Italy Expat Forum

oscgerst
Joined 2017
Posts: 2

6 years ago

Search for place to live - love Tuscany, but too many tourists

6 years ago

After several trips to Italy, we have decided that we would love to spend more time there. Not full-time but buy a place and live 3 months a year there.

We haven't found the right place and I'm looking for advice. I can tell you where we've been and what we've liked and not liked. Like probably all of you, we love the way of life, the culture, and of course the food. I can speak Italian (enough to get by).

Overall we love the beauty of Val d'orcia and specifically Montalcino. It may be a little too small for us, a little too remote, and a few too many tourists, but it's really at the top of the list right now. Love the medieval towns.

We are looking for other ideas for places in Italy. We are looking for someplace big enough to walk around a lot, get to know the people, clean (i.e., limited graffiti - which we seem to see a lot of in different places), convenient to get to by car or train from a major airport.

Some examples of places we have been to and why they are not a match:
- Lucca (in the walls) - probably second on the list because of convenience to get to, love the lack of cars, medieval village, etc...but so many tourists and stores that cater to them.
- Florence - love the city, but too big and of course lots of tourists to get to know it with 3 months there at a time.
- Siena - similar to Florence but on a smaller scale
- Orvieto - dark, just didn't do it for us.
- Spello and Gubbio (Umbria) - not sure, but didn't seem right for us

We prefer an apartment in a town to get to know our neighbors and it seems easier to leave and come back without much work.

We've been to Campania and Abruzzo and like them but haven't found a place (here or other regions) that is:
- something like 5-20,000 people
- convenient to access
- few(er) tourists
- not in the mountains (not interested in a place with snow)
- love the medieval towns and those that are more pristine. (I know this sounds like a silly American, but there's just something magical about these places)

We'll certainly spend more time in any suggested place before buying, but looking for ideas.

Suggestions?

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