Does it affect your Italian residency to leave Italy for a period of time? Yes, it can affect your Italian residency to go back to your country of origin for a period of time. The permesso needs to be renewed yearly for a period of five years at which time you can request permanent residency. However, there's an important stipulation. Become a subscriber to my
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Italy’s Prettiest Coastline
Liguria is my favorite region after Tuscany and it may have Italy's prettiest coastline. I usually go there to hike and swim but this time the draw is what my friends say are the best fireworks in Italy. My friends who come yearly to their ancestral home in Lucca's mountains, head to Rapallo every July to see the famous fireworks and I'm spontaneously going with them
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Why I Risked Everything to Buy an Apartment in Florence
A personal essay Not long ago I woke up and was fifty years old, with more than half my life already lived. Divorced, and without kids, essentially alone, I decided to follow my lifelong dream of living in Italy, but to do so, I had to “dare greatly” as Dr. Brené Brown calls it. I’d been in love with the city of Florence since age nineteen when I backpacked around
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What you don’t know about Italian rental properties
Are you thinking of moving to Italy and renting a house/apartment? Are you wondering if your house in Italy will be just like the peach colored villa under a warm Tuscan sun you saw in a movie? After the popularity of my post on the challenges of buying property in Italy, I decided to write this post about Italian rental properties, aimed at advising people what to expect
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What you don’t know about buying property in Italy
Are you a North American thinking about buying property in Italy? Don't go into it thinking it's similar to the process the in U.S. If you are coming from the US, and used to going around with one realtor of your choice, who spends her time (not yours) finding a slew of properties to show you, who spends her time (not yours) setting up the appointments, and who picks you
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Finding Happiness with a Move to Florence
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Sophie Charlotte flourished in ways she never dreamed of after a move to Florence: When did you move to Florence, and what motivated you to make the move? I turned my long distance relationship with Italy into a long-term commitment in 2010, and I chose Florence. Florence has always represented
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They Bought a Villa in Italy Sight Unseen
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Here is April M. Lee who took a massive "plunge" buying her villa in Italy, and with her relocation to Italy: Where do you come from and when did you first have a connection with Italy in your life? I am from a small mining town in northern Idaho, USA. I am half-Italian and my Italian grandparents lived next door
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Gutsy Expat Life on Sardinia
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Here is Jennifer Avventura, a Canadian Freelance writer who lives on Sardinia: The life of an expat is never easy. Moving to a new country, maybe learning a new language and generally starting a new job are stressful factors for anyone beginning new. I’ve been an expat for sixteen years and in four
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How moving to Calabria changed my life
I am pleased to add this interview to my Expat Stories series Here is Michelle Fabio, who moved to a village in Calabria in 2003 Arrival in Calabria Just a few days into that first visit to Calabria, I knew I had to move there. Although the logic of avoiding motion sickness told me to focus straight ahead, I couldn’t. I was mesmerized by the groves upon groves of
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How to Retire in Rome
I am pleased to add John's story to my Taking the Plunge series How to Retire in Rome The most frequently asked question I received wasn’t, Why are you doing it? With a sense of quiet desperation in their voice, they ask, How did you do it? My formula was simple: No wife, no ex-wife, no kids and a real smart broker. However, you don’t need this perfect storm to live la
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