Monasteries, Castles, and Everything In Between

I haven’t had time to write the last few days because I’ve been out and about. I’ve now been in Italy for 13 days and things are beginning to make sense and feel familiar. Hertz sold my cute rental while I was on the road and that threw a huge wrench into my plans…but I’m back on track. I didn’t know rental car companies could do that but I guess they can. I was out in Collelungo San Venanzo when I got the call from the Rome Fiumicino office. They needed me to turn in my car immediately at Perugia Stazione where I could switch cars. I was 40 kilometers away so I told them I’d go that very same day. The office was, of course, closed for siesta. So I walk to the nearest COOP and get some lunch and eat it in the car while I wait. When the clerk returns, he doesn’t even offer an apology. Really terrible customer service if you ask me. No apology, no discount, no nothing. I then get handed a ginormous car that looks like a hearse. This thing is big, right. I’m like, “Don’t you have anything more compact?” The answer is, “This is Perugia, not Rome.”

Distinctly Italian, no?

So now I’m stuck with this huge car that I can barely park in normal spaces or maneuver through these tiny streets, not to mention it’s a gas-guzzling hunk of metal. The GPS sucks too.

I was very annoyed, but this is, at the end of the day, a first-world problem.

After a few pointed e-mails, tweets, and phone calls, I convince the Rome office to give me another Renault Clio when one comes in. I just got the email today that I can pick one up tomorrow in Rome. It’s a long drive back and forth, but I’ll make the best of it. I would rather have the car that does nearly 1000 km per gas tank and the great bells and whistles.

This switching car thing is now getting old. 😀

So…after I saw that beautiful 19th Century palazzo, I saw two other houses before driving on to Todi.

My husband and I haven’t made up our minds about moving to Italy, but we’re hinging on the possibility. We’re evaluating the cost of living and the pros and cons. While I’m here I’m looking to see what’s on the market and whether or not it can work for us. We have somewhat quirky tastes (just look at our current house). So without further delay let me fill you in on the houses I went to see during the last few days.

The Lake House With Views

This house caught my eye because of the view. It’s a new build but made with exquisite care by an older gent who owns a castle and is in the process of restoring it. This man was very sweet and passionate about his work. The house is incredibly overbuilt, insulated, and ready for the finishing touches. The builder can deliver the house finished for approximately €80K above the sale price (recently reduced to 250K). The position of this house makes you feel like you’re on an airplane looking down. Even unfinished the house has such enormous potential and character. Really stunning location…with one-of-a-kind views over the nature preserve. I found that the small yard didn’t suit my gardening dreams and that it was a bit far from amenities. I also missed the character that can only be found in older homes.

The Cottage with Olive Grove

This house was located in a more rural context with fantastic views over the countryside. The house comes with two wells and sloping acreage planted with olive groves. Its current owner is an artist–a lovely lady who welcomed us warmly. The interior was roomy but much too modern for my taste. Again, I missed the stone facade, the beams, the character. This house was listed for 330K€ and just didn’t seem to offer the value of Casa Liberta.

The Templar Monastery

Oh boy… where to begin? We had gotten excited about this house as soon as we saw it. Todi Centro Storico, huge walled yard, 12th Century construction, decent size, balconies, loggias, parking–this house seemed to tick all the boxes–until it didn’t. Let’s just say some things look great on paper but in reality, they fall apart (quite literally). A good photographer can opt to show you only what they want you to see and obscure the rest. This is why it’s so important to visit a place in person and have that visceral understanding.

Built in 1100, the Templar monastery is still standing, but I wonder for how long. The house needs a new roof, windows, shutters, heating, plumbing, kitchens, bathrooms, plaster, floors, you name it. The bones are for sale for €390K but according to the agent, it would require an additional €400K of investment to fix. When I was inside this house I felt nothing. I mean absolutely nothing, that is until we got to the back and he showed me a crack that spans 3-floors and through which I could see daylight. Then, I felt a sense of horror creep over me. This was possibly the biggest money pit I had ever laid eyes on. The house looks great from 30 feet away outside, but inside it’s a disaster.

You can feel it in the angle of the floor, the back third of the house is sloping down and ready to fall and possibly take the original Medieval wall to which it is attached with it. The agent kept waxing poetic about the merits of Templar construction, but I wasn’t buying what he was selling. This house was beyond wrecked, made worse by the fact that the previous owner had begun to literally dig for templar treasure on site.

What? Seriously?

Fireplaces were ripped out and missing, there was a tube for a heating stove coming right up through the second-floor living room, the roof was bowed, and the bathrooms stank as though the pipes had burst somewhere. To make matters worse, the garden wasn’t private but shared with another property, and the view out the front is of this really ugly house with glass brick windows. Even the cellars with the beautiful vaults had been ruined by strange excavations, false cement walls, and graffiti. The building is also controlled by the historic commission so building permits will be difficult.

