CURRENT PROJECTS

Our company is able to provide a full service in assisting property buyers in all aspects of the buying process including a liaison service with contractors and technicians (surveyors, engineers) for any repair, restyling or restoration work, following them in every stage of the restoration process until the handling over of the keys.

Here below you can see some of our current projets:

La casa del 'munaro' ( the miller's house)- UPDATE

December 2009 - the façade collapsed after heavy rainfalls	November 2010 - what's left of the house after the snowfalls

December 2010, the renovation finally starts!!

October 2011, see how a ruin can become one of the most beautiful properties in the Euganean Hills, thanks to 'Properties in Italy' team!

The updates of the Miller's house will follow soon!

THE TOWER OF FONTANAFREDDA - update!

December 2009 It is, unbelievably, nearly three years since we bought the tower. It is still a joy and privilege to own and use. We are getting to know the local grocer, bakery and butcher as well as an ever growing list of marvellous, excellent value places to eat. If we want a bit more choice, an ice-cream, or simply to do some people-watching, we drive down to Este, our local, ancient, understated, Italian town. Need something more? Padova, Ferrara, Vicenza, Verona and Venice are all in easy reach and it is great to be able to enjoy them without the pressure of 'having' to see all the sights. There is always the next time! It has not been difficult to fill our days. For example, buying the appropriate furniture (always constrained by internal stone arches a mere 68cm wide!) has been a rewarding exercise but the fun has been the by-product of meeting all sorts of local people and stumbling through the process of buying in a foreign language. Everywhere we have been met and treated with delightful courtesy. We have planted many different but hopefully drought-proof plants in the garden and Nigel's plans for an olive grove are ongoing. The rosemary bushes, thymes and roses which went in first are all beginning to cover the earth. We are aiming for a natural, not to formal look which is just as well as there are obviously just as many weeds in Italy as in England! All the wildlife that visits the tower has been a challenge for our various guide books. Seeing a 10cm long grasshopper enjoying the warmth of our stone walls, the many different butterflies together with some very strange looking insects and the wonderful varied wild flowers has added to our experience of Italy. And it is not just small visitors: in November we saw wild boar snuffling across our land and there is at least one local hare that has not been turned into a ragu for pasta either! We have enjoyed beautiful weather and spectacular storms but I think that the most memorable days so far have been late autumn with buildings and trees silhouetted in the mist and the myriad of colours in the vineyards and woods when the sun breaks through. But then, there are the winter frosts, the spring blossom, the warm summer evenings - which do I like best? Whether tucked up by the fire, looking out to the mountains from the top of the tower or far across the plains from our terrace, working on steep, stony land or supping local wine with new friends, I think that I can safely say that we are really enjoying our Italian experience. Read the full story.

Beth & Nigel Walsh - December 2009

sunset view from the Tower	the bush turning red
the Tower	the 'visitor'

La casa del 'munaro' ( the miller's house)

I always dreamed of having a house on the Euganean Hills. A house with lots of land and maybe near a stream of running water and ... one day I found it. It was completely hidden by brambles and bushes, almost completely collapsed. Perhaps only people who walk over the hills to search for mushrooms or wild herbs knew it. Behind and in front of the house the land once cultivated with vineyards with old vines still alive, but overgrown, climbing trees everywhere in an attempt to reach the light. At the bottom of the land, a small hill with a wild wood. Around the property, a beautiful stream of water that comes directly from Monte Venda, the highest hill of the entire chain, on the other vineyards. When I saw it up close I realized that it had to be mine! I have therefore instructed the team of Properties in Italy to realize my dream. The first surprise was to discover that the property belonged to a multitude of heirs! The biggest difficulty would therefore be to convince everyone to sell, the second difficulty would be to carefully check the neigbours' preemption right as it was a rural property! I have therefore instructed the lawyer Massimiliano De Benetti (Max) to contact them and start the negotiations. The 'negotiation' has lasted more than 2 years !!!!! And only Max could have had the perseverance and above all the incomparable negotiating skills to convince all those heirs to sell! My heartfelt thanks to him! Stay tuned for updates on the project!

