Our Experience buying a house and learning a new life in Umbria, Italy
Casale Gelsomino, now renamed Casale Giulietta, has great structural bones but needs some updates, a few more critical than others.
This site is designed to share our experience across the home buying process, including taking ownership, renovations, and making friends.
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Bella & Baby
SOoooooo, not being a cat owner I experienced the wonders of a cat in heat this spring (2025). For at least a full week, there were more cats at my house than I could…
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Cats, Cats & More Cats
Italy is a country full of cats. If you are near the water, particularly a fishing village, the number of cats multiply exponentially. Seriously! The picture above is a snapshot of a portion of…
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Siena – Il Palio
The Tradition The Palio is the most important event in Siena, taking place on July 2 and August 16 every year. In the Palio, the various Sienese “contrade”, or what I would call districts…
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Tips & Tricks for a Successful Life in Italy
Before I arrived in Italy to turn our newly purchased house into our home, I did enough research to know not to expect too much with respect to getting things done. Said more simply,…
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Garden Spaces – Part II
In 2024 Andrew had taken a few of the remaining pallets left behind by the workers and constructed a plant stand for me, which I then painted in the Fall. While I didn’t plant…
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Emma & Valerio – Tutto Torna Antiques
Tutto Torna Antiques is a great store in Montaione, owned by husband and wife team, Emma and Valerio. Valerio is masterful in his ability to transform old furniture into beautiful arts of work. They…
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Gualdo Cattaneo – Our Day of Castle Hunting
Located in the central area of Umbria, Gualdo Cattaneo is a medieval village up on a hill on the slopes of the Martani Mountains in a charming position. Beyond this quaint, historic town, there…
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Il Nuovo Tetto – 7+ months of Construction
Back in 2021, before we made an offer on the house, the Geometra spent a few days inspecting and evaluating, prior to doing research on documentation at the comune. While his findings determined that…
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Making Cheese in Todi
We decided to try something new and signed up for a cheese making class in Todi. I did some research and this place has been around for a very long time and has an…
Italian Adventures - We Bought a House in Italy! 