OK, confession time...I did see it and nearly turned it off but didn't and actually loved it. There is so much carnage happening in the US right now that it was the exact escape that I needed. I actually wrote about my dream here: https://mamdiaries.substack.com/p/la-dolce-vita-dreams-my-tuscan-villa which I am sure you will roll your eyes at. But I do know that reality is very far removed from the dream and the Italians are on their own time zone. That said, I will rewatch Under The Tuscan Sun any day....that is a movie for dreams! And right now, I need big lofty dreams to keep me from despair!
No judgment at all! Great things often start with a dream or fantasy - and I think yours is a really wonderful one. It's definitely attainable, it just needs a few boundaries grounded in reality. :) I truly hope it becomes something real for you one day.
Didn’t watch it but I love your summary “ a fever dream of unrealistic expectations, borderline misinformation, and a bizarrely polished version of the one-euro home initiative, about as real as an Olive Garden 'Italian' dining experience” ha! Bless you for having sat through it. Italians stare in general - not just at foreigners!
I got through the first 30 minutes of the movie and then had to turn it off. It was so predictable I could have written the dialogue myself. The scenery was gorgeous but not enough to continue wasting my time. I have been to Italy 5 times, once almost buying a villa in Boveglio. Unless one has a lot of money for the contractors and patience for their wait list it is almost impossible. But, the last few months I have been seriously reconsidering since Italy has offered a fast track for Americans wanting to run for their lives.
There’s no reason to ever finish that movie! It’s exciting to hear you might be moving to Italy - let me know if you ever need any guidance should the idea become more serious. :)
I hadn't heard of this. Bless you for watching and doing a write up so I don't have to watch it. Anything that shows renovating anywhere, let alone Italy, as easy is a lie. The difference of having it be difficult in Italy is THAT YOU LIVE IN ITALY which makes it totally worth it. Also the geomatra, at least where I am is a quasi-God.
You certainly should not waste your time watching this movie haha Also, yes, the geometra has WAY too much power! I’m always aiming to be on their good side.
We did watch it because TBH I’ll watch almost anything set in Italy (almost!). But ugh it was painful. And all the main characters were annoying. And we were absolutely aware it was in no way believable (I mean…except the grappa. That I believe. And yes, being stared at in small towns for sure 🙂).
The movie is utter rubbish, which was obvious from the trailer, and yes I watched it as I was curious. I agree with all your points except for the cost of the renovation of the villa they did pick- I think it would be double that or more. And the time it would take would stretch like whatever the thing is that stretches forever. I lived in Italy for a few months looking for property but ended up choosing Portugal. A American friend is currently renovating a small apartment in Liguria and it is taking forever even though she’s got close connections in town going back at least 20 years and speaks fluent Italian. The movie is ridiculous but I imagine it will make less damage than Under the Tuscan Sun did.
Ah, one thing you don’t comment on is the drama queen girlfriend of the waiter in the little cafe- how common is it for Italian women to fight in this way- throwing coffee cups on the floor? I’d say, not that common.
Wonderful article! I give you a lot of credit; I rent in Italy and I’m happy to not have the responsibility (and work) associated with home ownership! Check out some of my writings on Wisdom She Wrote. We are new to Substack and still in the midst of porting over all of our content, but several articles are there now.
I watched it with the understanding that it was not going to be close to reality. Having renovated 5 homes in the US I think most people have no clue what it takes economically or the level of patience needed. Things move quickly in Turkey so I cannot imagine renovating in Italy.
Never watched the movie, but we did sell our swanky Sydney house with the ridiculous mortgage and bought a gorgeous village house in Spain. Moving in just over 2 years😀
Super interesting post Cassandra! I haven't seen La Dolce Villa yet but I fully intend to. Glad to know about these inaccuracies beforehand! And love the inside into Italian culture too, from someone on the ground.
I tried to watch this the other night and had to turn it off. It was all too...is "clean" the right word? I'm in Portugal, where they're not doing the €1 thing, but you can totally get a ruin (which means exactly what you say about no roof and maybe 2 1/4 walls--one of which will have a small religious painting on it) for the bargain price of €20k. It will also probably include some old furniture that you'll have to cart away because, ewwww. On the upside, you'll only have to spend another €90k to make it habitable. So, you can have a home in Portugal, but it won't be cheap. Or easy. On the other hand, it is a really nice dream. And I'm a sucker for it. Maybe I'll try to finish La Dolce Villa this weekend.
It’s extremely common in France to always be working on your own house. We bought a maison de maître that had fallen on hard times and worked on it ourselves for 20 years, until the day we sold it in fact.
