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Italian property prices hold despite drop in sales

Slow and steady. That’s the snapshot of the Italian property market in 2009, according to the Agenzia del Territorio, Italy’s equivalent of the Land Registry.

The Agenzia has just published its annual report on the Italian market, which analyses data from 2009. Some 1.347m transactions took place in the country last year - a markedly lower number than at during the property boom.

Concerns over equity and a gap in buyers and sellers’ price expectations both conspired to depress sale volumes, which were down 11.3% over the previous year. In 2008, the annual drop had been of 13.7% over 2007.



However, the tide appeared to change at some point during the second half of 2009. While the first quarter of the year recorded a staggering 18.6% reduction in sales over the same period in 2008, by the last quarter, they were only down 4% over the previous year. The trend affected every property segment, but offices and residential performed better than commercial and industrial properties.

Likewise, some geographical areas held better than others. In the last quarter of 2009, Northern Italy saw a greater drop in residential sales than the South (-6.4% against -0.7%) and the Centre, which bucked the trend and saw a 1.4% increase. In particular, the market in Central Italy’s capital cities went up by 4.6%.

It is also interesting to note that mortgage-funded purchases performed better than average, reversing a previous trend. Last year, mortgage buys decreased by 10.8% against an 11.3% average for residential homes, whereas in 2008, the mortgage market drop had been a massive 27%, against a 15% average. The report researchers believe that the dramatic reduction in interest rates helped support mortgage-funded purchases last year.

What is of greatest interest to Italian property owners, however, is that housing values proved remarkably resilient. Despite the significant contraction in sales, prices only went down by 0.7% in the second half of 2009 over the same period in the previous year. And putting the numbers in a longer term perspective, values today are 28.7% higher than in 2004. Southern Italy was the steadiest location, recording stable prices in capital cities (-0.1%) and a small increase (0.4%) in smaller municipalities.


Words by Carla Passino
http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/property/italian-property-prices-hold-despite-drop-sales

Foodie fun in Umbria

Location: Umbria | Topic: Food & Drink, Travel
Words by Germaine Stafford

Ten tasty ideas on how to get the best from Italy’s ‘Green Heart’.

1. Seek sophisticated sanctuary

If relaxing in the discreet luxury of a converted 12th Century monastery and taking part in truffle hunts, cooking lessons and visits to local food markets is your idea of fun, then Lilliana and John Tunstill’s beautiful guest house, La Preghiera, is definitely the answer to your prayers.


2. Whet your appetite
Christine Smallwood’s excellent book An Appetite for Umbria is an absolute must for any gourmet planning to visit the region. A winning combination of prose, food info and local recipes, this book will treat you to a true taste of Umbria.

3. Be a Bongustaio
After soaking up the beauty of Assisi’s Basilica di San Francesco, make your way to the Gambacorta family’s specialty food shop, Bottega del Bongustaio, and stock up on farro and lentils, pecorino and other local specialties. Or visit their website and have them sent to your door! Via San Gabriele, 17 (www.ilbongustaio.com)

4. Dish for Compliments
Lavishly decorated, colourful Deruta pottery has to be one of the most spectacular ways to show off your cooking and give your home an Italian touch. The Grazia family has an excellent collection and deliver all over the world.

5. Make a cake of yourself
Right in Perugia’s historic centre sits the beautiful Caffé Sandri with its fabulous vaulted ceiling – just the place to throw back a thimbleful of excellent espresso and allow yourself to be tempted by an irresistible array of homemade pastries. Corso Vannucci, 32

6. Get thee to Gubbio
Once you’ve wandered round this medieval marvel of a town, seek respite at La Fornace di Mastro Giorgio. When in season, enjoy a menu studded with Umbria’s exceptional truffles and a good bottle of red chosen from the ample wine list. Via Mastro Giorgio, 2 in Gubbio.

