ITALY Features

Italian mountain properties see small price decline

Prices for Italian mountain properties went down by 0.1% in the first half of 2008, but some villages, such as Courmayeur, in the Aosta valley, bucked the trend with lively demand and an increase in values

Apartments in Trequanda, Tuscany

An elegant development on the edge of the Tuscan village of Trequanda offers good quality at reasonable prices

Panettone: Italian Christmas Cake

Last week when we talked about cioccolata calda, maybe you were wondering what you could eat with it. Well, since it's Christmastime, you can have panettone.

Top three Italian festive traditions

Few countries have such a rich folk heritage as Italy. Legend, myths and customs come in hundreds of regional variations-testament to the fact that, until just under 150 years ago, Italy was made of many different countries. But some festive traditions have soared beyond the regional confines to become truly national.

Italian property prices likely to hold up

Despite a drop in demand, Italian housing prices are faring better than those in most other developed economies, according to the latest report by economic intelligence company NOMISMA

Alpine style apartments in Valtournenche

Five one and two bedrooms apartments are up for sale in a stone and wood former municipal building in the pretty ski resort of Valtournenche, in Valle d’Aosta

Top property buying tips

Want to know how to buy a property in Italy in difficult times? Three experienced estate agents share their advice on how to choose and investment-proof property and pay the right price for it

How to determine the right price to pay for a property

“In the niche market in which we operate—that for traditional farmhouses and townhouses, restored or for restoration, in attractive rural locations or in historic villages and towns—the subjective nature of the buyer’s perception of value is invariably a significant factor in determining price,” warns Coombes.

Cioccolata Calda: Hot Chocolate in Italy

For many who have visited Italy during the colder months, cioccolata calda, or hot chocolate, is one of their fondest memories. And with excellent reason.

Three best Italian chocolatiers

The story of chocolate in Italy has the glamour of court life, the ring of horse hooves beating fast on cobbled street, the dim lights and wooden panelling of the first cioccolaterie.