OK, confession time...I did see it and nearly turned it off but didn't and actually loved it. There is so much carnage happening in the US right now that it was the exact escape that I needed. I actually wrote about my dream here: https://mamdiaries.substack.com/p/la-dolce-vita-dreams-my-tuscan-villa which I am sure you will roll your eyes at. But I do know that reality is very far removed from the dream and the Italians are on their own time zone. That said, I will rewatch Under The Tuscan Sun any day....that is a movie for dreams! And right now, I need big lofty dreams to keep me from despair!
No judgment at all! Great things often start with a dream or fantasy - and I think yours is a really wonderful one. It's definitely attainable, it just needs a few boundaries grounded in reality. :) I truly hope it becomes something real for you one day.
Didn’t watch it but I love your summary “ a fever dream of unrealistic expectations, borderline misinformation, and a bizarrely polished version of the one-euro home initiative, about as real as an Olive Garden 'Italian' dining experience” ha! Bless you for having sat through it. Italians stare in general - not just at foreigners!
You have a very valid point with the staring 😅
I got through the first 30 minutes of the movie and then had to turn it off. It was so predictable I could have written the dialogue myself. The scenery was gorgeous but not enough to continue wasting my time. I have been to Italy 5 times, once almost buying a villa in Boveglio. Unless one has a lot of money for the contractors and patience for their wait list it is almost impossible. But, the last few months I have been seriously reconsidering since Italy has offered a fast track for Americans wanting to run for their lives.
There’s no reason to ever finish that movie! It’s exciting to hear you might be moving to Italy - let me know if you ever need any guidance should the idea become more serious. :)
I hadn't heard of this. Bless you for watching and doing a write up so I don't have to watch it. Anything that shows renovating anywhere, let alone Italy, as easy is a lie. The difference of having it be difficult in Italy is THAT YOU LIVE IN ITALY which makes it totally worth it. Also the geomatra, at least where I am is a quasi-God.
You certainly should not waste your time watching this movie haha Also, yes, the geometra has WAY too much power! I’m always aiming to be on their good side.
As an Italian who left the city to go back living in a small town, every time that I hear about these kind of USA shows I just want to die 😅
We did watch it because TBH I’ll watch almost anything set in Italy (almost!). But ugh it was painful. And all the main characters were annoying. And we were absolutely aware it was in no way believable (I mean…except the grappa. That I believe. And yes, being stared at in small towns for sure 🙂).
The movie is utter rubbish, which was obvious from the trailer, and yes I watched it as I was curious. I agree with all your points except for the cost of the renovation of the villa they did pick- I think it would be double that or more. And the time it would take would stretch like whatever the thing is that stretches forever. I lived in Italy for a few months looking for property but ended up choosing Portugal. A American friend is currently renovating a small apartment in Liguria and it is taking forever even though she’s got close connections in town going back at least 20 years and speaks fluent Italian. The movie is ridiculous but I imagine it will make less damage than Under the Tuscan Sun did.
Ah, one thing you don’t comment on is the drama queen girlfriend of the waiter in the little cafe- how common is it for Italian women to fight in this way- throwing coffee cups on the floor? I’d say, not that common.
Wonderful article! I give you a lot of credit; I rent in Italy and I’m happy to not have the responsibility (and work) associated with home ownership! Check out some of my writings on Wisdom She Wrote. We are new to Substack and still in the midst of porting over all of our content, but several articles are there now.
I watched it with the understanding that it was not going to be close to reality. Having renovated 5 homes in the US I think most people have no clue what it takes economically or the level of patience needed. Things move quickly in Turkey so I cannot imagine renovating in Italy.
not even Italian, but even for an Austrian who travels to my “terra promessa” often.. way too unrealistic.. you wrote that up extremely well 😅
me too 🤣
Never watched the movie, but we did sell our swanky Sydney house with the ridiculous mortgage and bought a gorgeous village house in Spain. Moving in just over 2 years😀
Sounds like a dream to look forward to!
Super interesting post Cassandra! I haven't seen La Dolce Villa yet but I fully intend to. Glad to know about these inaccuracies beforehand! And love the inside into Italian culture too, from someone on the ground.
I tried to watch this the other night and had to turn it off. It was all too...is "clean" the right word? I'm in Portugal, where they're not doing the €1 thing, but you can totally get a ruin (which means exactly what you say about no roof and maybe 2 1/4 walls--one of which will have a small religious painting on it) for the bargain price of €20k. It will also probably include some old furniture that you'll have to cart away because, ewwww. On the upside, you'll only have to spend another €90k to make it habitable. So, you can have a home in Portugal, but it won't be cheap. Or easy. On the other hand, it is a really nice dream. And I'm a sucker for it. Maybe I'll try to finish La Dolce Villa this weekend.
It’s extremely common in France to always be working on your own house. We bought a maison de maître that had fallen on hard times and worked on it ourselves for 20 years, until the day we sold it in fact.