DAILY-TELEGRAPH SATURDAY, MAY 31 2008
It is a cultured crowd (or at least they would like to think so) who make for Tuscany in summer. The region’s undulating olive groves, Renaissance towns and stone borghi satisfy their romantic definition of “summer holiday”. “People are passionate about Italy,” says Rupert Fawcett of estate agency Knight Frank. “They go there for the art, history and music.”
But those who dream of owning an Italian farmhouse in Tuscany will find the prices far from romantic. In sought- after parts of the region (so-called Chianti shire, for example) and even in neighbouring Umbria, an average four- bedroom, stone farmhouse can cost about €1.2 million.
The British out post, however, comprises a relatively small area of Italy. If you venture an hour north into Lunigiana or south into Emilia Romagna, equivalent properties can cost up to half as much — and there is still plenty for classics scholars to sink their teeth into. “It’s more of a buyer’s market” says Mr Fawcett, “so long as you are sensible and check all the facts.”
For those prepared to explore, there are many lovely, old houses within easy reach of unspoilt coast and countryside all over Italy. Hardened Tuscanophiles will take some convincing that the countryside in Basilicata, in the far south, could be mistaken for Tuscany, but the €600,000 (£475,860) price tag for a bespoke stone farmhouse, surrounded by olive groves, might get them thinking. Here are 10 of the most enticing areas.
Matera, Basilicata
Getting there: airports at Brindisi and Bari
La cucina: calzone di verdure (folded pizza with chard, peppers and raisins)
I vini: Aglianico del Vulture
The lesser-known Basilicata forms a triangle between Campania, Puglia and Calabria, and, according to Rupert Fawcett, the landscape could be mistaken for Tuscany. “It is geographically closer to Greece than Milan,” says Mr Fawcett. “And this is reflected in the food and culture.” There are good beaches and countryside, with stone villages and vineyards.
- For sale: Knight Frank is using the same developer as Puglia (see above) to create bespoke stone farmhouses (pictured) overlooking a lake, near Matera, an hour from Ban airport, from €600,000 (Knight Frank, as above).
Daily Telegraph - 31 May 2008 - Italy .pdf