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romilly
08/24/2009 - 05:43

HelloI've just joined the group. We have a house in a hamlet called Doga, its about 20k from Sestri Levante quite near San Pietro Vara anf Varese Ligure. We bought the house a couple of years ago, initially as a holiday home, but we have our house in london on the market and hope to move here permanently soon. The house was built in the 1920s and renovated in the late seventies (we think). However, only the cantine and first floor were done, the second floor was left 'grezzo'. but with a sound roof and new window spaces with shutters, so it looks fine from the outside. We plan to do the upstairs, and make more bedrooms etc, and generally update when the money comes through from the sale of our London house.We are fortunate in that our neighbours have taken a friendly interest in us. Only one other family live her all year, but he is the builder who did all the original work on the house , which is a very good standard, so we are happy to use him for the rest of the work. I think he has personally renovated all the houses in the hamlet!  Because one most of the work is internal we only need a DIA and another kind neighbour has just introduced use to a local geometra, who is the deputy mayor, so hopefully that bodes well.We are within walking distance (a mile uphill!) of a village called Tavarone which has a great restaurant and pizzeria, and shop. It also has great sagre, a swimming pool, adventure park, horse riding etc.We don't speak good Italian, but were are working on it.Romilly

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Introductions
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Liguria
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Submitted by Gala Placidia on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 16:51

Hello, Romilly and welcome. Liguria is a beautiful place. We had a look at properties around your area when we were searching for a house, but there was nothing suitable at the time, so we ended up in Northern Tuscany, however, we always spend time there as well. Best wishes regarding your future plans.

Submitted by FromNowOn on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 08:56

Hello Romilly, yes we know the area you live in.  We started our house-hunting in the Sestri Levante area but quickly realised the prices there were out of our budget. Earlier this year we were in Tavarone looking for some flats with a wonderful view that we had seen on the internet.  We found them, and Taverone.  The snow was just beginning to melt, and we had to be careful on the slopes.  The views were fantastic.The reason we are so interested in the Sestri Levante area is that Allan's great-grandfather came from there, and we spent several years successfully tracking down the family branch left in the area.  This invovled making appointments with local priests to go through their registers with them.  (No mean feat when Allan's Italian language skills were in their infancy at that time!).  One priest took us down into his church's private "museum" where he had stored all kinds of ancient religious paraphernalia.  We have a great interest in family history and have set up a website containing a database of original historical legal documents relating to people in England and Wales who entered into any kind of legal agreement http://www.familychest.co.uk/  If anyone is researching their family history, our website might be helpful, as it contains lots of personal information on the people involved in the transactions.In the end we bought an apartment with garden in the North Tuscan area of Lunigiana.  It's not too far from Sestri, and very close to the wonderful coastline of the Cinque Terre.  We are much newer to home owning in Italy than you, as we are about to visit the apartment for only the second time next week.It seems that family history has not taken off in Italy, I suppose it is because families are inclined to stay together in the same area, and everyone knows all there is to know about their own family.  Or at least they think they do.  Allan's family are not quite convinced about the English side, despite hard evidence!      

Submitted by Heiko on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 10:20

Welcome to Liguria.  We've been down the valley from you for 5 years and are very happy.  Susan has been teaching English in Brugnato, not far from you.  It's always best to use locals to do work for you.  It helps the local economy and your own standing amongst your neighbours.

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