🇮🇹 Buone Feste! Let's Ring in 2025 Together
In this week’s Per Te we celebrate the joys of the season and give thanks... to you! We pop some bubbly, offer up another amazing 'Freebee,' explore a town James Bond himself visited 👀 ➕ more!
Thank You for Being a Part of the SMI Famiglia — Let’s Celebrate!
🎄🍾 🇮🇹 This week’s Per Te lands between the major Italian celebrations of Natale (Christmas) and Capodanno (New Year’s Eve/Day).
As 2024 comes to a close, we at Smart Move Italy would first like to thank you for reading Per Te this year! We appreciate your allowing us to be a part of your Italian journey — no matter where you are on it, or what it looks like to you.
We can feel the energy in your emails and the curiosity in your questions, and it makes us strive to be better at every turn with what we do and what we offer. Italy is our shared love, and not just its beauty or, let’s face it, food, but its culture, natural environments, people…this magical idea that has brought thousands of us together — even if it’s just reading this email every week!
So in this special feste issue, we invite you to savor the magic of Italy and contemplate the possibility of starting your own chapter in the land of amore… or helping someone else do so.
If you missed a stocking yesterday, we suggest an amazing last-minute gift 🎁 for the Italophile in your life (or is that YOU?!). Smart Move Italy’s private membership is truly an incredible resource for those who want to take their commitment to Italy to the next level. Members enjoy access to experts in property, taxes, language, and culture, (just to name a few), as well as an active forum and in-depth courses to help Italian dreams come true. Click the link ⬇️ to learn more.
Now, about Capodanno…
Pop the Bubbly on New Year’s Eve… & Then Go Visit Where it Came From!
Added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2019, the Prosecco Hills around Venice are a vacation unto themselves. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the ubiquitous Italian answer to France’s champagne (though don’t dare try to compare — they are very different), the Hills of Veneto are a must-visit.
The Italian Ministerio del Turismo sums up this magical, and historic, landscape:
The Prosecco hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the province of Treviso, represent an ancient world that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
Choosing the Prosecco Hills as a destination means admiring small vineyards on narrow grassy terraces called “ciglioni”, beautiful hill ridges, medieval villages and hamlets, forests and cultivations. A rugged but enchanting terrain, long shaped and adapted by man, who has nevertheless thoroughly respected its nature… A destination full of beauty and overwhelming flavours accompanied by good drink.
The Hills offer some of the most stunning examples of the easy-drinking favorite of tourists and Italians alike. From toasts at midnight to your spritz the next evening, Prosecco is as well known today as any wine around the world.
Or, nature has made it easy for you to take a quick day trip up from Venice, or spend a week on the Prosecco Road. (We suggest hiring a driver for all the tasting you will do!)
Sold yet? Many vineyards also offer accommodations, and there is no shortage of options. There are also numerous denominazioni di origine controllata (DOC) and denominazioni di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) to explore, so as always, we suggest you search out which varieties and vineyards sound best to you and your tastebuds (and wallet!).
Happy exploring!
Don’t Be a Bump on a Log — Check Out the ‘Freebees’ Blog!
We’ve been highlighting the Smart Move Italy “Freebee” series over the past few weeks, offering ways you can increase your Italian knowledge and exploration at no cost to you. Today, we’re highlighting an offering that keeps on giving… our blog!
Our Blog Freebee is a wide-ranging source of all things Italy. Want to debunk some myths about the elective residency visa? Or read about “fitting in” when you move to Italy? Maybe you’re just curious about what your next steps might be on the way to a move.
The blog has articles like these and more just waiting for a click.
There are also links to the podcast, our lifestyle offerings, and property help.If there’s an article you’re seeking it’s probably here. In fact, check it out, and let us know if there’s something you DON’T see!
If 2025 is your to get serious about a move to Italy, or even just keep compiling information for a future dream, the Freebee Blog is a great place to get started!
Podcast Corner 🎙️ Let’s Chase Our Crazy Dreams!
The latest episode of “A New Life in Italy,” SMI sits down with Ashley Bartner, the co-founder of La Tavola Marche, an organic farm, inn, and cooking school tucked away in the stunning countryside of Le Marche.
Ashley and her husband, Jason, took the plunge 17 years ago, leaving their fast-paced lives in New York to start fresh in rural Italy. They didn’t have all the answers—just a dream, a lot of courage, and a willingness to figure things out along the way.
Ashley opens up about what it was really like to make such a big move, from learning the ropes of farming and hosting guests to teaching cooking classes and navigating life in Italy. She gets honest about the challenges too—like dealing with unexpected power outages in the middle of a Thanksgiving dinner for their neighbors—and how those moments helped them grow.
One of our favorite parts of our chat is hearing Ashley talk about the mindset it takes to follow a dream, even when it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. Her story is such a great reminder that the only person who needs to believe in your dream is you. We also dig into the realities of running an agriturismo—the hard work, the surprises, and the moments that make it all worthwhile. As the episode wraps up, we challenge you to think about your own dreams. What’s that one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t taken the leap yet? Whether it’s moving to Italy, starting a new career, or stepping into something completely unknown, I hope this episode inspires you to take the first step.
And don’t forget—if you’re serious about making Italy your new home, check out all the resources waiting for you at SmartMoveItaly.com.
And as always, we encourage you to follow us on YouTube to see all our podcast and video features – there’s something for everyone!
Location Spotlight📍Matera, Basilicata
We mentioned UNESCO Heritage Sites earlier… want to live in one?!
Today, we’re highlighting a centrally located offering in Italy's oldest city, Matera, the 2019 European Capital of Culture known as Città dei Sassi (City of Stone). It’s been on the prestigious UNESCO list since 1983, and for good reason — it’s considered one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to the 10th century BCE. That was considered the Paleolithic era, by the way. It just sounds ancient, doesn’t it?!
In more modern times, if you saw the most recent James Bond movie, No Time to Die, Matera was the shooting location of its first scenes, which included a giant explosion and a spirited car chase through its narrow streets.
Don’t worry — no historic sites or artifacts were harmed!
In that village, this beautifully renovated 395,000€ apartment offers a whopping 1,500 square feet of interior space, plus a huge outdoor terrace.
You can live in a town that seems built right into the stone — that’s no accident. Matera has a system of caves dating back to its origins. It’s worth a visit on its own, but today, we offer you a way to call it home.
Want to see more? Subscribe to Vendita and get 30 property picks sent to you every Sunday. To subscribe via email, click here or join our Telegram channel.
And if you’re thinking about buying a property in Italy, you don’t have to do it alone! Book a free 10-minute property purchase discovery call here.
Ask Samantha Anything has the week off due to the holiday.
*Please send your questions to richard@smartmoveitaly.com
PerTe è finito for this week… and this year! But don’t forget — we always have lots more to share with you! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
As always, thanks for being a part of the Smart Move Italy famiglia. A 2025! 👋