Articles by Carla Passino

A tiny Tomino wheel, the candid rind charred from the grill, splits open to ooze a creamy, molten core. The golden solidity of a slice of Bettelmatt d…
Words by Carla PassinoDeep in a verdant valley just outside Fiesole, a handful of ancient stone farmhouses cluster around an elegant 15th century vill…
Words by Carla Passino - Photos courtesy of ENITPrices for premium second homes in Italy continue to rise, although at a slower pace. The news comes f…
Words by Carla Passino - Photos courtesy of ENITThis week, I have already bought three properties—an ancient hilltop villa wrapped by the verdant embr…
Words by Carla PassinoUp a steep hillside, the taupe splash of ancient stone houses breaks the ocean of green stretching from jagged peak to wooded fo…
Words by Carla PassinoUnder a pale silver moon, the sea is a glossy sheet of molten obsidian. But flickering in the distance, the lights of Sicily dan…
Words by Carla PassinoWondering where to blow the budget on a seaside home? Then head to Capri, Forte dei Marmi or Portofino.According to a price surv…
Words by Carla PassinoIf you look at the latest figures released by the Agenzia del Territorio—the Italian equivalent of the Land Registry—€150,000 sh…
Photos courtesy of ENIT The sun dying red in an indigo sky and infusing the sea with soft French rose notes. A candle-lit restaurant perched high on…
Words by Carla PassinoThe view from Villa Circi is a mosaic of colours. The myrtle silhouette of pine trees and silver firs cast their shade over sinu…
Words by Carla PassinoAn intricate forest of firs and beech. A steep, forbidding road. A last bend, and then the Benedictine Eremo di Camaldoli, hidde…
Words by Carla PassinoIt is official—with a few notable exceptions, Italy is in the grip of a property slowdown. The definitive word comes from the Ag…
Words by Carla PassinoHow far do €430,000 go in these days of wobbly economy? You could treat yourself to just over a month in the cupola suite of Rom…
Bliss is rolling in mud, inhaling smelly vapours and bathing in whey. Well, it is when it takes place in a marble-strewn spa by the beach or deep in t…
Words by Carla PassinoAn ancient house of pale taupe stones stands in the heart of Taponecco, a Tuscan village of cobbled lanes and gentle arches perc…
Words by Carla PassinoAchingly white limestone cliffs rise sharply from a cobalt blue sea. A lone sailing boat leaves a soft wake in the water, and th…
Words by Carla PassinoCentral Italy is a place of many markets. Prices and demand vary wildly from area to area, depending on communication links, clo…
Words by Carla PassinoIt is jo-jo going for the Italian lakeside property market—up in one place, down in the next, according to a report by Italian e…
Photos courtesy of ENIT The setting sun dances on a cornflower blue sea, turning the sky into a study of cherry blossom pink and tea rose, lavender a…
Words by Carla PassinoSheltered behind a low wall, a creamy-hued stone longhouse surveys a verdant countryside of oaks and granite outcrops, a small l…