Your Italian villa in the mezzogiorno for $164,000 by Stefania Russo 
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These two-bedroom apartments on two floors by Botricello, on the Ionian sea are priced at ?80,000 ($109,000). Photo courtesy of The Property Finders.
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Dreaming of a villa in southern Italy for under $200,000? Try Calabria, often called the toe of Italy. Without the culture of Florence or the fashion of Milan, this unspoiled, less wealthy corner of Italy lies in the heart of the country's mezzogiorno region. Encircled by clear, silver-blue sea on three sides, it's one of its warmest and sunniest too. Even in mid-October, temperatures remain in the upper 70s. Rugged Beauty
Calabria is a part of Italy like no other-its rustic, friendly charm unchanged for centuries. The hinterland owes its rugged beauty to three mountain ranges: Pollino in the north; Sila, with its lakes and forests, a hiker's paradise; and Aspromonte, with lush groves and vineyards. The province of Cosenza attracts a large part of the region's still developing tourism trade. The old town of the same name is worth exploring, especially for its stunning cathedral, Norman castle, and Rendano Theater. Bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the east, the 490-mile shore (one-fifth of Italy's total) goes from spectacular rocky cliffs to wide, sandy beaches. Take Tropea, for instance, reckoned by the London-based Sunday Times newspaper to have Europe's finest beach. Little surprise that 19th-century poet Gabriele D'Annunzio was moved to describe a section in Reggio Calabria as "the most beautiful kilometer in Italy."
Property prices in Calabria are lower than in the rest of Italy, possibly because much of this rural area was abandoned in an exodus of almost one million people last century seeking their fortune elsewhere, though many are now returning. A home in the sun here is more than affordable. A one-bedroom apartment or villa in a residential complex can be found from 50,000 euro ($68,000). For a two-bedroom apartment, prices start at 80,000 euro ($109,000) …And you can have your own villa, in the lively town of Castrovillari for example, from 120,000 euro ($164,000). [Editor's note: Stefania Russo works for The Property Organiser Ltd, an independent agency run by Italian professionals that finds property in Italy for buyers free of charge. You can contact her by e-mail at stefania.russo@propertyorganiser.co.uk or check the website: www.propertyorganiser.co.uk ] |
