excellent health service available in the Marche" on our own skin"and the regional university hospital in Ancona is a real star of excellence not many know that it was the first hospital in the world after university college london (where they invented the cat scanner)to have one.Anyway summing up all the parameters we think we've found the right area so for our last bit of life we think it's not going to be complicated to find the right smaller house ..actually we are not prepared to look at lots of houses as we are not looking for the holy grail..thats it.

Thanks Sebastiano! We actually met last September as we had dinner at your wonderful agriturismo with an English couple, Ann and Malcolm. We are American. We had a nice conversation with you about the area and we have been coming there for about 8 years or so, usually staying in Monte Rinaldo at the agriturismo there..

It sounds like we are looking for a similar property - two bedrooms, a garden and ideally a mountain view. So far, most of the towns that we keep being drawn to are Montelparo, Monte Rinaldo, Santa Vittoria, all at higher altitudes than we might like, and with not much life to them. I wasn't sure how they are year round? We have never lived in a town but are considering it as long as we have an outside garden area. If in the countryside, we don't want to be too far from a town. Our big concern is that we do not want to be isolated and that we are able to make friends, especially with Italians. We were wondering if you had specific recommendations? We were thinking about having a look again at Offida as it is a decent sized town. We know the area very well and would love to hear more of your thoughts. I also appreciate hearing about the health service as good quality care is very important as we all age. We are used to living in the country now and have 10 acres to maintain (getting to be a bit much), but the supermarket is a 5 minute drive, while cultural opportunities are about 45 minutes away. We would like to not be far from restaurants, bars, etc and other places where people can meet up.

by Lagartija Nick Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:48 am

Rainbow Maiden wrote:I have recently returned from the Chieti region and love it. We stayed near Casoli which is a very lively hilltop town just 20 mins from the coast. I would quite happily live there.

I gather there was a joke with reference to this post, but just to say. Casoli is a lively town with a few very good restaurants and friendly bars, it does have a smallish ex-pat community in the town itself but the surrounding area has quite a few Brits and Americans residing there. Good if you ever need help, so don't dismiss the ex-pat community.

Nearby town of Palombaro has lots of Brits and one mentioned to me a week ago that he wished he'd had known how many as he feels it's like Little Britain (no comparison to the TV series) and he'd have chosen to buy elsewhere.

The local towns of Pianibbe, Altino and Roccascalegna are worthy of a visit.

If you'd like any more information about the surrounding areas Rainbow Maiden, PM me and I'll answer any questions you may have.

by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:09 am

Lagartija Nick wrote:
Rainbow Maiden wrote:I have recently returned from the Chieti region and love it. We stayed near Casoli which is a very lively hilltop town just 20 mins from the coast. I would quite happily live there.
I gather this was a joke, but just to say. Casoli is a lively town with a few very good restaurants and friendly bars, it does have a smallish ex-pat community in the town itself but the surrounding area has quite a few Brits and Americans residing there. Good if you ever need help, so don't dismiss the ex-pat community.
Nearby town of Palombaro has lots of Brits and one mentioned to me a week ago that he wished he'd had known how many as he feels it's like Little Britain (no comparison to the TV series) and he'd have chosen to buy elsewhere.

The local towns of Pianibbe, Altino and Roccascalegna are worthy of a visit.

If you'd like any more information about the surrounding areas Rainbow Maiden, PM me and I'll answer any questions you may have.

Welcome Nick!

Yes, just a joke, from someone who will openly admit they don't like such things as they are always at the expense of someone or something... The debate on ex-pats is a good topic on it's own, but a community of them I'm not too sure about! Wink

by Lagartija Nick Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:20 am

I have to agree.

Personally I find most ex-pat communities to be insular with far too much back biting and bitchiness. There's always a group that have that, I was here first or my house is bigger than your house mentality. Must be a disease some folks contract when they buy abroad.

I have a handful of English friends, just enough to stave off those days when you want a conversation in your mother tongue, but I'm thankful that I'm the only permanent Brit in my small village.

This said a couple living not far away had a serious accident and with no Italian language called me, and it was then that I realised it's worth getting to know the ex-pats, even if you don't forge great links as you never know when they will be your port in a storm.

by stevegwmonkseaton Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:17 am

Went past here yesterday and thought if you have not visited, it seems to fit. Reasonable size, not too big nor too small a town (Citta Sant' Angelo) and within (but not too close) to very lively areas, motorway and some very lush almost rural properties...

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Sorry Red Maiden....

retiring...............

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