Gala Placidia's activity

I agree with the others. Providing it is a simple purchase, a lawyer will not be necessary. The notary will do the necessary as far as the title and the transaction are concerned. On the other hand, if you intend to purchase an apartment, I would strongly advise you to check the current situation of the building, whether there is a body corporate or condominium structure, repair fund, regular payments into this fund, insurance... everything! Many buildings in Italy are not properly organized and when problems arise or repairs are due, trouble starts. If you have any doubts... stay away. It would be better to look into buying a town house or "terratetto" or "terra-cielo" as we call it in Tuscany. Perhaps you are going to have a look at something that will not be as centrally located as an apartment, but you should have less problems. You will own it from the roof to the ground, as the name suggests. Good luck!

Sorry, but you were interested in Sicily and the Francigena Way runs from Canterbury to Rome, so you would have a problem there. In Sicily, Caritas Italiana is always in need of volunteers. You may have a look at www.caritasitaliana.it and search for "volontariato".As for the Francigena Way, have a look here http://francigenaways.com/viafrancigena

I agree with modicasa. Legal action is your only option. And I also agree in that , although it may take a long time, you will win the case. You must convey the image that you are not prepared to accept anything else but to repair the roof and that you will go as far as it is necessary.AT the same time you must have a body corporate for the building. The current situation is a recipe for disaster. Good luck!

Sorry to hear about your predicament. Have you contacted your insurers? They should be the ones handling all this. Depending on the scope of the work, 20,000 € may not be unreasonable. Just the scaffolding needed for a 4 storey building and the difficulties that an old building in the centro storico will present will justify a high cost. 

There are some forae which specialise in genealogy which could also help. Here is one where the information given by Jonny Augustine Fravigar is confirmed http://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/italian-genealogy/23175 Fraviga or Fravega is an Italian family surname found in the Milanese and Liguria. It originates from the word favregh, which means "fabbro" or silversmith in the local dialect. 

I don't think that the small rent you may get justifies leasing the land to a farmer who really wants to buy it. Particularly if you wish to keep it as a buffer zone. Not worth the trouble, the legal fees that you may incur and all the aspirin you may have to purchase for headache relief. 

Hi! There was a similar post some years ago. The answers from Charlotte Oliver should be very useful. https://www.italymagazine.com/community/post/legal-transfer

Technically, you should request the certificate by contacting the "Ufficio Tecnico! of the Comune within 15 days from finishing the works. Here is some general information http://www.professionisti.it/enciclopedia/voce/1120/Certificato-di-agibilita-fabbricati

It will all depend on the particular restaurant where you want to go. Some are busy throughout the year, as they do not depend on tourism alone. It should be understood that Florence does not live on tourism alone. It is a city where many people live and work throughout the year. If going to a particular restaurant is an important part of your trip, then, my advice  would be to book it. 

Oops! Forgot to mention... If you leave La Spezia early in the morning, you should be in Manarola at lunchtime. There, you can have "pesce della barca" (freshly caught fish panfried) that you can have while you drink one of the delicious local wines (mainly Vermentino and Albarola graprs). Don't ask for "Sciachetrà" as this is a sweet, fortified wine suitable for dessert and I do not advise you to have it if you wish to walk along the "Via dell'Amore" footpath... Enjoy!