December 2009

the 'casa' once restored
front view	back view

Donald and Denise - Washington DC Today, Euganean Hills in our Future

Donald and Denise - Washington DC Today, Euganean Hills in our Future. It is now August 2008. Exactly two years ago we discovered Properties In Italy on the internet. Today we own a vineyard in the Euganean Hills with an old stone farmhouse undergoing restoration. All this was made possible because of the passion and professionalism of Properties in Italy. This is our story. It can be yours, too. By August 2006, we had decided that we would stop just talking about moving to Italy and start the serious process of property hunting. Why Italy? Simply put, we had visited Italy on numerous occasions, and we always felt at home there with the people, the culture, the history, the scenery, the food and wine. We were always asking ourselves why we were leaving when it was time to return to the US. In case we only get one chance at life, we were going to make our goal of a "life more grounded" come true, and do so in Italy. Of course our family and friends listened to our plans and nodded with approval, but they figured it was just talk. We began our journey pro forma for the modern human - read some books, and a lot of internet time. We discovered that, as a foreigner and non-EU citizen, purchasing property in Italy can be complicated. Not nearly impossible like in some places in Europe, but not easy either. Our preference was not to purchase a modern apartment but something older and more rural with land, which is not what your routine Italian realtor seemed to advertise or specialize. There are lots of on-line property services plying their wares, making grand promises, but very few were appealing. Many are too slick and impersonal, focused only on the rich clients ready to plunk down a million dollars on a villa. Alas, we are not one of those clients. Having narrowed our search to the Veneto, we began searching for properties in some of the green valleys that we had previously visited. From somewhere I had read of the Euganean Hills, and it seemed just like what we were looking for. A quiet and verdant oasis not too far from the action in the Veneto art cities of Venice, Verona, Padua and Vicenza. We found the Property in Italy website through a simple web search. We started an email conversation with Andrea. In October 2006 we were visiting the area to see some of their property for sale. We didn't find our property on that first visit, but we did make some friends. By August 2006, we had decided that we would stop just talking about moving to Italy and start the serious process of property hunting. Why Italy? Simply put, we had visited Italy on numerous occasions, and we always felt at home there with the people, the culture, the history, the scenery, the food and wine. We were always asking ourselves why we were leaving when it was time to return to the US. In case we only get one chance at life, we were going to make our goal of a "life more grounded" come true, and do so in Italy. Of course our family and friends listened to our plans and nodded with approval, but they figured it was just talk. We began our journey pro forma for the modern human - read some books, and a lot of internet time. We discovered that, as a foreigner and non-EU citizen, purchasing property in Italy can be complicated. Not nearly impossible like in some places in Europe, but not easy either. Our preference was not to purchase a modern apartment but something older and more rural with land, which is not what your routine Italian realtor seemed to advertise or specialize. There are lots of on-line property services plying their wares, making grand promises, but very few were appealing. Many are too slick and impersonal, focused only on the rich clients ready to plunk down a million dollars on a villa. Alas, we are not one of those clients. Having narrowed our search to the Veneto, we began searching for properties in some of the green valleys that we had previously visited. From somewhere I had read of the Euganean Hills, and it seemed just like what we were looking for. A quiet and verdant oasis not too far from the action in the Veneto art cities of Venice, Verona, Padua and Vicenza. We found the Property in Italy website through a simple web search. We started an email conversation with Andrea. In October 2006 we were visiting the area to see some of their property for sale. We didn't find our property on that first visit, but we did make some friends. On this visit we met Beth and Nigel Walsh, who were using the Properties In Italy team to restore an old watch tower in the Hills, and they reinforced our confidence. Most of the construction and restoration of the Tower was accomplished while they are in the UK, and they assured us that they never felt uneasy about the quality of the work performed. In fact, they admitted that when they did get the chance to visit, they found that the quality was always better than they had dreamed. It wasn't until October 2007 that we finally concluded the purchase of our property. We decided to save our cash (from the sale of our house in the US) to start the restoration, and so needed an Italian bank loan for a mortgage. Not being EU citizens and not living in Europe proved to be problematic, but Max and Andrea made it happen. They filled out loan application paperwork for us. Max met appraisers at the property in the rain. It took a while, but it finally came together. Max handled all the business matters for us. All paperwork was completed in both Italian and English. We were lucky to be able to attend the celebratory party in June 2008 for the opening of the Tower. This meant that the same team, are now ready to tackle our little project in Faedo! In June we agreed to the terms of the work for 2008, and the project began shortly thereafter. A new foundation went down during June, and new walls and roof in July. The full restoration of the building and the vineyard will take a few years. We will complete phases and pay as we can afford to do so. Learning to do things the Italian way is part of the experience!