7. Go for gold
Umbria produces some exquisite olive oils and what better way to find them than to follow a Strada del’Olio? Stop off at local producers’, sample their offerings and treat yourself to some of Italy’s best loved ‘liquid gold’. (www.stradaoliodopumbria.it)

8. Lunch by a Lake
Head for Lago Trasimeno and enjoy a spot of windsurfing or go for a good swim. As you dry off, lie back and enjoy a picnic of prized prosciutto from Norcia, some pecorino with truffles and a cleverly-stashed bottle of Montefalco Sagrentino. (www.lagotrasimeno.net)

9. Have an Art Attack
Treat yourself to a fabulous painting holiday in Umbria with H&G Italy, and while you’re slaving over a hot canvas, Eddy and Sheila de Vries will be busy planning evening meals, wine tastings and trips to nearby food markets. No starving artists here methinks...

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/umbria/foodie-fun-umbria

Valerio Scanu wins the Sanremo Festival 2010 with "Per Tutte le Volte Che"

Per tutte le volte che is a song with a notable vocal difficulty but also with a single instantaneity..

"Each time i sing it, i think at the words thus whispered, by moment timidly sang, and on other time with a feeling of rage which comes to express a discomfort and then explodes in the refrain with this melody which falls, raises you and cut your breath. It's like looking at a small world with its details and its characteristics of every day, the troubles, fights, bad moments in the verses... And then the refrain which , on the other hand, brings you above the mounts and the clouds in a happy coasting flight...»

http://www.valerioscanu.com/

Trevi, Umbria - A week without TV

The Italians - watch on average 28 hours of TV per person per week as compared to 28 hours of weekly viewing by the average Italian. In Italian homes there is nearly always a television in the kitchen as well as in other rooms and it is usually left on during mealtimes.

When a school in Trevi [Umbria] asked two classes to participate in a project in which not only the children but also their parents would spend one week without watching the television at all, then, the families foresaw a difficult seven days. However, 41 children between the ages of 8 and 11 and their families agreed to try, denying themselves the use of video and computer games as well, reports La Repubblica.

The project, called “Oltre lo Schermo” [“Beyond the Screen”] was the idea of Umbrian journalist and mother Giovanna Grieco, who only allows her own son to watch TV for a short time each day. He spends the rest of his free time reading stories and playing games with his family. Ms Grieco suggested games and activities that the children could do in the afternoons at school or at home instead of watching TV.

The emphasis was on interacting with the people around them.
In all, 28 children got through the “week without TV” and they kept diaries of their difficulties and discoveries of other ways to spend their time, such as helping their mothers with the cooking, reading in the school library or enjoying playing games with their parents.

“We enjoyed turning the TV off every time Dad switched it on”, reported eight-year-old twins.
It seems that the older children found the sacrifice harder than the younger ones. The school is happy with the outcome and may extend the project to include other classes in the future.

La scuola del cioccolato

La Perugina: una storica fabbrica italiana.
Perugia può essere considerata la capitale Italiana del cioccolato dal momento che ogni anno è la sede di Eurochocolate, la manifestazione più importante del settore, e dal 1904 ospita una fabbrica che è entrata a far parte della storia del costume italiano: la Perugina.



Pronta ad accogliere sia grandi che piccini uniti dalla passione per il cioccolato, l'azienda ha creato la Scuola del Cioccolato con un ricco calendario di corsi "per tutti i gusti" e 14 postazioni di lavoro complete di tutti gli strumenti necessari per lavorare il "cibo degli dei" creando la propria personale delizia. I corsi durano mezza giornata e consentono di imparare le basi dell'arte cioccolatiera ma anche di esplorare il mondo della degustazione diventando dei "sommelier" del cioccolato. Imperdibili i classici Master Tutto Latte o Master Tutto Fondente, delle vere full immersion che trattano anche la storia del cioccolato, le caratteristiche delle materie prime e le tecniche di produzione. Chi si sente più creativo può cimentarsi nei "corsi d'artista" come quello per creare e decorare il proprio cioccolatino oppure scegliere uno dei corsi a tema come "Mamma dolce mamma" o "Pasqua in fantasia". Un corso ad hoc è proposto anche agli studenti degli istituti alberghieri per introdurli professionalmente al mondo del cioccolato.



La Scuola del Cioccolato è stata anche il set del film Lezioni di Cioccolato con Neri Marcorè, Luca Argentero e Violante Placido che si sono cimentati in prima persona nei corsi per entrare nel mondo di questo alimento protagonista della storia.


