Gala Placidia's activity

Flip, I have been in Bagni in April-May and I know the situation. And we have not put our house for sale - very reluctantly I must say - not because we want to get out of Italy but because family commitments force us to go to the USA twice a year and we do not have enough time or energy to be everywhere. We will be back in Bagni in a few days and I am looking forward to it as I love the place, but my dear husband is not getting any younger and it takes us two days of travel to go from our home in Spain to Bagni. I have to be realistic. We have already withdrawn twice the house from the market and I think that, deep in our heart, we do not want to sell... 

Well, Joy, sorry to disagree again, but the organic industry, after quite a few hiccups, is growing steadily. At least, in the USA it is big businesses and distributors are looking eagerly for producers in their areas. It may be contagious or perhaps Europe is a bit slow in that area, although I must say that most supermarkets carry nowadays organic produce. Something unseen only a few years ago. Here is some data that may interest you: http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html In America I shop a lot at Wholefoods, which I know has not been very successful in the UK, although it seems to be picking up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Foods_Market I also go to the San Francisco and Noe Valley Farmers Markets, where you see small producers selling their harvest directly to the public. It is not cheap, but I like to help them. Whenever I am in Bagni di Lucca, I also go to the local markets. It is good for the town´s economy. My point is that the family that goes back to the grandparents home in the village and starts working the land is not going to save Italy´s or Spain´s economy, but it is going to be better for them than staying unemployed in the big cities. And who knows, they may discover the perfect niche market that will become a business in the future. Many businesses have started that way. And it would be better for the villages, as well. They will become alive.

Agostino, my advice is to carefully study your possibilities and decide accordingly. There are thousands, I would even say millions of self-employed people in Italy. Perhaps, it requires a bit more effort to sort out the red tape than in some countries, but it is not as bad as it is portrayed by the self-appointed prophets of doom and gloom. Do a google search using the words self-employment Italy and you would find a lot of information. As for taxes, I would say that there are average for Europe, even if they have been increased because of the crisis, but this is what is happening everywhere. I have lived in several countries in Europe and I do know how much I was paying in France, not only in taxes but also in goods and services. Italy fares very well. Here you have some useful information http://www.worldwide-tax.com/italy/italy_tax.asp As I said before, you will have to find out for yourself, but try to ascertain the situation. Otherwise, you may be regretting not doing it for the rest of your life. Best wishes

Sorry, Joy, but you cannot compare these small ventures which are helping people and their families in a small scale to large producers and industries. They work at different levels and it is like comparing the small grocery shop in a village with a hypermarket. They all have a role to play in the recovery process, not only in Italy , but worldwide. Because this crisis is affecting the whole world. All economies are  interlinked.

Yes, Spain has been doing similar things and they do work. They favour young couples and families. Many of these people are opting for organic agriculture and ecological products as they are growing markets. At the same time they are "rediscovering" life in the country. And I think that nowadays, with all the advances in communications, it is a very pleasant alternative to life in the cities.

AGostino, as an EU citizen you do not need a visa to enter Italy and to stay there for up to 3 months; however, you should register with the Anagrafe and get some health insurance to cover you while you are "in limbo". Get your European Health Card as well. Once you are definitely staying in Italy it may be worthwhile to register with the Italian Social Security as self-employed and then you will be getting the same benefits that Italians get. Also, keep in mind that within the EU Social Securityaccrued in any member state are transferable to your country of origin. Start thinking about retirement... it will hit you before you can realise it. Trust me! Regarding location, you will have to find where you really feel "at home". Keep in mind a few things. Italian cities are generally expensive. You will be able to find cheaper accomodation in smaller towns within a 30 minute drive radio.  Look for an area with good communication, preferably with a train station and an international airport, not subject to seasonality, within 100 km  distance. Check interner availability. Have a look at www.tim.it as they have good offers and cover. Best wishes! And do tell us how you go.

There could be some changes in the near future. In Spain, some young people and families who are out of work are returning to the villages where their grandparents live and farming the land. Some small country schools, which were about to be closed, are expanding their classes because of the influx of new students. Before, going to visit the grandparents in summer was only a way to get a cheap holiday. Times do change!

Sorry, I made a mistake using the expression "permesso di soggiorno", as I should have said registration with the local Anagrafe. http://poliziadistato.it/articolo/10930/ In any case, for stays of more than 3 months, EU citizens have to fulfil the same requirements as for the ¨permesso¨, namely state the reason for your stay, justify that you have a job or independent means and that you also have health cover. The name may have changed because of complaints from some EU nationals, but the "spirit of the law" is still the same. Nobody can stay in an EU country for more than 3 months unless you can assure the authorities that you are not going to become a burden to the host state. Some people still do it... but then, they can also be legally kicked out. As I said before, good luck with your plans.

Welcome! As you said, we have answered this type of questions quite a few times; however, it looks as if certain concepts are not clear to everyone. As EU citizens, we have the right to freely move and work within the EU and stay in any member country for up to 3 months. If we wish to stay for more than 3 months, we have to register with the local police and to obtain what in Italy is called a "permesso di soggiorno" and in order toobtain this we have to justify that we have a local address, enough money to survive without becoming a burden to the Italian government and health insurance (for up to 6 months you would be covered by your European Health Card, but keep in mind that this covers emergency treatment only, it is not a full health insurance. A "codice fiscale" is also necessary. You can obtain it from your nearest Italian Consulate or once you are in Italy. If you look at the right hand side of the screen, you will find the word "search". Enter the words "residency requirements" and you will find plenty of useful old threads. Good luck with your plans! 

There are a multitude of potential catastrophes predicted for December 21st,  2012. I will be in San Francisco... perhaps an earthquake? They have been announcing a "big one" for many years now. Personally, I am not worried. Regarding the cold winter, certainly it is a possibility. I would add warm socks and protective footwear and some good gloves.