Go for your dreams. Ciao! - August 2008

Completion of the 2008 Renovation

It is now the end of November. Earlier this month we visited our project for the last time this year to conclude the contracted business associated with the renovation work for 2008. Lorenzo has done a wonderful job not only in the quality of the work, but also in that they were able to complete more than was originally planned for the contracted amount! That doesn't happen any more in the USA! The exterior stone work is fantastic. They found matching old stone for the new walls and re-pointed all the old stone walls to the point where it is hard to tell where the old walls end and the new walls begin. As you can see from the photos, the stone looks much different in different lighting. Were we once had rotting wood we now have hand-cut stone window sills and old wood beams over the windows. The Italians are true recyclers and they ensured that as many of the old roof tiles were cleaned and re-installed over the brand new bottom roof tiles. Next year matching stone will be added to the retaining walls and a pergola installed over the patio. Inside, all the old plaster and wooden beams are gone. They brought in old wood beams for both the second floor and the upper ceiling, and increased the building two feet in height. We have exposed old brick in the ceiling, interior doorways where none previously existed in the walls, and the beginnings of our new two-way fireplace. Inside is now ready for the services (electrical and plumbing), plaster, floors, stairs, and bathroom. This would get us to a “finished” house by Italian standards - our goal in 2009. There is much more to do, but the heavy work is now finished!

Donald e Denise - November 2008

November 2008	the roof tiles
the future bedroom	new wooden beams
Fire place	Denise in 'her kitchen'

2009 -2011 Renovation works

Since it would be a while before the 2009 phase started up, we decided it would be prudent to find some help back in the U.S. for designing the interior of the house. Doing so would avoid potential translation or communication problems on the detail work. We could have a master plan generated in the U.S., give it to the Italian team, and then negotiate from that depending on costs or particular Italian practicalities for which we are not familiar. We were particularly concerned about maximizing storage space, as well as having thought through eventual electrical requirements before plaster goes up. Through contacts we made at a home design expo in Virginia, we were introduced to Libby Langdon from New York City. A former actress and model, Libby now concentrates on interior design. She has projects across the country, and had just released a book dealing with small spaces - perfect! She was excited to participate. Over the winter we worked with her and finally we sent off the design binder to Italy in February. In March 2009, Libby accompanied us to the Hills and met the team. She led us on a furious week of decision making on everything from floor materials to light fixtures. At this point, we were not especially price constrained; we figured that would come later. We left the director of works with all the details of our dream design so he could get cost estimates and incorporate all these ideas into his blueprints and work plan. Meanwhile, to our surprise, the Italian bank on the Vicenza Army Post (through which we have our mortgage) was willing to give us a restoration loan to finish the building work. This was during the banking crisis of 2008-2009, but Italian banks were less affected due to the conservative real estate practices in Italy. This loan would speed up the work, as things would not need to be done piecemeal as our monies accumulated. As with many things Italian, when it comes to wheels turning and getting new appraisals and approvals, it wasn’t until August that the credit was in place. With Max’s help (using a Power of Attorney) he got us the equivalent of a construction loan. The challenge will be getting the minimum done to be considered “finished” given the credit limit. In September, Lorenzo completed the external retaining walls. A quick trip in September to the Hills to meet with Max was extremely helpful in finalizing the work plan for the year. To no surprise, we needed to scale down or delay a few of our design elements to fit the budget. While there, Lorenzo was installing the old hand hewn wood boards to form the visible part of the downstairs ceiling. Even more rustic than we had imagined!