Le lezioni sono tenute dai maestri cioccolatieri Perugina che non solo spiegano passo dopo passo le tecniche fondamentali ma forniscono anche notizie interessanti sulla storia del cioccolato, sui suoi benefici a livello fisico ed emozionale, sulle norme di conservazione e sulle regole per un consumo ideale. Per rendere questa esperienza più completa ad ogni corso si può abbinare una visita al Museo storico del Cioccolato e alla fabbrica Perugina.

Stabilimento Nestlè Perugina
Viale San Sisto
San Sisto, Perugia
Corsi e informazioni: tel. 800-800-907
www.perugina.it


http://www.italytraveller.com/it/x/cooking-class/e/la-scuola-del-cioccolato

"What’s Fashion About?”

What’s Fashion About?” is the title of the 77th Pitti Uomo [Pitti for Men] Fashion Show which is taking place at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence until 15th January. This is the event that opens the international fashion fair season every year and exhibitors from all segments of the fashion industry participate, including textile manufacturers, garment makers, textile machinery and technology manufacturers, embroidery companies, makers of trimmings and accessories and even laundries. In all 730 exhibitors and 905 brands are participating.

The organisers say that, because of the recession, all fashion houses have been rethinking their strategies and Pitti have reflected this by breaking with tradition in the design of this year’s exhibition space. Spanish designer and architect Patricia Urquiola has revolutionised the design of the main pavilion and, on the lower floor, she has created a “fashion district”. Here the exhibitors’ stands are smaller than in previous years so that there is more space between them to encourage people to stop and talk. “Give up a little of your space so that there is room for all” is the message.

Exhibitors hope that the autumn-winter 2010 – 11 collections will mark a turning point for the industry as it comes out of recession but everything depends on the army of international buyers – 22,000 of them attended the last winter fair - who can make or break a brand. The upturn in the industry’s fortunes is expected to begin with the export market which decreased by 19.6% last year. The fashion companies particularly hope to be able to export their goods to the USA.

Yesterday Lars Nilsson showed elegant outdoor wear for men along with brightly patterned scarves. The waistcoat is definitely back in his suits and evening jackets featured a Bogey cut. Japanese designer Jun Takashaki showed in Italy for the first time in the setting of the Boboli Gardens in the evening. Corleani are showing at the Pitti for the first time. Pitti_W Woman Precollections are showing simultaneously at the Dogana. These are collection previews taking place in an exhibition space designed by Oliviero Baldini.

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/firenze/whats-fashion-about

Darwin Day - Perugia 2009

To commemorate the centenary of Darwin's Evolution of the Species theory, the Associazione Nazionale Insegnanti di Scienze Naturali, the Centro di Ateneo per i Musei Scientifici have scheduled a long series of events throughout Umbria for Darwin Day from February through to December.


Email: segreteria@perugiasciencefestival.it

Forget Van Gogh's ear - it's Galileo's molar

A private art collector who recently purchased a seventeenth-century box containing unidentified “artefacts” must have had a gruesome surprise when he opened it, for it contained a human tooth, a thumb and a middle finger, later authenticated as having belonged to none other than Galileo Galilei [1564 – 1642] who was condemned by the Vatican for claiming that the Earth moved around the Sun.

The collector contacted the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence and the Museum’s director, Paolo Galluzzi, pieced together the story:
when Galileo died, those close to him feared that the Church would refuse him burial in consecrated ground because of his “heresies” so his body was taken to a small room beneath the bell tower of Santa Croce.



In 1737, 95 years after the astronomer’s death, his body was removed from its “temporary” grave and placed in a monumental tomb in the Basilica itself. It was during this process that Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, chief physician of the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova Gualtieri, removed the tooth, two fingers and the thumb from the right hand and the fifth lumbar vertebra. He wrote that he found it difficult not to yield to the temptation to remove the skull too, for it “had housed such extraordinary genius”.

One of the fingers was kept in the Science Museum in Florence and the vertebra was conserved at the University of Padua, where Galileo had taught.
The other body parts, however, were kept in a blown-glass vase inside a wooden container and this was passed down the generations of a noble family. Eventually, no one in the family knew what was in the container and they sold it. All trace of it was lost by 1905. Then suddenly it turned up at auction.

The rediscovered relics will be displayed in the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence when it reopens next year as the Museo Galileo.


http://www.italymag.co.uk/