Yes, there’s one less property for sale in Abruzzo after we complete our purchase and move a step closer to providing holidays for two in this beautiful region of Italy !

We're now the proud and legal owners of about an acre of Abruzzo; two ruined houses; seven olive trees; and views that money can't buy. Which is probably just as well, because after completing a purchase document that ended up with more signatures than the Magna Carta and acting like a philanthropist on speed, handing out a great many cheques and large bundles of cash to a great many people, there's not much left for views.

Now, the real work starts. Much as we'd have liked to restore our two Abruzzo houses - one for us; the other providing low-key, laid-back holidays for two - it was simply too big a task.

Both have been empty and abandoned for at least twenty years, part of a tiny hamlet - or borgho - similarly just left to the elements, or used not as homes anymore, but to house animals or store farm equipment.
Just easier to knock them down (which won't take much doing); reclaim every scrap possible of reclaimable stone and tile (which we've already made a start on); and rebuild in traditional Abruzzo style.

Our aim is to provide something we long searched for, but never quite found. Holidays just for two. Villas for two. You can read more about it here - and here too ! (Well, there was quite a lot to say…)

Building work should start for real shortly after Easter - which in turn will give us a more realistic idea of when we're going to be able to start welcoming our villas for two guests.

If you're based in the UK, you might be devotees of TV programmes like No Going Back and Grand Designs. We rather feel like we're living through one of those right now, with our own  Abruzzo house project. It's terrifying and exhilarating at the same time - especially when you realise at the moment you sign the purchase contract that you've just placed all your eggs in one rather fragile basket… 

If you want to see how we get on over the next few months, bookmark this site - building and web - check back often, and see how the dream takes shape.

If you'd like to know more about Abruzzo, Wikipedia has the most complete rundown. Or check out the Abruzzo Tourist Board's excellent English-language site.

(Click on pictures in text for larger images) 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 10:20 pm and is filed under About Villas for 2, Property, About Abruzzo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.