We visited again in late October. During our week there, we saw Lorenzo install the door thresholds of local quarried stone, followed by the laying of the layers to complete the ground flooring in preparation for tile next year. We also saw all the vines removed around the house - about half of the vineyard in total. By the end of this phase of work in January, the upstairs floor will be put down, stairs put up, doors and windows put on, and the master bathroom tile and fixtures installed.

While there in November, Andrea told us that a Romanian newspaper wanted to include our story in an upcoming article on property in Italy. They had found this website via Andrea’s website. We said yes, and the result is found in the photo album section - only useful if you can read Romanian!

In February 2010 we returned to the hills to see the completed work and to discuss the next steps. As usual, the finished work is first class. We discovered that our team made some cost trade-offs in completing the project to meet Italian habitability standards. It was far cheaper to have the electrician do all his work now rather than in phases, so all the electrical wiring for lights, phone, TV and ethernet was finished. They also completed the repointing of the exposed interior stone walls. On the other hand, the radiators were not yet ordered or installed. Also, the fireplace was not finished yet, but no rush. The plan in 2010 is, at the minimum, to lay down the downstairs ceramic tiles and upstairs wood floors, apply the final plaster on the walls, and finish the wooden stairs. Depending on the prices, 2010 will include the kitchen and finishing the fireplace. Max indicated that we should plan to return in June or July, which is what we did. We returned in June to coincide with a party Max planned for his father and nephew’s birthdays. We spent time with Andrea making some kitchen selections and with Max making final tile selections for the downstairs floor as well as bathroom. We also selected the wood for the upstairs floors - we chose an Italian wood called larice. In the Fall, the plan is to complete the installation of the tiles and wood floors. Before we came back in October, we iterated with the architect on how to integrate a nice tile border design into our living room floor. We finally decided just to have it line around the fireplace and the first step of the stairs. This delayed the ordering and delivery of the tile until we were there in October, but we got to unload our tiles off the truck while we were there. A rare opportunity for a (tiny) bit of our own sweat equity in the project!

We were very excited to see the wood floors installed when we arrived. We think it looks fabulous. The trim will be installed later. We discussed with the wood team how to handle the stairs. We agreed that they will tailor build larice wood pieces to cover the stair steps and the portions of the stair support that are visible. The architect suggested iron railings to complete the stairs. Max had the plumber and electricians on site while we were there so that we all could review the final design of the downstairs bath before they lay the final floor cement and plaster the walls. Lorenzo should have that done in the next month, then the wall tiles go up and the plumber puts in the appliances we want. We also selected the wall switches and plug covers for the entire house from the extensive options the electrician offered us. Lorenzo’s final wall plaster also looked great. It will be a nice base for paint, which we will apply someday, after we move in. Italian country houses traditionally have white walls, but we had selected some nice subtle earthy colors with Libby that we still intend to apply. Happy with the progress, we left to go home in mid-October. Next, Lorenzo will finish the downstairs bathroom floor and walls so that the tile can go in, then the bathroom appliances. Lorenzo will also finish the fireplace and lay the cement base outside for the patio. The tiles will be installed downstairs so that the kitchen team can get started over the winter. The architect is finishing the landscaping design for us so we can submit it for approval by the local commune. We agreed to a new low retaining wall that will stretch the length of the driveway as it wraps around part of the house. It will eventually be covered with stones. There will also be a part of the land leveled flat so we can use it for an outside cooking area.

In November we iterated on the fireplace design with Paolo Zampieri the architect now working with the Properties In Italy team. We went with the smallest design in order to conserve space in the living room and kitchen. Italians would have gone for the biggest one possible, but being Americans we are more concerned about living space. Lorenzo finished the fireplace in December! The tiling of the walls and shower in the downstairs bath will be finished in February 2011, so that installation of the kitchen will be done by the time we next visit in March. We are also shipping household goods, hopefully to arrive when we are there, with the hope that we will be posting photos of a more finished looking home when we return in April.

2010 photos

Spring at the construcion site	New wood steps with workers' footprints
Looking through the stairs - the new fireplace	ceiling beams

Our visit (31 March - 9 April) was tremendously satisfying. The kitchen was complete, and the downstairs bathroom was functional. Check out the 2011 photo album! The kitchen came out looking just the way we wanted - cool colors to offset the dark woods. The bathroom tile looked even better than we remembered it would. The carpentry also had the insect screens installed in all the windows and doors, which we did not expect yet. Even though we spent the first three days of our visit scrubbing and cleaning the house, we were able to spend our first night there on April 3rd! The days were sunny and unseasonably warm (70s F) but the nights cool (50F). It was fantastic to lay in the cool night with the windows open, listening to the quiet except for the running water in the stream next to the house and the chiming bells from the Faedo church. In the morning it was roosters crowing and hens clucking next door. Actually, there always seem to be dogs barking somewhere in the distance, at all times. We like to speculate that they are chasing away the wild boar, but they are probably just discussing the weather. During our week we purchased a washer and dryer and had them delivered to the house. We also ordered some lights, as all we have now are exposed bulbs hanging on walls. The plan is for the lights to be installed during our next visit. The W/D will be hooked up too. We also finalized the landscape plans with Paolo Zampieri, who then submitted the permissions. This work will not begin until 2012. Unfortunately, the downer for the week was the late delivery of our household goods. They didn’t get to the house until Saturday morning at 8AM. Since we had a 2PM flight out of Venice that day, all we could do was see that everything arrived safely and was placed in the house. Check out the “Moving Household Goods” photo album to see rooms full of boxes.

We returned in August to unpack and organize. We ended up doing more cleaning too. And we did some painting on the walls where the radiators will be going this fall. We also picked up the light fixtures and had them installed while we were there. So the trip was again mostly work. But the progress this year has been very clear and rewarding. The house is clean and organized, so the next time we come (December) we will have time to enjoy ourselves. It is very gratifying to finally have light fixtures - especially outside - no more stumbling across a construction zone in the dark with a flashlight! The other news is that our permissions came through while we were there in August. We now have one year to start the outside works and four more years to finish. We’ll see what the future exchange rates dictate what we can afford to do. Our strong preference is to get the patio and driveway done first. This would cut down on all the dust that gets tracked or blown into the house, and also means that we wouldn’t have to keep squeezing our rental car between obstacles in the construction zone around the house. In September, Andrea worked with Italia Telecom to arrange for the extension of a line from the nearby pole under the road to the house. Lorenzo will dig a line from the road to the house. This work will be done by the time we arrive in December. It will be great to finally have landline phone service at the house as mobile service is basically zero. Stay tuned for updates.....

Stay tuned for updates.....or visit the web site Road to Faedo

2011 photos

plastered walls	Denise unloading
Donald unloading	the bedroom
the new kitchen fitting	no more stumbling in the dark
starting to get comfy	living room taking place

THE TOWER OF FONTANAFREDDA

This property is set in the Euganean Hills (south-west) and enjoys a stunning panoramic view over the surrounding area. This property was a look-out tower belonging to the Republic of Venice and built to guard a villa used by the Venetian "Doge" as a summer residence. The tower was then widened by adding two outbuildings and used until World War II as a farmhouse. It was then abandoned and left in ruins. The tower is still structurally very sound while the outbuildings have partially collapsed. Because of its historic value the property is listed by the Superintendency of Fine Arts.

