The apartment is listed for €120,000 ($139,245).Ībruzzo is not a place to live if you don’t at least plan to learn Italian. And it’s just steps from where George Clooney shot an iconic scene in the film The American in 2010. Beyond that you have stunning views of the mountains. There’s a 13th-century aqueduct built by the German emperor Frederick II right in front. (I paid about $80 a night for a one-bedroom apartment without any view.) Prime Airbnb location-though I wouldn’t expect high occupancy in a third-tier Italian city. Right on the piazza, I found a large two-bedroom apartment at about 1,400 square feet, which offers three balconies overlooking the square. And every Wednesday and Saturday, there’s a large open-air market. To this day, the square holds a jousting festival each summer. During the Middle Ages, while ruled by Neopolitan kings, it was the cultural, economic, and social center of the region. Winters get snow, but it very rarely causes any access issues.Īnd you can own on the large town square, Piazza Garibaldi, with inspiring views of the Apennine mountains beyond, for very little. This means that even though it’s in the mountains, it’s flat and easy to get around.īecause of the high altitude, it’s cooler than the coast, or indeed Rome, but it’s still in the high 80s F into late September. The town is located in the Valle Peligna, a plateau once occupied by a lake that disappeared in prehistoric times. The historic center is remarkably clean, despite a lack of visible trashcans, and feels extremely safe-you’ll see kids playing unsupervised until dusk.Ībruzzo is called ‘the green lung of Italy’. You have pharmacies, supermarkets, and bakeries, all in easy reach. I can get fish and vegetables from the market twice a week, dine at Lacansa da Gino, and in the evenings meet friends for a gelato at La Rotonda.Īnd, of course, come lunchtime each day, I’d disappear home for two hours, like the rest of the town, for a carefully prepared meal and a snooze. Even after two days, I can see myself forming a pleasant routine here. It’s the best spot in town to people-watch, and right across from an imposing gothic church. In the morning you can take an espresso at Bar Centrale. This is traditional Italy, where life’s daily rituals are dictated by the gentle chimes of church bells. The Abruzzo town of Sulmona is just an hour and 40 minutes from Rome, but a world away from city noise and pace. Find the diamonds in the rough that everyone else has missed. He wanted me to get off the beaten track. Ronan had tasked me with finding the best bargain real estate in Italy. I visited Abruzzo on request of my boss, international real estate scout, Ronan McMahon. So, even from its mountain villages, you’re never much more than an hour from heavenly Adriatic beaches. The region stretches from the Central Apennines in the west to the Adriatic Sea in the east. It’s called “the green lung of Italy.” The mountains here are home to wolves, golden eagles, and brown bears. Indeed, high up in the mountains, you can hide from just about anybody.Ībruzzo is home to three national parks, one regional park, and 38 protected nature reserves, which cover one third of its territory. I’m told Abruzzo is where expats go when they want to avoid large expat communities. An Italy still somewhat undiscovered by the masses who take to the Amalfi Coast, the Lake region, or the major Renaissance cities each year. Green, mountainous, traditional, and laidback. Heading eastward, I was entering a different kind of Italy. The hot and dusty chaos of the Italian capital disappeared from my rear view mirror. All roads lead to Rome, but I was driving in the wrong direction.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |