Family Values at Appassionata

Appassionata is a family run fractional ownership business, offering 1/10th (5 weeks) shares in luxury properties in Le Marche, Italy. This inspiring venture was created by entrepreneur, Michael Hobbs, and his wife, interior designer, Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, in 2007. Along with help from their daughter, India and husband Charlie they have found the perfect balance, a […]

Fractional Ownership: “Heaven on Earth”

“Heaven on Earth, one of the best decisions we ever made.” Chris & Deb Everard – Owners Imagine a place where you can relax from the moment you arrive; everything is ready, all rooms are beautifully laid out for you and your guests, and welcome goodies are in the cupboard; it’s just like coming home. […]

San Remo

Viewed here from the hills above, San Remo is the endpoint of the world’s longest professional one-day cycle race. Starting at Milan, competitors will have covered 298 kilometres by the time they reach their destination… The course of the Milan-San Remo endurance bike race is largely flat, though the hills at the end have caught […]

Ten Best Reasons To Buy In Italy

We asked Linda Travella, director of Casa Travella Ltd, who has been selling property in Italy for 25 years to give us her ten best reasons to buy in Italy. This is what she said… No inheritance tax!! Hard to believe but true! Not enough people know about this. No capital gains tax after 5 years, in […]

The Italian Lakes – A Regional Guide

Introduction You will enjoy an almost infinite choice of lifestyles and landscapes among Italy’s lakes. It is almost impossible to sum up the possibilities, but for destination highlights, price levels and a general sense of place, this brief regional guide may offer a starting point. The clutch of renowned lakes in Italy’s north represents a […]

Cities Regional Guide

1. Rome: population 2,750,000 Italy’s brash, loud, vibrant capital is a confident, thick-skinned place, secure in its achievements and completely unsurprised to receive 12 million visitors a year. For all Rome’s expense and congestion, a high proportion of ex-pats who settle down here ‘for a while’ never go home again. Property prices are, as you […]

Homes on the Lakes

OUR LIFE ON LAKE MAGGIORE Michael Bennington owns a two-bedroom apartment on Lake Maggiore, in a converted fin-de-siècle period villa. He and his wife Sarah make regular visits there from their home in Cheshire, and offer weekly holiday rentals on the property at other times. “Italy is where we first met!” Michael says. “Sarah was […]

Property in Italy: Le Marche

Gorgeous countryside, lovely old towns, and a super-high quality of life keep Le Marche firmly in the affections of foreign buyers. Fleur Kinson explains why property here continues to offer excellent value for money… Lying halfway down the national peninsula, Le Marche is the shapely calf muscle of the Italian leg. A small but perfectly […]

Life in Italy: Homes in the Cities

Italy has particularly liveable cities ? small-sized, friendly, rich in history and lovely to look at. They make especially good locations to invest in a property, says Fleur Kinson… However much you love Italy?s wonderful countryside, you can?t have failed to notice that Italy?s cities are among the country?s greatest charms. Who wouldn?t swoon to […]