Restoration process

Being an historic property, the restoration project had to been approved first by the Superintendency of Fine Arts. Afterwards the Regional Park and the local Commune had to approve it as well. The project includes a careful restoration of the existing structures and a recovery of the collapsed parts by using the same original stones. The two outbuildings will be connected to the tower to create a single living unit, disposed on three floors. All the windows of the tower will be recovered (some are now walled up) while the outbuildings will have new ones, consistent with the façade and the use of the living space. On the west side a cellar will be created and also a terrace which will enjoy the stunning view over the surrounding area.

Photos and project

the Tower North

South

The restoration project (draft)

REAL LIFE STORY

Beth and Nigel Walsh describe their initial experience in buying a derelict tower in the Euganean Hills, in the Veneto area of Italy

"It was in an idle British winter moment that I picked up a copy of Italy magazine and read about an area of the country of which I had never heard despite many visits to Italy - the Euganean Hills. The article spoke of the area in glowing terms: its nearness to beautiful, historic cities such as Venice, Verona, Ferrara and Padua; its status as a regional park of ancient volcanic hills with fascinating fauna and flora; its wine, food and hospitality. It really sounded too good to be true! We were looking for a project that would divert some of our attention away from work and the weather in Britain (pure escapism really) and decided to contact Properties in Italy, the English-speaking company who are specialists in buying property in the Veneto, particularly Venice and the Euganean Hills. Taking advantage of cheap flights, off my husband headed to the hills. A selection of properties for sale was incorporated into an initial tour of the area, including one that stood out from the others. A second set of tickets was soon booked so that we could visit the area and the property together. From the outset, we realised both that this property was totally unique and that it was full of potential problems! It was an old, partially-ruined watchtower of a noble family of the Venetian Republic. As we explored the area further it seemed that its description had not been exaggerated: the hills really are very beautiful and offer a relief from the heat of the plain in the summer yet with very easy access to many facilities. Vines, fruit trees and wooded slopes, gardens and Venetian villas provide year-round interest. The tower itself is situated above a small village with shops, post office, restaurant and trattoria, yet gives a feeling of privacy always accompanied by those views right across both hills and plain. The tower is called "Torre del Roccolo". The origin of the word "roccolo" (plural "roccoli") comes either from the Latin word "rotulus" (round), indicating a rounded shape, or from "rocca" (fortress), "roccolo" being its diminutive. It survives as historical evidence of a method of bird-catching used by local people to capture migrant birds by attracting them with an ingenious system of nets, decoys and tools. For the poor inhabitants of the hills, bird-catching was an important supply of both meat and income as some of the captured birds were sold as either cage-birds or decoys. Originally the Roccoli were built in a very poor way: the structure of wooden poles, the walls and the roof covered by straw and clay. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when fowling became popular among the noble families who owned villas in the Euganean Hills, they started to be built as three-storey solid brick and stone "towers", usually 6-7 metres high. It became fashionable for these families to have a Roccolo for two main reasons: firstly their passion for hunting and shooting and the skills that these practices required and secondly the pleasure of owning a "Roccolo" and being able to spend warm autumn days there organising feasts for their friends, immersed in the beauty of the hills. There are less than 10 "Roccoli" still in existence within the whole chain of the Euganean Hills: most of them are ruins! Our "Roccolo" is situated in a large parcel of land right on top of a ridge with fantastic views in every direction. We have been told this was probably the ideal place to have a "Roccolo", though our particular structure was probably built earlier as a watchtower. "Roccoli" were usually built on the top of a ridge or between two wooded hills overlooking the plain, as migrant birds were forced to fly through them along their routes. They were located in the centre of a semicircular clearing, surrounded by a line of trees (pruned chestnuts) connected with three sets of nets with different sizes of mesh. The ground floor room, with a fireplace, was used as a storeroom for empty cages and cages