After the tour was over I felt sadness for this poor house. Who will buy this sorry building and love it once more? Short answer: Not me. This needs prayer and Templar gold to bring it back from the brink.

Pranzo!

After seeing the monastery, I had a fabulous outdoor lunch at a place called Pizzeria Cavour. I just happened to be walking by and noticed they had outdoor seating and went inside. It was a beautiful warm day, perfect for dining al fresco. I had their house antipasto, a grilled artichoke salad with slivered almonds and pecorino, and a glass of wine. The views from the terrace were superb and I had the pleasure of pleasant conversation with the gentleman sitting at the adjacent table.

The Stunning 12th Century Castle

After lunch, I rushed to my next viewing, a 12th-century castle, turned private home, 7km north of Todi. As soon as I parked, the view from the top awed me. The castle is imposing and utterly beautiful and at €390K–a real bargain considering it’s habitable. It dominates the Borgo of Montemolino with its tower and far-reaching views and was the site of several bloody battles between the Guelfs from Perugia and Ghibellines of Todi for control of the river (here called the Furioso for its rapids). The place was of strategic importance due to the presence of a bridge over the Tiber, an almost obligatory passage for those who wanted to venture to central-southern Italy. The Perugians, under the command of Gentile Orsini, won an overwhelming victory.

The castle takes its name from the presence of an important wheat mill that was housed inside. In fact, I saw where the water wheel once turned in the bowels of the castle. That was really special.

The fortress is currently very well preserved and used as a private summer residence. The door, with a round arch, is surmounted by a lunette with a fresco inside depicting the Virgin, San Michele Arcangelo and San Cristoforo. This fresco is stunning and has been recently restored as has all the outdoor paving.

I took a lot of pictures of this place…and I kind of loved it but with more than a few caveats. This place is mega large (almost 10K square feet) and rural. There are no amenities on the hill so living here would mean driving at least 20 minutes to the nearest pharmacy or supermarket. It’s not that much different from where we live now in that sense, but this place requires a vision. The only way I see something like this working is by turning it into tourist accommodation and I’m not sure I want to do that.

The pros are that the roof is done, the structure is solid (and impregnable), the windows are double glazed, it has a walled garden, a jaw-dropping terrace, and a lovely habitable first floor that is move-in ready. There is an intact carpentry workshop complete with tools. It has beams galore, original cotto floors, vaults, caves, and several hectares of forest. The place is–in short–breathtaking.

To agent stipulated that to fix the second floor would take another €200K, the tower and cellar rooms, who knows. The sky’s the limit.

Personally, I think this is biting off more than we can chew, and in order to make it happen, we’d have to immediately sell our current home. Mortgages aren’t a thing in Italy regardless of what you’ve been told.

I took a lot of pictures cause I wanted to have a reference for later in case we were interested. The sellers have various interested parties already which doesn’t surprise me. The only part I didn’t see was the third floor of the tower and the terrace. The ladder I needed to climb looked like it was on its last legs and I didn’t feel safe. I’m sure the view from the tower is surreal.

Little known fact, this castle served as the German High Command during the war.

The 1920’s Palazzo

The following day I saw two more houses in Todi. A 1920s palazzo with three terraces that needed restructuring (€250K) and a newly restructured house complete with Etruscan well (€330K). I liked the drama of the 1920s palazzo a lot more than the newly finished house. The palazzo had plenty of outdoor space including three terraces and a small courtyard. It also had a huge garage which is hard to find as well as vaulted cellars and cantinas. It needed electrics, plumbing, kitchens, bathrooms, doors, windows, heat, (pretty much the works) but the structure is solid and the roof is new. This house felt very livable and it could be perfect for someone who wants to live in the center and make income from tourist rentals. I’m not convinced all that stone is for me. I’m too used to being surrounded by greenery and wild animals. Regardless, I thought some of the original features of this house were beautiful–especially the tiles. I thought it was good that the house had its own well also.

The House of the Well

This house has no outdoor space so it was an immediate no for me, but it was right next door to the other palazzo so why not…good to compare. This house was half the size of the other one and it felt dark by comparison too. The finishes were very nice I admit, but too shiny and polished. Not to my liking, but hey that Etruscan well that needs a pump running 24/7 so your living room doesn’t flood, that’s hot!

And this brings to a close the houses I’ve seen here. Casa Liberta is still in the lead. On day 10 after my car fiasco, I had a downturn. I started to miss home and got sad at not being able to squeeze my husband. The following day I perked up again and went on some more fun road trips. Next blog post I’ll fill you in on Todi, Spoleto, and more.

Ciao.