Relocating

[Jatallian]

Hi everyone.  Looking to relocate to Italy this summer with my 12 year old and trying to find a family friendly area.  I welcome your input/suggestions.

[Tartufa]

Welcome!  A brave move certainly.  My advice would be to put yourself in the middle of a town or city. The villages are slowly draining of kids and your 12-year old would almost certainly need to bus it to a local scuola media. You would also need to have already made an application by now (January) for the school of your choice but the likelihood is that there will still be places. Assuming you both already speak Italian?

[Jatallian]

Thank you.  I am a brave woman lol but I’m use to being outside of my culture as a Jamaican born, and I am looking forward to learning the Italian language.  I think my son will do well learning the language, he started Spanish this school year and is doing very well with it.  I haven’t applied for any school yet as I’m not sure what area to settle in at this time. 

Considering home schooling at least for the first half of the school year...

[Vignaverde]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with everything. We moved here with young children almost 10 years ago and we are loving it. There are many areas you can consider you just need to check with agents about bus routes etc to make sure your little one can get to school, obviously if you lived in a town this is much easier. Think about what you want out of it i.e Town or country and then come over and have a look around.

[Jatallian]

Thank you!

[dolcevita]

Can I ask why you want to move to Italy in particular? Do you have a family connection? Or just love the weather?

I like Italy but I sort of live in a bubble while I am there as that is what I prefer  . I love to garden and bird watch in the mountains and am looking to getting involved with local bird groups if I was there for longer periods. I am a great animal lover and have got involved with helping local stray dogs too and I have some Italian and English friends I visit.

My own experience of small town Italy is not hugely positive and I dont think its only me! listening to Bruno Tonioli on Desert Island Disks recently and he shared my feelings. And he is Italian!!! It is hugely positive for the Italians who live there so much so that they do not ever seem to want to leave.

I have recently been pet sitting in Stoke Newington and although I normally live in the wilds of Cornwall and like it I love doing short stints in the middle of London for the vibrancy and life there. I think a town would be better and I like Pescara or Pineto as well as Chieti