with decoys. On the first floor were the fowler's bed and his tools. The upper floor was the "operative" floor, with a wide window used by the fowler for observation and to use his tools. At the beginning of autumn, the migrant birds flying over the hills were attracted by the warbling of the decoys, and broke their flight on the cleared land surrounding the tower. Suddenly the fowler threw a dummy falcon, imitating its hunting whistle. The birds tried to escape by flying towards the light filtering through the lower branches of the trees, where they got captured by the three sets of nets. Our tower was originally built by the Contarini family who owned a stunning villa nearby, connected with Venice by the Bisatto river. The "roccolo" was later turned into a rural house by the adding of two attached outbuildings. The one on the right was used as additional living space while the left one was used as a pigsty and hen-house. We decided to commit ourselves to this wonderful example of local culture and history, persuaded also by its fantastic location, and began the long process of buying, throughout which we were fully supported by Properties in Italy. Their knowledge of the area, the law and the process of buying property in Italy was invaluable to us. At an early stage in the process we had to decide whether to trust the company and their advice and we have never regretted our decision to do so. As we had anticipated, the process of obtaining the necessary permissions for the renovation of an important historic building was long and complex, but we considered the Tower to be worth all the effort. We finally signed the documents for the completion of the sale in January, nine months after we had first seen the Tower, but the wait and effort involved seems worth it every time we drive up through the hills and arrive at our very own piece of history. Because of its historic importance, the central tower will remain largely unchanged. A simple stairway will lead from a small ground floor dining hall to a landing area above, from which there will be access to the master bedroom and bathroom in the two "wings". The stairs will continue up to the "Observatory" on the top floor where we will be able to enjoy views from the four windows across hills, valleys and vineyards, over the plain to the south and as far as the pre-Alps to the north-west. This room promises to absolutely fantastic: we hope that we will be able to see the migrating birds too! The ground floor will comprise a guest suite with shower room on one side of the tower, and a kitchen on the other with a new staircase leading down to a generous living room with wood-burning stove and doors leading out onto a terrace. Practicality will be added by building a garage/utility/cantina into the hill when the landscaping and ground-works for the property are undertaken. The outside of the property will be the vernacular combination of stone and render, with simple shuttered windows and doors maintaining the proportions of the original building. Our aim is to maintain the building's integrity as an ancient building which sits superbly in its environment. Our plans for the land surrounding the property involve plants and trees traditional to the Euganean hills: almond, cherry and Judas trees, lavender and rosemary will be planted around the tower and the beautiful beech and oak woods maintained and improved. We hope to recreate the atmosphere of those eighteenth-century woodland parties (without the bird-catching of course!). With the continued support of Properties in Italy, detailed plans have been drawn by the geometra Filippo Tagliaferro, a skilled local builder instructed, the neighbours met, the land cleared and the wonderful local restaurants sampled. Now all that remains is actually start building!

Beth & Nigel Walsh - 2006

April 2008 - The Tower is ready!

Well, we are not sure whether the hard work is finished or just starting! The tower now stands in all its glory, beautifully and sensitively restored by Lorenzo Fontana, our builder, with the help of many other skilled hands. The quality of the workmanship is outstanding and every aspect of the work has been carefully controlled, including the costs! Every week on the TV in the UK there are horror stories about people having problems with work being carried out in their absence. All we can say is that this has not applied to us - we have been consulted and informed and the trust we have put in 'our team' has borne the most wonderful fruit! Now it is over to us to furnish with sensitivity and (and here is the hard work!) tackle the neglected land. What fun is in store! Our thanks go to all those who have helped us, particularly to Andrea and Max, who have made the whole experience so rewarding in every sense of the word.

Beth & Nigel Walsh - April 2008

April 2008 - Roccolo Castelletto di Fontanafredda

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